The Initiation of River Song
A/N: I'm skipping 'Closing Time' because I skipped 'The Lodger' Now on with the show…
You know how in Time Travel stories they say if you pull one strand of a person's life it will unravel the entire tapestry of their lives. Well, that's true. If you pull the right strand, it could make the universe a much better place. But, if you pull the wrong strand, it will destroy the entire universe. That's what this story is about…
LONDON 5:02 PM, 22nd APRIL, 2018
Winston Churchill, the Holy Roman Emperor, sat in his office of the Buckingham Senate House, as his Silurian doctor, Maloketh examined him, "Not too many late nights in Gaul, I hope."
"Just the one," sighed Churchill, "I had an argument with Cleopatra. Dreadful woman. Excellent dancer."
"I can tell from your blood pressure."
Churchill looked at the grandfather clock behind him, "What time do you have, doctor?"
Malokeh checked his pocket watch, "Two minutes past five, Caesar."
"It's always two minutes past five. Day or night, it's always two minutes past five in the afternoon. Why is that?"
"Because that is the time, Caesar."
"And the date. Always the 22nd of April. Does it not bother you?"
"The date and the time have always been the same, Caesar. Why should it start bothering me now?"
"I want to see the Soothsayers. Where are they?"
"In the tower. Where you threw him them the last time."
"Get them!"
A short time later, three Roman soldiers escorted the soothsayers into Churchill's office. There was a man and two women, all looking down. All three of them were dressed in traditional Roman clothes, a tunic, sandals, with a small toga slashed over them. The man was dressed in light blue. His hair was long and had a scruffy beard. The redhead female was dressed in light purple. The blond female was wearing pink. The solders then forced the soothsayers to their knees in front of Churchill's desk.
"Leave us!" said Churchill. The solders left and the soothsayers kept their heads down, Then, Churchill said, "Tick tock goes the clock, as the old song says. But they don't, do they? The clocks never tick. Something has happened to time. That's what you three say. What you three never STOP saying. All of history is happening at once. But what does that mean? What happened? Explain to me in terms that I can understand. What happened to time?"
The soothsayers looked at each other then looked up. The Soothsayers were The Doctor, Teddy Duncan and her daughter Annabelle.
"A woman," said The Doctor.
(Teddy's POV)
The Doctor, Annabelle and I traveled without the Ponds for a 195 years. We knew we couldn't run from our fate forever. But, before we died we wanted to know why we had to die. We needed information about the Silence. We knew the Daleks would know the most about them so we tracked down a wrecked Dalek ship from shortly after Demon's Run. We scanned the ship and found one life sign on board.
We boarded the ship and found the Dalek on it side. As we walked up to it The Doctor said, "Imagine you were dying. Imagine you were afraid and a long way from home and in terrible pain. Just when you thought it couldn't get worse, you looked up... and saw the face of the devil himself. Hello, Dalek."
"Emergency," shouted the Dalek, "emergency, weapon system disabled, emergency! Emergency! Emergency!"
Annabelle used her sonic to open the top of the Dalek casing, "Quiet," she said, "We need some information from your data core. Everything the Daleks know about the Silence!" Then, she scanned the data core.
From the Dalek, we learned that we needed to speak with Gideon Vandaleur. We tracked him down to The Docks of Calisto B. We watched him enter a bar, and then went inside shortly after.
We walked up to the bar and stood in front of the bartender who was a red-skinned alien behind a grate, "We need to see Gideon Vandaleur," I said, "Get him. Now."
"Who says he's here?" asked the bartender.
Annabelle put the Dalek's eyestalk on the bar. The Bartender ran off. We sat down at a table and The Doctor pulled out a copy of "Knitting for Girls." I just shook my head. Soon we were joined by the man we were looking for. He was wearing a hooded robe. He sat down and lowered his hood. We saw he was wearing an eye patch, "Father Gideon Vandaleur," said The Doctor, "Former envoy of the Silence. Our condolences."
"Your what?" he asked.
"Gideon Vandaleur has been dead for six months," I said, as I scanned him with my sonic. I pointed it at his eye and saw a tiny man inside, "Can we speak to the Captain, please?" the solider then ran off.
"Hello again!" said The Doctor, "The Teselecta, time-travelling shape-changing robot, powered by miniaturized people. Never get bored of that! Long time since Berlin."
"Doctor! What have you done to our systems?" asked the captain of the Teselecta using Gideon's voice.
"They'll be fine, if you behave," I said, "Now this unit can disguise itself as anyone in the universe so if you're posing as Vandaleur, you're investigating the Silence... Tell us about them."
"Tell you what?"
"One thing. Just one. Their weakest link."
Annabelle and I watched The Doctor played a Viking-like alien in a game of Live Chess. We could see the Viking's queen was charged with electricity. The Viking hesitated to move it, "The crowd are getting restless!" said The Doctor, "They know the Queen is your only legal move. Except you've already moved it 12 times, which means there are now over four million volts running through it. That's why they call it live chess. Even with the gauntlet you'll never make it to bishop four alive."
"I am a dead man. Unless you concede the game." said the Viking.
"But I'm winning."
"Name your price."
"Information."
"I work for the Silence. They would kill me."
"They're going to kill me and my nieces too, very soon. We were just going to lie down and take it, but you know what? Before we go, we'd like to know why we have to die."
"Dorium Maldovar is the only one who can help you."
"Dorium's dead. The Monks beheaded him at Demons Run."
"I know. Concede the game, Doctor... and I'll take you to him."
The Doctor conceded the game and the crowd groaned.
The Viking lead us through an underground tunnel with a torch in his hand. Us Time Lords walked a step behind him. There were skulls on DOCTOR walks a step behind. There are skulls all over the floor and walls. "The Seventh Transept," said the Viking, "Where the Headless Monks keep the leftovers. Watch your step, there are traps everywhere."
Just then we heard the sound of something scurrying across the floor, "Eww! I hate rats." I said.
"There are no rats in the transept."
"Oh, good."
"The skulls eat them." said the Viking. I looked and I saw that the skulls were watching. Then he said, "The headless monks behead you alive, remember?"
The tunnel opened into a room. There were pedestals in the center with wood boxes resting on top of each pedestal. "Why are some of them in boxes?" asked Annabelle.
"Because some people are rich and some people are left to rot. Dorium Maldovar was always very rich." said the Viking put his torch onto a sconce
The Doctor used his sonic to scan a beautifully decorated box. A second later we heard the latch unlock, The Doctor slid the door oppened and inside was the head of Dorium Maldovar asleep.
"Thank you for bringing us, Gantok," said The Doctor to the Viking.
"My pleasure," said Gantok as he pulled a gun out and aimed it at The Doctor, "It saves me the trouble of burying you. Nobody beats me at chess!"
I looked down and saw that Gantok was about to step on a trap. But before I could say any the Viking fell through the trapdoor in the floor with a scream.
We ran over to the hole and The Doctor called out, "Gantok!" We looked down and saw Gantok surrounded by skulls in a pit. I pulled out my sonic and quickly shut the door so we wouldn't hear the screams from the skulls eating him.
As the door of the trap slammed shut Dorium woke up, "Hello? Is someone there?" We walked up to his box and he said, "Ah, Doctor, Teddy, Annabelle! Thank God it's you. The Monks, they turned on me."
"Yes," said Annabelle, " Yes, they did,"
"Give it to me straight, Doctor! How bad are my injuries?"
The three of us looked at Dorium with wide eyes and then back at each other, "Well…" said The Doctor.
Then Dorium laughed, "Oh, your faces!"
(Third Person)
Back in Churchill's office, he interrupted Teddy, "This is absurd! Other worlds, carnivorous skulls, talking heads. I don't know why I'm listening to you."
The Time Lords were now sitting at a table, "Because in another reality, you are friends with the three of us," said Teddy, "And you sense that. Just as you sense there is something wrong with time."
"The Doctor mentioned a woman…"
"Yes. I'm getting to her," said Teddy.
"What's she like? Attractive, I assume."
"She takes after both of her mothers…" Teddy looked at Annabelle and smiled.
"Tell me more."
Teddy then continued her story….
(Teddy's POV)
"Oh, it's not so bad really, as long as they get your box the right way up," said Dorium, "I got a media-chip fitted in my head years ago, and the wi-fi down here is excellent. So I keep myself entertained."
"We need to know about the Silence," I said.
"Oh. A religious order of great power and discretion. The sentinels of history, as they like to call themselves."
"And they want us dead," said The Doctor.
"No, not really. They just don't want you to remain alive," said Dorium.
"That's great," said Annabelle, "I was worried for a minute there."
"You're a man with a long and dangerous past, Doctor. But your future, the future of your family, is infinitely more terrifying. The Silence believe it must be averted."
"You know you could've told us all this, the last time we met," I said.
"It was a busy day and I got beheaded," said Dorium
"What's so dangerous about my future?" asked The Doctor
"On the fields of Trenzalore, at the fall of the Eleventh, when no living creature could speak falsely, or fail to answer, a question will be asked. A question that must never, ever be answered."
The Doctor pulled out a small notebook, "Silence will fall when the question is asked…"
"Silence MUST fall would be a better translation. The Silence are determined the question will never be answered. That The Doctor and his nieces will NEVER reach Trenzalore."
"I don't understand," said Annabelle, "What does it got to do with us?"
"The first question," said Dorium, "The oldest question in the universe, hidden in plain sight. Would you like to know what it is?"
"Yes!" said the three of us Time Lords together.
"Are you sure? Very, very sure?"
"Of course." said The Doctor.
"Then I shall tell you. But on your own head be it," said Dorium then he laughed and told us the question.
Annabelle and I followed The Doctor back into the TARDIS as he carried Dorium's box. We could hear Dorium call out from inside, "It's not my fault! Put me back." The Doctor put the box on the jump seat and we set the controls on the console, "Ow! I've fallen on my nose." said Dorium's muffled voice. The Doctor brough up the date and time of our deaths on the monitor, "Have you got wi-fi here?" asked Dorium from the box, "I'm bored already and my nose is hurting! We all have to die, Doctor... But you and your nieces more than most. You do see that, don't you? You know what the question is now, you do see that you all have to die!"
(Third Person)
The Time Lords and Churchill walked into the Senate Room, "But what was the question?" asked Churchill, "Why did it mean your deaths?"
"Suppose there was a man who knew a secret," said The Doctor, "A terrible, dangerous secret that only him and his family members know and none of them can tell a soul. How would you erase that secret from the world? Destroy it forever, before it can be spoken?"
"If I had to, I'd destroy the man and his family."
"And silence would fall," said Teddy, "All the times we've heard those words, we never realized...it was our silence. Our death. The Doctor and his nieces will fall." Teddy looked around "Why are we here?"
"This?! This is the Senate Room."
"But why did we leave your office?" asked Annabelle.
"Well, we wanted a stroll, didn't we?" said Churchill as he looked at the revolver in his hand.
"I think I've been running," said Annabelle, "Why do you have your revolver?"
"Well... You're dangerous company, Soothsayers."
The Doctor looked at his left arm and saw a black line, "Yes. I think we are."
"Resume your story," said Churchill.
(Teddy's POV)
Dorium called from his box, "Doctor, please open my hatch, I've got an awful headache…" The Doctor angrily moved toward the box. "Which to be honest means more than it used to." The Doctor opened the box and Dorium's head was upside-down with his eyes close, "It's like some terrible weight pressing down on my…" he opened his eyes, "Oh, I see!"
"But why Lake Silencio?" I asked, "Why Utah?"
"It's a still point in time. Makes it easier to create a fixed point. And your deaths are a fixed point, Teddy."
"Been running all my life. Why should I stop?" asked The Doctor.
"You can't run away from this. Because now you know what's at stake. Why your life ends." said Dorium.
"Not today," said The Doctor as he dialed the console phone.
"What's the point in delaying? How long have you delayed already?"
"Been knocking about. Bit of a farewell tour. Things to do, people to see, there's always more. Annabelle could invent a new color, Teddy could save the Dodo, I could join the Beatles!"
"Yeah right," I said, "You couldn't carry a tune in a bucket…"
The Doctor gave me a look and then he said into the phone, "Hello, it's me. Get him! Tell him, we're going out and it's all on me, except for the money and driving." Then, the Doctor looked at Dorium, "I've got a time machine, Dorium... it's all still going on. For me, it never stops. Liz the First is waiting in a glade to elope with me. Annabelle could help Rose Tyler with her homework, Teddy could go shopping with Donna Noble & Martha Jones-Smith. "
I walked up to my uncle, "Time catches up with us all…" I was tired of running… I hadn't seen my family in 195 years… I was ready… So was Annabelle… But, The Doctor wasn't.
"Well, it has never laid a glove on me!" said The Doctor. Then he spoke into the phone, "Hello?"
I listened through our telepathic link and heard a woman said, "Doctor, I'm so sorry, we didn't know how to contact you. I'm afraid Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart passed away a few months ago."
I walked up to my uncle and gave him a hug in comfort. The Doctor frequently spoke of the Brigadier. He was one of my uncles favorite companions. He spoke with him a few times on the phone over the years. He always called him shortly after regenerating to let him know that he had changed.
"Doctor?" asked the woman on the phone, who was a nurse at the nursing home the Brigadier was living at.
"Yes. Yes, I…"
"It was very peaceful. He talked a lot about you, if that's any comfort. Always made us pour an extra brandy in case you came round one of these days."
"Doctor? What's wrong?" asked Doruim.
"Nothing. Nothing. It's just…" said The Doctor as he hung up the phone and sighed. Then, he reached into his pocket and took out some TARDIS blue envelopes, "It's time." He looked down at me, "It's time."
I nodded and motioned for Annabelle to join us and shared a quick group hug.
A short time later we were back at the bar. We set the envelopes in front of the Teselecta, it was still in the shape of Vandeleur. Each envelope had a specific date, time and map reference. There was an envelope for Amy & Rory, one for River Song, one for Mom & Dad, one for a much older Canton Everett Delaware III, and one for us in the past. The one for Mom & Dad had instructions not to bring any of my brothers or sister with them. Canton's instructions told him to bring a can of gasoline. "Surely you could deliver the messages yourself." said the Teselecta.
"It would involve crossing our own time stream," I said, "It's best we didn't."
"According to our files, this is the end for you. Your final journey. We'll deliver your messages. You can depend on us."
"Thank you," said The Doctor.
We stood and headed for the door, the Teselecta stood, "Doctor, whatever you think of the Teselecta, we are champions of law and order, just as you have always been. Is there nothing else we can do?"
We didn't say any thing as we walked out of the bar
(Third Person)
"Why would you do this?" asked Churchill, "Of all the things you've told me, this I find hardest to believe. Why would you invite your friends to see your death?"
"We had to die," said The Doctor, "But we didn't have to die alone".
"Amy and Rory. The last Centurion and the girl who waited," said Annabelle, "Grandma & Grandpa. However dark it got, we'd turn around, and there they'd be."
"If it's time to go, you need to remember what you're leaving," said Teddy, "Remember the best. Our friends and family have always been the best of us."
"And did you tell them this was going to happen?" asked Churchill.
"It would help if you didn't keep asking questions," said The Doctor and looked at his arm. He saw two more tally marks and whispered "We don't have much time."
"And this woman you spoke of. Did you invite her?"
"Yes, she was there," said The Doctor.
"Actually, River Song came twice," said Annabelle.
"Everything was in place," said Teddy, "We only had to do one more thing. We only had to die."
(Teddy's POV)
The Doctor, Annabelle, and I were sitting on a red 60s station wagon and watched as a yellow bus pulled up and stopped. We heard Amy call out, "Thanks!"
"You're very welcome." said the bus driver.
"Uh! This is it, yeah? The right place?"
The bus pulled away and we saw Amy and Rory standing on the other side of the road carrying backpacks.
"Nowhere, middle of? Yeah, this is it." said Rory.
"Howdy!" said The Doctor. The Ponds crossed the road.
The Doctor laughed as we climbed off the car, "It's the Ponds! Pond One and Pond Two!" Us Time Lords hugged Amy, "Hello, Ponds, come here!"
"So someone's been a busy boy then, eh?"
"Did you see us?" I asked.
"Of course! Stalkers!"
"Flirt!" said The Doctor.
"Husband." said Rory.
"And Rory the Roman!" said Annabelle, "Oh, come here!"
We all hugged Rory, "Hey, nice hat."
The Doctor was still wearing his Stetson hat, "I wear a Stetson now, Stetsons are cool."
Just then there was a gun shot and the Stetson was blown off The Doctor's head. We turned and saw a figure silhouetted against the sun. The figure moved slightly and we saw it was River Song.
River blew on the muzzle, "Hello, sweetie." she said.
Annabelle smiled, "Hello, River…"
"Well, It looks like the gangs all here," said River.
"Not quite…" I said as I looked at my watch. I looked down the road and saw a car coming. It slowed to a stop and parked on the opposide side of the road from us. I smiled when I saw Mom and Dad get out.
Annabelle and I went over to them and gave them each a hug, "Thanks for coming…."
"No problem," said Dad, "Although you could have just asked us… You didn't have to send us this…" He took out the envalope we sent them.
"That was The Doctor's idea… Come on… I've got some people I'd like to meet." I took Mom and Dad over to the others. "Mom… Dad…. These our companions Amy Pond and her husband Rory. And our friend Professor River Song. Amy, Rory, River, these are my adopted parents Amy and Bob Ducnan."
They all shook hands, "Your Teddy's parents?" asked Amy, "I thought the three of them were the last of the Time Lords."
"They are," said Mom, "Bob and I are humans."
"Then how did you adpot Teddy?" asked Rory.
I smiled, "it's a long story…"
A little while, later we took everyone to a 50s themed Diner. The Doctor and River were sitting in an extra large booth comparing diaries while the rest of us got some Cokes, "Right then, where are we?" asked River, "Have we done Easter Island yet?"
"Yes, I've got Easter Island!" said The Doctor.
"They worshipped you there! Have you seen the statues?"
We sat all sat down and The Doctor said, "Jim the Fish."
"Oh, Jim the Fish! How is he?" asked River.
"Still building his dam." I said.
"What are they doing?" asked Mom.
"River is a time traveler too," said Annabelle, "But we never meet in the right order. So, they're syncing their diaries."
"So what's happening, then?" asked Amy, "Because you've been up to something."
"We've been running…" said The Doctor with a sigh, "Faster than we've ever run, and I've been running my whole life. Now it's time for us to stop. And tonight we're going to need you all with us."
"OK, we're here, what's up?" asked Dad.
"A picnic!" I said, "And then a trip. Somewhere different, somewhere brand-new."
"Where?" asked Amy.
"Space...1969," said The Doctor.
We took everyone to the shore of Lake Silencio, and we sat around a large picnic blanket, "Salut!" toasted The Doctor.
"Salut!" we all said.
"So when are we going to 1969?" asked Rory.
Amy looked at The Doctor, "And since when do you three drink wine?"
"I'm 1,103," said The Doctor, "I must have drunk it some time." He drank from the bottle and spit it out. "Oh, wine's horrid! I thought it would taste more like the gums."
"1,103? You were 908 the last time we saw you," said Amy.
"You've put on a couple of pounds. I wasn't going to mention it."
I smacked The Doctor on the shoulder. Then Mom looked at me, "How old does that make you and Annabelle?"
I cleared my throat, "Um, I'm 394 and Annabelle is 199."
"That's 195 years," said Mom, "What have you been doing for a 195 years?"
Thankfully, Amy interrupted "Who's that?"
"Who's who?" said Rory.
Amy looked at Rory, "Sorry, what?"
"What did you see? You said you saw someone."
"No, I didn't."
"Ah! The moon, look at it!" said The Doctor, "Of course, you lot did more than look, didn't you? Big silvery thing in the sky, you couldn't resist it. Quite right."
"The moon landing was in '69. Is that where we're going?" asked Dad.
"Oh, a lot more happens in '69 than anyone remembers," I said.
"Human beings," sighed The Doctor, "I thought I'd never get done saving you."
Just then a pickup truck pulled up on the sand behind us. I looked and saw a much older Canton Everett Delaware III step out. Us three Time Lords stood up and The Doctor stood up and waved.
"Who's he?" asked Mom, as she, Dad, Rory and River stood up.
"Oh, my God!" said River.
Amy stood and we turned toward the lake and we saw an astronaut standing in the lake
"You all need to stay back," I said, "Whatever happens now, do not interfere. Understood?" Then, us three Time Lords walked toward the astronaut as it walked out of the water and onto the beach.
Annabelle and I held hands as we walked up to the astronaut, "I love you, Mom." she said telepathically.
"I love you, too, Sweetpea…" I replied back.
"That's an astronaut," I heard Rory said, "That's an Apollo astronaut in the lake. Look."
We stood in front of the astronaut on the beach. The astronaut opened its visor and we saw River Song inside.
"Well, then. Here we are at last." said The Doctor.
"I can't stop it. The suit's in control." said River.
"You're not supposed to," I said, "This has to happen."
"Run!"
"We did run," said The Doctor, "Running brought us here."
"I tried to fight it, but I can't, it's too strong."
"I know," said Annabelle, "It's OK. This is where we die. This is a fixed point, this must happen, this always happens. Don't worry... You won't even remember this. Look over there." we looked in the direction of the others.
River looked over and started to sob, "That's me. How can I be there?"
"That's you from the future," I said, "Serving time for murders you probably can't remember. Our murders."
"Why would you do that to your own grandchild? Make me watch?"
"So that you know this is inevitable," said Annabelle, "And you are forgiven. Always and completely forgiven."
The arm of the suit started to rise, "Please, Mother. Please, please just run!"
"I can't," said Annabelle, as tears started to form in her eyes.
"Time can be rewritten." said River.
"Don't you dare," I said, "Goodbye, River."
River shook he head and sobbed. I closed my eyes and waited for it to happen. I heard ten sonic gunshots but nothing happened. I opened my eyes and saw River grinning, "Hello, Sweeties."
"What have you done?!" asked Annabelle.
"Well... I think I just drained my weapon systems."
"But this is a fixed point in time," I said.
"Fixed points can be rewritten," said River.
"No, they can't, of course they can't, who told you?!" said River.
Then there was a white flash of light.
(Third Person)
The Time Lords were on the other end of the room from Churchill when he asked, "Well? What happened?"
"Nothing." said Teddy.
"Nothing?" said Churchill as he walked toward the Time Lords.
"Nothing happened," said The Doctor, "And then it kept happening. Or, if you prefer, everything happened, at once, and it won't ever stop."
"Time is dying. It's going to be 5:02 in the afternoon for all eternity," said Annabelle, "Like a needle stuck on a record."
"A record? Good Lord, woman, have you never heard of downloads?" asked Churchill.
"Well that's something I never thought I'd hear Winston Churchill say," said Teddy.
Churchill sniffed the air, "Gunsmoke. That's gunsmoke!" he lifts his gun, "I appear to have fired this."
The Doctor was holding a pike, "We seem to be defending ourselves."
"I don't understand."
"The creatures that lead the Silence," said The Doctor. "Remarkable beings...they're memory-proof."
"But what does that mean?" asked Churchill as him and the Time Lords started to back out of the room
"You can't remember them," said Teddy, "The moment you look away, you forget they were ever there."
The Doctor looked at his arm and saw another mark, "Don't panic. In small numbers, they're not too difficult."
The Doctor changed his grip on the pike he was holding. As he did he saw his right arm was covered in tally marks. The Time Lords and Churchill looked up and saw Silents hanging from the ceiling like bats. Just then, a cylindrical device was thrown into the room and rolled across the floor, beeping.
"Go!" said Annabelle. The Time Lords made a run for it, knocking Churchill to the floor. Then, the flash bang bomb went off. The Time Lords were knocked to the floor by the power of the bomb.
Then a group of armed soldiers burst into the room, "Go! Go! Keep the Silents in sight at all times, keep your eye drives active," said one of the Soliders. The soldiers kept their guns aimed at the ceiling and a woman wearing a black suit sauntered into the room.
"Who the devil are you?!" said Churchill, "Identify yourselves!"
The Time Lords squinted through the smoke as a women came closer dressed in black. "Pond. Amelia Pond," said the ginger woman.
The Doctor laughed and Churchill aimed his gun at Amy, "No!" said Annabelle as she pushed his gun down, "She's on our side, it's OK."
Amy walked closer and the Time Lords saw she was wearing a eye patche similar to the one that Madam Kovarian wore, "No!" said Teddy, "No, Amy, Why are you wearing that?"
She didn't answer as she fired her weapon at the Time Lords knocking the three of them back onto the floor.
(Teddy's POV)
When I woke up, I was laying on a couch, and saw a ceiling fan spinning. I heard a man on a radio say, "The Government has again apologized for extensive radio interference caused by solar flare and sun spot activity."
I sat up and saw Amy standing in the doorway, "Amy?" asked The Doctor.
"Those stun guns aren't fun, I'm sorry. I wanted to avoid a long conversation. You three need to get up though. We'll be in Cairo shortly."
"Amy Pond! Amelia Pond from Leadworth, please, listen to me," said The Doctor as he pulled himself into a sitting position, "I know it seems impossible, but you know me. In another version of reality you and I were best friends. We, we traveled together, we had adventures... " he tried to stand but he needed the wall for support, "Amelia Pond! You grew up with a time rift in the wall of your bedroom. You can see what others can't, you can remember things that never happened."
As he talked I looked around and saw drawing hanging on the walls from Amy's adventures with us. Of course The Doctor didn't notice. He just picked up a small homemade model of The TARDIS, "And if you try, if you really, really try, you'll be able to…" The Doctor realized what he was holding, "Oh. Oh!" Then he saw the drawings on the wall, "Oh…"
"I've said it before and I'll say it again," I said, "For being an 1100 year old Time Lord, you can be a real idiot sometimes…"
"You three look rubbish." said Amy.
"You look wonderful." said The Doctor as he tossed the TARDIS model at her, "So do you." She put it down on the desk and continued, "But don't worry. We'll soon fix that." She held up The Doctor's tweed jacket with a shirt and bowtie on one hanger. My suede jacket, purple blouse and black vest on another. Annabelle's red and white stripped tank top and black blazer hung on a third hanger.
"Oh!" said The Doctor. Amy laughed as she gave us the clothes and he said, "Geronimo!"
Once we were all dressed and The Doctor shaved, I said, "OK, you can turn around now."
"How do we look?" asked The Doctor.
"Cool," said Amy.
"Really?!"
"Teddy and Annabelle, Yes. You… No."
"Cool office though. Why do you have an office?! Are you a special agent boss lady?"
"I'm not sure I like the eye patch," said Anaabelle.
"It's not an eye patch," said Amy, "Time's gone wrong. Some of us noticed. There's a whole team of us working on it... You'll see."
"And you've got an office on a train, that is so cool," said The Doctor, "Can I have an office? Never had an office before! Or a train. Or a train slash office."
Amy ran over and gave him a hug, "God, I've missed you!"
"OK, hugging and missing now," said The Doctor.
Annabelle and I joined in on the hug and Annabelle asked, "Where's the Roman?" as we broke the hug.
"You mean Rory!" said Amy. Annabelle nodded, then Amy said, "My husband Rory, yeah?" she held up a sketch of Rory, "That's him, isn't it? I've no idea, I can't find him. I love him very much, don't I?"
I looked at the sketch and said, "Apparently."
"I have to keep doing this. I have to keep writing and drawing things. It's just so hard to keep remembering…" she leaned against the desk.
"It's not your fault, time's gone wrong," said The Doctor, "Do you remember why?"
"The lakeside."
"Lake Silencio, Utah. We died," I said.
"But then you didn't," said Amy, "I remember it twice, different ways."
"Two different versions of the same event, both happening in the same moment," said Annabelle, "Time split wide open. Now look at it," she pointed out window, "All of history is happening at once."
"Does it matter? I mean can't we just stay like this?" asked Amy.
"Time isn't just frozen," I said, "It's disintegrating. It will spread and spread and all of reality will simply fall apart."
There was a knock on the door and solder leaned in. He was also wearing an eye patch. I smiled when I saw it was Rory, "Ma'am, we're about to arrive," he said, " Eye drives need to be activated as soon as we disembark."
"Good point. Thank you, Captain Williams." said Amy.
"Hello," said The Doctor.
"Hello, sir. Pleased to meet you," said Rory.
"Captain Williams, best of the best, couldn't live without him."
As Rory turned and walked away. I picked up Amy's sketched and us three Time Lords laughed, "No…" said The Doctor, as he made a face at the likness.
"What is wrong?" asked Amy
I put down the sketch, "Amy... You'll find your Rory, you always do. But you have to really look."
"I am looking."
"Oh, my Amelia Pond," said The Doctor as he took Amy's head in her hands, "You don't always look hard enough."
"Why are you older?" asked Amy, "If time isn't really passing, then how can you be ageing?"
"Time's still passing for us," said Annabelle, "Every explosion has an epicenter. We're it... We're what's wrong."
"What's wrong with you three?"
The Doctor closed his eyes and shook his head before turning around, "We're still alive."
The train took us directly into the Great Pyramid at Gisa. When we got inside, Rory lead us down some narrow stairs. Amy followed behind us. We were each given eye patches but we hadn't put them on yet, "You have to put it on, sir."
"An eye patch. What for?" asked The Doctor.
"It's not an eye patch," said Amy.
"It's an eye drive, sir," said Rory, "It communicates directly with the memory centers of the brain, acts as external storage."
"Only thing that works on them. Because no living mind can remember these things."
We walked inside a room with a bunch of containment chambers. Inside the chambers were Silents suspended in fluid. "The Silents," said Rory, "We've captured over 100 of them now, all held in this Pyramid."
We walked up to one of the chambers, "Yeah. We've encountered them before," I said.
"I always wondered what they looked like," said Annabelle.
The Slient in the chamber tilts its head at us, "Put your eye drives on and, you'll retain the information. But only as long as you're wearing it."
We looked at Amy and The Doctor said, "The Silents have human servants. They all wear these."
"They'd have to," said Amy.
"This way," said Rory. We followed him and reluctantly put our eye drives on, "They seem to be noticing you." said Rory.
"Yeah. They would," I said.
"So why aren't the human race killing them on sight any more?" asked Amy.
"That was a whole other reality," said Annabelle, "What are the tanks for?"
"They can draw electricity from anything, it's how they attack," said Rory, "The fluid insulates them. And I really don't like the way they're looking at you."
"Me neither," said The Doctor.
Rory looked at Amy, "Ma'am, I'm sure it's nothing, but I should check it out. They haven't been this active in a while." He turned to some soldiers who were with us, "You two, upstairs, check all the tank seals. Then the floors above, get everyone checking."
"Sir!" said the Soldiers, and they left.
"You go ahead, Ma'am," said Rory.
"Thank you, Captain Williams," said Amy, "Doctor, Teddy, Annabelle, this way"
Rory went to check the tanks, while we walked ahead, "Captain Williams, nice fella. What's his first name?" asked The Doctor.
"Captain. Just through here," said Amy.
"Just give us a moment, just need to... check something... Ma'am," said The Doctor. I nearly passed out when I saw him give Amy a salute.
As The Doctor waked away. Amy said into a comms unit in her lapel, "We're in. He's on his way." The Doctor went to talk to Rory and returned a few moments later. Then, Amy said, "Come on, Doctor. Time for you to meet some old friends."
As we walked into a large open chamber that was acting as the nerve center for the project. We hear Rory say, "Attention, all personnel. Attention, all personnel. Please check all assigned containment units."
A female doctor was talking to the woman in charge, River Song, "You were right," said the female doctor, "Just their presence in the building caused the loop to extend by nearly four chronons."
I saw a digital clock that read 5:02:57. The seconds keep alternating between 57 and 58.
"Melody Theodora Pond-Duncan," said Annabelle, "You are in a lot of trouble, young lady!"
"Nice to see you too, Mom," said River. She looked at The Doctor, "And what sort of time do you call this?"
River walked away to show Madam Kovarian tied to a chair, "The death of time. The end of time. The end of us all. Oh, why couldn't you just die?"
"Did our best, dear. we showed up," said The Doctor as he walked around the chamber, "You just can't get the psychopaths these days. Love what you've done with the pyramids. How did you swing all this?"
"Hallucinogenic lipstick," said River, "Works wonders on President Kennedy. And Cleopatra was a real pushover."
"I always thought so."
"She mentioned you."
"What did she say?"
"Put down that gun."
"Did you?"
"Eventually."
"Mindless chatter!" said Korvarian, "Do I have to watch this?"
"It was such a basic mistake, wasn't it, Madame Kovarian?" said River, "Take a child, raise her into a perfect psychopath, introduce her to The Doctor and his nieces. Who else was I going to idolize?"
"It's not funny, River," I said, "Reality is fatally compromised. Tell me you understand that."
"Dinner?"
"We don't have the time," said The Doctor, "Nobody has the time, because as long we're alive, time is dying. Because of you, River."
"Because I refused to kill my family," said River.
"River, I'm sorry, but this has to happen," said Annabelle. The three of us Time Lords moved toward River.
"Get them!" shouted Amy.
A group of soldiers pulled us away from River, "I'm not a fool, Mother. I know what happens if we touch." With a quick smile at the soldiers, The Doctor lunged at River and grabbed her wrist, "Get off me, get him off me!"
"Doctor, no, let go! Please Doctor let go!" said Amy.
I looked and saw the clock move to 5:03, "It's moving. Time's moving!"
"Get him off me!" said River.
"Doctor!" said Amy.
"I'm sorry, River, it's the only way!" said The Doctor.
For a brief moment, we were back at Lake Silencio. The soldiers pulled The Doctor away and River rubbed her wrists.
"Cuff them," said River.
"Oh, why do you always have handcuffs?" asked The Doctor.
The soldiers handcuffed our hands behind our backs, "It's the only way," I said, "We're the opposite poles of the disruption. If we touch, we short out the differential, time can begin."
"And I'll be by a lakeside, killing you." said River.
"And time won't fall apart," said Annabelle, "Reality will continue. There isn't another way."
"I didn't say there was, Mom. There are so many theories about the four of us, you know."
"Idle gossip," said The Doctor.
"Archaeology," said River.
"Same thing."
River walked up to the Doctor, "Am I the woman who marries you or the woman who murders you?"
"Oh! I don't want to marry you."
"I don't want to murder you."
"This is no fun at all."
"It isn't, is it?"
"Doctor... What's that?"
We saw Amy was looking up and we looked up and saw a line of water dripping down.
"The pyramid above us," I said, "How many Silents do you have trapped inside it?"
"None,' said Kovarian, "They're not trapped, they never have been. They've been waiting for this, Teddy... For you, your uncle and your daughter.
Just then Rory burst into the room, "They're out! All of them."
The soldiers ran for the door, quickly shut it and placed a thick plank of wood across the doors, "No-one gets in here!" said one of the soldiers.
Rory looked at Amy, "Ma'am, my men out there, should be able to lock this down we have them outnumbered."
"And you're wearing eye drives based on mine, I think. Oops!" said Korvarian.
"What do you mean?" I asked.
The female doctor that River was talking to earlier started to scream as her eye drive became electrified. Then, she fell to the floor.
"Help her! Help her!" shouted The Doctor.
Amy ran over to the woman, "She's dead."
My eye drive started to malfunction, "Every one take your eye drives off, now!"
Amy got our eye drives off before her's started to malfuction.
"The Silence would never allow an advantage, without taking one themselves," said Kovarian, "The effects will vary from person to person... either death or debilitating agony. But they will take you all, one by one." River took Amy's off. Then Kovarian's patch started to buzz, "What are you doing? No, it's me... Don't be stupid, you need me. Stop it, stop that!"
Annabelle looked at her daughter, "We could stop this right now, the four of us."
"Get it off me!" shouted Kovarian.
"Amy, tell her!"
"We've been working on something,' said Amy, "Just let us show you."
"That's our point,' I said, "There's nothing you can do. Our time is up."
"We're doing this for you!"
"Then people are dying for us," said The Doctor, "We won't thank you for that, Amelia Pond."
"Get it... Off…" struggled Kovarian.
"Just let us show you!" said River.
"Please," said Amy.
The Doctor shook his head.
Amy looked at Rory, "Captain Williams, how long do we have?"
"A couple of minutes." said Rory.
We could hear the Silence start to try to break the door down, "That's enough," said River, "We're going to the Receptor Room right at the top of the pyramid. I hope you're ready for a climb." River then led us out of the room.
We reached the top of the pyramid and saw a large beacon on top, "What's this?" asked The Doctor, "Oh, it's a timey-wimey distress beacon. Who built this?"
"I'm a Time Lady," said River, "I understand the physics."
"Yes, but that's all you've got - a distress beacon!" I said.
"I've been sending out a message, a distress call," said River, "Outside the bubble of our time, the universe is still turning, and I've sent a message everywhere, to the future and the past, the beginning and the end of everything. 'The Doctor and his nieces are dying, please, please help'."
"River, River, this is ridiculous," said The Doctor, "That would mean nothing to anyone, it's insane. Worse, it's stupid! You embarrass me."
Just then Amy and Rory arrived, "We barricaded the door, we've got a few minutes…just tell him. Just tell him, River."
"Those reports of the sun spots and the solar flares," said River, "They're wrong, there aren't any. It's not the sun, it's you, the sky is full of a million, million voices, saying yes, of course we'll help. You've touched so many lives, saved so many people. Did you think, when your time came, you'd really have to do more than just ask? You've decided that the universe is better off without you, but the universe doesn't agree."
"River, no one can help us," said Annabelle, "A fixed point has been altered, time is disintegrating."
"I can't let you die," said River.
"But we have to die."
"Shut up! I can't let you die without knowing you are loved by so many, and so much. And by no-one more than me."
"River, we know what this means," I said, "The four of us are ground zero of an explosion that will engulf all reality. Billions on billions will suffer and die."
"I'll suffer if I have to kill you," said River.
"More than every living thing in the universe?!"
"Yes."
"River, River, why do you had have to be this," said The Doctor, "Melody Pond…" He looked at Amy, "your daughter. I hope you're both proud." He turned his back on her.
"I'm not sure I completely understand…" said Rory
"We got married," said Amy, "I got kidnapped with Annabelle. The Silence mix her DNA with mine and I had a kid, that's her," she pointed at River.
"OK."
"Amy, uncuff us, now," said Annabelle. Amy looked at River then she walked over and uncuffed us then we walked up to River, "Melody… I know this is hard but it has to be done… I know you love us… We love you… There is an old proverb that says, 'The Needs of the Many, Outweigh the Needs of the Few.' But before we go… There is a ceremony we have to go through." Annabelle looked at The Doctor, "Doctor, Can I have your bowtie?"
The Doctor removed it at handed it to Annabelle, then she tossed it to River, "River, take one of this, wrap it around your wrist and hand it out to me."
"What am I doing?" she asked, as they both wrapped the tie around their wrists.
"As you are told, young lady,"
"Now, We are in the middle of a combat zone so we'll have to do this quickly…" I said.
"Do what?" asked River.
"Your Initiation into the Society of the Time Lords," said The Doctor, "Normally it's a huge ceremony with all kinds of speeches but we don't have time for that. Amy, Rory, come up to River and hold her free hand. Annabelle are River's hands are tied together because they can't touch right now."
Amy and Rory held onto River's free hand. Then, Annabelle looked at River, "Now, I'm going to whisper something in your ear… Something you need to know if you are going to be a true Time Lady…" Annabelle did and River looked at her mother as if she had been told something wonderful, "I just told you my true name… It's also, The Doctor's true name, your grandmother's true name and it's your true name… It's a very popular name in our family…"
River smiled and I said, "Do you Melody Theodora Pond-Duncan, promise to protect all of time and space from all who wish to do it harm?"
I saw tears form in her eyes, "Yes… I do…" she said.
I smiled, "You are here by welcomed into the Society of the Time Lords."
"Now, as you know this world is dying, and it's our fault, and we can't bear it another day," said The Doctor, "Please, help us. There isn't another way."
"Yes… I know…" she said as she wiped a tear away, "And… I'm ready…"
I looked at Amy and Rory, "Please step back…" They did as they were asked then The Doctor, Annabelle, River and I joined in a group hug… as we did time started to move once more…
(Third Person)
Amy Pond, Rory, Amy Duncan, Bob and River watched as The Doctor, Teddy and Annabelle spoke with the astronaut. Then they bowed their heads as the astronaut raised its arm.
"What's are they doing?" whispered Amy.
Then the astronaut fired three times hitting each of the Time Lords. They all staggered backwards. "Doctor!" shouted Amy Pond.
"Teddy!" shouted Amy Duncan, "Annabelle!"
The two Amy rushed toward the Time Lords but Rory, River and Bob held them back.
"Stay back! The Doctor said stay back!" said River.
The astronaut fired again and the Time Lords fell to their knees.
"No!" shouted Amy Pond
"You have to stay back!" said Bob.
"No!" shouted Amy Duncan.
The Time Lords stood as regeneration energy began to waft from their hands, "Teddy! Annabelle! Doctor!" Called Amy Pond.
The Time Lords looked at their friends and family, "I'm sorry." said The Doctor. The Time Lords tilted their heads back as regeneration started. The astronaut fired again and the Time Lords collapsed to the ground.
"No!" showed River as the five people ran to the Time Lords' bodies as the astronaut slowly walked back into the lake.
"Doctor! Teddy! Annabelle! please!
River and the two Amy's knelt beside the Time Lord's body. River took readings of their vital signs while Amy Duncan check for a pulse.
Amy Pond looked at River and Amy Duncan, "River… Amy…" River's device whirred and beeped, "River…"
River pulled out her gun and fired it at the astronaut until she ran out of ammunition, "Of course not." said River.
Amy Pond started crying, "River, they can't be dead. This is impossible."
"Whatever that was, it killed them in the middle of their regeneration cycle. Their bodies were already dead. They didn't make it to the next one."
Amy Duncan started to sob, "Well maybe they are clones or duplicates or something."
The man from the truck had walked down to them, "I believe I can save you some time. That most certainly is The Doctor and his nieces, and they are most certainly dead. The Doctor said you'd need this." he set a gas can at the Time Lords' feet.
"Gasoline?" asked Bob.
"A Time Lord's body is a miracle," said River, "Even a dead one. There are whole empires out there who'd rip this world apart for just one cell. We can't leave them here. Or anywhere."
Amy Pond stroked the Doctor's face, "Wake up! Go on, wake up, you stupid bloody idiot!" She rested her head on his chest, "What do we do, Rory?"
"We're their friends. We do what the Doctor's friends always do," said River as she picked up the gas can, "As we're told."
Bob looked around and said, "There's a boat. If we're going to do this...let's do it properly."
Awhile later they all stood on the shore of the lake and watched as the Time Lords' bodies burned in the boat. The six of them stood on the shore and watched. River looked at the man who brought the gas can, "Who are you? Why did you come?"
"Same reason as you," said the man. He pulled an envelope from pocket. After a moment's hesitation, River pulled out her envelope and looked at him. "Dr Song... Amy Pond... Rory… Amy Duncan… Bob…. I'm Canton Everett Delaware III. I won't be seeing you again. But...you'll be seeing me." He picked up the gas can and headed back to his truck.
River watched him go before turning to the Ponds and the Duncans. "Five…"
"Sorry, what?" said Rory.
"They numbered the envelopes."
They went back to the diner and River continued her explanation. Amy Duncan had recovered somewhat… Amy was still in shock… "Amy and Rory got Four… Amy and Bob got three, I was two. Mr. Delaware was five."
"So?" asked Bob.
"So where's one?"
"You think they invited someone else?" asked Amy Duncan.
"Well, they must have. They planned all of this to the last detail," said River.
"Will you shut up?" said Amy Pond, "It doesn't matter."
"They were up to something."
"They're dead."
"Space 1969, what did he mean?"
"You're still talking, but it doesn't matter."
"Hey, it mattered to them," said Amy Duncan.
"So it matters to us," said River.
"He's dead." said Amy Pond.
"But they still needs us. I know. Amy...I know. But right now we have to focus."
Bob spotted something on one of the tables. It was another envelope, "Look," he talked to the man behind the counter, "Excuse me, who was sitting over there?"
"Some guy and a couple of girls," said the man.
River picked up the envelope, "The Doctor, Teddy and Annabelle knew they were going to their death, so they sent out messages. When you know it's the end, who do you call?"
"Your friends and family," said Amy Duncan, "The people you trust."
River picked up the envelope, "Number one. Who did they trust the most?"
At that moment the back door of the diner opened and The Doctor, Teddy and Annabelle walked in…
A two hooded figures carried Dorium's box solemnly back to its pedestal, with a third following "Who's carrying me?" said Dorium from the box, "I demand to know...I'm a head, I have rights! I want my doors open this time." The figures plaed the box back on its pedestal, "I demand that my doors are open." One of the figures slid the box opened and the three of them started to walk away, "Is it you?! It is, isn't it?' The figures stopped and turned around, "It IS you, I can sense it. But how did you do it? How could you possibly have escaped?!"
The figures dropped their cloaks to reveal themselves to be The Doctor, Teddy and Annabelle.
In the bar, when the Time Lords gave the Teseleca the envelopes to be delivered. the captain of the Teseleca asked the Time Lords, "Is there nothing else we can do?" The Time Lords jus walked out of the bar without saying a word.
Then, Annabelle popped her head back around the corner with a smile, "You know… I think there is something you can do…"
At the top of the Great Pyramid, Annabelle whispered into River's ear, "Look into our eyes." River looked into Annabelle's eye and saw Annabelle. She looked into Teddy's eye and saw Teddy. She looked into The Doctor's eye and saw The Doctor and The TARDIS.
(Teddy's POV)
My daughter figured out how to save our lives and allow history to run it's course. I couldn't be more proud of her. "The Teselecta isn't the only ship of it's kind in the universe," she said, "So we borrowed it and a couple of extras…"
"A Doctor in a Doctor-Suit," said my uncle.
"A Teddy in a Teddy-Suit," I said.
"And an Annabelle in an Annabelle-Suit," said my daughter, "Time said we had to be on that beach so we dressed for the occasion."
"We barely got singed in that boat," I said.
"So you're going to do this, let them all think you're dead?" asked Dorium
"It's the only way," said The Doctor, " Then they can all forget us. I got too big, Dorium, too noisy...time to step back into the shadows."
"And Dr Song? In prison all her days?"
"Her days, yes," said Annabelle, "But we get to see her on nights… weekends… holidays…"
"So many secrets," said Dorium, "I'll help you keep them, of course…"
"Well, you're not exactly going anywhere, are you?" I said.
"But you're a fools nonetheless. It's all still waiting for you... the fields of Trenzalore, the fall of the Eleventh. And the question!"
The Doctor gave him a small salute, "Goodbye, Dorium." then we turned away and headed to the TARDIS.
"The first question!" We heard him call, "The question that must never be answered, hidden in plain sight. The question you've been running from all your life. Doctor who? Doctor who? Doc... tor... WHO?!"
(Third Person)
It had been over two years since Amy Duncan watched her adopted daughter, granddaughter, and the man she had come to love like a brother murdered in front of her. She had gotten word from River Song a few months ago letting her know that The Doctor, Teddy and Annabelle were alive and had used robot copies to cheat death. Plus, she also got the shock of her life when she found out that River was her great-granddaughter.
It was Christmas Eve, she was sitting by the fireplace in the living room, drinking hot cocoa, listen to Christmas carols, looking at the tree. Everyone else in the house was asleep. It was nights like this when she missed her daughter the most. She looked at the clock on the wall and saw it was almost 1 in the morning. She had to get the bed because Charlie and Toby would be up in a few hours to open presents.
She started up the stairs, there was a knock on the door. Amy went to the door and got the shock of her life when she saw Teddy, Annabelle and The Doctor standing there. "Merry Christmas, Mom…" she said. Then, the four of them joined in a group hug…
A/N: I put the scene in at the end because I'm going to be skipping "The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe. Because I think the trees would pick Teddy or Annabelle over Madge.
This chapter is dedicated to the talented LizzeXX. She hasn't been heard from online since November 19th. I hope she's OK. I just have a bad feeling something bad has happened to her… I hope I'm wrong…