Yowzah Oneshot Collection (2)

71(G)

À la recherche du temps perdu

                       leiascully

The next time the TARDIS materializes in front of them, Rory and Amy are prepared. They tramp aboard and get straight to the point.

"Where is she?" Amy demands, searching the control room for the little blue cot.

"Who?" the Doctor says airily. "See, some might have said 'whom' there, but that would just be pretentious."

"Melody!" Amy says. "River. Whatever she's called. My daughter." Her hands knot into fists at her sides. "Where is my daughter?"

"I told you it was too late to get her back right then," the Doctor says, his face tense. "They'll have hidden her away where I won't be able to find her. They won't harm her, though - they need her for something. I'm not sure what. I'm working on it, though."

"That's not good enough," Amy says fiercely. "That's not good enough for me."

"Or me," Rory adds. He's wearing his sword over his jeans and his knuckles are white around the hilt. "They took my wife, Doctor. They took my daughter. You've got to make it right. You've got to bring her back."

"I am doing everything I can," the Doctor swears.

"No, you're not," Rory says, and his voice is low and dangerous. "You're here, picking us up for a quick joyride."

"I'm here and I'm there," the Doctor says. "I'm everywhere I can be. I'm at the ends of the universe, looking for your daughter, and I'm leaving no stone unturned. She's been hidden away but there's nowhere the TARDIS and I won't go, no time we won't find to bring her home. Do you trust me?"

"How can I?" Amy shouts. "It's your fault!"

"It is," the Doctor says quietly. "It is my fault. And I'm sorry. And there's nothing I won't do to make that right, you two. I hope you know that."

"Swear it," she says, and her voice vibrates with anger. "Swear you'll never stop. Swear you'll bring the storm if you have to and be the warrior they think you are. Swear it on your life."

"Amelia Pond, I swear on fish fingers and custard that nothing in the universe will stop me finding your daughter, even if it's the end of me." He puts both hands on her shoulders and looks deep into her eyes. "Okay? You know I will, because I did. She's going to be safe because she is safe. Everything will work out because everything did work out. You see that, don't you? We know how the story ends. She told you so. It's just working out the middle that's the trouble. I promise you that even now, I'm making sure it's written properly."

They stare at each other, Amy nearly quivering with anger.

"She will be all right," the Doctor says in his stormiest voice. "On my life, Ponds. You know she will be. You saw her stand in front of you. She will come back to us."

She nods and dashes away a couple of tears as the Doctor folds her into a brief hug. Rory hovers protectively behind her, his glare fading. The Doctor turns away to fiddle with the console of the TARDIS.

"Your daughter is a force to be reckoned with. In fact, I reckon she can bend the universe to her will," the Doctor tells them. "If I can't find her, you can rest assured that she'll find me. Thought we could make ourselves a few distractions in the meantime. We could go and find her now-version if you'd like. You could even ask her a few questions, if you wanted, though there's no guarantee she'll tell you anything. Time Lordiness, you know - can't interfere too much. But I wouldn't mind seeing her again." The Doctor smiles to himself.

"Are we going to have to have a little chat about this?" Rory asks, resting his hand meaningfully on the hilt of his sword again.

"About what?" the Doctor asks, distracted by something on the monitor.