To Be a Time Lord

Chapter 29 - The Wedding of Tabetha Pond

The Wedding of Tabetha Pond, part 3 -

"I prefer white wine, by the way", the Oracle approached Amy from behind as the woman sat out in the garden, wrapped in a blanket, and carried a cold glass bottle and four glasses.

"Four glasses?", she asked in confusion as her daughter put the items on the table and sat down next to her.

"Give them a moment."

There was a flash of light and Astrid and River walked up to them in camouflage uniforms.

"Heard there was a freak meteor shower two miles away", Amy greeted them.

"So I got us a bottle", the Oracle poured the wine.

"Thank you, sweetie", River sat down next to Amy and Astrid sat down next to the Oracle.

"So where are we?", Amy asked, observing the women's uniforms.

"We just climbed out of the Byzantium. You were there", she told Amy, "So young. Didn't have a clue who I was. You're funny like that."

"I just lost my job at Stormcage cause I got River to Stonehenge to get to the Pandorica", Astrid chuckled, "Turns out it's one thing not to approve of someone's sentence and another to actively go against it."

The women both chuckled at that. "Where are you?", River asked.

"The Doctor's dead", Amy muttered.

The mood grew solemn and River continued carefully, "How are you doing?"

"How do you think?", she just replied darkly.

"Well, I don't know unless you tell me", River shrugged.

"River!", "Melody!", the other two women scolded her for being insensitive, although they both knew exactly why she wasn't emotional over this.

"I killed someone. Madam Kovarian, in cold blood", Amy said quietly.

"In an aborted time line, in a world that never was", River tried to console her.

"Yeah, but I can remember it, so it happened, so I did it. What does that make me now?"

"Our mum", the Oracle said quietly, a hand on Amy's shoulder, "If someone had done that to any of my children that woman would have experienced hell at my hands. I've learned way too many methods to kill someone over the centuries and trust me, if she's still alive in this timeline she won't be for very long. All those people who hurt Melody over the time we were captured, I killed so many of them, in cold blood. At the end of the day you're a mother protecting her children."

Amy looked at her with teary eyes, "I wish I could talk to the Doctor."

The sisters exchanged a knowing glance and River spoke up, "If you could talk to him, would it make a difference?"

She nodded inwardly, "But he's dead. So- so I can't."

"You two are actually, properly torturing her now, aren't you?", Astrid pointed out.

River laughed, "Oh, Mother, of course he isn't."

"Not for you, I suppose. You're seeing the younger versions of him running around, having adventures", Amy brushed her off.

"Yeah, I am. But that's not what I mean."

"Then what do you mean?"

River gave her sister a meaningful a glance and with a small smirk the ginger twin continued, "Okay, I'm going to tell you what I probably shouldn't. The Doctor's last secret. Don't you want to know what he whispered in my ear?"

"He whispered his name."

"Oh, Mum, I've known his name for centuries. He didn't randomly have to tell me in the middle of a battlefield. It wasn't his name", she almost rolled her eyes as she took a sip of wine before putting her glass down and sitting up straight.

"Yes, it was. He said it was", Amy protested.

"Rule One?", River reminded her.

"The Doctor lies."

"So do I, all the time", River shrugged, "Have to. Spoilers. Pretending I don't know you're my mother, pretending I don't recognise a space suit in Florida. But Tabby doesn't. So why believe him over her?"

"What did he whisper in your ear?", she turned back to her other daughter.

"Oh, that man. He's always one step ahead of everyone. Always a plan", she chuckled.

"Tabetha, what did he tell you? Tabby", Amy demanded more intently now.

---

When Rory got home, the four women were happily dancing and laughing around the garden.

"Hey", he greeted, "What-?"

"He's not dead", Amy ran up to him happily, "He's not dead."

Rory hugged her and over her shoulder asked, "Are you sure, Tabby? Are you really, properly sure?"

"Of course I'm sure", she laughed, "I'm his wife."

"And I'm his sister-in-law", River let out a breathy chuckle in realisation.

"And I'm his daughter", Astrid caught on to the pattern happily.

"Yes", Amy laughed, "And I'm his-", her laugh fell into a disgusted sort of frown, "Mother-in-law."

The trio's laughs faded into amused giggles and River said, "Father dear, I think Mummy might need another drink."

"Yes", Rory turned, "Yes."

"Wait a moment and she realises she's a grandmother", Astrid whispered into her mum's ear making her snort and try to hide a grin.

She turned around to pull her close and kiss the side of her head, just happy to have her daughter in her arms again and standing and swaying there until the party of five resolved to some chatter while drinking wine and watching the meteor shower.

"Can I stay for a bit?", Astrid asked suddenly, "I don't really have a job or a place to stay. I think this is the situation where most people would come running back to Mum."

The Oracle laughed a bit and kissed the top of her head before turning to her own parents, "It's your house but I can only put in a strong word for her."

"No, yes, of course she can stay", Rory nodded immediately.

"After all she's-", Amy paused once more, "-our-"

The group all laughed again and Astrid took it upon herself to finish, "Family."

"Oh, yes, family. I like that", Amy breathed out and joined into the laughter.

"You mentioned the Doctor was a grandfather", Rory suddenly pointed out.

"Oh, let's not go there yet, shall we?", the Oracle chuckled a bit sadly before turning the conversation back to explaining the meteor shower to which the whole group gladly listened.

What the Doctor had whispered, was, "Look into my eye." After a moment of confusion the blonde, younger Time Lord looked into her husband's right eye to see a miniature version of him inside the eyeball of the Teselecta.