This was the best day of Rory's life. His palms had been sweaty since midday and his Great-Aunt Vera had kissed him on the lips, twice. He couldn't even care. He had fallen in love with Amy the way that should always end with a broken heart. He'd trailed
behind her in the playground, he'd fretted over which t-shirt to wear to her birthday parties (the answer was always the navy blue one) and committed the most humiliating and stupid dares at her request. He'd been her shoulder to cry on, her best
friend, and then one day, finally, she'd noticed him.

Now this was their forever. That uniquely Amy brand of happiness had bubbled away all day, calming those lingering nerves that he wasn't going to be enough for her. He relished the feeling of sitting next to his wife hardly even mortified by his best
man's anecdotes and thoroughly reassured by the distance now put between him and Great-Aunt Vera.

Then Amy had started to cry, and he'd felt the dread surfacing again. His heart dropped out his chest when she'd stood up and demanded the return of her imaginary friend. He was never going to be enough, the words played hauntingly in his mind.

Then, the big blue box appeared and he wondered how he could ever have forgotten.

As soon as she remembered she couldn't understand how she'd ever forgotten. He was absolute and tangible, just missing. In the elongated silence following her outburst she still didn't waver. And sure enough, it appeared.

Amy opened the familiar Tardis door with a rush to reveal the Doctor. His equally silly and dashing outfit suggested his appearance was a one-sided surprise. Her eyes trailed from the top hat, to his boyish grin, to his…

She paused.

"Doctor."

His arms flew up welcomingly.

"The Ponds!"

She repeated herself. "Doctor."

"Yes!" His grin widened.

"Why do you have lipstick on your collar?"

"Ah." He paused, letting the almost word settle in the eavesdropping room. His outstretched hand found the back of his neck and he rubbed at it nervously. "Ah yes, well I heard about this incredible wedding and I must have forgotten to RSVP but, well,
I've brought a plus one."

"River?" Amelia's voice contained a knowing smirk.

Then, a distinctly London voice came from within the TARDIS. "Who's River?"

The Doctor opted to hold his wide eyed stare as Amelia's face adjusted to the shock.

"Who's that?" He wondered if all Scottish people could infuse two small words with such attitude.

"Has she been in there the whole time?"

"I wish." He spoke without thinking, a cheeky grin taking prominence over his face before he could help himself. He felt herhand slip into his and felt the corresponding spark shoot up his arm. Rose'sproximity was certainly delightful
although slightly mitigated by her unwavering focus on Amelia.

"Hello, I'm Rose Tyler. I guess if the Doctor's your imaginary friend, then I'm his." He could feel her attempt at friendly nonchalance thwarted by the sparkling warmth in her voice. Also by her mussed hair, actually that may have been the clearer indicator.

As Rory came forward to stand by Amelia, the Doctor beamed instinctively at the happy couple. With Rose'shand firmly grasped in his, he bounced out of the TARDIS to begin the new best day of his life.

Well, third time hadn't been lucky for the Doctor's dancing ability. Rose was doubled over as this wonderful, bizarre man moved like the beat was only a suggestion. He flew from groups of children whose adoration was evident, to the bride who was echoing
Rose in peals of laughter.

She made eye contact with Amy and felt a wave of nervousness flood her system. Amy's laughter died down and her expression flitted somewhere between wary and held her gaze for a long moment hoping her genuineness would be clear. It
had been so much easier meeting Donna. She supposed her last Doctor hadn't had the air of innocence that this enthused,top hat wearing,terrible dancer had never been about protecting her last Doctor, only loving
it wasn't so simple now. A voice in the back of her head added the bitter thought she wasn't acknowledging, that of course it had been much easier for Donna, because he mentioned you back then.

She threw the surfacing thought away as the song changed to one much slower and Amy made her way over to her new husband. She actually liked the socially awkward Roman bloke. He was on his way to being her best friend on the merit of being one of very
few who actually smiled when they made eye contact with her.

Her brooding thoughts and distant stare were broken when his brand new face surfaced in her line of vision. He finally seemed able to sway somewhat to the rhythm as he led her into the middle of the dancefloor. She let out a shaky breath when his
hands reached her hips and couldn't resist drawing him a little closer by her hands clasped behind his neck.

He bent down slightly and suddenly she could feel his breath, ragged, on her lips. She felt her lips move upwards until they just brushed against his and then- the music stopped abruptly.

They turned with the other dancers to watch the muted argument between the bride and the DJ. The winner was clear when the DJ meekly changed the music to another slow beat classic. The Doctor's shoulder's straightened as 'Cry Me A River' filled the room
and the ginger bride gave him a pointed look.

He took a clear step back before continuing their dance and she bit back the question she wasn't sure she wanted the answer to. River was a name that seemed intent on remaining both unexplained and unavoidable tonight. Her trust in the Doctor evidently
had no effect on her rising insecurity and instinctive jealously over another woman in the Doctor's life.

She remembered vividly her Mum's prediction of this event back in the other world. Her mind faltered slightly as she recalled these memories that she'd never lived this time around but still retained. The Doctor had explained it so well earlier, but now
she was less certain of the ins and outs.

He had been standing over the Tardis console when she'd arrived, her appearance directly across from him going unnoticed for several seconds. Rose had panicked when words wouldn't escape her throat and she felt terrified that she'd herself died back in the world without any stars.

Then he'd glanced up for a second and time had paused. They shared a look and then a hesitant smile before walking around the ship's centre to finally meet. His choice of a walking pace had reassured her, she was tired of the fleeting seconds that she had to sprint for. A walking Doctor meant they had all the time in the world. After some time, they'd found themselves wandering through the rooms of the newly (to Rose anyway) refurbished Tardis.

He'd told her then of the idea that had been sparked by the destruction of reality. He'd started the story with a teasing 'Once Upon A Time' but she'd been drawn in by the tale of the Pandorica, and of Amy, Rory and some other friends- he'd mentioned
Cleopatra vaguely. His gaze was murderously intense and particularly vulnerable when he'd explained the logic behind his plan, that if human Rose could have her part-human Doctor then why could he not have his part alien Rose.

Her timeline had diverged continuously as the Pandorica had been opened, and she'd been in a state of flux when thrown into a reality without stars to visit or Doctor's to call. When she'd trained her eyes on the fading sun and allowed the song of the
Tardis to fill her mind she felt acutely the two timeline's rip apart rather than converge, and so here she was.

Her mum had not predicted that.

Continued apologies if I just wasted some precious moments of your life, I swear I have a vague idea where this is going.