TW: They didn't say they thought he wanted to destroy the universe; they were able to determine that that he would cause it. Big difference. You've actually made my point for me. The Daleks and Cybermen are so afraid of The Doctor that they abandon all logic and go to insane lengths to stop him. It's pretty much a precursor to what The Silence did later on out of their own fear of The Doctor.
Guest: Glad you liked that.
The words '1,894 years later' appears on the screen. In her room, seven year old Amelia Pond is praying to Santa, thanking him for her gifts. Once more, she is praying about the crack in her wall, begging Santa to send someone to fix it. She suddenly hears a noise outside. Grabbing a light, Amelia runs to her window. Pulling back the curtain, she sees nothing is wrong. Her shed remains intact and no TARDIS is in her yard. She looks up at the sky, seeing the Crescent moon. There are no stars in the sky.
"So we're back to the beginning almost," Martha noted.
"Except The Doctor's not here," Wilf noted sadly and a beat passed.
"If the universe never happened, how are we seeing this?" Donna wondered.
"Just wait a few minutes," Jane said with a smile.
The scene changes to Amelia's living room. Amelia's Aunt Sharon is sitting down next to a psychiatrist, looking at a painting Amelia has made of the Crescent moon with stars. The psychiatrist asks about the stars and Amelia tells her what they are. Sharon becomes annoyed by this as the psychiatrist suggests they go outside. The three of them go outside and look up at the night sky. The psychiatrist points out there are no stars and if there were, they'd be able to see them. "You know this is all just a story, don't you? You know there's no such thing as stars," the psychiatrist asks. Amelia looks up at the sky but doesn't answer.
"How can she remember this when everyone else doesn't?" Martha wondered.
"The crack in her wall. All that exposure to it, it gives Amy's mind enhanced resistance to any changes to the timeline, just like with Rory. She knew something was off, even though she couldn't figure out what," Jane explained.
"Not sure what good that does here though," Jack muttered.
That night, Amelia is unable to sleep as she hears Sharon and the psychiatrist talk. Getting out of bed, Amelia walks towards the top of the stairs. Sharon and the psychiatrist walk out of the kitchen, not seeing Amelia. Amelia is about to go back to bed when something is pushed through the letterbox. Amelia sees someone through the door before they run away. Curiously, Amelia runs down the stairs and heads towards the front door. Amelia picks up what was dropped. It's a brochure for the National Museum. Opening it, Amelia sees a section about the Pandorica. It's circled with an arrow pointing at it. Turning the page, she finds another arrow drawn, this one pointing to the museum. The words 'come along Pond' are written above the arrow.
"It's The Doctor," Donna realized happily. "Somehow he got out of the Pandorica!"
"But how?" Wilf wondered in disbelief.
"What matters is that he did. And he's working to stop the universe from collapsing," Jack said, narrowing his eyes. "Something to do with the Pandorica."
"Which apparently is an exhibit in the National Museum," Martha noted, wondering how it ended up there.
"Which shouldn't even be possible, given the universe never happened," Donna noted.
"The universe is full of things that don't make much sense. Try not to think about it too hard," Jack told her.
The next day, Amelia and Sharon head into the museum. Amelia impatiently leads Sharon through the museum before running ahead. Amelia pauses as she sees a display of fossilized Daleks.
"Is that a Dalek? What is a Dalek doing in the National Museum?" Martha exclaimed as the past viewers looked alarmed by this.
"And it looks fossilized," Jack noted as he narrowed his eyes. "What happened to it?"
"The universe never happened, so the Daleks were never created. It's an echo of a universe that never was," Jane explained.
Amelia eyes the display curiously for a moment, taking a drink of her soda before moving on. She walks into the Pandorica display, looking at it curiously.
"The Pandorica really is in the Museum. But how?" Jack asked in disbelief.
"Just watch," Jane said with a smile.
"Okay, you're rubbing our faces in the fact you know what we don't. Stop being so smug about it," Donna said annoyed and Jane merely shrugged.
Amelia's soda is suddenly snatched out of her hand. Looking around wildly, Amelia can't find the culprit. She turns back to the Pandorica and is shocked to see a post it note attached to the Pandorica. Leaning close, she sees the words 'stick around Pond' written on it.
"Oh that is definitely The Doctor's style," Jack said with a wide grin.
"But why would he lead Amy – or her seven year old version at least – to the Pandorica? It doesn't make sense," Martha said in bewilderment.
"It will. You just have to keep watching," Jane promised. "I know it's frustrating, I was frustrated my first time to. But it'll all make sense in the end."
Hearing Sharon calling out for her, Amelia runs off, escaping just as Sharon enters the display. Sharon looks around, calling for Amelia. Hours later, Sharon is still looking for Amelia as the intercom tells Amelia to go to the reception desk. More time passes, the museum having long closed and Sharon having left. Amelia steps out of her hiding place, a penguin exhibit that is more tropical in nature.
"Her Aunt just left her there?" Wilf asked horrified.
"Looks like no matter the reality, she doesn't seem to care about her niece," Jack said in disgust.
"How this woman was allowed to raise Amy, I'll never know," Martha said angrily.
"Child services isn't perfect," Mickey said as he thought of his own grandmother.
It had taken him some time to come to terms with the fact that his grandmother had in fact abused him, both Jackie and Martha having tried to convince him of it. It was after encountering an alien that was trying to protect his own son from his abusive wife six months after returning to this earth that Mickey was finally able to admit the truth. Mickey was still trying to work through it.
Amelia knocks over a statue and apologizes before walking through the museum. She passes a stuffed polar bear and the fossilized Daleks again before making her way back to the Pandorica. Curiously, Amelia moves under the rope and takes the post it off the Pandorica. Amelia places her hand on the Pandorica, which then starts to glow. Amelia steps back as she hears it begin to unlock. She moves away from the Pandorica as it opens, filling the room with light. Amelia stares in wonder and a bit of fear as her older self looks at her from inside. "Okay kid. This is where it gets complicated," Amy says.
"…Huh?" Mickey exclaimed in confusion as the rest of the past viewers stared at the screen in bewilderment.
"How…what?" Donna exclaimed, at a loss for words.
"So The Doctor's not in the Pandorica, somehow Amy is, and she's not dead. Which is great, but confusing," Martha muttered.
"Not as confusing as how Amy -Amelia, whatever you want to call her- was able to open the Pandorica," Jack said as he narrowed his eyes.
"Like I said, it's explained in a minute," Jane assured them.
The words '1, 894 year previously' appears on the screen. Rory is shown sitting with Amy's body in his arms. "So the universe ended. You missed that. In 102 AD. I suppose this means you and I never get born at all. Twice in my case," Rory says to Amy's body before looking down at her. "You would have laughed at that. Please laugh." Rory puts a hand on Amy's face but there is no response.
"Oh Rory," Donna said, her voice full of pity as she and Donna looked at the screen sadly.
Jack was silent, remembering holding Ianto in his arms after his death. Something that was at least partially his fault. In this moment, he related to Rory all too well.
"But at least he'll get her back," Jack said out loud.
"Yes, but how?" Wilf wondered.
Remembering what The Doctor said earlier, Rory notes he could use a ridiculous miracle. Suddenly, The Doctor appears in a flash of light, wearing a fez and holding a mop.
"What in the name of!" Mickey exclaimed as the past viewers stared at the screen startled.
"How is he there?" Wilf asked in bewilderment.
"He has a Vortex Manipulator," Jack realized as he saw it on The Doctor's wrist.
"So he traveled back at some point from the future," Donna frowned. "This is getting complicated."
Rory stares at The Doctor in shock as he rambles that Amy isn't dead and it's not the end of the universe before correcting himself. The Doctor then uses a vortex manipulator, vanishing in a flash of light. Rory looks around in bewilderment, calling out for The Doctor before he reappears, this time without a mop. "You need to get me out of the Pandorica," The Doctor says. Rory is confused as The Doctor explains he's not in the Pandorica now but he was then from his point of view. "Time travel, you can't keep it straight in your head," The Doctor explains. The Doctor then hands Rory his screwdriver, explaining how to use it before vanishing. Rory looks from the screwdriver to Amy before The Doctor reappears, telling him to leave the screwdriver in Amy's top pocket when he's done. The Doctor then vanishes again. "What do you mean? Done what?" Rory asks but receives no answer.
"Okay, so Rory gets The Doctor out of the Pandorica. That answers one question," Martha muttered.
"Still pretty confused on why Amy is in the Pandorica. And not dead," Donna muttered.
"And I'm sure we'll get answers soon," Wilf assured her as they continued to watch.
Rory walks down into the chamber containing the Pandorica and uses the screwdriver to open it. Once it's open, The Doctor asks how he did that and Rory points to the screwdriver. The Doctor pulls out his screwdriver confused before getting out. The Doctor brushes his screwdriver against Rory's before they spark. The Doctor realizes the two screwdrivers are from different points in the same time stream, meaning he gave Rory his screwdriver in the future. "I've got a future, that's nice," The Doctor notes before spotting a Dalek, turned to stone. "That isn't." Rory asks what's going on and The Doctor explains whole races were never born, the fossilized aliens are afterimages, echoes of a time that never was. Rory asks what that means. "Total event collapse. The universe literally never happened," The Doctor explains. Rory asks what's keeping them there and The Doctor explains they're merely the last lights to go out. Realizing Amy isn't there, The Doctor asks about her.
"Well Boss won't take this well," Mickey muttered.
"About as well as you'd expect. He could have taken it worse," Jane shrugged.
Above ground, The Doctor kneels over Amy's body sadly as Rory tearfully says he killed her. Rory asks what he is and The Doctor explains about Autons, calling Rory a 'lump of plastic with delusions of humanity' as he scans Amy with his screwdriver. Rory insists he's himself but The Doctor dismisses this as software.
"OI! He's not just software Spaceman!" Donna snapped angrily.
"He knows that," Jack said as he eyed the screen thoughtfully. "If Rory was just software, he'd have reverted to his original programing once activated; he wouldn't be standing here having this conversation with The Doctor."
"So The Doctor's doing his 'I'm testing you without you knowing you're being tested' thing?" Martha asked and Jack shrugged.
"Knowing him, probably," Jack noted.
"Always hated that," Martha grumbled.
Rory asks if The Doctor can help Amy and The Doctor claims he could but doesn't have the time, to Rory's disbelief. "All of creation has just been wiped from the sky. Do you know how many lives never happened? All the people who never lived?" The Doctor asks as he walks away from Rory. "Your girlfriend isn't more important than the whole universe." Angrily, Rory puts hand on The Doctor's shoulder, turning him around before punching him. "She is to me!" Rory shouts as The Doctor falls on his back.
"Alright Rory!" Mickey cheered as he and Martha laughed.
"I'd be angry, but he deserved that," Donna grumbled darkly.
"And we've all wanted to do that at some point," Martha noted and Donna nodded, smiling slightly.
"At some point."
The Doctor gets to his feet with a laugh. "Welcome back Rory Williams!" The Doctor says, clicking his jaw. "Sorry. Had to be sure." The Doctor compliments Rory's arm before telling him they need to get Amy downstairs. They move Amy down below and The Doctor places her in the Pandorica. Rory asks if he has a plan.
"He always has a plan, although I'm having trouble working this one out," Jack mused as he frowned.
The Doctor says he has a 'bit of a plan', pointing out memory is a powerful thing. "And Amy Pond is no ordinary girl. Growing up with a time crack in her wall, the universe pouring through her dreams every night. The Nestenes took a memory print of her and got a bit more than they bargained for. Like you. Not just your face, but your heart and your soul," The Doctor explains as he takes Amy's face in his hands.
"Well that explains it then," Jack muttered.
"They made the Autons and because Amy's mind isn't as affected by cracks, Rory was still there and it put him into the Autons," Donna realized and Jack nodded.
The Doctor explains he'll leave a message for Amy once she wakes up so she'll know what happened. The Doctor then steps back, using his screwdriver to close the Pandorica. Rory demands to know what he's doing and The Doctor explains he's saving her. "This box is the ultimate prison; you can't even escape by dying. It forces you to stay alive," The Doctor explains. Rory argues she's already dead but The Doctor explains she's almost dead and The Pandorica can stasis lock her that way. The Doctor explains it merely needs a scan of her living DNA to save her. "Where's it gonna get that?" Rory asks and The Doctor checks his watch. "About 2,000 years."
"Well that explains why Amy was in the Pandorica," Martha muttered.
"Still leaves the question as to how it ended up in the museum though," Donna noted.
In the museum, Amy gasps as she falls on her knees. Amelia asks if she's alright and Amy says she is, she just needs rest. "Gotta rest, The Doctor says," Amy says as she sits up. Amelia is confused as Amy explains The Doctor left her a message in her head.
"Honestly, is there anything he can't do?" Mickey asked incredulously.
"When we figure that out, I'll let you know," Martha said dryly.
Amy wonders where she is and looks around, realizing she's in the National Museum. "I was here once when I was a little…" Amy trails off as she looks at Amelia, realization dawning on her. "Yeah, complicated." Amy stands up and walks over to Amelia, easily determining its 1996 by measuring her height and examining her hair. Amelia asks who she is and Amy says it's a long story as she sees a timeline for the Pandorica. "A very long story," she adds. Back in 102, Rory asks if Amy will be in the Pandorica for 2,000 years. The Doctor confirms this as he finds River's vortex manipulator, saying they're taking a shortcut, pointing to the vortex manipulator as he straps it on to his wrist. "Rubbish way to time travel, but the universe is tiny now. We'll be fine," The Doctor notes.
"Considering how much he hates Vortex Manipulators, he must be really desperate," Jack noted.
"The universe is literally ending, no time to be picky," Donna pointed out and Jack nodded in agreement.
"Okay, so he uses the Vortex Manipulator to go forward in time and then he'll use it to lead Amelia to the Pandorica. Still leaves the question as to how it got to the National Museum," Mickey muttered.
Rory asks if the world is still there and The Doctor says a version of it is. "Earth alone in the sky. Let's go have a look," The Doctor says as he holds his wrist out. "Put your hand there. Don't worry, should be safe." Rory says that's not what he's worried about as he turns back to the Pandorica. The Doctor assures him she'll be fine, as nothing can get in there. Rory points out The Doctor did. "Well, There's only one of me, I counted," The Doctor jokes. Rory says the Pandorica needs a guard, as he killed the last one.
"Blimey. Is he going to…" Mickey trailed off as the realization hit them.
"Two thousand years. I could barely handle two hundred," Jack said in disbelief.
"Only Rory could pull this off," Jane noted.
"But two thousand years," Wilf said in utter disbelief.
"Rory thought Amy was worth it. Plus, I imagine guilt played some a factor," Jane mused.
"He blames himself for killing her, or almost anyway," Martha realized and Jane nodded.
"Rory sees this as his penance," Jack noted, impressed. "He goes well and beyond 'I'll make it right'."
"You don't need to make up for anything Rory," Donna said softly.
"Don't think that's how he sees it," Jack noted.
The Doctor tells him not to think about it but Rory argues she'll be alone. The Doctor says she won't feel it. "You bet she won't," Rory says firmly. "2,000 years Rory. You won't even sleep; you'll be conscious every second. It will drive you mad," The Doctor argues. Rory orders The Doctor to look him in the eye and tell him Amy wouldn't be safer if he stayed. Reluctantly, The Doctor admits she would be safer. "Then how could I leave her?" Rory asks.
"Nice job on making the rest of us look bad Rory," Mickey joked with a slight grin.
"Oh shut it you," Martha said, lightly slapping him on the shoulder.
"In all seriousness, it's very rare to encounter that kind of loyalty. It comes around maybe once in a lifetime," Jack noted.
"It's very rare for two people to love each other as much as Amy and Rory, on any planet," Jane pointed and Jack nodded, unable to disagree.
"Why do you have to be so…human?" The Doctor asks. "Because right now I'm not," Rory says.
"Seems like they finally came to an understanding," Donna noted.
"Well, it's the end of the universe. It was time to start trusting each other," Jane shrugged.
Rory begins walking over to the Pandorica as The Doctor begins putting in the coordinates in the vortex manipulator. The Doctor warns Rory he has no idea how long he'll last and he's not indestructible, telling him to stay away from heat and radio signals and that he can't repair himself. "So far God's sake, no matter how bored you get, stay out of-" The Doctor vanishes before he can draws his sword before sitting down in front of the Pandorica. At the Museum, Amy is watching a video. "According to Legend, wherever the Pandorica was taken throughout its long history, the Centurion would be there, guarding it. He appears as an iconic image in the artworks of many cultures, and there are many documented accounts of his appearances and his warning to the many who attempted to open the box before its time. His last recorded appearance was during the London Blitz in 1941," the narrator says as an animated video of the blitz was shown. "The warehouse where the Pandorica was stored was destroyed by incendiary bombs, but the box itself was found the next morning a safe distance from the blaze. There are eye witness accounts from the night of the fire of a figure in Roman dress carrying the box from the flames," the narrator continues as an animated video of a Roman pulling the Pandorica was shown. "Since then, there have been no sightings of the Lone Centurion. And many have speculated if he ever existed, he perished in the fires of that night, performing one last act of devotion to the box he had pledged to protect for nearly 2,000 thousand years." "Rory. Oh Rory," Amy says softly as tears fall from her eyes.
"Rory," Donna said as she and Martha stared at the screen worriedly.
"The London Blitz. Last place for an Auton to be," Jack said grimly as they all took a moment to process what this might mean for Rory.
"The Pandorica had to get to the museum somehow," Mickey argued, although he was unsure whether he was trying to convince the others or himself.
"Yeah," Jack said lowly, although he didn't seem too optimistic on Rory's chances.
"Exterminate!" Amy quickly rushes in front of the confused Amelia as the fossilized Dalek begins wheeling in.
"Ah bloody Hell!" Mickey exclaimed as the others looked shocked.
"How can the Dalek be alive if it never happened?" Donna asked in disbelief.
"The Pandorica," Jack realized, remembering a shot of the light reaching the Dalek as it opened. "The Pandorica brought it back somehow."
"Oh bloody brilliant," Martha grumbled.
The Doctor suddenly teleports in front of her, quickly taking note of the situation. The Dalek declares its weapon system are restoring and The Doctor grabs Amy and Amelia by the hands, pulling them away. They run into a display of Romans, The Doctor knocking into a mannequin and taking a fez off the head. Amy asks what they do and The Doctor admits he doesn't have a plan beyond running.
"Brilliant, the one time you don't have a plan Spaceman!" Donna snapped.
"A Dalek is the last thing they need right now," Martha groaned.
A security guard shines a flashlight into the exhibit, asking what's going on. The Doctor pleads with him to run as the Dalek turns to face the guard, ordering him to drop the device.
"And now an unarmed civilian is cannon fodder for the Dalek. Now that is the last thing they need," Jack corrected darkly.
None of the past viewers saw Jane's smile as she watched the screen, anticipating their reactions.
The Doctor pleads with the Dalek, saying the guard has no weapons. The Dalek scans the guard, finding him unarmed. "You think?" the guard asks. He drops his flashlight and his hand opens, revealing the gun inside. Two blasts fire from the gun and strike the Dalek. It spins out of control, damaged as the guard walks into view. It's Rory.
"He's alive!" Wilf said happily.
"Oh thank God!" Donna sighed in relief.
"I told you!" Mickey said happily.
"Oh don't tell me even you weren't worried there for a minute," Martha laughed, lightly slapping his shoulder.
"Rory Williams, you continue to impress me," Jack said with a slight grin. "You would have made a great Torchwood agent."
"Maybe in another life," Jane said with a slight grin.
The Dalek seems to shut down as The Doctor rushes over, using his screwdriver on the Dalek. As Amy follows The Doctor, she and Rory see each other. They rush into each other's arms, clinging to each other. Rory apologizes for killing her but she tells him to shut up as she pulls him into a kiss. The Doctor rushes up to them, saying they need to go but is ignored. "I waited! Two thousand years I waited for you," Rory says. "No, still shut up," Amy says as she pulls him back into a kiss, this one much more heated. "Break," The Doctor says as he eyes them uncomfortably. "And breathe! Well, somebody didn't get out much for two thousand years."
"Oh leave them alone Doctor! Like you were any better seeing Rose again," Donna laughed.
"They do realize they are in public?" Wilf asked a little uncomfortable.
"The last time they saw each other, Amy barely remembered him before he shot her. And before that, Rory died in her arms. I wouldn't care about whose around either," Jack shrugged.
The Doctor then looks down at Amelia, who asks if they can get a drink. "It's all mouths today, isn't it?" The Doctor says as he puts the fez over her head. She gives it back to him as The Doctor looks over at the Pandorica. The Doctor realizes the light from the Pandorica hit the Dalek. He approaches it before the Dalek begins to move.
"And it's still bringing the Dalek back to life," Mickey realized in horror.
"Of bloody course it is. If it wasn't, it would be too easy," Martha groaned as the past viewers all paled.
"Run Doctor," Wilf whispered.
Amy and Rory finally stop kissing as The Doctor orders them out of the room. The Doctor and Rory close the doors behind them while casually having a conversation about what Rory got up in the last two thousand years. The Doctor picks up a mop and Rory says that's how he looked when he gave him the screwdriver. The Doctor quickly travels back to 102 AD, giving Rory the same speech he did at the beginning. The Doctor then returns to the museum and puts the mop in the door hands, blocking it. Amelia asks if The Doctor is magic.
"So that's why he had a mop," Mickey mused.
"I'm more impressed that Rory managed to remember exactly how The Doctor looked over 2,000 years ago," Martha mentioned.
"Autons have perfect memory, their brains are computer databases," Donna said before frowning. "Oi, even I'm annoyed by how much I seem to know."
"I'm sure you'll get to it with time. It'll be an adjustment, all that knowledge making room in your mind, but it'll settle after a while," Jane assured her.
"Hope you're right," Donna muttered.
The Doctor then travels back to 102 once more, telling Rory about the Pandorica before returning to the museum once more. The group then begins heading up the stairs before The Doctor suddenly shouts wait, remembering he no longer has his screwdriver. He then travels back to 102 one more time, telling Rory to put the screwdriver in Amy's pocket before returning to the museum. The Doctor quickly takes the screwdriver out of Amy's pocket.
"Is anyone else having trouble keeping up?" Mickey asked getting a migraine from all the back and forth.
"It is very confusing," Wilf agreed, also having trouble.
"Trust me, it gets a lot worse in the second set," Jane told them.
The begin running up the stairs before The Doctor pauses. He asks Amelia how she knew to come here and she pulls out the brochure and post it. The Doctor realizes it's his handwriting and tosses them away. Grabbing a brochure off a nearby rack, The Doctor writes in it before using the vortex manipulator to travel back to Amy's house the previous night. He drops the brochure through the letterbox before traveling back to the museum. It's revealed he grabbed Amelia's soda earlier before he appears in front of the others, handing Amelia her drink.
"Guess we're all caught up now," Martha noted.
"Looks like it," Jack agreed. "But I doubt things will get less confusing."
Amy asks bewildered how he's doing that and he shows her the vortex manipulator. She asks where they're going and he says the roof. Before they can move there is a flash of light and a second Doctor appears at the top of the steps.
"I hate being right," Jack muttered as the past viewers stared at the screen in disbelief.
"Two Doctors?" Wilf asked startled.
"Which would normally be a cause for celebration, but he looks hurt," Jack noticed.
"How can he even be there? Shouldn't this cause a paradox?" Martha wondered.
"The universe is collapsing in on itself, normal rules of time travel don't apply," Jane explained.
The other Doctor is badly injured and falls down the steps before landing in front of them. The Doctor uses his screwdriver to scan his doppelganger as Rory wonders how it can be him. The Doctor confirms it is in fact him, from the future. Suddenly, the other Doctor opens his eyes and grabs The Doctor, whispering something in his ear before falling on his back, apparently dead.
"Did he just…" Donna trailed off as the past viewers stared at the screen in horror.
"No. He can't be," Martha said in denial.
"He's Boss," Mickey said in disbelief.
"The Doctor can't be dead," Wilf said in denial, not wanting to believe it.
"Nothing is ever as it seems with Dad. It'll all work out in the end, trust me," Jane said with a smile.
"It always does with The Doctor," Jack said, not believing he died from this for one second. "Besides, we still have two more sets of recordings to get through."
The Doctor seems to be in shock as Amy hesitantly asks if he's dead. The Doctor comes out of whatever trance he was in, confirming the other Doctor is dead. The Doctor then begins running up the stairs, saying he has twelve minutes. "Twelve minutes to live? How is that good?" Amy snaps. The Doctor says he can do loads in twelve minutes and urges them to head up to the roof. Rory is hesitant to leave The Doctor's body. "So, are you in charge now? Then tell me, what are we going to do about Amelia?" The Doctor asks. They turn around to find Amelia gone, her soda cup on the floor.
"What the bloody Hell?" Mickey exclaimed as they stared at the screen in shock.
"Figured it was only a matter of time," Jack noted and they looked at him bewildered. "The universe never happened. Technically Amelia was never born."
"So how are they all here?" Wilf wondered.
"Dad explains in a second," Jane assures them as they turned back to the screen, feeling more confused than ever.
Amy and Rory look around, Rory calling out for Amelia. The Doctor explains history is still collapsing and Amy wonders how she can be here if Amelia isn't. The Doctor explains the three of them are anomalies, all hanging on by a thread. "We're in the eye of the storm. But the eye is closing and if we don't do something fast, reality will never have happened. Today, just dying is a result. Now come on!" The Doctor snaps as he heads up the stairs.
"Well hurry up and solve it Spaceman. You better have a plan for this," Donna mumbled.
"The other Doctor whispered something in his ear. I'm sure it's a way to stop this," Martha said certainly.
"It's The Doctor. It has to be," Jack said with conviction.
Amy is certain that The Doctor will find a way out of this as Rory places his jacket over The Doctor's body. The Doctor tells them to move it and they run after him. In the Pandorica exhibit, the Dalek is restored by the light from the Pandorica.
"Well let's hope they do it fast, because I doubt the Dalek is going to let them do anything," Mickey said uneasily.
"They're on a time limit and under attack by a Dalek. Just a typical day for The Doctor," Jack said sarcastically.
The Doctor, Amy and Rory head up to the roof to find sunlight. Amy is confused how it can be morning already and The Doctor explains history is shrinking, wondering if anyone is listening to him. The Doctor says they don't have much time as he uses his screwdriver on a nearby satellite dish. Rory asks what he's doing and The Doctor says looking for The TARDIS. Rory points out it exploded. "Then I'm looking for an exploding TARDIS," The Doctor says. Amy asks why the TARDIS would explode.
"Because this Silence is making it," Mickey muttered, glancing at Jane. "Still wondering who they are, by the way."
"You'll find out later today, I promise," Jane assured him.
"We'll hold you to that," Jack said, interested in finding out more about the Silence.
"Good question for another day. A good question for now is that a total event collapse means that every star in the universe never happened. Not one single one of them ever shone. So if all the stars that ever were are gone, then what is that?" The Doctor asks as he points to something burning in the sky. "Like I said, I'm looking for an exploding TARDIS." Rory argues it's the run and The Doctor uses his screwdriver on the satellite, picking up the sound of the TARDIS. The Doctor says that's what's been keeping the earth warm.
"So, the very thing that is causing the end of the universe-" Martha started in disbelief.
"Is what kept the Earth going, allowing The Doctor to stop it," Jack said in a matching tone.
"There's a joke in there somewhere," Donna muttered, hardly able to believe it.
Rory points out there's a voice as well and Amy says she can't hear anything. "Trust the plastic," Rory snaps. The Doctor picks up River's voice and Amy wonders how she can be in the TARDIS. Rory thinks it's a recording but The Doctor realizes the TARDIS has sealed off the control room and put River into a time loop to save her. "She is right at the heart of the explosion," The Doctor declares.
"Is there anything you can't do old girl?" Jack asked as he looked around at the TARDIS impressed.
There was no response, but the TARDIS seemed to give an extra 'vroomp' in pleasure.
"I'll take that as 'thank you'," Jack said with a grin.
In the TARDIS, the scene of River just before the explosion replays twice. On the third time, she rushes towards the doors only to find The Doctor blocking her way. "Hi honey. I'm home," The Doctor says and River checks her watch. "And what sort of time do you call this?" she asks.
"Is this really the time to flirt?" Martha wondered.
"Oh trust me, they get a lot worse," Jane said with a laugh.
The Doctor and River teleport onto the roof. River greets Amy and seems to recognize Rory as the 'plastic centurion'. The Doctor assures her he's on their side. River notes she dated a Nestene one. "Swappable heads. Do keep things fresh," River notes.
"Now that's a story I'd really like to hear," Jack said interested.
"You would," Martha muttered in exasperation as everyone looked at Jack oddly.
"Right then, I have questions. But number one is this: what in the name of sanity do you have on your head?" River turns to The Doctor, eying the fez. The Doctor declares fezzes are cool.
"Oh don't tell me he's going into a fez phase?" Donna groaned.
"Phase would imply he grew out of it," Jane shrugged, to Donna and Martha's exasperation.
"This Regeneration seems a lot more quirky," Jack noted. "First the bowties, now the fez."
"I really don't want to know what other quirks he'll develop in this recordings," Martha said dryly.
River shoots Amy a look and she snatches the fez off The Doctor's head. "Oh!" The Doctor cries as she tosses it into the air. River fires and the fez is blown to pieces.
"Oh I really like her," Martha said as a grin crossed her face as Mickey and Jack laughed.
"Right?" Donna said with a grin, wishing she'd been able to get to know River more.
"If she wasn't already in love with The Doctor, I'd make a move," Jack said.
"You'd make a move on anything that breathes," Martha told him and Jack shrugged.
"Fair enough."
"Exterminate!" Dalek Supreme cries as he floats into the air, wiping the smiles off everyone's faces.
"And it had to pick that moment to come back," Mickey grumbled as the good mood plummeted.
"Stop fooling around Spaceman, you don't have a lot of time," Donna said worriedly.
The Doctor orders them to move, grabbing the satellite off the ground. He uses it to block Supreme's beams as the four of them retreat into the museum. The Doctor seals the door with his screwdriver as they hear bangs on the other side. River aims her weapon at the door but The Doctor deduces that it's moving away, trying to find another way in. "It needs to restore before it can attack again. Now, that means we have four and a half minutes before it's at lethal capacity," The Doctor notes. Rory asks how he knows and The Doctor says that's when it's due to kill him.
"He sounds so casual about it," Martha said in surprise.
"What does he know that we don't?" Jack wondered as he narrowed his eyes. "Doctor, you and your secrets."
River is shocked by this as they head down the stairs. The Doctor wonders how the Dalek can be there if it was erased from time and how it came back as they head into the museum. Rory points out the light from the Pandorica but The Doctor points out it shouldn't restore a Dalek when they've never existed. "So tell us," Amy says and they look at him expectantly. "When the TARDIS blew up, it caused a total event collapse. A time explosion. And that explosion blasted nearly every atom in everyone moment of the universe. Except-" The Doctor turns around to face Amy. "Except inside the Pandorica," Amy realizes. "The perfect prison. And inside it, perfectly preserved, a few billion atoms of the universe as it was," The Doctor explains. The Doctor goes on to explain you could theoretically extrapolate the whole universe from just one of them. Rory isn't getting it. "The box contains a memory of the universe and the light transmits the memory. And that's how we're gonna do it," The Doctor declares. Amy asks do what and The Doctor says reboot the universe before urging them onward.
"The Pandorica. The very thing that is putting them in danger is the thing that will allow them to save the universe," Jack said in disbelief.
"But how?" Wilf wondered and Jack shrugged.
"Not sure. But knowing The Doctor, he's already worked out a plan on how to do it," Jack said with certainty.
"Probably," Donna muttered, knowing The Doctor's mind almost better than Jack. "It's what he does."
They follow after him, River arguing that the Pandorica can't restore the universe if it can't even fully restore one Dalek. The Doctor proposes giving it a moment of infinite power, transmitting the light from the Pandorica throughout the universe. "Well that would be lovely dear. But we can't, because it's completely impossible!" River snaps. The Doctor corrects her, saying it's almost completely impossible. "One spark is all we need," he says. River asks for what and The Doctor says 'Big Bang Two'. Before he can tell them his plan, The Doctor is suddenly shot with a laser. "Exterminate!" Dalek Supreme declares as it rolls in.
"NO!" Donna screamed in horror as the past viewers all stared in horror.
"Tell me that didn't just happen," Martha pleaded for someone, anyone to tell her that she was seeing things.
"Doctor," Wilf breathed horrified.
"I guess we know how The Doctor got injured before," Jack said with a sigh.
"But he can't. He's Boss," Mickey said in denial.
"Even The Doctor has limits, as we saw," Jacked pointed out and they all remembered seeing his grave. "But I doubt this is it, we still have two more sets of recordings to get through after all."
The Doctor falls to the floor as Amy and Rory take cover behind a wall. River kneels down to check on The Doctor as Rory uses his gun to shoot the Dalek, shutting it down. River frantically asks The Doctor if he can hear her while The Doctor weakly touches the vortex manipulator. He vanishes in a flash of light, to River's shock.
"And that's how he ended up downstairs," Jack noted.
"And he whispered whatever he did in his ear. Oh Martha Jones, you are so thick," Martha said as she slapped her forehead and everyone looked at her oddly.
"Martha?" Mickey asked in confusion.
"I think she's figured it out," Jack said, having his suspicions as well.
"And you have as well?" Martha asked and Jack shrugged.
"Maybe. Let's see if we're right," Jack said, his eyes not leaving the screen.
"Really started to get annoyed that you two are leaving us out of the loop," Mickey muttered.
"I'll make it up to you later," Martha promised as she pat him on the shoulder.
River gets up, saying The Doctor can be anywhere as Amy sadly informs her about seeing The Doctor dying. River is shocked as Dalek Supreme comes back online. Rory tells them they have to move before it comes back to life. "You two get to The Doctor, I'll be right behind you," River promises. After a moment, Amy and Rory run as Dalek Supreme begins wheeling towards River. "You will be exterminated!" it declares. "Not yet. Your systems are still restoring, which means your shield density is compromised," River says as she pulls out her blaster. "One Alpha Mezon Burst through your eyestalk would kill you stone dead." Dalek Supreme notes she will show mercy as she's an associate of The Doctor. "I'm River Song. Check your records again," she says as she takes aim. It begs for mercy. She tells him to say it again and it does. "One more time," she says coldly. "Mercy!" it begs.
"Did-did a Dalek just beg for mercy?" Donna asked as the past viewers stared at the screen in disbelief.
"Either that or we all just had the same hallucination," Mickey muttered.
"Interesting. Who are you River Song?" Jack wondered, curious as to who could make a Dalek that afraid.
Rory and Amy walk down the stairs where the left The Doctor's body, shocked to find only Rory's jacket remains. Rory calls out for The Doctor as Amy says shocked that he was dead. River walks down the stairs, asking who told her that and Amy says The Doctor. "Rule one: The Doctor lies," River says.
"Just like we thought," Jack said as he and Martha exchanged a look.
"So he just them think he was dead? Whatever for?" Wilf asked in confusion.
"So he could work on his plan to save the universe undistracted, whatever that is," Jack mused.
"This better work or I'm going to kill him for putting me through this," Donna said darkly.
"And I'll help you," Martha promised.
Amy asks where the Dalek is. "It died," River says before walking passed them.
"Well she doesn't sugarcoat things, does she?" Mickey muttered.
"No time for sugarcoating," Jack shrugged.
The three of them run into the Pandorica exhibit to find The Doctor sitting inside the Pandorica, passed out. As River checks on him, Rory wonders why The Doctor told them he was dead. Amy realizes they were a diversion for the Dalek so he could work down here. River asks what The Doctor was doing as the light from the exploding TARDIS grows brighter, lighting up the room. Rory wonders what's happening and River explains that the collapse of reality is speeding up. She tells them to look at the room and Amy and River see the mannequins and exhibits have vanished. "History is being erased," River explains.
"They're almost out of time," Donna noted uneasily.
"Whatever your plan is, you better do it soon Doctor," Jack muttered.
River frantically wakes The Doctor, asking him what he was doing. "Big...Bang…Two," he says weakly. As Amy and Rory ponder the meaning of this, River makes a dismayed sound. River explains the TARDIS is still burning, exploding at every point in history. If you throw the Pandorica into the light of the fire, the light from the Pandorica would explode at every point in history. Amy asks if that would bring everything back. "A restoration field powered by an exploding TARDIS, happening at every moment in history. Oh that's brilliant. It might even work," River says.
"That is brilliant!" Donna laughed as she figured it out. "An imprint of the universe would be spread across every moment in history!"
"Putting it all back the way it was meant to be," Martha smiled. "Doctor, you've done it again."
"He sure has," Jack said, although he had noticeably less enthusiasm than his friends.
"So why do you look like you've lost your best friend?" Mickey noticed and Jack grimaced.
"Because you guys are forgetting one very important detail: someone has to pilot the Pandorica into the TARDIS," Jack explained and the realization hit them.
"No. No, he can't…" Wilf trailed off, looking in disbelief.
"Do you really think Dad would let anyone but himself do it?" Jane asked quietly.
"If there's one thing we know about The Doctor, he's self-sacrificing to a fault. He'd never let anyone else make this sacrifice," Jack said as he looked at the screen sadly.
"Spaceman," Donna muttered, looking on the verge of tears.
She was not the only one. Martha and Mickey ready to break down as they wrapped their arms around each other. Jack looked at the screen stonily, as though knowing what was coming. Wilf bowed his head, a tear falling from his eyes silently.
Using the Doctor's screwdriver, River realizes The Doctor has wired the vortex manipulator to the Pandorica. Amy asks why and River reveals The Doctor is going to fly the Pandorica into the heart of the explosion.
"I hate being right," Jack muttered, starting to loath that sentence.
"I hate when you're right to," Mickey said lowly, wishing more than anything Jack had been wrong this once.
Sometime later, Amy and Rory stand back as River helps The Doctor get ready. Rory asks if Amy's okay and she asks if he is. He says no. "Then shut up then!" she snaps. Not taking offense, he puts an arm around her and she hugs him emotionally. They separate as River walks over, saying The Doctor wants to talk to Amy. Amy asks what happens to them after Big Bang Two and River explains they wake up where they should be without remembering any of this, as it never really happened. Amy pleads with her to tell her The Doctor will come back to. River says he'll be in the heart of the explosion. "All the cracks in time will fade. But he'll be on the wrong side, trapped in the nether space, the void between worlds. All memory of him will be purged from the universe. He will have never have been born," River says emotionally.
"Bloody Hell," Mickey breathed as they all stared at the screen in horror.
"Obviously something had to happen, otherwise we wouldn't be sitting on the TARDIS," Jack noted, although he wasn't sure if he was trying to convince them or himself.
River says The Doctor wants to talk to Amy and Amy asks why not to River. "He doesn't really know me yet. Now he never will," River says sadly. Amy walks up to the Pandorica, where The Doctor is waiting. She greets him and he calls her The Girl Who Waited, remembering she did all night in her garden. He asks her if it was worth it. "Shut up, of course it was," Amy says. The Doctor brings up his lie that he hadn't had a reason for bringing her with him. Amy says it's not important but The Doctor says it's the most important thing left in the universe. "It's why I'm doing this. Amy, your house was too big," The Doctor says, to Amy's confusion. "That big, empty house. And just you." Amy points out she had Aunt Sharon and The Doctor asks about her parents. "Where was everyone who lived in that big house?" The Doctor asks. Amy says she lost her Mum and Dad and The Doctor asks how. Amy opens her mouth but pauses, realizing she's unable to remember. "There's a crack in time in the wall of your bedroom. And it's been eating away at your life for a long time now. Amy Pond, all alone. The girl who didn't make sense. How could I resist?"
"The crack. It erased her parents," Donna realized in horror.
"That's why Sharon was allowed to raise her, because there was no accident. Her parents were just gone," Jack muttered in disbelief.
"Those bloody cracks. It always comes back to them," Martha said darkly.
Amy asks how she could forget but The Doctor tells her nothing is ever forgotten as long as she tries. The museum begins to shake. "Doctor! It's speeding up!" River cries out.
"It's time then," Wilf said sadly as they all stared at the scree in apprehension, not looking forward to what would happen next.
Amy gives The Doctor his screwdriver and he tells her to try and remember her family and they'll be there. She wonders how she can remember them if they never existed. "Because you're special. The crack in your wall, all that time, the universe pouring into your head. You brought Rory back; you can bring them back to. You just remember and they'll be there," The Doctor promises.
And there it was, Jack realized as he smirked. He glanced subtly over at Jane, who nodded, as if sensing his thoughts.
Well played Doctor. Well played.
Amy steps back and sadly notes he won't be. "You'll have your family back. You won't need your imaginary friend anymore," The Doctor says as the Pandorica begins to close. "Amy Pond. Crying over me eh? Well guess what?" "What?" Amy asks. "Gotcha," The Doctor winks before the doors close.
"Huh?" Mickey asked as the other past viewers stared in bewilderment.
"If I'm right, The Doctor just gave her the key to bringing him back," Jack muttered and they stared at him, not understanding. "Spoilers."
"Okay, if you're going to start saying that to, I'm going to ban that word from this room," Donna snapped and Jack laughed.
Amy steps back and River pulls her out of the way as the Pandorica takes off. It bursts through the museum ceiling and takes off into the sky. The Doctor texts something into a scanner before dropping it. Amy, Rory and River are huddled into the corner of the museum when River receives a message on her scanner from The Doctor. Amy asks what it says. "Geronimo," River says as it appears on the screen.
"Spaceman," Donna said softly, getting emotional as tears filled her eyes.
"Him and his catchphrases," Martha said softly, clinging to Mickey as he wrapped an arm around her.
"Boss," Mickey said softly.
The Doctor gasps in pain as he pilots the Pandorica. He dives into the explosion. The explosion flashes yellow and seems to disappear. Time seems to rewind through The Doctor receiving the painting. The Doctor wakes up on the TARDIS floor. He sits up, looking around and thinking he escaped.
"Huh?" Mickey said as the past viewers stared at the screen in confusion.
"Is this what you meant by The Doctor's plan?" Wilf asked but Jack shook his head.
"No. I have no idea what is going on," Jack admitted in bewilderment.
The Doctor notes he loves it when he escapes, making sure he has his legs and bowtie before petting his head. "I can buy a fez," The Doctor decides. The Doctor then hears Amy's voice before, to his surprise, hearing his own. He walks into the console to see himself working while Amy is wearing summer clothes and sunglasses. He realizes this is last week, when he took Amy to Space Florida. "I'm rewinding. My time stream, unraveling. Erasing," The Doctor realizes. The Doctor looks over to see a crack on the scanner closing. "Hello universe. Goodbye Doctor," he says lowly.
"This is how it starts then, Donna realized sadly and Jane nodded.
"Yeah," the part Time Lord said with a heavy sigh.
"Doctor," Wilf said emotionally as the past viewers stared at the screen with a mix of emotion, sadness and grief being the most prominent.
The Doctor calls out to Amy. She looks over at the sound of his voice but doesn't seem to see him. Time then rewinds again but this time The Doctor finds himself on the streets of London. He sees Amy walking to a shop and realizes this is when she placed the card with Craig's address on the window. He calls out to her as she pets a cat. She looks up as he says he needs to tell her something. Once more, she doesn't see him and walks off.
"She can hear him though. Amy can hear him," Jack realized.
"What good does that to though?" Mickey asked, his voice a mix of angry grief.
"If I'm right about The Doctor's plan, everything," Jack said as he stared at the screen like it was the most important thing in the universe.
The Doctor realizes Amy can still hear him before he sees a crack behind him. Once more, time rewinds and this time he finds himself on the Byzantium's oxygen factory. He sees himself following after River and Octavian, leaving Amy with the Clerics. He walks over to her and places his hands on her shoulders. "Amy, you need to start trusting me, it's never been more important," he says.
"This is why The Doctor came back to talk to her," Donna realized.
"I told you it would all make sense eventually," Jane said with a slight smile. "You just have to be patient enough."
Amy says he doesn't always tell her the truth and he points out he wouldn't need her to trust him if he did. She asks how the crack in her wall can be here and he says she's working it out as he looks over, seeing his past self examining something with his screwdriver before following after River and Octavian. "Now, listen. Remember what I told you when you were seven?" The Doctor asks. Amy doesn't remember and The Doctor tells her that's not the point. He says she has to remember before kissing her on the forehead and standing. "Remember what? Doctor?" she calls out but receives no answer. Time rewinds once more. This time, The Doctor finds himself back at Amy's house, checking his watch and realizing it's the night he met Amelia. The Doctor walks out into the yard and finds Amelia fast asleep on her trunk. "The Girl Who Waited. Come here you," The Doctor says before picking Amelia up.
"Now they really are back at the beginning," Donna said softly.
"They've come full circle," Martha said with a sigh. "I just wish it wasn't like this."
The others were silent, Mickey and Wilf too emotional to speak while Jack was staring intensely at the screen, hoping he was right.
The Doctor walks Amelia back into her room and tucks her into bed before sitting down. "It's funny. I thought if you could hear me, I could hang on somehow. Silly me. Silly old Doctor," The Doctor leans down close to Amelia. "When you wake up, you'll have a Mum and Dad and won't even remember me. Well, you'll remember me a little. I'll be a story in your head. It's okay. We're all stories in the end. Just make it a good one, eh? 'Cause it was, you know. It was the best. A daft old man who stole a magic box and ran away," he sighs. "Did I ever tell you that I stole it? Well, I borrowed it, I was always gonna take it back. Oh that box Amy. You'll dream about that box. It'll never leave you. Big and little at the same time. Brand new and ancient and the bluest blue. And the times we had, eh? Would've had. Never had. In your dreams they'll still be there. The Doctor and Amy Pond. And the days that never came." The Doctor begins to cry. Hearing a sound behind him, The Doctor turns his head and sees the crack in Amy's wall beginning to close. But The Doctor knows they can't close properly until he's on the other side. "I don't belong here anymore," The Doctor says with a sniff. "I think I'll skip the rest of the rewind. I hate repeats." The Doctor then kisses Amelia on the forehead. "Live well. Love Rory. Bye-bye Pond." The Doctor then walks over to the crack and vanishes.
There was not anyone who was not affected by this. Donna and Martha were both openly sobbing by this point. Mickey held Martha tightly, trying to be strong for her but a few tears managed to fall from his eyes. Wilf put a hand to his face, crying silently. Jack stared at the screen solemnly, feeling grief for his old friend once more. He hoped he was right, but that didn't mean it was easy to see. Even Jane had to wipe a stray tear from her face, the scene hitting close to home.
After several moments, they all managed to compose themselves. Martha and Donna wiped their eyes, although they looked ready to break down at any moment. Mickey and Wilf both wiped their eyes as well as the screen, stopped by the TARDIS to give them a few moments to compose, started again.
Amelia wakes up and sits up in bed. She finds an empty room, the crack in her wall gone. Shrugging, she lays back down and goes back to sleep. A shot of her window is shown, the crescent moon and stars shown. Time passes and the window now shows the morning sun. Amy wakes up, looking at her dresser, with drawings of the TARDIS and her dolls of The Doctor still there. Looks at where her wedding dress is hanging when she's suddenly startled by a red haired woman walking in, carrying a tray of food. "You're my Mum. Oh my God, you're my Mum," Amy says in surprise. Amy's mother is confused by her reaction before giving Amy her breakfast, which was made by her father so Amy should 'feel free to tip it out of the window if it's an atrocity'. She tells her to come downstairs in 10 minutes before walking of the room. Amy is confused why she's surprised by her Mum.
"Amy finally got to live a normal life then," Martha said softly, happy for her.
She just wished it hadn't come at the cost of The Doctor.
"Yeah," Jane said with a tight smile. "But normal is overrated."
"Talking like someone who's never had a normal life," Mickey said as he let out a gruff chuckle.
Amy gets out of bed and comes downstairs. She finds her father reading a book. He greets her, saying he may use the same joke as the best man. Amy then hugs him excitedly, to his confusion.
Everyone let out a slight chuckle at this. They'd take more amusement from it, but they were feeling pretty drained after the last few minutes.
Her mother asks Amy why she's acting like she's never seen them before as she helps her father with his tie. Amy doesn't know but smiles. Later, Amy calls Rory, who is brushing his teeth as he gets ready for their wedding. Amy asks him if he feels like he's forgotten something important but can't remember it. Rory says yep. Amy then asks if he's saying that because he's scared of her. "Yep," he says and she smiles. "Love you," Amy says. "Yep. I mean, I love you to," Rory quickly corrects himself.
"Well, at least some things don't change," Donna said with a smile.
"Amy and Rory are still Amy and Rory," Martha said with a slight laugh.
"What else is new?" Jack said with a grin.
Amy then hangs up and turns towards her wedding dress. She smiles before rushing towards it and picking it up. The scene then flashes forward to the reception following the wedding. Amy and Rory are sitting with her parents, laughing. "Ladies and gentlemen, the father of the bride, Augustus Pond!" someone says. Everyone claps only for Augustus to say he needs a few more minutes to review his speech. Amy laughs as Augustus sits down and her mother complains that he'll be the death of her. Amy looks up and the smile leaves her face. Walking passed the church windows is River.
"It's River. But what is she doing there?" Donna asked as the past viewers all looked confused.
"Wait for it," Jane said with a grin.
Amy stands up and Rory looks at her in confusion, asking if she's okay. Amy says she is, tears starting to fall from her eyes as she sits back down. Rory points out she's crying and she feels her face, wondering why. Rory suggests she's crying because she's happy. "No. I'm sad. I'm really, really sad," Amy says.
"She remembers in the back of her mind, just like with Rory," Donna said in disbelief.
"The crack. It may be gone, but its effect on Amy's mind is still there," Jack noted. "And that could change everything."
"What are you talking about?" Mickey asked as the other past viewers looked at Jack in bewilderment.
Jack didn't answer, staring at the screen with an intensity that bewildered them all.
Amy wonders why's sad when she sees something by Rory. He says someone left it for her and hands it to her. It's River's diary. Amy opens it and finds it blank. Amy wonders why and Rory suggests it's a wedding present, lamely telling her of an old saying he can't remember. Rory becomes worried about Amy as Augustus stands up to give his speech. As he does, Amy looks out at the crowd and sees a young man wearing a bowtie. Turning her head, she sees an older man with braces. A tear falls from Amy's face onto the diary. Amy then gets to her feet, telling Augustus to shut up, to his surprise. Amy then says that someone important is missing. 'Someone so, so important'. Rory asks what's wrong and she clears her throat before apologizing to the guests. "But when I was a kid, I had an imaginary friend," Amy says causing her mother to groan. "The Raggedy Doctor. My Raggedy Doctor. But he wasn't imaginary. He was real." Sharon puts a hand to her head as Amy's mother moans about the psychiatrists. "I remember! I brought the others back; I can bring you home to! Raggedy Man, I remember you, and you are late for my wedding!" For a moment, there is silence. Then, Rory's champagne glass starts to tremble.
"Bloody Hell," Mickey said as Jack grinned while the other past viewers looked stunned.
"Just like The Doctor said. She could bring him back, just like her parents. You are good Doctor," Jack said with a smirk.
The sound of the TARDIS materializing is heard as Amy continues. "I found you. I found you in words, like you knew I would. That's why you told me the story. The brand new ancient blue box," Amy says as the wind begins blowing through the room. "Oh, clever, very clever." Rory, bewildered, asks what it is. "Something old. Something new. Something borrowed. Something blue," Amy says as the TARDIS materializes in the room.
"Spaceman," Donna said with a relieved grin.
"Oh I could kiss him," Martha said with a smile.
Jane disguised a laugh as a cough. What was it with women who were relieved to see her father trying to kiss him?
"Considering we just thought he was gone for good, I'll let that slid," Mickey joked.
Amy smiles as Rory remembers The Doctor, wondering how they forgot him. Amy jumps over the table, rushing towards the TARDIS as Rory rambles about how he was plastic to Amy's mother. Amy knocks on the doors, asking if she surprised him this time. The door opens and The Doctor steps out, dressed in a suit, complete with a hat. "Completely astonished,. Never expected that. How lucky I happened to be wearing this old thing," he says as he straightens his suit jacket.
"Doctor," Wilf said as they all smiled in relief upon seeing him.
"Quite a scare you gave us old friend. Pull something like that again, I might kill you myself," Jack said, not seeing Jane's grimace.
Rory stands up, smiling as The Doctor introduces himself as Amy's imaginary friend. He shakes Augustus's hands as Amy walks up to The Doctor, saying he may kiss the bride but The Doctor puts a finger to her mouth. The Doctor says he will leave the kissing duties to the new 'Mr. Pond'. Rory protests that not how it works. "Yeah it is," The Doctor says and Rory sighs. "Yeah it is," he agrees.
"Poor Rory," Jack joked with a chuckle.
"So, we're ignoring Amy trying to kiss him again?" Donna asked bewildered.
"You'd be surprised how often someone who is not romantically interested in you tries to kiss you after nearly dying," Jack shrugged, thinking of all the times it had happened to him.1
"Because you're usually the one getting kissed, right? "Martha joked and Jack smirked.
"Well, that does give me some experience in this area," Jack said smugly.
The Doctor then says he'll move the TARDIS, as they'll need the space. "I only came for the dancing," The Doctor says before heading into the TARDIS. That night, The Doctor dances, badly, with a laughing Amy, who tells him how embarrassing it is.
"I think I'm scared for life," Martha muttered as those who had never seen The Doctor dance before stared at the screen traumatized.
"The first version I met danced a lot better," Jack shrugged.
"Well I'd like to meet that one. I think I need therapy now," Donna muttered.
"Me to," Mickey agreed.
"How is that dancing?" Wilf wondered.
The Doctor continues dancing badly, this time with a group of children as Amy and Rory laugh from a table before Rory kisses Amy on the cheek. Later that night, The Doctor watches from the corner of the room as Amy and Rory dance, most of the other guests having left. "Two thousand years. The boy who waited. Good on you mate," The Doctor smiles.
"Rory, you've set the bar so high none of us can ever hope to reach it," Mickey muttered.
"Rory Williams, setting unrealistic expectations for young woman since 2010," Jane joked.
The Doctor watches the newly married couple share a kiss before he turns and heads out of the room. Heading out to where the TARDIS is parked, The Doctor pulls out his keys. "Did you dance?"
"River, you clever little minx you," Jack said with a grin.
"Quite a gamble, hoping her diary and presence would trigger Amy's memory," Martha mentioned and Jane grinned.
"Nothing River does is ever a gamble. Trust me, she knew exactly what she was doing," Jane promised.
"Well, you always dance at weddings, don't you?" You tell me," The Doctor says as he turns around to face River. "Spoilers," she says as she walks up to him. The Doctor hands River her diary, telling her the writing is back but he didn't look at it. She thanks him as he gives her the vortex manipulator. The Doctor then asks if she's married. "Are you asking?" she inquires. The Doctor says he is and she says yes. "Wait, hold on. Did you think I was asking you to marry me or asking if you were married?" The Doctor asks. "Yes," she says simply. He asks which one she meant and she says yes.
"Oh she just loves messing with him, doesn't she?" Donna said as she, Jack and Martha laughed at River's antics.
"Playing mind games with a version of The Doctor who doesn't know her as well as she knows him? Tell me you wouldn't jump at the chance," Jack said with a grin.
"She's River. What else do you need to know?" Jane shrugged.
"River. Who are you?" The Doctor asks. She promises he'll find out very soon, apologizing as she tells him that's when everything changes. She then uses the vortex manipulator to leave.
"Well that was rather ominous," Wilf muttered and Jane grimaced.
"Trust me, it's well earned," Jane muttered as she thought of everything that was about to come.
The Doctor then heads into the TARDIS. He walks up to the console as the door opens and Amy walks inside. She asks if he's leaving, joking about a snog. Rory enters, annoyed and she says it's her wedding. "Our wedding!" Rory corrects.
"At this point, I can't tell who she's teasing, Rory or The Doctor," Jack mused.
"She loves to tease them both, so who knows," Jane shrugged.
The Doctor apologizes for slipping away, saying he's busy. Rory tells him he should take an evening off. "Space and time isn't safe yet. The TARDIS exploded for a reason. Something drew the TARDIS to this particular date and blew it up," The Doctor explains.
"The Silence, whoever they are. Still unclear about why," Martha muttered and Jane grimaced.
"Like I said, it won't make sense until the end of this. But it'll make sense eventually," Jane promised.
"Really hope so," Jack said, wondering why they would do all this.
The Doctor's phone rings as he explains whatever it was is still out there. The Doctor then answers the TARDIS phone. Whoever is on the other line informs him that an Egyptian Goddess is loose on the Orient Express.
"An Egy- you know what, I don't want to know," Donna decided.
"Oh trust me, it gets a lot more insane," Jane said with a grin.
"Brilliant," Martha said sarcastically.
"Boy does he lead a complicated life," Jack said dryly.
"Like you're one to talk," Mickey pointed out and Jack shrugged, conceding his point.
He lowers the phone, telling Amy and Rory this will have to be goodbye. They agree and Amy walks up to the TARDIS doors. She opens them, shouts goodbye and waves before stepping back inside, closing the door behind her. The Doctor then promises the person on the other line they're on their way. He hangs up and heads to the controls, putting the TARDIS into drive. The three of them smile as the TARDIS takes off.
"So that's the end of the first set of recordings then?" Jack asked as the screen went black and Jane nodded. "Considering how intense this set was, curious to see what happens next."
Jane's smile became strained. The next set would make this one seem like a cake walk. And there was still the worst to come.
"Well, let's find out," Martha noted, as interested as Jack.
"If the first set is anything to go by, the next one will be brutal," Donna said uneasily.
"You have no idea," Jane said darkly.
And we've finally finishes series 5. While definitely a complicated and slightly confusing episode, it's one of my favorite finales to date.
1: I find this to be a pretty stupid criticism of Amy's character. Now, we can certainly argue it was in poor taste for Moffat to have this happen in front of Amy and Rory's friends and family, but Amy is not the first character in television to try and kiss someone she's not romantically interested in after thinking they were gone. Off the top of my head, I can think of Merlin and Gwen from Merlin having something very similar happen. But Amy haters seem to invent new ways to hate on Amy every day.