Yowzah Oneshot Collection (1)

46(G)

I’ve been learning here how to grow larger than the monsters alive in my dreams

you don’t need to save me I already did that myself

He lands in a park.

Children are screaming in delight, probably on some unseen playground, and he can hear the laughter before he even opens the door and steps out into the warm May sunshine. Spring is one of his favourite times of year – the world seems that much newer and shinier – full of potential and chance for re-growth.

It’s an unremarkable park, with nothing to set it apart from any other park in the world, save for the form of one Amelia Pond, sat on a bench not ten feet away – her hair ablaze in the sunlight and her gaze distant. The Doctor steps out with a frown – he wonders where Rory is, but walks over and throws himself onto the bench next to her anyway. “Amelia Pond!”

Amy turns a calm face to him, and she attempts a smile, but it only makes it halfway up the corner of her mouth before it slides away again, like smoke in a stiff breeze. He frowns and wraps an arm around her shoulders, hugging her to his side. “What’s the matter Pond?”

“Doctor,” Amy begins hesitantly, shooting a glance in his direction before turning her gaze in front of them again, “what are you doing here?”

The Doctor looks ahead too, and ah – just there – he can see the before unseen playground twenty yards away. Its climbing structures are painted in bright primary colours and children clamber across it one by one. “Dunno. Thought maybe you’d tell me. Just landed here.”  Amy hums, the sound so low he barely hears her. “Where’s Rory, Amy?”

“Hm? Oh he’s at work. The hospital rotates weekend shifts, you know. I just – have you ever had something happen to you Doctor, something really quite sad, only later on you remember it – and suddenly it’s so much sadder?” Amy blinks rapidly as she speaks and he frowns, his arm squeezing her tighter.

“What’s happened?” He is concerned of course – he’s always concerned about the Ponds. He doesn’t see them as often as he used to, but he still visits them, which is odd, for him. Most of his goodbyes are final, but he is tied to Amy and Rory in ways that he cannot – and would not – avoid. Amy shakes her head with a sigh.

“Nothing really. I was clearing through some things this morning – you know, spring cleaning right? I always put it off but I was antsy today. Restless energy or something, so I decided to clean and organize all our boxes in the attic. It was fine, really, until I found this.” Amy’s hand uncurls and the Doctor can see that she’s got a folded photograph in her clutch. She nods at him, and he takes it from her, letting her go and leaning forward, elbows on his knees as he carefully unfolds it.

It’s an old photograph. He recognizes Amelia of course, her parents on either side of her beaming away. A little boy he assumes is Rory is standing off to the left, grinning at the small family. “Is that Rory?” The Doctor grins and Amy smiles down at the photo softly, reaching across to stroke a finger over little Rory’s face.

“Yeah. He was always a scrawny little thing, wasn’t he? But he was always there.”

“Waiting.” The Doctor nods and Amy shrugs.

“And look.” She taps a purple nail against the photo just behind Rory, and there stands a little girl – arms crossed with a rather sullen expression. The Doctor’s eyes widen in recognition and Amy nods. “Mels.”

“Oh...” He breathes the word out as he studies the face in the photograph. He is reminded of her words, so long ago now, in a Library he desperately tries to forget. “Unfinished.”