Melanie groaned as she came to, her cheek throbbing. "Oh no", she whispered, seeing that she was shut in the cupboard again "No. No. No!" she hammered on the door, crying out from the jarring pain in her left wrist. She whimpered, cradling it to her body as she used her other hand to hit the door. "Let me out! Let me out!" she pleaded "please Uncle! PLEASE!"

No response.

Desperate, Melanie hit the door again, giving it a few kicks her good measure. Suddenly the door swung open and a hand grabbed her, dragging her out. "Shut up!" her uncle snapped, back handing her across the face. The young woman lay on the floor, trembling, tears rolling down her face. "Maybe I should just get rid of you", the man said.

"No…please", Melanie begged as he went for the knife in his pocket. She let out a scream, closing her eyes and throwing her hands up in an effort to protect herself when he raised the wicked looking blade. But the blow never came. Instead there was a loud thud. Melanie cautiously opened her eyes to see her uncle on floor just like she was, staring up at a ginger haired man, eyes wide with fear at the gun being pointed at him.

"River, get Elle out of here", Orion ordered. A curly haired woman stepped into the room and went over to Melanie, holding her hand out.

"Come on, you're not going to want to see this", River said. The young woman didn't hesitate to take the strange woman's hand. Anything to get her away from that monster. River gently ushered her out of the house, sitting her down on the wall outside. "Sorry, sweetie", she said apologetically when she made Melanie wince while wrapping up her wrist.

"It's ok", the brunette whispered "I just want out of this nightmare", she sniffled.

"You will", River assured her "with this". She showed her an angel figurine with two hearts drawn on it. Melanie took it from her and the curly haired woman waited in anticipation. She didn't have to wait very long as the brunette's eyes widened and she gasped. River smiled, it was working! The Doctor's Bonded was remembering.

"You have your own angel to fight that demon", Amy said handing it over. Melanie clutched it tightly in her hands "that angel will always watch over you and protect you from all the darkness, past, present and future"

"Amy", Melanie breathed, holding the figurine to her chest as more memories of her ginger haired friend flooded through her mind. Warmth blossomed in her chest "Doctor", she laughed, delighted as she now remembered her Bonded.

"It means you're my Bonded", he said carefully.

Melanie looked at him confused "I'm your…what?"

"My Bonded. The one who completes me. My other half. The person I'm meant to be with", the Doctor explained.

"That sounds like a soulmate", Melanie remarked.

"That would be the closest thing in Earth terms, yes. When you feel that warmth in your chest and the tug of your heart when you've met someone that means they are your Bonded. As we both got that feeling when we met…"

"That's how you knew that we were each other's Bonded", Melanie finished.

She then recalled their conversation about how they were not just connected by their minds and souls but through heart and body as well. Melanie's face flushed as her brain then decided to remember the first time she and the Doctor danced. "I remember it all", she stated, opening her eyes "You, the Doctor, Amy and…Rory!" she laughed again. It quickly died down when she realised the reason she had forgotten them all. The Doctor's sacrifice to restart the universe. "He's not coming back, is he?" she asked quietly.

"That's up to you. On the Byzantium what did he tell you?" River questioned.

Melanie frowned "I don't remember", she replied.

"Yes, you do. Just concentrate", River gently urged "and it'll come to you".

Melanie closed her eyes again, clutching the angel figurine tightly.

"Elle there is something really important I need to tell you" the Doctor said "You need to remember this" he leant forward and spoke quietly into her ear "remember the TARDIS. Remember how its big and little at the same time. Brand new and ancient. It's also the bluest blue ever".

"River I remember!" the brunette exclaimed opening her eyes "River?" she called when the woman seemed to have disappeared. She wasn't too upset though, she remembered what the Doctor had told her! Melanie hopped off the wall. "The TARDIS. Big and little! New and old! And very, very blue!" she proclaimed, dancing around on the spot "the most incredible box in the universe!"

She stopped dancing when she heard the most wonderful sound. The TARDIS engines. Melanie watched giddily as the ship slowly appeared before her eyes. "Elle!" the Doctor cried happily, after flinging the door open "My Elle!" he darted out, giving her a massive hug.

"Doctor", Melanie said, pressing her face into his chest.

"What happened?" the Time Lord asked, pulling back, noticing the bruise on her face and her wrapped wrist "who did this?"

"He did", Melanie mumbled, knowing that if she mentioned that monster, he was going to go Oncoming Storm. As expected, the Doctor's face darkened.

"Where is he?" he asked, in almost a growl.

"I've dealt with him", Orion said, coming out of the house "He's not going to hurt you anymore".

"Thank you, Orion", Melanie whispered.

"You're welcome. Now you two best be off, you got a wedding to get to", Orion said.

"Quite right, lets go Elle", the Doctor said, taking her uninjured hand and taking her into the TARDIS. The ginger haired man watched the ship disappear before he did the same.

"Right first things first", the Doctor said and carefully placed his hand on her cheek, using a little regeneration energy to heal it. He then did the same for her wrist. "Now for something more important", the Time Lord cupped her face and kissed her.

"I missed that", Melanie admitted.

"Me too", the Doctor agreed, a caressing her cheek "do you wanna dance?" he murmured in her ear, making her shiver. In a good way.

"God yes", Melanie replied. The Time Lord grinned, scooping her up and running toward their room.

At the wedding reception, Amy stood up, heart drumming in her chest as she remembered not only the Doctor but her best friend as well! "Raggedy man, Elle I remember you both, and you are late for my wedding!" glasses began to shake "I found you. I found you in words, like you knew I would. That's why you told me the story the brand new, ancient blue box" a strong wind blows the balloons around "Oh, clever. Very clever", a big smile appeared on her face.

"Amy, what is it?" Rory asked.

"Something old. Something new. Something borrowed. Something blue", Amy breathed and the TARDIS appeared in the middle of the room. The ginger clambered over the table to get to the ship.

Rory's eyes widened as he remembered the Time Lord and Melanie. "It's the Doctor and Elle!" he exclaimed "How did we forget them? I was plastic. She's his Bonded. He was the stripper at my stag. Long story".

Amy knocked on the door "Ok, Doctor. Did I surprise you this time?" she asked. The door opened and the Doctor appeared in a top hat and coattails.

"Er, yeah. Completely astonished", the Doctor replied "Never expected that. How lucky I happened to be wearing this old thing".

"He's fibbing", Melanie said, stepping up next to him, wearing a pale pink dress "he knew this was gonna happen. That's why he's wearing that get up".

The Doctor sighed "Yeah, ok I did", he confessed. He took off his white scarf, looping it around Melanie's neck and stepped out of the box, bringing her with him "Hello, everyone. I'm Amy's imaginary friend. As is this lovely lady", the Time Lord kissed her temple. He moved away from her to shake Amy's father's hand "Right then, everyone. I'll move my box. You're going to need the space. I only came for the dancing" he gave Melanie a wink and she blushed.

Melanie laughed as she watched the Doctor dance about with the children, waving his arms about. "You're so ridiculous!" she giggled.

The Time Lord grabbed her hand and spun her around "You love it really", he said, holding her close.

"Maybe just a little", she admitted. Melanie then joined him in his drunk giraffe dance with the kids. When the song turned into a slow, romantic one, the pair swayed on the spot together.

The Doctor glanced at Amy and Rory with a smile "Two thousand years. The boy who waited. Good on you, mate", he softly remarked.

"Think that'll be us one day?" Melanie asked, also watching them.

"Of course it will be, one day", the Doctor promised. Technically being Bonded is like being married in a sense so the actual wedding would just be a formality but one he was quite happy to do. Melanie smiled and kissed him.

Later…

The Doctor and Melanie walked toward the TARDIS where it was parked by Amy's house. As the Time Lord put the key into the lock, River spoke up behind them. "Did you dance?" she asked "Well, I bet Elle made you dance".

"I didn't have to, he was quite willing", Melanie told her. The Doctor handed River her diary and vortex manipulator.

"The writing's all back, but I didn't peek", he assured her.

"Thank you", River said.

"River, you never did answer this but who exactly are you?" the Doctor questioned.

"You're both going to find out very soon now", River replied "And I'm sorry, but that's when everything changes".

"What do you think that means?" Melanie queried after River vanished in a flash of light.

The Doctor shrugged "No clue but I guess we'll find out, eventually", he said. He unlocked the TARDIS and pushed the door open. The Time Lord took her hand and danced up to the console. Melanie laughed when he dipped her. "You wanna find that holiday home?" he asked, pulling her up.

"Sure!" Melanie replied.

"Oi! Where are you two off to?" Amy questioned, coming into the TARDIS with Rory.

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

"You just saved the whole of space and time? Take the evening off. Maybe a bit of tomorrow", Rory suggested "you and Elle could go on a date or a holiday or something?"

"That's what we were about to do", Melanie told him.

"Actually…it might have to wait", the Doctor mumbled. As much as he wanted to have some r and r with his Bonded, there was still the matter of the Silence and the TARDIS exploding.

"What? Why?" Melanie questioned, confused.

"Space and time isn't safe yet", he answered "The TARDIS exploded for a reason. Something drew the TARDIS to this particular date, and blew it up. Why? And why now?" the phone on the console started ringing "The Silence, whatever it is, is still out there, and I have to…. excuse me a moment" he picked up the phone "Hello? Oh, hello. I'm sorry, this is a very bad line. 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, in space. Give us a mo" he glanced at Amy and Rory "Sorry, something's come up. This will have to be goodbye".

Amy nodded "Yeah, I think it's goodbye. Do you think it's goodbye Rory?"

"Definitely goodbye", he confirmed. Melanie smiled as she went to the open doorway and shouted

"Goodbye! Goodbye"

The Doctor smiled as well "Don't worry about a thing, your Majesty. We're on our way", he assured the person on the other end.