It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas

Silver Wedding Bells (Part III)

The wedding reception of John Benton and Mike Yates was a modest affair. Not so much modest perhaps as simple. They had rented out a function room quite near the church. Someone, and they had never found out who or how, had arranged quite a good deal.

It was rather an entertaining sight watching The Doctor juggle his three significant others. While both The Master and Jamie knew of both each other and river prior to their arrival River herself had a rude shock when she found out about the other two.

The Master had always known about Jamie. Just as Jamie had always known of The Master. River's existence was only a relatively new development. Jamie and The Master had taken to each other, to everyone's surprise, quite nicely. River warmed to Jamie eventually but she never quite did the same with The Master. Bernice, Jayne, Erin and Richard found this enormously entertaining and did little else but watch and give commentary in hushed tones. The Master kept glancing at them with an arched eyebrow.

When The Doctor had led River off to dance The Master and Jamie looked at each other in silence for a moment.

"It's remarkably good to finally meet you Mr McCrimmon."

"And you."

"I had hoped he would find you again. It was unnecessarily cruel of our people to separate you like that."

"Aye."

"He loves you as much as he did me you know."

"What makes you think he ever stopped loving you?"

"I stopped deserving it a long time ago."

"That may be but that's also not how it works."

"You're a lucky man."

Jamie had to agree.

*********

When Captain Jack Harkness rocked up mid-afternoon John pointed him out from where they were dancing.

"Mike, look."

"Is that?"

"I'm fairly sure it's that Jack Harkness bloke."

"Bastard."

"He hasn't aged a day."

He came over to congratulate them. The Doctor was now dancing with Jamie and Jack didn't recognise either of them. He crossed instead to where The Brigadier, Sarah-Jane, Richard and The Master were sitting with Kate, Jayne, Erin and Bernice. Jack took the empty seat.

"Aren't you dead?" Jack asked Sarah-Jane the two dead men at the table.

"Aren't you?" Richard retorted, not unkindly.

"Immortality. For the record, worst superpower ever.

"No," said The Master, "I suppose it's not. How are you Captain?"

"Doctor?"

"I'm flattered but I am usually referred to as The Master."

"You! How are you even still alive? I saw you die."

"Perhaps, but that hasn't happened yet, not for me."

"He is behaving himself Jack." Richard reassured him.

"Where's The Doctor? He is here I assume."

"Over there," Jayne said, pointing him out.

"Who's the kid?"

"His name's Jamie, he's an honest to god Jacobite. He travelled with The Doctor before his exile on earth."

P/B

Richard took Jayne aside as the sun was setting.

"Jayne," he said, bumping their shoulders.

"Yea." She bumped his back.

"In case I don't get the chance to tell you-"

"Pa."

"No, listen. I know the doctor wouldn't have come ten years back in time to bring me here if I could have just got on a plane to get here. I'm fairly sure I'm near the end of my life so in case I never get the chance I need you to know that I love you and I'm proud of you. You've become an extraordinary young woman and you'll go far. Not just in time and space. There are wonders out there, just waiting for you Jayne. Take care of her and The TARDIS will always bring you home."

"I will."

"I like Erin."

"She's really something isn't she."

"She thinks the wold of you."

"I know I'm supposed to tell her this, and I have, but don't hurt her."

"Technically that's Peter's job."

They both laughed at the image of Jayne's weedy little brother, seven in both Richard's time and Jayne's mind, giving Erin, a full grown woman the shovel talk.

"So, Richard said, you didn't join the army obviously. What did you end up doing?"

"Well, after finished school I worked for Dad for a year, then I got a double degree in English and Archaeology with a minor in Drama. That took me a little while. That's how Erin and I met, I was her student for about five years. I have been an Army Reservist sense I started at uni though. Now, when I'm not travelling with The Doctor, and sometimes even when I am, I'm an actor."

"Anything I'd have seen."

"Remember when you came over here on a trip after you retired?"

"Yes."

"Remember when you slept through The Mousetrap?"

"You weren't in that?"

"I was. My name is even in your programme. Jayne McLoney. I used Mum's maiden name. I usually don't bother but I knew you would be coming to see that one."

"I don't know that we still have it."

"No, you definitely do, I saw it three months ago in that writing desk that Garry's claimed. The really nice one. It's in a shoebox full of photos from the trip."

"I can't believe I fell asleep ten minutes into the only West End play I'll ever see you in."

"You did see me, you probably don't remember it. I always knew you'd fall asleep ten minutes in so I went for a character in the opening scene."

"I'm so sorry, I don't remember a thing about it."

"It's alright, I've always known that."

"Wat about screen work?"

"I stick to the stage in my past, except for the occasional pilot episode for a series that never gets made. Means there's no chance of I or anyone I know will recognise me. I couldn't resist auditioning for Farscape though. I got one episode in full prosthetics. I don't think anyone recognised me, I certainly didn't."