Doctor Who: The Grandfather Paradox

Chapter 7: The Woman Who Wasn't There

CHAPTER 7: The Woman Who Wasn't There

"Space and time isn't safe yet. The TARDIS exploded for a reason."

Dressed in his top hat and tails, the Doctor circled the console as he addressed Rory and Amy, still outfitted in their own wedding attire. "Something drew the TARDIS to this particular date and blew it up. But why? And why now? The Silence, whatever it is, is still out there, and I have to..."

His train of thought afforded a fraction of a reprieve — long enough for him to finally register the sound of a ringing phone. "Excuse me a moment," he said as he picked up the receiver. "Hello?"

The Doctor's tone instantly became one of recognition, of familiarity. "Oh! Hello. I'm sorry, this is a very bad line." A pause. His tone fell. "No, but that's not possible. She was sealed into the Seventh Obelisk, I was at the prayer meeting. Well, no, I get that it's important. An Egyptian goddess loose on the Orient Express..." A smile crept over his face as his eyes darted over to Amy and Rory. "...in space."

He paused. "Give us a mo."

Cupping his hand over the receiver, the Doctor turned to the newly-wedded couple. "Sorry, something's come up. This will have to be goodbye."

"Yeah, I think it's goodbye," Amy nodded. She turned to Rory. "Do you think it's goodbye?"

"Definitely goodbye," he said.

Immediately, Amy headed for the TARDIS doors. She poked her head out into the night — into the overgrown garden of her childhood house — and waved with heavy, deliberate emphasis. "Goodbye!"

And then, realising she actually meant it, Amy allowed herself a moment to take in the sight for one last time. All those years. All those memories. All that longing, back in her childhood, for the Raggedy Man to return in his magic blue box.

"Goodbye," she said.

And she closed the door.

With the phone still in hand, the Doctor smiled. He put the handset to his ear; his company was decided. "Don't worry about a thing, Your Majesty. We're on our way."

He hung up, then turned his attention to the TARDIS controls. Throwing a lever, the craft was set into motion, and all three held onto the console as they balanced against its wayward movements. Amy and Rory exchanged excited glances, not knowing what awaited them - but knowing that the uncertainty was part of the thrill.

And then, without warning, the Doctor pushed all his weight down on a nearby switch. Metal screeched against metal as the TARDIS shuddered intermittently, then with a loud bang, stopped cold in an abrupt halt. Hollow silence filled the room as the Doctor looked at Rory and Amy with a furrowed brow.

"Didn't we do this bit?"

"Do what bit?" said Amy.

"This. Right now. This whole thing. Well, except for us talking about whether or not we did this bit. But everything before it feels... familiar."

She looked around the walls of the TARDIS. "It's all new to me."

"Deja vu, Doctor?" said Rory.

"Something like that."

The Doctor looked genuinely perplexed, and Rory stepped forward in concern. "Are you alright?"

There was no answer, and Rory asked again. The Doctor appeared to be gathering his thoughts. He attempted to wear a smile, but it didn't stick. "Must have been something I ate," he said. "Or something I thought I ate. Or just something I thought. Crazy town up here, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise." He dusted his hands, an apparent signal to dispose of the entire conversation. "But anyway, enough about me. Back to business. Now... where were we going?"