The Best of Times
The Wedding of the Doctor and Gazelle
Thanks to Isabelnecessaryonabycycle for following this story
After the business in The Library, the time travellers all agreed on a trip to a nice place to relax and recuperate. Gazelle suggested the planet Midnight, which boasted a luxurious leisure palace, which was why the Time Lady and Donna were currently chilling out on sun loungers, dressed in swimwear and bathrobes, relaxing by a poolside. Presently, a waiter came over carrying a 1980's-style mobile phone "Oh, 'ere we go!" Donna groaned, knowing who was on the other end.
"I'll handle it." Gazelle told her, taking the phone "For the last time, no." she said into the phone
"A sapphire waterfall." the Doctor's voice said over the other end "It's a waterfall made of sapphires. This enormous jewel the size of a glacier, reaches the Cliffs of Oblivion an'..."
"And then shatters into sapphires at the edge, before falling 100,000 feet into the crystal ravine." Gazelle interrupted "Yes, I know. We're still not coming."
"Aw, come on, they're boadin' now. It's no fun if I see it on my own. Four hours, that's all it'll take."
"Four hours there, four hours back." Gazelle countered "That's eight hours stuck in a claustrophobic tin can. I'm sorry, but that's not what I had in mind when I suggested we come here. No, Donna and I are gonna have a girl's day. We've got nice comfy sun loungers here and a pool that's just calling my name."
"Be careful, that's xtonic sunlight out there." the Doctor warned
"That's why we've got 15 feet of Finitoglass above us." Gazelle answered casually
"Alright, I give up." the Doctor conceded "I'll be back for dinner. We'll try that anti-grav restaurant wiv bibs."
"It's a date." Gazelle replied "Be careful."
"Nah!" the Doctor laughed "Takin' a big truck wiv a bunch of strangers across a diamond planet called Midnight, what could possibly go wrong?"
"Knowing your luck, everything." Gazelle replied "Love you!" she blew a kiss down the phone
"Love you too." the Doctor replied, blowing a kiss of his own down the phone "See ya later!" and he hung up.
Gazelle handed the waiter the phone back and slung down on her lounger "Ah, this is the life!" she sighed contently
"You can say that again!" Donna agreed "Diamond planet, handsome boys at our beck an' call, gotta say, ya made the right choice brinigin' me 'ere."
"Knew you'd like it." Gazelle replied "I've been wanting to come here for centuries, but never got round to it, but now, mission accomplished." she picked her drink up "Down the hatch!"
"Cheers!" Donna answered, picking up her own drink. They chinked their glasses together and drank up.
The two women had a very enjoyable day, mostly spent sunbathing. Donna went off to a spa for a facial presently, while Gazelle went for a swim. She was an accomplished swimmer, thanks to her hobby of swimming in the TARDIS pool sometimes during downtime between adventures.
About five hours later, the two women were sunbathing again when the Doctor arrived at the poolside, earlier than expected and looking very shaken up. Gazelle immediately sensed that something terrible had happened during his trip, so she pulled him into a comforting hug. The Doctor buried his face in her hair and lost himself in her soothing presence.
Presently, the trio were sat down by the poolside with the Doctor telling the women what had happened. The shuttle bus he was on had broken down in the middle of nowhere and they'd been menaced by some unknow entity who had possessed one of the passengers and played on Humanity's hysteria to turn the other passengers against the Doctor, which had been exacerbated when the entity had then proceeded to possess him. The hysterical Humans had nearly thrown him out to his death, but a brave hostess had realised that the infected passenger was the true culprit and throw her out, along with herself.
"So, what d'ya fink it was?" Donna asked after the Doctor had finished recounting his story.
"No idea." he shrugged
"Well, whatever it is, it could still be out there." Gazelle realised "We're gonna have to tell the authorities."
"Yeah." the Doctor agreed "They can build a leisure palace somewhere else. Let this planet keep on turnin 'round the xtonic star... in silence."
"Can't imagine you without a voice." Donna remarked, trying to lighten the mood. The Doctor had told them that the entity had taken his voice.
"Molto bene." the Doctor managed to crack a smile
"Molto bene!" Donna joked. Another aspect of being possessed was that the Doctor repeated anything other people said
"No, don't do that." the Doctor said seriously, shivering at the memory "Don't. Don't."
"Sorry." Donna mumbled
Gazelle rubbed the Doctor's shoulder in comfort "I'm sorry, Doctor." she said "If I'd have known that thing was out there, I wouldn't have suggested coming here."
"Not your fault." the Doctor reassured her "Ya not psychic." To be honest, he was glad Gazelle hadn't been with him during the ordeal. On the one hand, maybe the passengers wouldn't have turned on him if Gazelle had been there to smooth things over and reign in the Doctor's facetious attitude, but on the other hand, the entity could've possessed her instead, and that thought chilled him to the bone.
The Doctor was feeling much better after he and Gazelle had a nice romantic dinner at the anti-gravity restaurant. He then made an important decision "I wanna get married. Tomorrow." he said
"You sure?" Gazelle asked him
"Positive." he nodded "I nearly died today. I don't wanna waste anymore time." then he thought for a moment "Is that alright?"
"Definitely." Gazelle replied "C'mon, let's find Donna and get ready."
An advantage of having a time machine was that wedding preparations, which would take weeks for Humans, could be done in a few hours. And so, next day, the Doctor was standing before the mirror in his and Gazelle's bedroom, finishing up getting ready for his big day. He was wearing a grey suit with black pinstripes, a black waistcoat, a white shirt and tie, and the black converse he wore for formal occasions. He'd just finished fixing his carnation when there was a knock on the door "Hey Doc, you decent in there?" the voice of Jack Harkness called from the other side
"I'm always decent." the Doctor answered, and the door opened to reveal Jack, smartly dressed in a grey suit.
"Hey, lookin' good, Doctor." Jack grinned
"Well, it is my wedding day." the Doctor shrugged "Gotta make the effort. Any word from Gazelle?" She was currently at Martha's house, getting ready with Donna and Martha, who were the bridesmaids, while Jack was to be best man and wedding officiator.
"Yeah, Martha called, they're just leaving." Jack replied "Traffic permitting, they'll be here in half an hour."
"Good." the Doctor nodded "I can't wait." he was practically sizzling with excitement. The ordeal on Midnight had made him appreciate Gazelle even more. He really loved her with all his hearts and couldn't wait to officially call her his wife.
"So, shall we?" Jack asked, and the two men left the room and made their way to the console room, then they stepped out of the TARDIS and into the registry office where the ceremony was to take place. There was three other people waiting, Sarah Jane Smith, his old friend Brigadier Sir Alistair Gordon Lethbridge Stewart and a dark-haired man who Jack had introduced as his special friend, Ianto Jones.
The Doctor went to Sarah Jane first "Glad ya could make it." he said "How's K-9?"
"Oh, good as ever." she replied "You know, I'd never imagined you getting married."
"Yeah, well, expect the unexpected." the Doctor grinned, hugging his old companion. "Oh, an' good work wiv the Bane." he praised. He'd found out that Sarah Jane was doing sterling work dealing with alien threats in Ealing.
"I learned from the best." Sarah Jane replied modestly "And I had help."
The Doctor turned to the Brigadier next "Alistair!" he grinned "Glad ya could make it." he could see the Brigadier was getting on in years, the man now walked with a cane, but he still made the effort to attend.
"Least I could do." the Brigadier replied "Oh, and I believe thanks are in order. You did wonders during that ATMOS business. Only wish I'd been there myself." he'd been stranded in Peru during that caper, but Colonel Mace had informed him on what had happened.
The Doctor chatted with his old companions for a while until Jack came back in from checking outside "They're here." he called "Positions everyone."
Everyone took their places as the doors to the room they were using were opened to reveal Gazelle. The Doctor felt his hearts flutter at the sight of her. She looked more beautiful than ever in a long white silk evening gown, similar to the one she'd wore at Lazarus Labs, but with a long train, while her long chestnut brown hair was styled in neat waves that cascaded down her back like a chocolate waterfall. For jewellery, she wore a pair of silver earrings and her usual gazelle necklace. She hadn't bothered with much makeup, just some red lipstick and a bit of eyeliner to bring out her hazel orbs. On her face, she wore the most radiant smile, matching the one the Doctor was wearing.
She was being escorted down the aisle by Wilfred Mott, who had jumped at the chance to repay the Time Lady for saving his life during the ATMOS incident. Martha and Donna trailed behind, both wearing TARDIS blue bridesmaid dresses. As they reached the end of the aisle, the Doctor offered his hand and Gazelle took it. "You look beautiful." he told her
"Thank you." she smiled "And you look handsome too." Hand-in-hand, they turned to face Jack at the alter
Jack cleared his throat and began "Ladies and gentlemen, we are gathered here today to witness the bonding of the Doctor and Gazelle. Now, I believe the bride and groom have their own vows."
The Doctor began "My Lady Gazelle, daughter of the Inspector an' Nyala, you entered my life on the worst day of my life, but you were the silver lining on that terrible day. Over the last 54 years, you've stood by side, keepin' the darkness from consumin' me an' stopping me when I go too far. You are the most beautiful, kind, compassionate woman in the whole universe an' every moment I spend wiv you is heaven. I promise to love an' cherish you wiv all of my hearts, my gorgeous Gazelle."
Next it was Gazelle's turn "My Lord Doctor, son of the Tetrarch and Cicero, when we first met, I was a dying, broken woman and you rescued me, nursed me back to health and helped me see all that is beautiful in the universe. You've changed me for the better. The last 54 years have been the most amazing adventure a girl could wish for, and I couldn't ask for anything better, because there is just nothing that can compare to travelling through the universe with you, the amazing, handsome, brilliant, sometimes barmy, Doctor. I promise to stay by your side till my last breath, loving and cherishing you like the wonderful man you are, my dashing Doctor."
Jack smiled at the vows "And now we come to the exchange of the rings."
The Doctor reached into his pocket and produced a small blue box. He opened it to reveal two silver wedding rings. He handed one to Gazelle, while he kept the other one. "My Lady Gazelle, wiv this ring I 'ereby commit my love to you as my wife." he slipped the ring on Gazelle's left hand, just above her engagement ring.
Then it was Gazelle's turn "My Lord Doctor, with this ring I hereby commit my love to you as my husband." she slipped the ring on the Doctor's left hand
"By the power vested in me, I announce you husband and wife." Jack announced "You may now kiss the bride." he told the Doctor, who didn't hesitate to do so. The Doctor slipped an arm around Gazelle's waist and pulled her in closer, then they locked lips, kissing each other with their most passionate embrace yet, while the Humans all clapped and cheered, Donna being the most vocal in her support.
After the wedding, everyone made their way to the venue where the reception was to take place. The caterers had outdone themselves by providing a nice spacious room with a buffet set out for everyone. As best man, Jack made the first speech "Let me tell ya all how I first met this funny couple. It was back in World War II. I was a con man, the Doctor was a Northerner with big ears and a grumpy attitude. Gazelle looked the same as she does now, a royal beauty." he winked, causing the Time Lords to just roll their eyes. Jack never changed. "But they took me in and changed me, made me a better man. I can remember those days. I knew they had something for each other, and I was always trying to push 'em together. Now I'm very happy to see them together. Ladies and gentlemen, the Doctor and Gazelle." he held up a glass in a toast
"The Doctor and Gazelle." everyone toasted
Now it was the bride and groom's turn to make speeches "I'd like to thank ya all for comin' 'ere today." the Doctor announced "Now I know I ramble, my gob doesn't stop."
"Ya got that right." Donna called out
"Oi, hush you." the Doctor scolded, then continued "But for once, I 'ave nothing to say. I'm let my beautiful wife do all the talkin'." he sat down and let Gazelle make her speech
"As the Doctor said, thank you everyone for coming today. We'd like to thank Jack for doubling as best man and officiating. I'd also like to thank Wilfred for giving me away." Donna's grandfather nodded his gratitude "Next, I'd like to thank my best friends Martha and Donna for being my bridesmaids and helping me pick out this dress. One last thing, I'd like to take a moment to remember three people who are very close to us, but couldn't make it today as they're a whole universe away. Rose Tyler, Jackie Tyler and Mickey Smith. To absent friends." she held up her glass and everyone toasted "But a very important lesson I've learned from everything the Doctor and I have been through is to cherish every moment and keep your friends and family close."
Everyone applauded and the Doctor stood up again "Right, you lot." he said "Now all the talkin's done, let's party!" he pointed his sonic screwdriver at a speaker and Fairy Tale of New York began to play "Now I know it isn't Christmas, but this is our song, so will ya join me for a dance?" he asked Gazelle
"Nothing would give me greater pleasure." Gazelle smiled, and the Time Lords took to the floor and shared their first dance as husband and wife. When the song finished, they shared another loving embrace, then Gazelle grabbed her bouquet "Now, I believe Humans have a traditional at weddings, which I'm gonna honour." and with that, she tossed the bouquet in the air. Donna caught it, much to the ginger's delight.
"Now that that's out the way, let's speed things up a notch." Gazelle said, hitching up her skirt to retrieve her sonic from where she'd strapped it to her thigh. The Doctor smirked when he saw that she was wearing her usual white trainers underneath her dress. Like himself, Gazelle always made sure to wear sensible shoes, no matter the occasion. Gazelle flashed her sonic at the speakers and Dead Ringer for Love started playing. The Time Lords danced again, joined by Jack and Ianto. The party was soon in full swing and a good time was had by all.
A little later, the Time Lords went outside the building to get some air. "Ah, so you've both just married then?" a voice called, and they turned to see River Song standing by a wall
"River?" both Time Lords stared
"The one and only." River smirked
"What're you doin' here?" the Doctor asked
"Just thought I'd give the bride a wedding present." River replied casually, and produced a small box, then handed it to Gazelle.
The Time Lady opened it to reveal a TARDIS blue bracelet inside, along with a note 'Congratulations, love R.S, A.P & R.W.'
"Who're A.P and R.W?" Gazelle asked
"Spoilers." River smirked
"Well, answer me this, where are we in your timeline?"
"Again, spoilers." River replied "But I can tell you both this, we never have a dull moment. Until next time, sweeties." she pulled up her sleeve to reveal a Vortex Manipulator and pressed a button on it, disappearing in a flash.
"Now that is textbook enigmatic." the Doctor shook his head
"You've said that before." Gazelle remarked "Guess we'll just have to take the slow path until we find out who River really is." she took out the bracelet and examined it closely "Wonder where she got this from?" she wandered "Still, I like it." she slipped it on her right wrist "What d'ya think?" she asked her husband
"Perfect." the Doctor replied "You look perfect in anyfink, Remii."
Gazelle smiled at the compliment "C'mon, let's get back to the party." and hand-in-hand, they went back inside the venue
A few hours later, when the guests had all gone home, the Time Lords and Donna all returned to the TARDIS. As soon as they were inside the box, Donna retreated to her room to sleep off the booze she'd drunk today, while the Time Lords set to work piloting the TARDIS back into the Time Vortex. "So, how was the wedding, Mrs Theta?" the Doctor asked
"The happiest day of my life, Mr Remii." Gazelle replied, and they went off hand-in-hand to their room.
"There's another Human tradition wiv weddings." the Doctor said when they reached the room "Would you allow me the honour?" Gazelle nodded her consent and the Doctor scooped her up into his arms and carried her across the threshold of their room and lay her down on the bed "You are so beautiful." he said, gently stroking her hair
"And you are so handsome." she reciprocated, then she began to remove her dress, while the Doctor shed his suit, then he slipped into bed next to her "I love you, Theta." Gazelle said
"I love you too, Remii." he answered and leaned in to kiss her and commence their first 'dance' as husband and wife.
Author's notes: Well, our Time Lord couple have now officially tied the knot. This is my first attempt at an original chapter. Apologies for this chapter for being so short, but my imagination is rather stale. As I mentioned in my author's notes last chapter, I skipped Midnight as I feel that episode only really works with the Doctor being on his own. That episode features some of the 10th Doctor's characteristics backfiring on him, namely his facetious and arrogant attitude and his inappropriate enthusiasm for dangerous situations. I've written Gazelle as someone who can handle the Doctor and reign him in when he's in the wrong. Had Gazelle been with the Doctor during the business with the Midnight Entity, the Humans may not have turned on the Doctor, as she could've smoothed things over and reigned the Doctor in. Anyway, I hope I did a decent job with the Doctor and Gazelle's nuptials. I've revealed their parents' names, hope no one minds that. Bit of trivia, the names of the Doctor's parents I got from LNER A3 class Pacifics, which were in turn named after racehorses. As I said, rather stale imagination of mine. Still, the Time Lords are married now, and the next three episodes should be fun. See you all next time!