Dates in Time (1/?)
Dates in Time
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The Doctor and River don’t count by years. They count by Events.
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An AU of sorts. Amy and Rory raised River as Melody in this time line. So AU after Season 5 with spoilers for Season 6. I might have messed this up, so any Doctor Who fans out there don't kill me!
Chapter 1: Melody Pond meets The Doctor and He takes Her to the Moon
The first time Melody met the Doctor she was fifteen, and on her way home from school.
She skipped along happily, skipping the puddles and kicking at the leaves. She was feeling carefree and a little bit rebellious, it being the beginning of the Summer Holidays and all.
She skidded to a stop right by the park and eyed the police box that was not only randomly in the middle of the play ground, but also completely out of place. The last time she’d seen something like it was in the museum when she was six, but the last time she’d heard about it was when she was twelve in one of the many stories her mother tells her about the Tardis and the Doctor who stole her.
She rushed towards it running non stop until she was standing right in front of it.
She slowly reached a hand out and placed her palm right against the door. There was a hum and then a click and suddenly the doors opened.
She let out the breath she had no idea she had been holding and stepped inside.
The blue box that was bigger on the inside.
“Magnificent,” she breathed turning around in a full circle. “It’s all real!” She let out a breathless laugh that was followed by an exclamation from another voice, “Of course, it’s all real! How could it possibly be a lie?”
River turned back to the center where the main control center was and saw him standing there hands braced against the railing leaning over and smiling maniacally at her.
She felt a spark of recognition, and involuntarily found herself smiling at this man in his tweed jacket and bow tie who was more of a fairy tale than anything else.
He leaned back and looked at her thoughtfully, “My, my River Song, you are a bit young aren’t you?”
She ignored the name letting the rebelliousness that seemed to have taken possession of her common sense lately coil out at that. She stood up straighter and regarded him through the veil of her eye lashes, “I’m old enough.”
He stepped back as if she had physically taken a step toward him, “Old enough for what?”
She smiled at him and blinked her eyes innocently at him, “For whatever you had in mind.”
He laughed and pointed at her and she smiled back at him, “You are a clever one aren’t you?”
She just skipped over to the stairs that led up to the control tower, “So where are you taking me?”
He tilted his head to the side, “You’re going to come with me just like that?”
She stopped at the top step and tilted her head at him as well, “Well I figure either I’m dreaming or in a coma and all of this isn’t real so I might as well go wherever it is you’re going to take me, or you are the Doctor and it doesn’t matter where you take me.”
“Why doesn’t it matter, if I am real and not just a figment of your imagination?”
She smiled at him and took two steps forward putting her at an arm’s length away from him, “Because you’re the Doctor, and you’ll keep me safe no matter where we end up.”
“So you trust me then?” he asked.
She shook her head, “No, but I am predisposed to trust you.”
“Predisposed?” he asked confused.
“Have you met my parents?” she asked cocking her head to the side.
“Oh,” he says standing up straight. “That is different.” He walked over to the counsel and grabbed the sonic screw driver. He pointed it at her and pressed a button. She laughed a little at the way the green light that swept pass her tickled. “You’re Melody Pond, daughter of Amy and Rory, but instead of being raised to become the perfect weapon, you were just raised. Like a normal child.”
“The perfect weapon for what Doctor?”
He looked up at her taking his eyes away from the screw driver, “Never you mind that. Apparently, I changed the time line again. Dreadfully sorry, though at the same time I’m not really sorry at all. You were born and raised by your parents like a normal child.”
He looked back down and pressed another button. There was a high pitched noise, “Though you are far from normal. How have Rory and Amy hidden you away all this time?”
She raised her hand and shook her wrist. On it was a bracelet she’s had since she was born. There was a charm on it, a small glass vial with something that looked like sand inside of it, “I’ve had it since I was little. My mum tells me that her best friend gave it to her to give to me. She tells me to never take it off that it‘s supposed to keep me safe.”
He stepped forward and carefully touched the vial with the tip of his finger. The sand glowed a brightly gold color and the Doctor snatched his finger away recognizing it immediately.
“It’s never done that before,” she commented looking at it and then looking back to the Doctor. “Are you her best friend?”
He just looked at her in amazement, “You truly are someone amazing Doctor River Song.”
“Why do you keep calling me that?” she asked him crossing her arms across her chest and eyeing him directly in the eye.
“Because that is your name,” then he stopped and hit his head. “Of course that’s not your name. You’re Melody Pond. Madame Kovarian didn’t kidnap you. You were never River Song. You’re a completely different person.”
His voice rose and fell and then his eyes widened with the last bit of his confusing confession.
“This was a mistake,” he said abruptly before turning her around and walking her back down the steps.
“What?” she asked struggling to keep her place. “What was a mistake? What are you doing Doctor?”
She pulled away from him surprising him with her strength. She turned around and pushed him back, “Why are you doing this? What was a mistake? And what did you mean by ‘kidnap?’”
“You’re doing it again,” he muttered turning around and heading toward the controls.
“Doing what?” she asked even more confused than she was a couple seconds before.
“Asking pointless questions,” he turned around again looking at her from the top step. “Because I rescued you and brought you back to your parents you were never raised to become the one weapon that would destroy me. You were raised by the girl who dreamed me to life again and the Centurion who waited over a thousand years for her. You took the two best qualities of your parents and have manifested them admirably. You are going to grow up to become a devastating woman. Just not my…”
He trailed off and walked back over to her, “It was a mistake to come here because you grew up hearing fairy tales about the amazing Doctor and his magnificent adventures and not hating me. I don’t have to drag you away from this horrible place. You don’t need me to. You don’t need me.”
He looked away looking sad and devastated but still so, so pretty.
She smiled and reached into her boot. She pulled out a small object the color blue. The same color in fact of the box they were standing.
“Doctor?” she inquired softly. He looked back to her and she began to unfold the object in her hand. “I’ve had this ever since I can remember. Like the bracelet, it was given to me for my birthday, but this one was for my tenth birthday. It came with a note attached that said, ‘When you finally meet The One, unfold it and give it to him. He’ll have the key.’ I unfolded it once before and let me tell you it’s a pain to fold back, so you better be ‘The One.’”
It looked like a flat sheet of blue paper about the size of his hand. Melody pinched at the center and expanded it.
“The diary,” he breathed and reverently took it from her fingers. It was the diary. Tardis blue, with the squares imprinted causing it to sort of represent the Tardis. It was the same diary, but it was completely new. No broken spine, just new and crisp smelling faintly of leather.
He tried to pry it apart, but it seemed to be sealed.
“I tried that too,” Melody whispered looking at him as he struggled.
He looked over at her, “The note said I would have the key?”
She nodded and he pulled out the sonic screw driver. He pointed it and pressed and suddenly there was a click and the book fell open in his hand, but the page was blank. He flipped through the pages finding each one of them blank. He closed the book and opened it again but to the first page.
He stared at the words written on the first page for a long time. Melody looked over his elbow, “Hello Sweetie?”
He looked down at her and found her smiling brightly, “Is that what I call you?”
He didn’t know what to tell her, but she didn’t need an answer. She laughed and twirled away from his side. While she wandered around the Tardis that seemed to be doing this weird humming thing, he looked back down at the book in his hands and turned the first page to see that there was writing in the second one too.
I’ll always need you, you impossible man. So take good care of me. Can’t say much more because, well spoilers. XOXO
He smiled and snapped the book shut.
“Doctor? What is this?”
He turned just in time to catch the girl almost looking into the Time Vortex, “Don’t do that!”
She jumped and turned to look at him, “What does it do?”
He jumped up and shut the door before securing the latch and turning to Melody, “That was the heart of the Tardis. Never look in there.”
She nodded her head and took the book from his hands. She flipped it open, and saw that the writing from before had disappeared, “Where did the writing go?”
The Doctor looked at the book, “Probably a timed message made to erase once I’d read it.”
She pouted and tucked the book back in her boot were the top stuck out, “What now?”
He looked at her and was reminded of her mother. Willful, impulsive Amelia Pond.
“Well Miss Melody Pond,” he began smiling brightly. “Anywhere in time and space that you want to go.”
“As long as you get me back home by dinner,” she said pointing a finger at him.
“Oh, I always get you back in time,” he says distracted turning around and beginning to fiddle with the counsel.
“Oh? Always?” she asked standing along side the Doctor. She waited until he looked back at her and slightly smirked flashing bright eyes at him and saying, “Spoilers.”
He laughed and began to push buttons muttering under his breath. He twisted a faucet looking thing and pushed a lever up before pushing a blue button which caused the humming noise to intensify, “What is that?”
She just smiled and pushed down the lever he pushed up which immediately stopped the humming noise.
He looked down at her, “What did you do?”
She ignored him and pointed at a lever to the left which was flashing in different colors, “Does this make it go?”
He smiled nodding and leaning closer, “Where do you want to go Melody Pond?”
“Surprise me,” she whispered grabbing and pulling down the lever.
______________________________________________________
“The Moon?” Melody asked looking around incredulously. “You can take me anywhere in space in any time, and you aim for the moon? I can go to the moon every weekend if I wanted to. Is this supposed to impress me?”
He looked at her and half smiled, “Well no not really. We are on the moon, and I am sure you have been here before, but if you look around closely what do you notice?”
She turned around in a full circle wondering what she was suppose to be looking for then realized it wasn’t something that she had to find it was something that was missing.
“No colonies,” she whispered. “This means we’ve got to be on the moon sometime before 2015.”
“July 20th, 1969 to be exact!” he says smiling and turning to face her. “Now you can be impressed.”
“You mean…?” she trailed off when the air seemed to be vibrating and suddenly there was a bright light. She looked up and right there about a hundred meters away was Apollo 11 landing.
“Oh my God,” she whispered and grabbed the Doctor’s hand. His grip tightened on her fingers before he loosened his hold and slid their fingers together. He leaned down a bit, “I thought you would like it.”
She held up her other hand and made shushing sounds, “Don’t ruin the moment.”
They watched the moon landing in silence. The archeologist inside of Melody was completely amazed by the site. She itched to document it, to take photographs and write all about it. They both stood there completely silent and unmoving as history took place. They watched Neil Armstrong step out of the shuttle and take the first few steps, “This is one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”
“He actually says that,” she whispered. “He was actually here on the moon. Everyone thought it was a hoax cause they forgot the event actually taking place. Everyone knows about the moon landing, but no one was really sure it happened. There wasn’t even a foot print left behind.”
“Actually,” the Doctor cleared his throat, and Melody looked at him suspiciously. “I think that’s sort of my fault which means we have to get out of here now.”
He gently but firmly pushed her back into the Tardis, “But can’t I at least take a photograph, or a cast of his foot print, or even a small recording? This is history. A history that no one is aware actually happens.”
“Nope can’t do that,” he said pointing the sonic at the door so that it could lock because Melody had begun to make her way back towards it.
“Why not?“ she asked reaching for the door. Before she could even reach it there was a sudden crash and the Tardis made a whooshing sound like if there was a strong wind locked inside and then shuddered. She watched as the Doctor raced around the counsel pushing things and twisting others and finally he pulled the lever down and the noise stopped.
He looked over at the girl who was sprawled on the floor in her school uniform and answered, “Because I cannot interact with my own time line.”
She stood up and dusted herself off slightly upset, “That was an amazing adventure Doctor, but I’d appreciate it if you dropped me off now.”
“Are you mad at me? You’ve never been mad at me. Well no time that I can remember. Except for that one time in Utah, but that is a spoiler so let me just say,” he jumped down the last few steps and stopped right in front of her. “I have a surprise for you.”
She looked at him intrigued and he went over to a door that was just to the left of the entrance and opened it. He walked in without letting her see the inside and just before she could open the door and go after him, he was walking out.
“What’s behind that door?”
He shrugged, “You have your book, I have my broom closet.”
It made absolutely no sense, but she accepted it as the truth and headed over to him and her surprise.
He had been holding a golden colored box roughly the size of a small dog with a massive dark red bow on top of it and which he handed to her saying, “Mind it, it’s a bit heavy.”
She let out an oomph and almost fell forward with the weight, “What is it?”
“Why don’t you open it and find out?”
She set it down on the floor and kneeled next to it. She lifted the top of the box and set it aside before peering inside.
She looked at it and then looked at him and then looked inside again much more incredulously, “Is this Neil Armstrong’s footprint?”
He smiled, “Yes it is! You mentioned you wanted a cast right?”
“This is impossible,” she looked back at him. “You’re impossible.”
“Don’t you like it?” he asked scared that maybe she didn’t. He could always go back and get her a picture instead.
“Like it?” she asked looking back down before reverently running her fingers along the ridges of the boots. “I love it. It’s like my own personal bit of history.”
She looked back up at the doctor and smiled, “Thank you.”
He smiled back at her, “Excellent because I already took the liberty and made you this.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a little charm. It looked like a piece of white rock hanging from a chain link.
“Is this a moon rock?” she asked holding her hand out. The Doctor nodded a bit and using the sonic screw driver attached the charm to the bracelet two spaces away from the small vial of Time Essence. His Time Essence.
“It’s a small chip from the first rock that Neil Armstrong picked up. I thought you would like the historical significance.”
She turned her hand and grabbed a hold of his wrist, “A cast of a footprint. A chip from a moon rock. You really do know how to charm a girl.”
She pulled him down and made to press her mouth to his in what would’ve been her first kiss, but he turned his head and her lips landed on his cheek, “What are you doing?”
She let him pull away and pouted, “I thought that was pretty obvious.”
He just shook his head a little and an odd look passed over his face, “Now let’s get you home before your mother kills me.”
She watched him walk over to the counsel and begin to press and turn and pull and push more buttons and levers and faucets and she smiled and sat down on the floor just watching him as he bustled around making almost cooing noises at the machine. She felt an odd warm feeling spread from her chest, and she smiled.
The Tardis made a weird sound and he smiled sheepishly at her, “Sorry forgot the parking break. I always do that.”
“We’re here?” she asked getting up.
“Yes we are!” he slid down the handle bars that were by the stairs and walked over to her. She watched him as he passed her and opened the doors. “Five minutes after we’ve left and right in front of your house too.”
She covered her surprise and picked it up groaning a little and hurrying over to the door. She walked past him and beckoned him to follow her with her head, “Come on. I bet Mum and Dad will be all excited see you.”
But he didn’t make any effort to move, “The last time I saw them was when I gave them you and I promised your mum that I would never, but I can’t not anymore.”
He looked down at her and pressed the palm of his hand to her cheek. She felt her pulse skip and her heart began to race, “You are after all my destiny Melody Pond.” He leaned down and pressed a kiss on her forehead.
“Until next time,” he whispered before pulling away. He closed the door right in front of her face and then the Tardis began making noises and phasing in and out until it disappeared.
She heard the front door slam open, and she turned around to see her mum standing there. Her eyes were wide and her mouth was slack open, “Was that the…?”
“The Tardis?” Melody interrupted raising an eyebrow as her mum looked at her kind of shocked. “Yes it was the Tardis and the Doctor was in it. Your raggedy doctor with the tweed jacket and the bow tie. I think I saw a fez in there, but I’m not exactly sure. What I am sure about is that this foot print is heavy, and I need to set it down before I fall over.”
She walked pass her mum and into the house where she set the box down by the stairs so she could carry it up whenever she went up to her room.
She to the kitchen where her mum was fixing to make tea, and she sat down on one of the stools by the counter.
“Explain it to me,” she demanded without preamble. “Explain to me how it can all possibly be real. The Doctor and the Tardis. Especially the Tardis! The box that is bigger on the inside. No! The Doctor! Tell me about him! How is it possible that he knows all about me and about you, but I’ve never met him! Just heard about him in all these stories that I thought were just a fairy tale you created to rid me my nightmares.”
Her mother stopped and turned around looking at her with a grim smile on her face, “Okay.”
She sighed and sat down next to her before grabbing her hand and inspecting the new charm on her bracelet, “But kid, this is where it gets complicated.”
Interlude #1
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The Doctor and River don’t count by years. They count by Events.
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An AU of sorts. Amy and Rory raised River as Melody in this time line. So AU after Season 5 with spoilers for Season 6. I might have messed this up, so any Doctor Who fans out there don't kill me!
Chapter 1: Melody Pond meets The Doctor and He takes Her to the Moon
The first time Melody met the Doctor she was fifteen, and on her way home from school.
She skipped along happily, skipping the puddles and kicking at the leaves. She was feeling carefree and a little bit rebellious, it being the beginning of the Summer Holidays and all.
She skidded to a stop right by the park and eyed the police box that was not only randomly in the middle of the play ground, but also completely out of place. The last time she’d seen something like it was in the museum when she was six, but the last time she’d heard about it was when she was twelve in one of the many stories her mother tells her about the Tardis and the Doctor who stole her.
She rushed towards it running non stop until she was standing right in front of it.
She slowly reached a hand out and placed her palm right against the door. There was a hum and then a click and suddenly the doors opened.
She let out the breath she had no idea she had been holding and stepped inside.
The blue box that was bigger on the inside.
“Magnificent,” she breathed turning around in a full circle. “It’s all real!” She let out a breathless laugh that was followed by an exclamation from another voice, “Of course, it’s all real! How could it possibly be a lie?”
River turned back to the center where the main control center was and saw him standing there hands braced against the railing leaning over and smiling maniacally at her.
She felt a spark of recognition, and involuntarily found herself smiling at this man in his tweed jacket and bow tie who was more of a fairy tale than anything else.
He leaned back and looked at her thoughtfully, “My, my River Song, you are a bit young aren’t you?”
She ignored the name letting the rebelliousness that seemed to have taken possession of her common sense lately coil out at that. She stood up straighter and regarded him through the veil of her eye lashes, “I’m old enough.”
He stepped back as if she had physically taken a step toward him, “Old enough for what?”
She smiled at him and blinked her eyes innocently at him, “For whatever you had in mind.”
He laughed and pointed at her and she smiled back at him, “You are a clever one aren’t you?”
She just skipped over to the stairs that led up to the control tower, “So where are you taking me?”
He tilted his head to the side, “You’re going to come with me just like that?”
She stopped at the top step and tilted her head at him as well, “Well I figure either I’m dreaming or in a coma and all of this isn’t real so I might as well go wherever it is you’re going to take me, or you are the Doctor and it doesn’t matter where you take me.”
“Why doesn’t it matter, if I am real and not just a figment of your imagination?”
She smiled at him and took two steps forward putting her at an arm’s length away from him, “Because you’re the Doctor, and you’ll keep me safe no matter where we end up.”
“So you trust me then?” he asked.
She shook her head, “No, but I am predisposed to trust you.”
“Predisposed?” he asked confused.
“Have you met my parents?” she asked cocking her head to the side.
“Oh,” he says standing up straight. “That is different.” He walked over to the counsel and grabbed the sonic screw driver. He pointed it at her and pressed a button. She laughed a little at the way the green light that swept pass her tickled. “You’re Melody Pond, daughter of Amy and Rory, but instead of being raised to become the perfect weapon, you were just raised. Like a normal child.”
“The perfect weapon for what Doctor?”
He looked up at her taking his eyes away from the screw driver, “Never you mind that. Apparently, I changed the time line again. Dreadfully sorry, though at the same time I’m not really sorry at all. You were born and raised by your parents like a normal child.”
He looked back down and pressed another button. There was a high pitched noise, “Though you are far from normal. How have Rory and Amy hidden you away all this time?”
She raised her hand and shook her wrist. On it was a bracelet she’s had since she was born. There was a charm on it, a small glass vial with something that looked like sand inside of it, “I’ve had it since I was little. My mum tells me that her best friend gave it to her to give to me. She tells me to never take it off that it‘s supposed to keep me safe.”
He stepped forward and carefully touched the vial with the tip of his finger. The sand glowed a brightly gold color and the Doctor snatched his finger away recognizing it immediately.
“It’s never done that before,” she commented looking at it and then looking back to the Doctor. “Are you her best friend?”
He just looked at her in amazement, “You truly are someone amazing Doctor River Song.”
“Why do you keep calling me that?” she asked him crossing her arms across her chest and eyeing him directly in the eye.
“Because that is your name,” then he stopped and hit his head. “Of course that’s not your name. You’re Melody Pond. Madame Kovarian didn’t kidnap you. You were never River Song. You’re a completely different person.”
His voice rose and fell and then his eyes widened with the last bit of his confusing confession.
“This was a mistake,” he said abruptly before turning her around and walking her back down the steps.
“What?” she asked struggling to keep her place. “What was a mistake? What are you doing Doctor?”
She pulled away from him surprising him with her strength. She turned around and pushed him back, “Why are you doing this? What was a mistake? And what did you mean by ‘kidnap?’”
“You’re doing it again,” he muttered turning around and heading toward the controls.
“Doing what?” she asked even more confused than she was a couple seconds before.
“Asking pointless questions,” he turned around again looking at her from the top step. “Because I rescued you and brought you back to your parents you were never raised to become the one weapon that would destroy me. You were raised by the girl who dreamed me to life again and the Centurion who waited over a thousand years for her. You took the two best qualities of your parents and have manifested them admirably. You are going to grow up to become a devastating woman. Just not my…”
He trailed off and walked back over to her, “It was a mistake to come here because you grew up hearing fairy tales about the amazing Doctor and his magnificent adventures and not hating me. I don’t have to drag you away from this horrible place. You don’t need me to. You don’t need me.”
He looked away looking sad and devastated but still so, so pretty.
She smiled and reached into her boot. She pulled out a small object the color blue. The same color in fact of the box they were standing.
“Doctor?” she inquired softly. He looked back to her and she began to unfold the object in her hand. “I’ve had this ever since I can remember. Like the bracelet, it was given to me for my birthday, but this one was for my tenth birthday. It came with a note attached that said, ‘When you finally meet The One, unfold it and give it to him. He’ll have the key.’ I unfolded it once before and let me tell you it’s a pain to fold back, so you better be ‘The One.’”
It looked like a flat sheet of blue paper about the size of his hand. Melody pinched at the center and expanded it.
“The diary,” he breathed and reverently took it from her fingers. It was the diary. Tardis blue, with the squares imprinted causing it to sort of represent the Tardis. It was the same diary, but it was completely new. No broken spine, just new and crisp smelling faintly of leather.
He tried to pry it apart, but it seemed to be sealed.
“I tried that too,” Melody whispered looking at him as he struggled.
He looked over at her, “The note said I would have the key?”
She nodded and he pulled out the sonic screw driver. He pointed it and pressed and suddenly there was a click and the book fell open in his hand, but the page was blank. He flipped through the pages finding each one of them blank. He closed the book and opened it again but to the first page.
He stared at the words written on the first page for a long time. Melody looked over his elbow, “Hello Sweetie?”
He looked down at her and found her smiling brightly, “Is that what I call you?”
He didn’t know what to tell her, but she didn’t need an answer. She laughed and twirled away from his side. While she wandered around the Tardis that seemed to be doing this weird humming thing, he looked back down at the book in his hands and turned the first page to see that there was writing in the second one too.
I’ll always need you, you impossible man. So take good care of me. Can’t say much more because, well spoilers. XOXO
He smiled and snapped the book shut.
“Doctor? What is this?”
He turned just in time to catch the girl almost looking into the Time Vortex, “Don’t do that!”
She jumped and turned to look at him, “What does it do?”
He jumped up and shut the door before securing the latch and turning to Melody, “That was the heart of the Tardis. Never look in there.”
She nodded her head and took the book from his hands. She flipped it open, and saw that the writing from before had disappeared, “Where did the writing go?”
The Doctor looked at the book, “Probably a timed message made to erase once I’d read it.”
She pouted and tucked the book back in her boot were the top stuck out, “What now?”
He looked at her and was reminded of her mother. Willful, impulsive Amelia Pond.
“Well Miss Melody Pond,” he began smiling brightly. “Anywhere in time and space that you want to go.”
“As long as you get me back home by dinner,” she said pointing a finger at him.
“Oh, I always get you back in time,” he says distracted turning around and beginning to fiddle with the counsel.
“Oh? Always?” she asked standing along side the Doctor. She waited until he looked back at her and slightly smirked flashing bright eyes at him and saying, “Spoilers.”
He laughed and began to push buttons muttering under his breath. He twisted a faucet looking thing and pushed a lever up before pushing a blue button which caused the humming noise to intensify, “What is that?”
She just smiled and pushed down the lever he pushed up which immediately stopped the humming noise.
He looked down at her, “What did you do?”
She ignored him and pointed at a lever to the left which was flashing in different colors, “Does this make it go?”
He smiled nodding and leaning closer, “Where do you want to go Melody Pond?”
“Surprise me,” she whispered grabbing and pulling down the lever.
______________________________________________________
“The Moon?” Melody asked looking around incredulously. “You can take me anywhere in space in any time, and you aim for the moon? I can go to the moon every weekend if I wanted to. Is this supposed to impress me?”
He looked at her and half smiled, “Well no not really. We are on the moon, and I am sure you have been here before, but if you look around closely what do you notice?”
She turned around in a full circle wondering what she was suppose to be looking for then realized it wasn’t something that she had to find it was something that was missing.
“No colonies,” she whispered. “This means we’ve got to be on the moon sometime before 2015.”
“July 20th, 1969 to be exact!” he says smiling and turning to face her. “Now you can be impressed.”
“You mean…?” she trailed off when the air seemed to be vibrating and suddenly there was a bright light. She looked up and right there about a hundred meters away was Apollo 11 landing.
“Oh my God,” she whispered and grabbed the Doctor’s hand. His grip tightened on her fingers before he loosened his hold and slid their fingers together. He leaned down a bit, “I thought you would like it.”
She held up her other hand and made shushing sounds, “Don’t ruin the moment.”
They watched the moon landing in silence. The archeologist inside of Melody was completely amazed by the site. She itched to document it, to take photographs and write all about it. They both stood there completely silent and unmoving as history took place. They watched Neil Armstrong step out of the shuttle and take the first few steps, “This is one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”
“He actually says that,” she whispered. “He was actually here on the moon. Everyone thought it was a hoax cause they forgot the event actually taking place. Everyone knows about the moon landing, but no one was really sure it happened. There wasn’t even a foot print left behind.”
“Actually,” the Doctor cleared his throat, and Melody looked at him suspiciously. “I think that’s sort of my fault which means we have to get out of here now.”
He gently but firmly pushed her back into the Tardis, “But can’t I at least take a photograph, or a cast of his foot print, or even a small recording? This is history. A history that no one is aware actually happens.”
“Nope can’t do that,” he said pointing the sonic at the door so that it could lock because Melody had begun to make her way back towards it.
“Why not?“ she asked reaching for the door. Before she could even reach it there was a sudden crash and the Tardis made a whooshing sound like if there was a strong wind locked inside and then shuddered. She watched as the Doctor raced around the counsel pushing things and twisting others and finally he pulled the lever down and the noise stopped.
He looked over at the girl who was sprawled on the floor in her school uniform and answered, “Because I cannot interact with my own time line.”
She stood up and dusted herself off slightly upset, “That was an amazing adventure Doctor, but I’d appreciate it if you dropped me off now.”
“Are you mad at me? You’ve never been mad at me. Well no time that I can remember. Except for that one time in Utah, but that is a spoiler so let me just say,” he jumped down the last few steps and stopped right in front of her. “I have a surprise for you.”
She looked at him intrigued and he went over to a door that was just to the left of the entrance and opened it. He walked in without letting her see the inside and just before she could open the door and go after him, he was walking out.
“What’s behind that door?”
He shrugged, “You have your book, I have my broom closet.”
It made absolutely no sense, but she accepted it as the truth and headed over to him and her surprise.
He had been holding a golden colored box roughly the size of a small dog with a massive dark red bow on top of it and which he handed to her saying, “Mind it, it’s a bit heavy.”
She let out an oomph and almost fell forward with the weight, “What is it?”
“Why don’t you open it and find out?”
She set it down on the floor and kneeled next to it. She lifted the top of the box and set it aside before peering inside.
She looked at it and then looked at him and then looked inside again much more incredulously, “Is this Neil Armstrong’s footprint?”
He smiled, “Yes it is! You mentioned you wanted a cast right?”
“This is impossible,” she looked back at him. “You’re impossible.”
“Don’t you like it?” he asked scared that maybe she didn’t. He could always go back and get her a picture instead.
“Like it?” she asked looking back down before reverently running her fingers along the ridges of the boots. “I love it. It’s like my own personal bit of history.”
She looked back up at the doctor and smiled, “Thank you.”
He smiled back at her, “Excellent because I already took the liberty and made you this.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a little charm. It looked like a piece of white rock hanging from a chain link.
“Is this a moon rock?” she asked holding her hand out. The Doctor nodded a bit and using the sonic screw driver attached the charm to the bracelet two spaces away from the small vial of Time Essence. His Time Essence.
“It’s a small chip from the first rock that Neil Armstrong picked up. I thought you would like the historical significance.”
She turned her hand and grabbed a hold of his wrist, “A cast of a footprint. A chip from a moon rock. You really do know how to charm a girl.”
She pulled him down and made to press her mouth to his in what would’ve been her first kiss, but he turned his head and her lips landed on his cheek, “What are you doing?”
She let him pull away and pouted, “I thought that was pretty obvious.”
He just shook his head a little and an odd look passed over his face, “Now let’s get you home before your mother kills me.”
She watched him walk over to the counsel and begin to press and turn and pull and push more buttons and levers and faucets and she smiled and sat down on the floor just watching him as he bustled around making almost cooing noises at the machine. She felt an odd warm feeling spread from her chest, and she smiled.
The Tardis made a weird sound and he smiled sheepishly at her, “Sorry forgot the parking break. I always do that.”
“We’re here?” she asked getting up.
“Yes we are!” he slid down the handle bars that were by the stairs and walked over to her. She watched him as he passed her and opened the doors. “Five minutes after we’ve left and right in front of your house too.”
She covered her surprise and picked it up groaning a little and hurrying over to the door. She walked past him and beckoned him to follow her with her head, “Come on. I bet Mum and Dad will be all excited see you.”
But he didn’t make any effort to move, “The last time I saw them was when I gave them you and I promised your mum that I would never, but I can’t not anymore.”
He looked down at her and pressed the palm of his hand to her cheek. She felt her pulse skip and her heart began to race, “You are after all my destiny Melody Pond.” He leaned down and pressed a kiss on her forehead.
“Until next time,” he whispered before pulling away. He closed the door right in front of her face and then the Tardis began making noises and phasing in and out until it disappeared.
She heard the front door slam open, and she turned around to see her mum standing there. Her eyes were wide and her mouth was slack open, “Was that the…?”
“The Tardis?” Melody interrupted raising an eyebrow as her mum looked at her kind of shocked. “Yes it was the Tardis and the Doctor was in it. Your raggedy doctor with the tweed jacket and the bow tie. I think I saw a fez in there, but I’m not exactly sure. What I am sure about is that this foot print is heavy, and I need to set it down before I fall over.”
She walked pass her mum and into the house where she set the box down by the stairs so she could carry it up whenever she went up to her room.
She to the kitchen where her mum was fixing to make tea, and she sat down on one of the stools by the counter.
“Explain it to me,” she demanded without preamble. “Explain to me how it can all possibly be real. The Doctor and the Tardis. Especially the Tardis! The box that is bigger on the inside. No! The Doctor! Tell me about him! How is it possible that he knows all about me and about you, but I’ve never met him! Just heard about him in all these stories that I thought were just a fairy tale you created to rid me my nightmares.”
Her mother stopped and turned around looking at her with a grim smile on her face, “Okay.”
She sighed and sat down next to her before grabbing her hand and inspecting the new charm on her bracelet, “But kid, this is where it gets complicated.”
Interlude #1