Chapter Thirteen: Fish Sticks, Custard, and a Key

Red/Ruby set the plate of fish sticks and the medium-sized bowl of custard down in front of the Doctor. It was the twentieth time he had stopped by Granny's for his favorite dish, and she didn't mind serving it for him one bit. Each day he showed up at the diner was a moment of joy for Red. It was like they were building up new memories of their times together for him, even though she still wished he could remember their marriage in the old land.

As she watched him take the first fish stick and dunk it into the custard, taking a bite afterward, she felt like joining him, which she decided to do for that one day. Sitting right next to him, she took one of the fish sticks and dunked it into the custard. She took a bite and her face swelled with satisfaction. "Never once when we were married did I eat this with you."

"Never?" The Doctor said in genuine surprise.

"I was always worried about its taste, like I'd be eating porridge over pork. But, eating it now is like…wow!"

The Doctor smiled and nodded. "Amy and Rory said the same when they first tried it." His smile slowly faded as he mentally recalled the moment.

Red noticed the frown developing on his face and felt his sorrow. "You still miss them, don't you?"

He dolefully stirred another fish stick in the bowl custard. "Nearly a whole month has passed for me since I watched them disappear right in front of me. I keep wondering what would've happened differently…if I could've saved them."

Red comfortingly touched his arm, which led the Doctor into staring right into her eyes as she stared into his. "You did all you could to save them. Don't blame yourself." The Doctor still seemed unsure of it. Briefly looking away from Red, he reached inside of his coat to retrieve a small folded piece of paper and handed it over to her. Red looked at the paper in confusion and asked, "What's this?"

"The afterword she – Amy – wrote for me in a book she published."

Unfolding the piece of paper, Red read what the afterword had said:

Afterword, by Amelia Williams. Hello, old friend, and here we are. You and me, on the last page. By the time you read these words, Rory and I will be long gone, so know that we lived well and were very happy. And, above all else, know that we will love you, always. Sometimes, I do worry about you though; I think, once we're gone, you won't be coming back here for a long while, and you might be alone, which you should never be. Don't be alone, Doctor.

And do one more thing for me: there's a little girl, waiting in a garden; she's going to wait a long while, so she is going to need a lot of hope. Go to her. Tell her a story. Tell her that, if she's patient, the days are coming that she'll never forget. Tell her she'll go to sea and fight pirates, she'll fall in love with a man who'll wait two thousand years to keep her safe. Tell her she'll give hope to the greatest painter who ever lived, and save a whale in outer space. Tell her: This is the story of Amelia Pond - and this, is how it ends.

Tears filled Red's eyes after she finished reading the afterword. Every word of it made her heart glow with delight for the Doctor, because it confirmed for her that Amy lived a safe and happy life before her passing and that the Doctor needn't worry about a thing. "It's very beautiful." The Doctor nodded and Red realized that he still looked sad. "I know it's hard to say goodbye to the ones you love. When I lost Peter, I was just as devastated. I'm still haunted of how he died, because I was the one who killed him."

"No, it wasn't. You were an entirely different being at the time."

Red rapidly blinked a few times in surprise, seeming very hopeful. "You remember what happened?"

The Doctor smiled over his misleading remark. "I've been reading Henry's book."

Red's hope quickly dispersed. "Oh." But they were suddenly lifted again when she realized: "Well, maybe the book will help spark some of those old memories…you know…of us?"

"I wish they could. But my memories of your old land – our lives together – were purged. I only remember things that Regina remembers. Things about her life."

"Maybe one of her memories would explain how you forgot about your life as John Smith."

The Doctor shook his head in despair. "I've tried. It just seems like any memories she has of me are locked away from me. At no point in her history do I see myself, just…other people."

Red wrapped her arms around his left arm and lightly rested her head on his shoulder. The Doctor knew he should've minded the way she was cozying up to her at their booth, but from the way he felt at that time, he didn't. It made him feel relaxed for the first time in a long while; after all he went through with losing River, Jack, Emma, and Snow and being held at gunpoint by Jefferson in the TARDIS, it was nice to have someone take the time to comfort him.

The bell above the entrance into the diner rang, drawing their attention to the door as Belle stepped in. Red remembered meeting her the other day when she came into the diner for the first time, having three iced teas. She even learned about hamburgers for the first time, which was a surprise to Red. And, earlier that morning, she had to be educated on breakfast. Belle and Red quickly developed into good friends, prompting Belle into coming into the diner frequently. That day, she received a gift from someone that was dropped off at the front desk in the diner; since then, Red wondered what it was or who it was from, and it looked like she was going to find out as Belle sat their booth.

"Welcome back," Red told her.

Belle smiled as she looked the Doctor's way. "Is this him?"

Red nodded with a smile and answered her: "Yep. This is him."

"And who am I again?" The Doctor uttered, completely baffled.

Both women chuckled before Belle extended her hand out to the Doctor. "Pleasure to meet you, Doctor. My name is Belle."

The Doctor gently shook her hand, his face illuminating with awareness as he realized who he was meeting. "Of Beauty and the Beast?"

Belle appeared confused. "I'm sorry?"

"He's been reading a book about the lives we lived before this one, and you're in it just like the rest of us."

"Actually, I haven't found her yet. I just remember the movie."

Belle was still puzzled but she nonetheless enjoyed finally getting to meet the legendary Doctor she remembered hearing about. Meanwhile, Red brought their focus on the gift Belle received earlier that day. "So? What was it? Who was it from?"

It took a minute for Belle to recall what she was referring to. She held up a key and said, "It was from Mr. Gold…Rumplestiltskin." She saw how alarmed Red and the Doctor looked on this information. "Don't worry. He didn't try to hurt me. He never would, I don't think."

"What did he want?" Red asked.

"And where does that key lead?" The Doctor questioned.

Belle warmly smiled. "It's a key to the library. He got it for me and met me there to admit to me that he was a coward."

"No surprise there." Red ridiculed.

"No, you don't understand. I called him one when I wanted him to open up to me." Belle said. "When he admitted it to me and told me about his son, Baelfire, I felt like I was beginning to know him – the real him – not the monster that my father and everyone else see him to be." She sighed as she looked upon the key in her hands. "I know he's trying very hard to make up for his past mistakes, and I want to help him."

Red wanted to understand Belle's cause for the man she loved, but it was difficult to take in the fact that the man himself was a tyrant in their old land. The Doctor, on the other hand, could understand and felt proud of Belle. "People can change," he said. "I'm an example of that. I used to be a miserable old miser before I became the man I am today. It took ten lives, many wonderful companions, a lot of enemies, and one 'Great War' to help me discover who I am. I'm still discovering with each new life I have, of course, this one including. But I have the tendency for change, just like Rumplestiltskin does."

Belle nodded with a smile. "Thank you, Doctor."

The Doctor felt a squeeze on his left arm, reminding him that Red still had her arms warmly wrapped around it. He looked at her and saw that she was proudly smiling at him for his wonderful words of wisdom. And he smiled right back, feeling proud himself.