Dates in Time (2/?)
Chapter Two: Sweet Sixteen or It’s My Party and I’ll Cry if I Want To
Melody had kept hope until the second the big hand reached up to the little hand by the twelve and chimed midnight.
She looked over at the still wrapped presents on top of her dresser, and sighed. Downstairs the party was winding down, and even though Melody had been present throughout most of it, her thoughts were a million light years away.
He didn’t show up.
She felt the tear fall down her cheek and quickly wiped it away when there was a knock on her door. She turned and smiled at her father who walked in looking a bit sheepish, “Mum sent you to see if I’m alright?”
He just nodded and walked over to her. He sat down next to her on the edge of her bed and wrapped an arm around her.
“You don’t have to be strong with me,” he said smoothing his hand down her shoulder. “I know with your mother you might have to be, because if he’s breaking your heart, she’s going to probably break his face.”
She laughed a bit at that and discreetly wiped another tear from her eye, “And you won’t?”
“Of course I would, but unlike you and your mother I can be a bit more objective when it comes to the Doctor.”
She leaned her head against his shoulder and breathed in the familiar smell that instantly calmed her, “What do I do? I’ve only met him once, and there’s this feeling in my chest that hurts whenever I think about him.”
He tightened his hold on her for just a second, “You know what your mother skipped every time she told you the story about the Raggedy Doctor and his amazing blue box?”
He pulled back so she could look into his eyes before continuing, “What happened while she waited for him to come back. She grew up and went to school and made friends and went on dates with other blokes that weren’t me.” He cleared his throat looking a bit self conscious. “But the point is that even though he left, he came back and in the mean time, she lived. Just look at it this way, one day he’s going to come back in his magical blue box and he’ll whisk you away on magical adventures, but not before you are thirty one.”
“Dad,” she said hitting him lightly on the chest but smiling in spite it .
“What you’ve got to do until then is live, darling okay?”
“Okay,” she said nodding.
He leaned down and pressed a kiss on her forehead. She wrinkled her nose when he pulled back, and stood up, “So now that I have made certain that you are alright, I’m going to go eat another piece of that cake your mother made.”
She smiled and nodded her head at him. He left closing the door behind him.
She rushed over to her phone, and hit speed dial number three.
The phone rang and rang and rang, but unlike all the other times it just kept ringing. Melody closed the phone and looked at it for a minute willing it to start ringing.
When it didn’t, she threw it across her room. It landed with a thud on a small package. Probably one of the presents.
She went over and picked it up to find that it wasn’t a present at all, but a passport.
When she opened it, there was nothing in it, but a blank piece of paper.
She closed it and turned it around before opening it again and seeing words appear on the black sheet of paper.
Instant messaging! Use it well.
The words disappeared as soon as they appeared, and Melody smiled to herself. Like with the diary, and the bracelet, Melody knew these gifts had to do with the Doctor.
She closed her eyes and thought really hard for a second at how much she wanted to see him tonight of all nights after almost a year of not seeing him at all.
She opened her eyes and written in her handwriting on the paper were the words: I’m going to jump out my bedroom window. Roxburghshire. 12:05 AM April 24th, 2027.
She smiled at it and trusting her instinct kissed the paper and closed it once it was blank again.
She pushed it into the space between her boots and swirled around.
She walked over to her closet and pulled out her dark blue winter coat and went over to the window. She opened it and climbed on the ledge. Their house had three stories. The first one held the dining room, the main kitchen, and a small ballroom. The second the library, two studies, a half bathroom and the living room. The third held four bedrooms, three bathrooms, and a smaller kitchen.
Thirty feet off the ground.
She pulled on her coat, but didn’t button it. She braced her hands on either side of the sill and whispered, “Catch me if you can.”
She pushed off with a shout and felt the fear and adrenaline pump through her veins combined with the fear, and then she was falling, rushing towards the earth.
The air suddenly shifted and then she heard the humming. She let out a breathless laugh looking around as the many rooms of the Tardis flew pass her. She lifted her hands above her head, and then there was a feeling of warmth and some pressurizing and everything slowed down until she landed gently on her feet right on the glass floor of the control room.
She smiled spinning around, “Doctor!”
The man leaning by the controls didn’t look a thing like the man she hasn’t seen in a year, but she knew enough of the regeneration cycle from the stories to know that this was probably just another regeneration.
“Remarkable,” the man stated standing properly. His brown hair curled around his ears and fell longer than her Doctor’s, but his eyes were kind, and he was smiling sweetly at her. “I have never seen anyone use the psychic paper quite like you did. Sending me a message like that. How is it that you know me? I’ve never met you before.”
There was an ache at those words, but if this was the Doctor--and she knew in her gut that this was the Doctor--then it just meant that he hasn’t met her yet.
“Nothing like first introductions,” she said smiling and stepping forward. “My name is Melody Pond. And I met you about a year ago for me, but I’m not exactly sure how many years in the future that is for you.”
“Different face?” he asked apparently deciding to ignore that she was from the future.
“Totally different face,” she replied. “Younger too a lot younger.”
“Like you younger?” he asked intrigued.
“No, not like me,” she said smiling slightly. “Older than me. Like my parents.”
He hummed nodding, and she rocked to the back of her heels.
“So Ms. Pond,” he began stepping forward. “If I may ask a personal question.”
She nodded her head stuffing her hands into her pockets.
“Why did you jump off your bedroom window?”
She couldn’t really explain why she had done something so reckless, but she had been feeling impulsive, and the only way to get to this man was to do the one thing he didn’t expect.
She shrugged, “Seemed like a good idea at the time, besides it’s my birthday and the person that I wanted to see the most didn’t show up.”
“Ah, then I apologize,” he began.
“What makes you think that I was talking about you?” she asked eyes bright and smiling secretly at him.
He looked at her for a second and then laughed, “I can see why I like you.”
She just grinned at him.
“So do you want to go to any place special?” he asked already turning and messing with the counsel. “After all, if it was me that kept you waiting then I owe you something special.”
She smiled tilting her head to the side, “Well you did promise me a waltz.”
~*~*~*~*~
She opened the door to the Tardis after he had done the environmental check--”It’s probably a good idea for you to learn how to do this if you’re going to be spending a lot of time in the Tardis.” “Will you teach me how to fly her?” “Maybe the next time I see you.”--, and stepped outside.
“Where are we?” she asked looking around. The Tardis had landed practically in the middle of no where. There were no trees or any type of plants, but there were mountains with snowy tops and lots of rocky trails, and what seemed to be murky dark water.
“Careful,” he called while coming out. He closed the door behind him. “Stick to the trails. Step one foot in that water and you’re gone forever.”
She turned to look at him, “Where are we?”
“In Archon 5, one of the more dangerous planets. But there is something wonderful about it that you will see if you follow me.”
He began walking purposely down one trail, and she followed him close behind.
“Even though it is a dangerous place, there is one event that is held here every five hundred years. The coronation of the new Queen of Galaxia 35 the closest planet,” he stopped and pointed to what seemed to be the closest star. “Still light years away.”
He kept on walking, “After the coronation ceremony, there is a three day festival. The first day is the Day of Games and Challenges. Warriors and mad men from all the galaxies in the Universe find themselves here competing in jousts and completing dangerous tasks in order to receive the Rite’s Protection the most powerful protection in all of the entire Universe. The second day is the Day of Feasts. After a three day fast, the newly crowned Queen eats with her court. The third and final day is the Day of Dance, where for a whole day all they do is dance.”
He stopped talking and pointed again. She followed his finger down where all the paths seemed to dip into a huge cavern shaped like a bowl. Inside there were millions upon millions of lights spinning around surrounding humanoid looking creatures with blue skin and tentacles. On a pedestal was a woman dressed in a long dark blue gown and on top of her head was a crown that seemed to be made from shimmering lights.
The creatures were twirling and swaying and Melody couldn’t help the smile that broke out of her face, “It all looks really beautiful.”
He looked back at her, and grabbed her hand, “Come on. The Rites are a peaceful people. And I am known to their new queen so there shouldn’t be a problem. But we must announce ourselves.”
She let him lead her down into the crater and toward the two guards that were standing by the queen. One of the guards actually bowed to him, and he bowed in return.
The queen stepped down from her pedestal and smiled widely, “Doctor, how good of you to make it to my coronation festival. Even if it is at the last day.” She held out her hand and smiled beautifully, and Melody understood that the Doctor had been someone important to this woman.
He bowed to her, and grabbed her hand before placing a kiss on top, “The pleasure is all mine Queen Tiria.”
“That’s Alandale to you Doctor,” she admonished gently her eyes taking a teasing glint. “If you insist on calling me Queen, I’ll start calling you Lord, Doctor.”
He just smiled at her, “As you wish Alandale.”
That’s when the queen’s eyes found hers, and Melody saw that they were pitch black with a white ring around it, “And may I ask who is this lovely girl?”
The Doctor turned back to Melody, “I’m not quite sure yet. But she is Melody Pond, right now ambassador to the human race from the planet Earth in the Milky Way Galaxy, and maybe a future companion?”
She smiled at the doctor, “Spoilers.”
She bowed to the queen, “It really is a pleasure to meet you. This place looks amazing.”
She smiled nodding, “Yes, it really does. The indigenous species of this planet do welcome us all of the time.”
“Well,” the Doctor began interrupting. “We’re here because I promised this wonderful young lady that I would give her a waltz for her birthday.”
The queen looked at the Doctor with half a smile on her face, and a sadness in her eyes, “Of course. Go on and dance. My people won’t hurt you.”
The Doctor smiled in thanks and pulling Melody along by the hand that he was still holding lead her into the throng of people.
The music that was playing was at a low register that seemed to resonate from the bottom of the bowl where there was a big concentration of light that it was almost blinding.
The Doctor tugged her into his personal space by her hand and wrapped the other arm around her his palm high up on her back. She placed her other hand on his shoulder and looking into his eyes which were crystal clear blue and seemed to shine with their own light. She let herself catch a breath and just barely managed to contain herself when he tugged her a bit closer and began waltzing them around the room.
This was the night she would come to remember as the night that she began to fall in love with the Doctor. Her second time with him, and his first time with her. She danced with him following his subtle cues and spinning around and around inside of the twinkling lights that seemed to spin around them as well.
One of the lights landed on their joined hands. She looked at it and it looked like a lady bug with the wings of a dragonfly and shining like a firefly.
It flew away leaving behind a blue tint.
“Don’t worry about it,” he whispered. “It’ll disappear soon. It’s long time exposure that causes the Rites to have the blue tint. They’re usually quite a lovely pink color.”
She just nodded and rested her head on his chest where she could hear his two hearts beating in sync with each other.
The four thumps, like the ones in her chest.
They whirled and twirled for what felt like hours until she felt that her arms were going to drop off and her feet ached. She slumped exhausted against his chest and he wrapped both arms around her, “Do you want to go home?”
She nodded slowly, “My parents must be worried, but I trust you’ll get me back in time for me not to give them the heartache.”
He just picked her up effortlessly hooking one arm under her knees and the other around her back. She leaned against his shoulder and let him carry her back to the Tardis.
He expertly and without noise landed the Tardis inside her bedroom, because before she knew it she was on top of her bed. He pulled off her boots and covered her.
He leaned down and pressed a kiss on top of her forehead, “Until the next time Ms. Pond.”
She was asleep before he left.
~*~*~*~
There was a crash and a loud noise and it had Amy Pond running out of her bed and into the garden, because she remembered that noise from being seven and wishing for someone to fix the crack on her wall.
Rory followed behind her not exactly sure what was going on until they reached the garden and there was the Tardis, but there was smoke coming out of it.
Amy rushed to the door and opened it hissing a bit when the heat coming from the doors almost burned her. She stepped inside and immediately began coughing.
She looked around, “Doctor!”
Suddenly out of the smoke there he was his clothes in taters, his face smudged with ash, his eyes wild. He grabbed on to her, and panted harshly, “Am I late?”
Amy just began to laugh, and Rory walked in, “What happened?”
The Doctor looked at him, “I ran into a little trouble with some Specters, nothing I couldn’t handle, but they set fire to the Tardis. The extinguisher should kick in any second, but we must get out of here.”
He hustled them out just in time.
The Tardis closed and locked the doors behind them.
The Doctor looked around himself, “Where am I?”
“Leadworth,” Rory said looking a bit confused.
“Yeah,” Amy continued. “You’ve been gone for about two weeks, what’s wrong feeling a bit lonely?” she grinned wickedly at him. “I would’ve thought after our last encounter that you would I don’t know, call up River Song?”
The Doctor looked at them for a second before clapping his hands together once, “Right! So of course I’m late or ridiculously early, either way I can’t go anywhere without the Tardis and it’ll take about an hour to fix.”
“Ponds!” he yelled suddenly. “How good to see you both! Amelia, you look as wonderful as ever.” He hugged her tight before letting go and pulling Rory into hug. “And Rory the Roman!”
He pulled away and pulled them both in by their necks, “Now that I’m here, you got any fish sticks and custard?”
~*~*~*~
Rory wrapped his arms around his wife and kissed her on the temple.
“She seems to be fine,” he whispered into her ear.
She slumped in his arms, “Remember a couple years ago after our honeymoon with the Doctor, he showed up two weeks after he dropped us off with the Tardis on fire talking about being too early or something like that?”
Rory nodded his head, “Of course I remembered, he proceeded to eat fish sticks and custard with an enthusiasm only saved for the Tardis.”
Amy laughed, “Yes that night. Do you think what he was early for was this? Melody’s birthday?”
“It’s a possibility,” Rory said and then laughed. “More like a probability. How do you really feel about all of this by the way?”
“About the Doctor and our daughter?”
Rory just nodded into the crook of her neck.
“It scares me,” she whispered. “Because it means that all of that is still gonna happen. We’re still going to meet River Song, and she’ll still be taken from my arms.”
“Time can be rewritten,” Rory whispered. “You taught me that. I don’t believe the Doctor would let anything happen to her.”
“He broke his promise though. I asked him to never see her again, but I guess some loves can’t be contained even with the years between them.”
She turned in his arms and pressed a kiss to his lips, “Come on. Let’s go to bed.”
She quirked an eyebrow and smiled mischievously at him, “Melody isn’t the only one who’s getting a present tonight.”
Rory grinned and followed after his wife her shriek of laughter covering the sound of his daughter shouting as she jumped out her bedroom window.
Interlude #2