I know I shouldn't be starting another story right now, but it was an idea that would not go away. Not sure how consistently I'll update as of yet. Thank you to Aragorn II Elessar for his help with the title.
Timeline wise, this takes place between Lets Kill Hitler and The Girl who Waited.
The TARDIS
The Doctor was at the console, doing some tinkering. He didn't know where Amy and Rory were, probably in their room. It had been a long few days, he mused. A few days since Berlin. A few days since Melody. Or River, whichever way you wanted to look at it.
The Doctor could never regret River. But he knew this was not the ending Amy and Rory had wanted for their daughter. The Doctor wished he could spare them this pain, give them their daughter to raise. But all he could do was try to help them, take them all over the universe to try and cheer them up.
The Doctor was broken out of his thoughts when the scanner suddenly blared to life, a fizzled image on it.
"Doctor, hear me can you?" a voice asked through the static.
"I can hear you, I can't see you. Give me a minute to adjust the signal," The Doctor said as he flipped a switch.
After a few moments, the static cleared to reveal a small green alien.
"Yoda," The Doctor greeted in surprise.
"Warms my heart to see you again it does Doctor. Although wish the circumstances were better, I do," Yoda said.
"Even with this face?" The Doctor asked with a grin and Yoda chuckled.
"Sense you are the same man I do. How long has it been for you?" Yoda wondered.
"A long time my friend. And you? How long has it been for you?" The Doctor inquired.
"Thirteen years it has been. And need your help my friend, I do," Yoda said grimly and The Doctor straightened as he saw the look on Yoda's face.
"What is it, what's happened?" The Doctor asked and Yoda sighed heavily, feeling every bit of his eight hundred years.
"War, we are at. The Clone Wars," Yoda said, horrifying The Doctor.
"That's not possible," The Doctor said almost to himself.
"My former Apprentice, Count Dooku, leads a group of systems against the Republic. Invaded Coruscant, they have," Yoda said and The Doctor's blood ran cold. "Under capture the Supreme Chancellor is."
"This is not right," The Doctor muttered.
"It is not. Need your help, I do," Yoda said, misunderstanding what The Doctor meant. "Rescue The Chancellor, we must."
"Where is he?" The Doctor said overcoming his shock as his mind began to get to work.
"In ship above Coruscant. Sent two Jedi Knights to rescue him we have, but fear they may not be in time, I am. Dangerous enemy you have to face to save him. Not to be taken lightly Dooku's powers are," Yoda warned.
"He can't be any worse than the Daleks. I'm on my way my friend," The Doctor said before cutting the signal.
In their room, Amy and Rory laid on their bed, wrapped in each other's arms. Amy's head was buried in the crook of Rory's neck while her hands seemed to cling to his shirt. Rory was absently running a hand through Amy's hair when there was a knock on the door.
"Amy? Rory? Can I come in?" The Doctor asked from the other side of the door.
"Well, at least he knocked this time," Rory said dryly and Amy managed her first laugh since they'd lost Melody.
"I'm honoring the rule about the bedroom, see?" The Doctor called from outside and even Rory couldn't fight a grin at their friend's antics.
"You can come in Raggedy Man," Amy said with a laugh and the door opened, revealing their alien friend.
"How would you two like to go to one of the top rated vacation spots in the galaxy?" The Doctor asked and they looked at him, interested.
"What kind of vacation are we talking about?" Rory asked wearily as he and Amy sat up, knowing The Doctor's idea of a good time was usually running about on various planets, usually ones that had some kind of trouble brewing.
"Appalachia. A beautiful world, voted number 2 planet in the Top Town Greatest Destinations for Discerning Intergalactic traveler," The Doctor explained.
"And why can't we go to number 1?" Rory asked.
"It's hideous. Everyone goes to number 1, Planet of the Coffee Shops. On Appalapachia there are sunsets, spires, soaring silver colonnades," The Doctor said excitedly and Amy was becoming more and more interested. "So what do you say?"
"Well, it would be a nice change of pace. Rory?" Amy asked as she looked at her husband.
"Well, it beats running for our lives. Let's go," Rory said with a shrug.
"Great! I'll drop you off and pick you up in a few hours," The Doctor said happily as he moved to close the door.
"Hold it Raggedy Man!" Amy snapped as she and Rory looked at him in a mix of exasperation and disappointment.
"Should have known you were up to something," Rory said with a sigh.
"You're planning on going somewhere else, aren't you? Somehow dangerous," Amy accused him as The Doctor looked at them sheepishly.
"No. Well, yes, but also no," The Doctor said and his companions looked at him blankly. "I'm going to help an old friend of mine."
"And this old friend of yours would be where exactly?" Amy asked wearily.
"In the Seventy-fifth century," The Doctor admitted.
"And you were planning on just ditching us on some other planet?" Amy asked annoyed.
"This isn't a social trip Amy. I'm going into a literal war zone," The Doctor explained and they gave him two matching looks of disbelief. "It's complicated, but apparently there's a war going on and the leader of the Republic has been abducted."
"Don't you have a rule against interfering with big galactic events?" Rory voiced.
"Normally yes, but this is different. Something's changed with history," The Doctor said, surprising them. "This war, it never happened before. Apparently there's an invasion of the Republic Capital, which also never happened."
"You're going to investigate," Rory realized and The Doctor nodded.
"And you were planning on ditching us," Amy said annoyed.
"Guilty as charged. This is a war zone, literally. There's been enough war lately," The Doctor said and there was a moment of silence as they all processed what he meant. "You two don't need to be involved in this."
"I think that's our choice," Rory pointed out.
"Raggedy Man, after everything we've been through together, do you really think you can just ditch on some planet while you go off to save the world? Haven't you learned by now?" Amy asked with fond amusement.
The Doctor stared at them both, his Ponds, torn between being touched at the gesture and grabbing them both by the shoulders and shouting at them that they didn't need to keep putting their lives at risk for him. But they humans, loyal to a fault and brave to the point of stupidity. It was something he both admired about the human race and was annoyed by.
"Alright, alright," The Doctor said with a sigh, giving in. "Rory, grab your sword. Amy, I'm going to get you a gun."
"I thought you hated guns?" Amy said in confusion.
"I dislike violence, doesn't mean I'm not prepared for it. It belonged to a friend of mine who used to travel with me," The Doctor said, wistfully thinking of Jack and briefly wishing he was here for this. "Now, you two are going to need to do exactly as I say. No wondering off. And I don't mean that as usual, I mean your lives may depend on it. We're about to go to war."
Good? Bad? Tell me what you think.
