A Genius in a Bowtie Chapter 3

'Arg what have I done,' Reid thought as he 'flew' to England, why did Garcia have to be so good at technology, she would know if he didn't take a flight there, the team would make her check if she wasn't already looking into it, his team really did look out for him. But it still sucked, he hated flying, being cramped up in a tin ship, he liked his TARDIS so much better. "Why did Jack have to ring me now. I have tried so hard to blend in. The perception filter has been working great, no one knows who I really am and if anyone finds out, everyone I love and care about will be in harms way. Why couldn't Jack just wait and ring me at home. Why do Amy and Rory have to be looking for me now and how on earth did they connect me with torchwood?"

Reid or The Doctor as he is called when he wears his bowtie and tweed jacket calmly turned off the perception filter masking his identify as he left the public toilets near Amy and Rory's house and started to walk up to the vivid blue front door that was now in front of him.

'What do I do. He thought. I wonder how long I have been hiding in their eyes. What an earth are they going to be like. Oh well better get this over and done with.' The Doctor lifted up his hand and knocked on the door. He heard the loud voice that could only be his Amelia Pond. "coming, don't get your panties in a twist." The door opened with a whoosh and there stood a person that he thought he wouldn't see again.

"Not absolutely sure how long it has been for you" The Doctor said meekly.

"Um two years, you just disappeared never to be seen again, which brings me to my next point, you're not dead." Amy said in a chillingly calm voice.

"Ah, well sorry about that, I have been hiding out…..in America."

"Well, I don't really care where you have been you could have told us. But I guess that it doesn't matter because River figured that you weren't dead and came to tell us anyway."

"Well, of course she did." He retorted.

"Well unlike some she is reliable. She's a good girl. Well? I'm not going to hug first."

"Nor am I."

Suddenly the awkward silence was broken with a, "Mister Pond! Guess who's coming for dinner!"

Rory came around the corner to see something he had given up hope of seeing, The Doctor. "Whoa. Not dead, then. I can't believe your actually here, it worked"

For that he receive a glare form his wife along with a, "Hush now dear we've done that." "We're about to have dinner. Joining us? Doctor"

"If it's no trouble." The Doctor replied. "Hang on Rory what worked?"

"Never mind that" Rory said with a look towards his wife – there is definitely more here to what I'm seeing the doctor thought. "There's a place set for you."

"How can that be, you didn't know I was coming. Why would you set me a place?" the doctor asked truly dumfounded and almost at a loss for words, which in his case is very hard to do.

"Oh, because we always do, you moron." Amy said with a smile on her lips.

The Doctor stood there dumfounded again, they have set a place for me for the last two years hoping I would come and see them. Rory broke him out of his musings with a cheerful, "come on then," and with that he followed the Ponds into their house.

"Now that we are in the safety of the indoors, with no prying eyes, I am going to go full mums bear on you now doctor." Amy warns as she stepped closer and before The Doctor/Reid could register a hand made swift yet hard contact with his cheek.

"Ouch Amy. I guess I deserved that," he said as he rubbed his cheek and looked over to Rory who just shook his head. Oh boy I am in real trouble. He thought. "Amy I can understand that you would be upset but I had to leave, I got too big and it started to have adverse affects. I have been hiding in America while the rest of the universe thinks I'm dead. But what got you so worried that you found Torchwood and Jack Harkness and then got him to ring me in the middle of my job, which I have to say almost blew my cover. Amy the universe want me DEAD! They want me dead for a reason. What does that tell you!"

Amy stood there with shock clearly evident on her face. She had never seen her doctor act like this before. Ever. No wonder he has been named the oncoming storm. She could see it in his eyes the rage. Fury. Sadness and worry. Worry for her. But she wouldn't back down.

"Well doctor I didn't realize that the universe revolved around you. We have been worried sick about you after you 'died' and so has our daughter YOUR WIFE need I remind you. We just got her back and you went and died, came back to life and disappeared. River came to tell us, and then said she would meet us in a few weeks, she did and we had drinks. Then she said she would be away for a while, the first few years in prison ect, but that she would come to say hi or use the house as a safe house, which she did. However, we came home about a year ago to the house looking like a bomb went off and a note saying she was sorry about the mess, she got in a bit of a jam and would be back in a few days to help clean it up and so we would know she is ok. Doctor, I know she is a big girl and can take care of herself, but it has been almost a year since it has happened and we want to know if our baby girl is all right. We couldn't find you and we didn't want to talk to U.N.I.T. so we searched and searched and then found Torchwood and Jack. He told us that you and him go way back and that he would find, ring and tell you to get your butt back over here to help us find River. Please Doctor, this isn't like her, we just want to know if she is ok. We are worried."

He doctor now looked equally shocked as Amy did moments before. Rory calmly walked over to the side of his wife trying to clam her down and giver her encouragement at the same time as giving a well perfected dad glare. No matter how old the doctor was and the many wondrous as well as despicable things he seen through all of time and space, nothing beats the death glare from 'dad'.

The Doctor opened and shut his mouth a few times before saying. "Amy Rory I'm sorry for leaving like I did. But I really did get too big. And I'm sorry for getting angry at you, but I have no idea where River is for all I know she got away and is in Stormcage, they really are picky about her leaving, and if she did it in the first few years of her sentence she would have to get back their quick smart, therefore meaning she didn't have time to come back. I will see what I can do to make sure that she is ok but if she is doesn't want to be found she won't. She will only surface when she wants to and nothing can change that."

"Doctor don't you think we know she is could be in Stormcage, but unlike some she is punctual, if she says she will be back in a few days, she will be!" Amy retorted

The Doctor stood there with a look almost akin to shame, "Amy I will really try to help, but I cant do to much, I didn't come here with the TARDIS and I have limited capabilities even when I am with her so I don't arouse suspicion with anyone who maybe watching Earth. Amy, Rory, what I am trying to say is that I don't really know how to help, but we are talking about you daughter. The great River Song, offspring of the girl who waited and the Roman Centurian, she can survive anything. I am sure when the time is right she will surface and be extremely sorry for putting you though this, but who knows, she could already be on Earth doing great things without any of us knowing because she doesn't want us to. With that knowledge I will have to leave you and I am sorry, so so sorry that I can't stay but I have to get back to America and my job. They don't know I'm me and I would like to keep it that way."

"Doctor, your job must be dam important if you are just going to leave us like this, and why aren't you with the TARDIS, is she safe, and how do they not know your you, you suck at blending in." Amy said with a hint of mischief.

"Yes Amy, it is a very important job, with some very clever people. I'll tell you what, I will put someone I know in charge of a very discreet search on River to see if she could be hiding out on Earth. And if you must know, I have been using a perception filter to better fit in and become completely human."

"Well Doctor, we would really appreciate anything you do in helping to find River. But would you please consider staying for tonight and tomorrow, a flight from America is long and tiring and we haven't seen you in ages, please stay." Rory said after he got a nudge from his wife.

"Fine Ponds, I will stay for tonight and a bit of tomorrow, but that is all, my team have a case and were not too happy about me leaving, I have to get back as soon as I can." The Doctor said with a smile, he really did forget what it felt like to be cared for and wanted, he secretly liked it.

The Doctor spent the rest of the night with the Ponds hearing all the stories of their life wile he was away and watching movies. They tried to ask what he did I America and why it was so important, but he would just carefully deflect the question to something else and they soon realized that they weren't going to get anything out of him so they just sat and enjoyed is company.

The next day came and the Ponds were suspired to see how, civilized and non-doctory he was. It was really strange, they were both expecting the overly enthusiastic mad man like they traveled with but gone was the bumbling Time Lord they know and love and in his place stood someone they hardly recognized, a sad, a tired looking man, who was wise beyond his years and has seen things that he would never forget. He was so human, yes he wore is customary tweed jacket, and bowtie; talked about all the adventures and distant places he had been but when he smiled or laughed it never reached his eyes. They tried to ask him how long he had been hiding but he would just deflect that as well. It wasn't until they were waving goodbye to him at the airport that they realized that he must have been acting human a lot longer than they thought.

TBC

Sorry for the long wait, life got a bit hectic, and I had a bit of trouble with the chapter, hope you all liked it. Please R&R. Thanks