"There we go! Now I think it's perfect, see?" Avalon couldn't be more proud of the way she made a plain little cellphone look so grand. She turned its back to the Doctor so he could see the rose gold flower she managed to tattoo over the surface.
The Doctor laughed but did agree that it was far better than when they first bought it. His wife always had the most creative ways to make things better. He moved around the console until he was standing in front of her chair. "So then, do you think you're ready to meet her?"
Avalon lowered the cellphone to her lap. "I think so," she answered quietly, opposite of the way she'd just been. But that was usually how it went wherever her mother was mentioned. It had been a very long time since she last saw River Song, Amy and Rory…
Not that she complained over the reason why that was. In fact, she felt a nice warmth blossom in her chest instead. The Doctor had promised her the honeymoon of a lifetime and he sure followed through. Ten years had passed before they felt like they were properly moving beyond the honeymoon phase. Ten more years passed of them adjusting to a marriage that involved time travelling, constant running, and the occasional threats from other species. Finally came the third decade of their marriage and it was then that the Doctor noticed something happening to his wife…
She was a bit mopey on occasions.
She wouldn't say anything but the Doctor assumed why her mood was dwindling. She was beginning to miss her family. The Ponds. The Reynolds. Even River Song was making the cut. Though Avalon's feelings towards her biological mother were still mixed, she knew that she did want River in her life. They were good friends and they got along...and she might have wanted her mother. Every child wants their mother in the end.
Whenever he was around, Avalon tried to fake her mood but the Doctor knew. He could see right through it. He never wanted his Ava to be sad. As a husband, it was a huge no-no. Plus, he kind of missed everyone too. So, they decided to start dropping by Earth again but since neither Amy nor Rory picked up their phones - something the Doctor would be pointing out since they loved to make that remark to him - they would visit River Song for the first time (from her perspective) in Stormcage.
"Where should we take her?" Avalon slid off the console chair, leaving behind the cellphone. "It should be somewhere nice! Somewhere fantastic!"
"You don't think I can provide that?" The Doctor made a face, almost offended that she even had to say what the trip should be like.
"Oh, I know you can," Avalon leaned on him, wrapping her arms around his waist and resting her chin on his chest. "I'm just waiting for your usual fantastic ideas."
"Why don't we make it a surprise then?"
"I love surprises. You're very good at those."
The Doctor smirked. "I am. Let's go find something to wear, shall we?"
"Oooh, are we going somewhere fancy?"
"Only the best for my Ava," the Doctor tapped her nose. "And I've gotta make a good impression with the mother-in-law, right?"
"You're an idiot!" Avalon laughed as he pulled her for the corridors.
~ 0 ~
In her cell, River Song wrote in a book when she heard the TARDIS materializing. To her surprise, it had materialized right in her cell. She didn't even know that was allowed. Leave it to the Doctor to find a way to do that. She discarded the book, grabbed the TARDIS journal on the bed stand, and dashed for the TARDIS. Any chance to see Avalon was a chance to run headfirst to. She skidded to a stop inside, her face lighting up when she saw her daughter by the console. She wore a beautiful, floor-length pink gown with silver crystals twinkling around the skirt.
"Don't you look nice," River remarked, eyeing the Doctor's white suit next. "You look...interesting."
Avalon burst into laughter when the Doctor's face fell flat. "I told you the white suit was weird. Should've gone with the black one like I told ya."
"I look good, dammit!" He huffed and moved to the opposite end of the console.
"Yes, you do," Avalon playfully rolled her eyes at him. "He's just a little cranky because I turned down the dress he wanted me to wear."
"Ah," River folded her arms over her chest, setting her gaze on the Doctor. "What the hell are you trying to get her into?"
The Doctor said nothing, only clearing his throat, and purposely focusing on the console and ignoring the warmth in his face. So he had chosen a little gown that was just a tad bit on the daring side but as far as he remembered, Avalon loved all that stuff. Why she said 'no' to this one was beyond him.
"Don't worry, I'm sure you'll find something to wear too," Avalon said to River before her husband died of embarrassment.
"Are we going out?" River was confused because, as far as she remembered, she was in prison pRISON.
"Yes! If you'd like, of course," Avalon said quickly, making River laugh.
"Well of course! I could never pass up a chance to see you!"
Avalon smiled silently. Remembering that River was trying to be nice and be like a Mother was still so strange...but not bad. In the past 30 years, she had a lot of time to really think about her family and her biological mother. River had long ago made it clear that she would only try to be a mother if Avalon wanted it, and Avalon did want it. She wasn't ready to call River 'Mum' but she was open to the possibility of doing it one day.
"But I thought you weren't even together right now," River said, reminding them once again that they were 30 years into her future. "Last time I saw you, I had just given you my baby Avalon…"
"Spoilers, that was 30 years ago for me," Avalon waved a hand.
"And another 100 years for me," the Doctor added for his time alone after he 'died'.
"Oh, well, that's just fine," River dropped her arms to her side. "Life with time travelers I suppose."
"We've sort of been in a marriage daze," Avalon said, preferring to keep the details of that time totally private. "But I wanted to come visit you. How's, um...how's Stormcage?" She felt awkward asking that considering she was the reason River was incarcerated in the first place. If River hadn't taken her place in the astronaut suit, she'd be in Stormcage right now.
River could see the struggle in her daughter's face. "Avalon, I'm fine. Don't worry about me, please."
"How could I not? You're on the first night of twelve thousand consecutive life sentences. I did that to you…"
River threw a look at the Doctor. "Thirty years and you couldn't get her past that?"
"I do try," the Doctor sighed. But it would take a much longer time for Avalon to shed the guilt of having her mother in jail, even if her thought process was completely wrong.
River shook her head and walked up to Avalon, taking hold of the ginger's hands. "I will be fine, Avalon. Stop pouting over me, please. Instead, tell me where we're going."
Avalon nodded slowly and glanced at the Doctor. "He said it'd be fantastic."
"It better be," River sarcastically wanted him.
He rolled his eyes at her. She was definitely Avalon's mother. "Alderin Beta. Boring, planet of the chip shops. But - there is a four hundred foot tree growing out of a cliff top on the north side of a mountain in the middle of the sea, and if you take the lift to the top and look up-" He'd started speaking at lightspeed, scaring River just a bit while Avalon tried her best not to laugh, "-at exactly twelve minutes past midnight on the twenty-first of September Twenty-Three Sixty, you can see more stars in one sky that at any other moment in the history of the universe. It's like daylight, only magic. You could read a book by it!"
"Dear Lord do you breathe or what?" River looked at her daughter for some help. "Does he ever pass out?"
"No," she said, sounding a bit sad about it too.
"Oi!" The Doctor huffed. "We've got ten minutes."
"I laid out some dresses I thought you might like," Avalon added.
"Thank you, sweetie," River patted her hands before letting them go.
"River, did you bring the diary?" asked the Doctor. He was relieved to see her pull it out from her back pocket.
"It's a diary?"
"It is now, because River, from now on, there are rules."
"Oh, you've gone all strict. Kind of annoying."
"River, you and us, it's all in the wrong order. We never meet in sequence. You put everything in the diary so we know where we are."
"You have one too?" River looked between the pair. "Is that the one Avalon always carried around?"
"I've got a new one," Avalon grinned. She realized that this River had no idea about her silver, bigger on the inside, journal that the Doctor had gifted her. "I can show it to you later!"
"I'd love that, sweetie. But I have to ask what exactly I'm supposed to write in mine." She gave her diary a quick wave in the air. "I'm in the highest security prison in all of the known universe, it's not like I'm gonna go anywhere."
"River Song could walk in and out of the prison like the walls aren't there," Avalon smirked. "And she brings me on adventures. Fun ones too, make a note of that somewhere."
"Avalon," the Doctor warned. He could already see the trouble those two could get into if they were given the full reigns. "River, go get dressed. First right, second left, just past the helter-skelter."
"Oh, you haven't seen the TARDIS yet!" Avalon beamed. "I can show you my favorite room: the wardrobe!" She grabbed River's hand and yanked her for the corridors.
"Avalon!" called the Doctor. "Don't take too mu-" He stopped when the two disappeared. Great. He might never see them again.
Suddenly, he heard laser guns firing from outside. He didn't even feel the TARDIS land! Sometimes she just did it without him realizing it! He hurried towards the doors to open them up, only for Avalon to stagger inside.
"Woah!" He barely caught her and still struggled to stay on his feet. "Avalon! What the-"
"I told her you'd come! Ha! Looks like I win the argument!" Avalon smirked before limp in his arms.
"Avalon!" The Doctor exclaimed in horror. Just as he'd said her name, he heard River call for her too.
A second River rushed into the TARDIS and shut the doors, leaning her back against them as if something would break through. Soon as she saw him, she laughed. "She won the argument! Good boy knowing when to give in."
"What!?" the poor Doctor was utterly confused but he needed to figure out how to wake up the Avalon with him. He carefully laid her on the floor and felt for her vitals on her wrist. "Avalon! Ava, c'mon! Show me you're okay!" Her vitals were pretty strong, perhaps a bit too fast from the running, but she still wasn't moving. He then listened for her breathing, crouching down to her lips for a better measure.
Oh my God he absolutely hated her.
He looked down at her, ignoring River's quiet snicker on the side. "Avalon Harmony Reynolds, stop holding your breath!"
Avalon's lips stretched into a wide smile. She opened her eyes to see his glare. "Oh, are we about to argue again? I thought we were done with that. I love what happens afterwards."
"What the hell is going on!?" The Doctor helped her stand up and looked at the mother and daughter pair. "And who was shooting at you!?"
"That's her fault!" Avalon pointed a finger at River.
River rolled her eyes. "Oh please. It's just a few Sontarans."
"They've been chasing us halfway across the galaxy!" Avalon argued, very much out of breath just remembering.
"Yeah, I probably shouldn't have asked them if they were on a hen night."
"You can't just do things like that!" The Doctor groaned.
"Well maybe next time you shouldn't argue with me," Avalon folded her arms over her chest.
The Doctor rubbed his temples. Alright, so this was a future version of Avalon and somehow his future self had screwed up and argued with her. That was something to look forward to.
"Oh, I need some water!" Avalon decided, exhaling deeply.
"Me too," River agreed and marched with her daughter towards the stairs. "Maybe make a milkshake or something."
"No cherries though!"
"Of course!"
"Avalon, come back!" the Doctor called after her, not that it made such a different for Avalon.
"You're invited too!" She said in response.
"AVALON!"
"What?" came the first version, and his proper, Avalon from the corridor. She was frowning at him, making him wonder if he'd already messed up here too. "Who are you yelling at?"
"I wasn't!" The Doctor quickly said.
"I'm pretty sure I heard you yelling!"
"No, no, just me!"
Avalon rolled her eyes and went back into the corridor...and then the second Avalon emerged from the top of the stairs.
"Who the hell are you talking to?"
The Doctor slapped a hand to his forehead. "Myself."
"Stupid."
The Doctor dropped his hand to his side and glared. "Complicated!"
Avalon smirked. "Never bothered you before. Would you like a milkshake?"
"No, yes, I don't know!"
"Stupid and weird, just the way I like my Fairy Tale Man," she laughed and hurried away.
The Doctor leaned against the console to catch his breath. Sure he had dreams once or twice where he was gifted with multiple versions of his wife - something she'd kill him for no doubt - but it felt more hectic than he imagined. Definitely complicated. The Ponds were always complicated, weren't they?
When he heard the doors re-open again, he was almost afraid to see who had come in. He was only partially relieved to see just another version of River. No Avalon but there was still another River. What the hell was going on!?
"You really are nostalgic, huh?" This River was dressed in a fine black gown and had her hair picked up. "That or an idiot. I'll let you know which one I decided on."
The Doctor wearily leaned away from the console. "River, could you just check the light on top? I think the bulb needs changing."
River was naturally skeptic. "The bulb?"
"Mm-hmm…"
"The things I do for my daughter," River muttered on her way out.
"Okay!" The second Avalon came running down the staircase with her second River in tow. "I know I heard someone! I swear to God, Doctor, that I will murder you on the spot if I find another woman!"
"Avalon!" The Doctor shrieked and grabbed her arm to stop her from running all around. "Please just stop! I'm not your Doctor!"
Avalon's eyes widened with newfound anger. Behind her, River shook her head. "You just dug your own hole. Again!"
"No, no, I meant I'm not the Doctor you argued with...yet!"
Avalon raised an eyebrow at him. "Yeah, how do I know you're not lying? You might be using that excuse to get off free!"
"Wouldn't be the first time," River added.
"Stop helping!" The Doctor snapped at her. He found the Vortex manipulator around her wrist and grabbed her wrist altogether. "I assume other Me knows where to pick you up because he's from the future! And for the record," he looked at Avalon, "Whatever he did, he's very sorry."
Avalon rolled her eyes at him. "He better be."
The Doctor swooped down to steal a kiss from her. "Plenty more where that came from, I promise."
She blushed at his smirk. "Get us home!" She ordered before he did something else to embarrass her.
"Back to Storm Cage, Doctor Song. Make sure your daughter goes home with the right me!" River laughed before they disappeared with a flash.
The third River returned from outside looking quite crossed. "The light's fine, I don't know what you're talking about!"
And suddenly a third Avalon came rushing through the doors. "Mum, no! We were parked round the back!" The Doctor was flabbergasted to see her in the dark golden dress he tried so hard to get her into earlier. He was right. She did look amazing.
With her came a second version of the Doctor dressed in a black suit. Ironically, he wore the suit Avalon wanted for him earlier. "Younger version…" He said, remembering the moment all too well.
"Well that explains it," River shook her head.
"Hardly but I'll take it!" Avalon beamed. "I've had dreams about this…" She gave both Doctors a promising smirk. The black-suited Doctor glared at her and yet his younger version turned bright red. Avalon remembered it wasn't just them though and glanced at River. "You were not there. Actually, if you could step out-"
"Avalon!" River snapped.
Avalon pouted. "Fine." She curled her arm around her Doctor's arm and leaned her head on him. "But we'll talk."
"No, you will not," he promptly told her.
"Hey, I'm in the dress! I call the shots tonight!" She looked at the younger Doctor with a smirk. "No lip about this, Fairy Tale Man or you'll meet your end. I wasn't going to wear this but then she-" She jerked a thumb towards River, "-saw the dress and said that I couldn't wear it so naturally...I had to wear it."
"My daughter, gentlemen," River shook her head disapprovingly, although there was a smile she was trying to hide. It didn't surprise her one bit that Avalon had done the opposite and grabbed the dress. She would just have to watch her words next time.
"We need to go or we'll be late," the older Doctor told them.
"He's taking us to the Singing Towers of Darillium," Avalon said to the younger Doctor, completely missing the way her version went grim at the mention. She would also miss the recognition flash across the younger Doctor.
She still didn't know?
"He's been promising me for ages," River shook her head. "Changes his mind every time."
"Not this time," Avalon assured her. "C'mon Mum, let's find the other TARDIS. If I remember correctly, other Me will be around soon enough." She let go of the Doctor to take River's hand to walk out together.
The younger Doctor found a moment to smile at them. Avalon had called River 'Mum' as if she'd been doing for centuries. But then it got him wondering if it took her so much time that it was practically too late. "The first time we met River, at the Library, when she…"
"Died, yes," his older version nodded.
"She said the last time she saw us was at Darillium. Is that now?" The Doctor hated to think about the library knowing now what it truly meant to lose River. How could he ever explain this to Avalon? The events that happened were still so confusing.
Never mind that. Just thinking about it, terrified and so much that he could partially understand why his older version hadn't told Avalon about it yet.
"To be honest I might delay again," the older Doctor admitted. "It doesn't feel right taking Avalon to her last trip with her mother when she doesn't know." The young Doctor agreed. "Good luck tonight."
"You too," the young Doctor could honestly say.
The older Doctor headed for the doors and just as he slipped out the first Avalon and River emerged from the corridor. Avalon gasped when she caught a glimpse of the second Doctor slipping out the door.
"Oh, there were 2 of you and I missed it!? I had dreams about this!" She hitched the side of his dress and rushed forwards.
The Doctor wasn't sure if she was attempting to catch up with his older version but he wasn't going to allow it. He caught her and pulled her to him, cupping her face to kiss her. "I love you," he whispered to her.
Avalon smiled softly. Thirty years later and she still never got over the annoying butterflies in her stomach whenever he said that to her. "I love you, my Fairy Tale Man."
He turned her around with a twirl and pressed her back to his chest, leaving one arm looped around her waist. "Right then, Dr. Song, how's about that fantastic planet we promised you?"
"Oh please, leave the formalities behind," River came up to the console. "We are family, right? Even though I did shoot at you."
"Wasn't the first and I imagine certainly not the last time," the Doctor promised her with a laugh.
"My family is so weird," Avalon shook her head.
"You're a Pond, love. That should explain everything," he dropped a kiss to the top of her head.
"He thinks he's so funny when he says that," Avalon rolled her eyes, missing the smirk her husband gave behind her.
"So what was the other you doing here anyways?" River curiously wondered. It had to be a good story considering it was the Doctor.
"Sorry. Can't say!" the Doctor shrugged.
River had narrowed eyes on him. "What's that word you use?"
"Oh! I know! Spoilers!" Avalon was quick to say with snapping fingers. "You say it all the time. It's annoying but fitting."
"I like that word..." River admitted, making the pair laugh.
"You do," they said together.
River shook her head. "You and your secrets. You'll be the death of me!"
"Never," Avalon said on the spot, completely missing the way her husband's expression fell grim at the thought. The future was always coming for them and there he was without a way to change it.
"Please keep her safe. I lost my daughter, I couldn't keep her safe. I don't want Avalon to keep suffering. Please promise me that you will always keep her safe. When Amy and I are long gone, promise me that you'll put Avalon's safety first."
The Doctor's grip around Avalon tightened as soon as he remembered Rory's plead. He could never let anything happen to Avalon. She was his one and only priority in this world and if he could, he would do anything to keep her safe. He made that promise to Rory and himself.
"So when Amy and I are gone, you promise me that Avalon will come first no matter what."
"I swear Rory," the Doctor ultimately said. "Avalon will always come first. Her safety will be my first priority."
Cross his hearts.
Author's Note:
I don't usually do the short episodes, mostly because they're just filler things (and I might be a little lazy shhh) but I felt like given Avalon's pending relationship with River, this one had to be done. It clarifies that she does want a relationship with her mother but she's still not to the point of calling River "mum" anytime soon. Plus, also foreshadows the inevitable death of River in the Library, something that we know won't really happen until 12's run. And, I mean, we get chaotic mom!River and daughter!Avalon too ;)
I promise that the next chapter is finally Asylum of the Daleks aka one of my all time favorite episodes of the entire show! Kicks off the plot for the next story! Also, fun fact, it was actually the very first episode I watched for Doctor Who. I'd accidentally stumbled upon it when I was clicking through channels.
As always, I have a tumblr account dedicated to my fanfic works! It's a place where anyone can comment about a story or even just talk to me! I often drop aesthetic work belonging to my stories too! Feel free to check it out, my URL is "saiilorstars"
For the Reviews:
DarkSideofParis: Ahaha I thought so too! So glad you liked it! I've read my fair share of doctor who comics and I actually ended up buying this one because it turned out to be my favorite one. It just forces 11 to fight something so uncomfortable because it's basically a matter of life and dead (I'm gonna leave it at that before I spoil!). Hopefully I'll be able to keep it that way even with my own twists. Unfortunately, the Ponds do leave because...you know...can't have Clara come next without that :/ And as for Avalon...we'll have to wait and see :)))
CJ/OddBall: The answer to that will be answered in the next story, Clara's season and whatnot! Ooh I know, I wasn't happy at all writing her reaction to the Ponds' ending . Cried actually. I hadn't actually thought about that connection with Ryan ._. so thanks for that! I did sort of think that Avalon would see Rory in Graham though. Don't know why but it sort of strikes me that way.