The walk back into town had been quiet for the most part. Amy felt numb. Even though Rory had assured her that what was happening wasn't real, she had still watched the Doctor die in front of her, again. She had to stand by and watch as the man she had started to think of as her dad die. Rory and the Doctor owed her one hell of an explanation for that stunt.

More than anything though, she hoped the Doctor was alright. It had only been three months, but the Doctor had begun to fill the void left when Dad died. And to lose him now would be devastating to everyone.

"Five," River said as they approached the diner.

"Sorry, what?" Rory said, shaking his head.

"The Doctor numbered the envelopes. You got Two, I was Three, Jack was Four, and Mr. Delaware was Five." River said as they stepped inside.

Jack looked confused. "So?"

"So, where's One?" River asked.

"What, you think he invited someone else?" Rory looked around as if expecting someone else to be there.

River nodded. "Well, he must have. He planned all of this to the last detail."

"Where's Rose?" Jack asked. "That's the real question." There was something in the way he said it that led Amy to believe that Jack knew more than they did.

Amy couldn't take this right now. "Will you three shut up, it doesn't matter."

Turning to face Amy, River said, "He was up to something."

"He's dead," Amy said before she knew the words were coming out of her mouth. Play along, easy enough, she thought morosely. Her world once again felt like it was on shaky ground. Rory came over and wrapped an arm around her waist.

" 'Space, 1969.' What did he mean?" River asked, her gaze traveling from one face to another.

Suddenly Amy was angry. She knew she shouldn't be, but right now she didn't care. "You're still talking, but it doesn't matter."

Rory pulled her into a hug and gently said, "Hey, it mattered to him."

"So it matters to us," Jack replied.

Unshed tears filled Amy's eyes. "He's dead."

River pulled on Amy's shoulders until they faced each other. "But he still needs us. I know. Amy, I know. But right now we have to focus." Abruptly River strode over to the back table. It was set for two, with a basket of fries set between two glass bottles of soda. "When you know it's the end, who do you call?"

Jack shrugged. "Your family, people you can trust."

Picking up another blue envelope from the table, River inspected it and handed it over to Rory. "Number One. Who did the Doctor trust the most?"

"We all know the answer to that but she's wasn't here," Rory said as he passed the envelope to Jack.

The rear door creaked open and the Doctor strolled in, alone.

"This is cold. Even by your standards, this is cold." River ground out.

"Or 'hello' as people used to say," the Doctor said, confused.

He was here. Amy let out a small sob. "Doctor," she breathed.

"Just popped out to get the special straws, they add more fizz." The Doctor awkwardly held out a pair of straws. "I would have grabbed more if I'd known you lot would be here."

"Where's Mum?" Rory asked, looking behind the newest arrival.

The Doctor spun around. "Rose was just here. I was only gone for a minute. What's going on here?"

"You're okay. How can you be okay?" Amy pushed through everyone and hugged the Doctor tightly. All Rory's assurances that somehow whatever just happened somehow didn't were starting to sink in.

Gripping her tightly, the Doctor kissed the top of her head. "Hey, of course I'm okay. I'm always okay. I'm the king of okay. Oh, that's a rubbish title. Forget that title. Rory the Roman! That's a good title! Hello Rory." Letting go of Amy, the Doctor turned his attention to the younger Time Lord. "Is everything okay?"

Rory hugged him fiercely. "Yeah, we're fine."

"Good," the Doctor replied, sounding skeptical as he pulled away. "Captain Jack, a pleasure." The two men shook hands and Jack gave him a wink. "And Doctor River Song, what trouble have you got for me this time?"

Reeling back River slapped him hard across the face, just as Rose walked back in the room. "River! What the hell was that for?" Rose looked concerned. "I pop off to the loo for a moment and when I come back you're slapping him. Although knowing him he probably deserved it."

"Blimey. Are you sure you aren't a Tyler because that slap puts you on par with Jackie." The Doctor said rubbing his jaw.

Her eyes were still hard and her stance still stiff as River turned to Rose. "That was for something that he hasn't done yet."

"Ah," Rose said as she turned to survey the others in the room.

"Good, looking forward to it," the Doctor muttered, still rubbing his jaw.

"I don't understand. How can you be here?" Rory said as he hugged his mum.

"We were invited. Date, map reference, same as you lot, I assume. Otherwise it's a hell of a coincidence," the Doctor said, holding up the envelope from the table.

When Rose was done hugging Rory, Amy launched herself into her mum's arms. "Rory, what's going on?"

Rory grabbed his wife's hand. "He's not wearing a wedding ring anymore. Ask them when the last time we saw them was?"

"So where are you two then? When did we see you last?" Amy said pulling back and trying to force herself to calm down. Whatever was happening, it wouldn't be good to panic.

"We just saw you and Rory a few days ago. Mickey and Martha's house, baby Gareth's birth. Are you okay? You look like something has scared the life out of you." Rose looked at her daughter with apprehension in her eyes.

Rounding on the Doctor, River asked, "So where does that leave us, huh? Jim the Fish? Have we done Jim the Fish yet?"

"Who's Jim the Fish?" the Doctor asked curiously, looking between River and Rose.

"I don't understand," Amy said, shaking her head and backing away.

"Yeah you do," Jack said quietly. Amy turned to look at him. It was the first time Jack had spoken in a while, that was really not like him. He definitely knew more than he was saying.

"I don't. What are we all doing here?" Rose said looking directly at Jack.

"We've been recruited. Something to do with space, 1969. And a man called Canton Everett Delaware the Third." Rory said.

"Recruited by whom?" the Doctor asked.

Jack stepped forward. "Someone who trusts you more than anyone else in the Universe."

Half laughing the Doctor said, "The majority of those people are in this room. So who do you mean?"

"Spoilers," River said with a forced smirk.

"Why don't we continue this someplace more private?" Rose suggested, gesturing to the door the Doctor had just come through.

"Yes, let's." The Doctor turned on his heel and stalked out of the room, not stopping to make sure that everyone was following.

Hanging back for a moment, Rose grabbed Rory's arm. "Sweetheart, what's going on?"

"Mum," Rory said, pulling her into another hug and burying his face in her shoulder. "I wish I could tell you. I really, really wish I could, but it could be devastating to time."

"Ok, I get that, but is everyone okay? I mean Amy looks like she's going to be sick and you and River look shaken to the core. Is it something back home?" Rose said as she rubbed circles on his back.

Shaking his head, Rory said, "Everyone is fine back home and physically we're all fine here. We just had a bit of a shock and I think we're at the beginning of a circular paradox."

"What do you…?"

Rory cut her off. "I've said as much as I can. I'm sorry."

"I understand, love, really. I just worry when I see all of you so upset." Rose tugged him towards the door. "Come on; let's go see what we can do about this space problem."

By the time mother and son had entered the Doctor's TARDIS, the man in question was running around the controls. "1969, that's an easy one. Funny how some years are easy, now 1482, full of glitches. Now then! Canton Everett Delaware the Third. That was his name, yeah? How many of those can there be? Well... three, I suppose."

Amy gave him a sad smile and walked down the ramp that led down underneath the console. A moment later River and Jack followed behind her.

Looking into Rory's eyes, the Doctor said softly, "Rory. Is everybody cross with me for some reason?"

Rory laid a hand on his arm and said, "I'll find out." Then he trailed after the girls and Jack.

"What did I do?" The Doctor asked Rose as she took his hand.

Standing on tiptoe, she kissed his cheek. "I'm not sure that you did anything, my love. But something happened and Rory said he can't tell me much. If he could he would, I know he would. Guess we're just going to have to see how this plays out."

"Rory, Amy, and River seem almost afraid of me. Why? I hate seeing them like that," the Doctor said, letting his head drop to nuzzle where her shoulder met her neck.

Rose ran her fingers through his hair. "For now we just have to trust them."

"Explain it again," Amy said from her seated position on the floor.

"The Doctor we saw on the beach is a future version, older than the one up there. How much older I'm not sure, a few years maybe." River said with a small smile. "Definitely a version from after he got married."

"Spoilers, River," Jack warned as he leaned back against the railing. "That hasn't happened in their timeline yet."

"But it has happened in yours, yeah?" Rory asked as he walked down the stairs. Jack nodded and Rory continued. "So you're a future version as well? Because you didn't seem all that surprised by what happened today, Jack."

"Yes, Rory, I'm from further along in your timeline and I'm here because you asked me to be. You remembered me from this point in my timeline being here." Jack said in a tone that indicated that this part of the conversation was over.

"But all that's still gonna happen? He's still gonna die?" Amy said, her voice betraying too much emotion as she tried to remind herself that it wasn't really going to happen.

"We're all going to do that, Amy," River said softly.

"We're all not going to arrange our own wake and invite ourselves. So the Doctor, in the future, knowing he's going to die, recruits his younger self and all of us to... to what, exactly?" Rory said, pacing.

"Alright," Jack said pushing himself off the railing. "Let's cut to the chase. All of us know that what happened on that beach was faked. It was a show. The people who want the Doctor dead needed to think he really was, so all of this was staged. The Doctor's not really dead. I swear."

Feeling her body relaxing at the confirmation of what Rory had told her, Amy stood. "We have to tell him and Mum then. They have to know."

"Not yet," Jack cautioned. "Soon enough they'll figure it out and then you can tell them. But not yet."

"This is why you're here then?" Rory asked. "To make sure we don't let the cat out of the bag?"

"Something like that." Jack smiled and leaned against the railing again. "Look, I have no idea what we're about to face, but I'm here because this me needs to be."

"Being a member of this family is so weird sometimes." Amy said in a huff.

"You have no idea, Red." Jack said with a wink. Catching River's eye, he swept his eyes up and down her body. "You do though, don't you?"

"Time and a place, Captain," River said, her voice dropping an octave.

"Stop it, you two." Rory said, rolling his eyes. "Let's get back upstairs before the Doctor gets too suspicious."

As if on cue the Doctor's head dipped below the railing. "I am being extremely clever up here and there's only Rose to stand around looking impressed! What's the point in having you all?"

"You just hate not being the center of attention." Rose's voice, full of laughter, carried down from upstairs.

"That's beside the point," the Doctor shot back as he stood up.

"Come on," Rory said, pulling Amy up the stairs behind him. River and Jack followed.

The Doctor was practically bouncing around the room. "Time isn't a straight line. It's all... bumpy-wumpy. There's loads of boring stuff. Like Sundays and Tuesdays and Thursday afternoons. But now and then there are Saturdays. Big temporal tipping points when anything's possible. The TARDIS can't resist them. Like a moth to a flame. She loves a party, so I give her 1969 and NASA 'cause that's space in the 60s. And Canton Everett Delaware the Third. And this is where she's pointing."

Amy peered at the view screen. "Washington D.C. April the 8th, 1969. So why haven't we landed?"

"'Cause that's not where we're going." He skittered around Amy.

"Doctor," Rose said in a warning tone.

"Then where are we going?" Rory asked confused.

"Home. Well you two are. Off you pop on adventures and to make babies. More grandchildren! Rose, wouldn't that be wonderful? Jack, back to your own time, don't think I don't know. And you, Doctor Song, back to wherever you go in between our adventures. Me and Rose, we're late for a bi-plane lesson in 1911."

"I don't think so, love," Rose said, crossing her arms over her chest.

The Doctor shrugged. "Or it could be knitting. Knitting or bi-planes, one or the other." He threw himself down into a chair and looked up at them with a frown. "What? A mysterious summons? You think I'm just going to go? Who sent those messages? I know you know. I can see it in your faces. Don't play games with me."

"We're going with or without you, Doctor. But things would be easier if you and Mum came with us. You're going to have to trust us this time," Rory said, lifting himself up to his full height. "Please."

"If it's that important, I'm coming with you, without him if need be." Rose said defiantly.

"Dad," Amy said quietly and everyone's attention turned to her. It was the first time she called him Dad. She had expected it to feel strange, since he wore a different face than the man she had called by that name for the majority of her life. It didn't, it felt right. Maybe it was easier than she had originally thought because she had always thought of the Doctor as a father figure. In her imagination, in her books. Ironically, she patterned some of his characteristics on James. "Dad, you have to do this. And you can't ask why."

Suddenly the Doctor's mood shifted from cautious to concerned. "Are you being threatened? Is someone making you say that?"

"No," Amy said shaking her head. Behind her Rory's posture tightened.

"Are you lying?" His eyes bored deep into hers as if they were seeking the truth.

"I'm not lying," Amy said staring right back.

"Swear to me. Swear to me on something that matters," he said.

"Dad, I swear to you on the family that I'm not being threatened and no one is making me say anything I don't want to."

The Doctor gave a small smile and he kissed her forehead. "That's my girl." Quickly he swept around the console. "Rory, we need to bring your TARDIS along for the ride. Can't just leave her in Utah, can we? Do you remember the docking sequence I showed you?"

"Of course," Rory said his stance relaxing a little.

"Great, pop out to your girl and bring her in, park her in the docking room and we can be on our way." The Doctor looked up and gave him a smile.

"What was that about?" Rose's voice said in his head.

Outwardly the Doctor grimaced. "Sorry… I was a bit harsh wasn't I?"

"A bit, yeah," Rose was angry. How dare he not want to help!

"Rose, I had to make sure they weren't being threatened. I was never going to let them go alone. But the thought of someone trying to hurt them to get to me or you…" His thoughts trailed off and she could feel the anger bubbling underneath.

"I know." Rose walked over to join him at the console, their hands instinctively finding each other. "Next time though, just use a softer touch."

"Forgiven?" He gave her a puppy dog pout and Rose rolled her eyes as she nodded. "She called me Dad. Me, she's never called me that. I remember her calling James that, but never me." His eyes twinkled with happiness.

"That she did. How does that feel?"

"Better than I imagined, better than I hoped." He had a goofy grin on his face.

Laughing, Rose dropped a quick kiss on his lips. "Good, now let's figure out what spooked them all so badly."

"Together?" The Doctor looked at her hopefully.

"Always," Rose thought as Rory emerged from the doorway at the top of the stairs.

"Right then, 1969 here we come." The Doctor smiled as he started to pilot the ship with Rory, Rose, River and Jack helping. "This is how it should be," he thought to no one in particular as he looked around the room.

Rory looked up and smiled. "We don't always have to travel separately, you know. Anytime you want, we can come with you."

"I think I'd like that." The Doctor could barely contain his grin as they landed.

"Alright, America 1969" the Doctor said rubbing his hands together before pulling down the view screen. "Who was president?"

"Richard Millhouse Nixon. Vietnam. Watergate. There's some good stuff too." Rose said, coming over to stand next to him.

The Doctor snorted. "Not enough."

"You're such a hippy," Rose said bumping his shoulder.

Grinning, the Doctor whispered, "You love it."

"You know I do," Rose purred back.

Rory loudly cleared his throat. "Can we get back to the task at hand please?"

"Right," The Doctor straightened up and moved away from Rose. "Since I don't know what I'm getting into this time, for once I'm being discreet. Putting the engines on silent." He flipped a switch and a loud alarm started blaring. Rose dramatically rolled her eyes and flipped another switch. "Rose? Did you touch something?" he said from the other side of the console.

Sharing a conspiratorial look with River and Rory, Rose shook her head. "No, of course not."

"Putting the outer shell on invisible, haven't done this in a while. Big drain on the power." The Doctor flicked another switch. Bright light filled the room.

"You can turn the TARDIS invisible?" Jack asked.

Throwing the switch in the opposite direction that the Doctor had, Rory said, "If you know what you're doing, yeah."

"Rory, did you do something?" The Doctor said, looking at the switch Rory had just thrown. Jack, River, Amy and Rose bit back their laughter.

Rory simply lifted an eyebrow. "Now why would I need to do anything?"

Placated, the Doctor started bustling towards the door, grabbing Rose's hand. "Can't check the scanner. It doesn't work when we're cloaked. Um... just give us a mo." The other four started for the door. "Woah, woah, woah. You lot, wait a moment. We're in the middle of the most powerful city in the most powerful country on Earth. Let's take it slow." Opening the door, he and Rose stepped out into the Oval office.