Fic: Trust Me (I'm a Lying Liar Who Lies). Epilogue.
And look, I bring you the epilogue. FINALLY. Hope you'll think it worth waiting for. It could be better [written], I know, but RL is about to eat me alive (again) very shortly, so I figured I'd get it out there whilst I had the chance. As per usual for this fic, this part is woefully unbeta'd...
(Previous chapters here in my memories for anyone who'd like to catch up. Or just follow the tags.)
Summary: In which River is enigmatic, Martha is frustrated, Mickey is intrigued and the Doctor... is a Pond. In which the Doctor dances, River is a Pond, and Martha is a Doctor.
Setting: Post-S6 (spoilers for everything aired so far, including First Night/Last Night and The Christmas Special).
Characters: Martha, Mickey, River, the Doctor (11), OCs, Martha's family, Amy, Rory.
Word count (this chapter): 2600 words approx.
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Dedication: For Promethia, because she understands me.
Epilogue
No one ever uttered the phrase ‘Bridezilla’, but it had definitely hung over Tish’s wedding preparations. Martha had tried her best to scale back on the perfectionism her sister was indulging in, but had in the end conceded that if the groom didn’t mind (he was the calmest person she had ever met, as well as a saint, apparently), she should probably just let things progress.
And indeed they eventually reached the big day, Tish happy as a clam as all her preparations were ready to come into their own. Somehow even the weather had decided to behave, and sunshine fell through the stained glass windows of the church in picture postcard perfection, as the music swelled, and Martha felt like she was in some kind of bubble of happiness.
Her big sister was getting married to a truly wonderful man (whose family was just as sweet and charming as he was himself), her own family was all getting along (both the trauma and the older issues fading), and she grasped Mickey’s arm with sudden vigour. He didn’t say a word, just caught her eyes, and she knew that he felt the same... Although she should probably pay attention and not get lost in thought. She didn’t want to miss a thing.
The vicar smiled as the music faded and did her welcoming speech before launching into the rite.
“Is there anyone here present-” she began, the words familiar from a hundred films and sitcoms, and Martha wondered how the characters in those situations always timed their actions to coincide with this very moment.
But then there was the sound of creaky, old doors suddenly bursting open, as a loud, inimitable voice rang out clear as day.
“Now I’m sure this is the right church. There was glitch last time, I heard it quite clearly, I need to fix the time rotor properly...”
The voice tapered off as the entire congregation slowly turned to stare at the newcomers. Martha turned last, her heart heavy.
She had often, in the months gone by, wondered how she would view the Doctor from now on... She had lost her hero, but what would he be replaced with? As she took in the sight that greeted her, she could feel his new identity assert itself with irrevocable finality in her mind: There was no doubt about it - he was every inch an embarrassing uncle. An embarrassing uncle with terrible timing.
Although at least he was dressed for the occasion, she had to give him that.
No tweed this time - he was flawlessly decked out in a tux and top hat and certainly looked the part of wedding guest, a stunning River Song on his arm. With him were a young couple - a beautiful, if rather fierce-looking, redheaded girl and a young man who looked as if he wished the ground would open up and swallow him. Martha liked him immediately.
“We’re late!” the red-head hissed, slapping the Doctor’s arm. “Why are you always late?”
Realising that she was the one who had to deal with the situation, Martha took a deep breath and walked down the aisle, smiling at Tish’s in-laws-to-be with a reassurance she didn’t feel, as she whispered ‘Old family friends - a little eccentric. We weren’t sure they’d come...’
(Because they hadn’t been invited... But then, how did you send a wedding invitation into time and space?)
The Doctor, however, beamed at her, and waved to the rest of the family.
“Hello Martha! We’ve come for the wedding - sorry about barging in, the TARDIS was having a few engine troubles... Tish, you look amazing!”
Martha tried smiling back.
“So... you’ve not come because of an alien invasion and no one here is actually some kind of intergalactic master criminal who wants to get at you or...”
”Nope - we’re here for the dancing!” he replied, before bringing out his sonic and sweeping the crowd, then studying it with a flourish.
“Just in case... And - you’re all very much human. Well more or less. Nothing to worry about, certainly.”
“OK,” she said, faint with relief. “Um, if you’d take a seat...”
The wedding itself proceeded without any further glitches, although afterwards the Doctor rather stunned most of the guests by doling out hugs and kisses to everyone, as he busily introduced himself and his companions. The young couple turned out to be Amy and Rory Pond, and Martha with a shock realised that they must be River’s parents... She didn’t let on, as she wasn’t sure how much they wanted to divulge to strangers, but she still marvelled.
Her mother, of course, was utterly delighted when the Doctor introduced River.
“Oh but Doctor, why did you never tell us that you were getting married? We would have loved to have been there!” she scolded, and River laughed.
“Well, it was rather a... rushed ceremony, truth be told - in the middle of a war zone.”
The Doctor nodded thoughtfully.
“With enemies descending on all sides. Her parents were the witnesses and that was pretty much it... Didn’t really have the time to invite anyone.”
“Not exactly what I dreamed of when I was little,” River said pointedly, and the Doctor shot her a look which made Martha shiver in the sunshine. (No, she did not want his love...)
“Are you sure?” he said, voice dusky and low and dangerous, causing River’s eyes to blaze with unspeakable things, but before Martha could even begin to attempt to untangle this web, Tish (only catching part of the conversation ) cut in.
“In the middle of a war zone? Oh my god - you see Martha, this is why I planned everything so carefully...”
She then turned to the Doctor with equal parts affection and exasperation.
“But what will I do about four more guests?”
River reached out, eyes still sparkling.
“Don’t worry, we have a time machine. We can even have the party first and then go back and retroactively sort out any issues that crop up. Like Bill and Ted...”
Tish gazed at River with a look that could possibly have made her new husband jealous if he’d noticed.
~~~
As the day wore on Martha began hoping that maybe Daleks wouldn’t suddenly invade yelling about the Time War, or cybermen stomp through the doors, or any other aliens from a thousand different species that held a grudge. The Doctor had too many skeletons in his cupboard for comfort...
Instead there was lovely food and fabulous conversation (Amy and Rory had been seated next to Martha and Mickey, and they had entirely too much fun comparing stories), as well as music and dancing (and the Doctor’s dancing was... embarrassing uncle squared). All told, it was as perfect a wedding day as could be hoped for.
It wasn’t until things were beginning to wind down a little - Mickey was dancing with Tish and telling her goodness knew what, she kept giggling - that all of Martha’s misgivings came to fruition... And yet it wasn’t at all what she’d expected.
There was a collective gasp, the music quelled with a sideways squeak, and then a cold, harsh, alien voice spoke.
“Martha Jones!”
She turned, and saw an alien - blue and yellow and with eyes as black as the night, looking very much like the nest of terrifying flesh eating spawn they’d destroyed last month - holding a gun to Mickey’s head.
“You destroyed my children, Martha Jones. Now behold as I destroy that which you love!”
She couldn’t breathe. She couldn’t move. All she could do was stare into Mickey’s terrified eyes, knowing that this was what loss was like. Nothing in her life, nothing in the entirety of the Master’s reign, had come close to this.
Then a shot rang out and for a blind split-second Martha’s world was in ruins. But then the alien fell down, as Mickey staggered, unharmed.
Looking around, shocked, Martha saw River, gun in one hand and open handbag in the other, slowly turning to look at her.
“Told you I can shoot faster than you can think,” she said smugly, and all Martha could do was whisper an entirely inadequate ‘Thank you’ before running to her husband, ignoring the outbursts and the questions and the panic which was retro-actively setting in. She just needed to hold her Mickey and know that he was alive.
It wasn’t until a few moments later, when she’d double-checked that he was OK, and faintly began to be aware of the noise around her (including her sister’s tearful anger and shock) that she heard a hesitating voice.
“Um... excuse me... But could I maybe have a little help?”
Turning she saw Rory with another alien. He was standing behind it, obviously pinning its hands behind its back and the cake knife (so recently used to cut the five tiered cake) held to its throat. As Martha stared at this incongruous image, momentarily unable to make it fit (Rory had come off as a wouldn’t-hurt-a-fly type, and besides he'd told them he was a nurse), Amy ran forwards, tugging on River’s handbag.
“River! Handcuffs!”
“Of course dear,” River said absentmindedly, before pulling some out and handing them over, her attention on the still-living alien, who was now beginning to struggle, causing Rory to press the knife closer.
“Listen mate, I really don’t like killing things. Doesn’t mean I won’t or haven’t. I was a soldier for centuries and could kill you about twenty different ways even without the knife. So don't push your luck.”
Tish tugged at Martha’s arm, insistent, even more thrown than Martha herself.
“Martha - who are they? How do they...”
“Ponds,” the Doctor replied with immense pride and satisfaction, materialising behind them out of nowhere.
“They’re Ponds. My marvellous, magnificent, impossible Ponds.”
As Amy swiftly and competently attached the handcuffs, River’s next words were completely out of the left field, and stopped any further conversation.
“Well hello again,” she finally said, stepping forwards as her eyes trailed over the alien.
“You killed my wife!” it said, furious, and she tilted her head, utterly unconcerned.
“And I'm pretty sure I remember telling you that if I ever saw you again, I would kill you. Can't say you weren't warned.”
“Wait - you know each other?” Mickey asked, and River smiled.
“After a fashion... It was during my first ever dig, back when I was studying. We were on Blini-Gaar and found the lost Silver Tablets of Xorxo...”
The Doctor suddenly spoke up, excitement in his voice.
“Ooooh the Silver Tablets of Xorxo! You know I was there when-”
“Yes dear, I’m well aware,” River cut him off. “Anyway, news spread fast, and before you could say Raxicoricofallapatorious, we had pirates landing, wanting to steal them.”
“So what did you do?” Tish asked, their surroundings momentarily forgotten.
“Well I killed them obviously,” River said, as if this was the only logical outcome, then frowned. “Professor Pond - the leader of the dig - was not very pleased mind you. Although that might have been because her best trowel was the nearest weapon to hand - it got more than a little damaged by all the stabbing. Anyway, I let junior here go, since he was young and pretty, and I thought he might yet have a chance to change his ways.”
“I did! I reformed. I married. And then they murdered our children!”
“You came to an inhabited planet to spawn! A Level 5 planet no less! You know as well as I the rules that forbid that. Didn’t feel like jumping through all the hoops, did you? Can’t blame you for that, but you’ve got to be able to cope with the consequences. The Judoon would have executed you on the spot... Shall we save them the trip?”
A light cough, and she lowered the gun.
“I know, I know. But I’m not letting him go again...” Her eyes narrowed, and then she abruptly smiled, clearly pleased.
“You know, I just had a marvellous idea. What say you I take you to Stormcage?”
The alien seemed to blanch, then began protesting wildly.
“What’s Stormcage?” Martha’s mother asked, and River turned her head.
“Highest security prison in the universe. He won’t ever bother you again. Here, let me stun him for a while-” She changed the settings on the gun. “I’ve yet to dance with my husband, and after all, that is why we came. I’ll take this lowlife away later.”
So Martha and the Ponds moved the bodies - the dead one and the now unconscious one - as Mickey and the rest of the family tried to explain to the other guests just what had happened.
As the music tentatively started back up - the Doctor and River leading the dancing (and he could dance properly) and generally bringing everyone’s spirits back up - Martha retreated to a table near the back. She needed to be alone as she tried to come to terms with the fact that this was her fault. If it hadn’t been for River (and the other Ponds) most of her family would have been dead... And it was all because of her.
But then, what could she have done differently? There was no way she could have let the flesh-eating spawn go.
After a while, the party back in full swing, the Doctor came and sat beside her, gently patting her hand. He didn't need to say anything, but she knew what he understood. Or maybe she finally understood him...
~~~
Later.
There were goodbyes and hugs and admonitions to come visit more often. As River - prisoner in tow - kissed the Doctor goodbye, she suddenly laid a hand on his chest.
“Sweetie - be a darling and drop by Tigella and get some of that lovely juice? You know the one we got that time we stopped the Ruthanian Rebellion and caught the green pegasus?”
He scratched his head.
“Don’t we have plenty left?”
“Only one carton, and it’s gone off.”
“Surely-” he began, but she put a finger across his lips.
“Dearest I had a conversation with it yesterday. It’s off.”
“Oh,” he said, slightly put out, then added, worriedly: “Is it OK in the fridge?”
“Oh it’s perfectly happy,” she replied, “and I put a note on it to stop any of the strays from trying it.”
Martha’s eyes widened. “Oh my god! You really do call us strays!”
River turned to her, slightly nonplussed.
“Well it’s what the TARDIS calls you. It struck me as rather fitting...”
Then the Doctor gathered Amy and Rory up with a ‘Come along Ponds’, and River and her prisoner vanished in a flash of light.
Martha’s mother smiled as they watched the TARDIS dematerialise.
“Isn’t it lovely? I used to be rather worried how he coped out there on his own. And then he’s all married and happy and with lovely new Companions... Oh I really couldn’t wish for more.”
For a moment Martha could feel anger shimmering. ‘It’s not what you think', she wanted to say. 'River isn’t just his wife, she’s his killer, and she’s not just taking that alien to Stormcage, she’s going back herself. She’s Amy and Rory’s daughter, and she was stolen and abused and it’s all the Doctor’s fault. The price they’ve had to pay for their love of the Doctor makes mine fade into insignificance...’
Yet who was she to throw stones? Who was she to tear down hope and imagined bliss with harsh truths? Only serendipity had saved her own family today.
So she looked on the happiness and satisfaction on her mother’s face - and lied.
The End
(Previous chapters here in my memories for anyone who'd like to catch up. Or just follow the tags.)
Summary: In which River is enigmatic, Martha is frustrated, Mickey is intrigued and the Doctor... is a Pond. In which the Doctor dances, River is a Pond, and Martha is a Doctor.
Setting: Post-S6 (spoilers for everything aired so far, including First Night/Last Night and The Christmas Special).
Characters: Martha, Mickey, River, the Doctor (11), OCs, Martha's family, Amy, Rory.
Word count (this chapter): 2600 words approx.
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Dedication: For Promethia, because she understands me.
Epilogue
No one ever uttered the phrase ‘Bridezilla’, but it had definitely hung over Tish’s wedding preparations. Martha had tried her best to scale back on the perfectionism her sister was indulging in, but had in the end conceded that if the groom didn’t mind (he was the calmest person she had ever met, as well as a saint, apparently), she should probably just let things progress.
And indeed they eventually reached the big day, Tish happy as a clam as all her preparations were ready to come into their own. Somehow even the weather had decided to behave, and sunshine fell through the stained glass windows of the church in picture postcard perfection, as the music swelled, and Martha felt like she was in some kind of bubble of happiness.
Her big sister was getting married to a truly wonderful man (whose family was just as sweet and charming as he was himself), her own family was all getting along (both the trauma and the older issues fading), and she grasped Mickey’s arm with sudden vigour. He didn’t say a word, just caught her eyes, and she knew that he felt the same... Although she should probably pay attention and not get lost in thought. She didn’t want to miss a thing.
The vicar smiled as the music faded and did her welcoming speech before launching into the rite.
“Is there anyone here present-” she began, the words familiar from a hundred films and sitcoms, and Martha wondered how the characters in those situations always timed their actions to coincide with this very moment.
But then there was the sound of creaky, old doors suddenly bursting open, as a loud, inimitable voice rang out clear as day.
“Now I’m sure this is the right church. There was glitch last time, I heard it quite clearly, I need to fix the time rotor properly...”
The voice tapered off as the entire congregation slowly turned to stare at the newcomers. Martha turned last, her heart heavy.
She had often, in the months gone by, wondered how she would view the Doctor from now on... She had lost her hero, but what would he be replaced with? As she took in the sight that greeted her, she could feel his new identity assert itself with irrevocable finality in her mind: There was no doubt about it - he was every inch an embarrassing uncle. An embarrassing uncle with terrible timing.
Although at least he was dressed for the occasion, she had to give him that.
No tweed this time - he was flawlessly decked out in a tux and top hat and certainly looked the part of wedding guest, a stunning River Song on his arm. With him were a young couple - a beautiful, if rather fierce-looking, redheaded girl and a young man who looked as if he wished the ground would open up and swallow him. Martha liked him immediately.
“We’re late!” the red-head hissed, slapping the Doctor’s arm. “Why are you always late?”
Realising that she was the one who had to deal with the situation, Martha took a deep breath and walked down the aisle, smiling at Tish’s in-laws-to-be with a reassurance she didn’t feel, as she whispered ‘Old family friends - a little eccentric. We weren’t sure they’d come...’
(Because they hadn’t been invited... But then, how did you send a wedding invitation into time and space?)
The Doctor, however, beamed at her, and waved to the rest of the family.
“Hello Martha! We’ve come for the wedding - sorry about barging in, the TARDIS was having a few engine troubles... Tish, you look amazing!”
Martha tried smiling back.
“So... you’ve not come because of an alien invasion and no one here is actually some kind of intergalactic master criminal who wants to get at you or...”
”Nope - we’re here for the dancing!” he replied, before bringing out his sonic and sweeping the crowd, then studying it with a flourish.
“Just in case... And - you’re all very much human. Well more or less. Nothing to worry about, certainly.”
“OK,” she said, faint with relief. “Um, if you’d take a seat...”
The wedding itself proceeded without any further glitches, although afterwards the Doctor rather stunned most of the guests by doling out hugs and kisses to everyone, as he busily introduced himself and his companions. The young couple turned out to be Amy and Rory Pond, and Martha with a shock realised that they must be River’s parents... She didn’t let on, as she wasn’t sure how much they wanted to divulge to strangers, but she still marvelled.
Her mother, of course, was utterly delighted when the Doctor introduced River.
“Oh but Doctor, why did you never tell us that you were getting married? We would have loved to have been there!” she scolded, and River laughed.
“Well, it was rather a... rushed ceremony, truth be told - in the middle of a war zone.”
The Doctor nodded thoughtfully.
“With enemies descending on all sides. Her parents were the witnesses and that was pretty much it... Didn’t really have the time to invite anyone.”
“Not exactly what I dreamed of when I was little,” River said pointedly, and the Doctor shot her a look which made Martha shiver in the sunshine. (No, she did not want his love...)
“Are you sure?” he said, voice dusky and low and dangerous, causing River’s eyes to blaze with unspeakable things, but before Martha could even begin to attempt to untangle this web, Tish (only catching part of the conversation ) cut in.
“In the middle of a war zone? Oh my god - you see Martha, this is why I planned everything so carefully...”
She then turned to the Doctor with equal parts affection and exasperation.
“But what will I do about four more guests?”
River reached out, eyes still sparkling.
“Don’t worry, we have a time machine. We can even have the party first and then go back and retroactively sort out any issues that crop up. Like Bill and Ted...”
Tish gazed at River with a look that could possibly have made her new husband jealous if he’d noticed.
~~~
As the day wore on Martha began hoping that maybe Daleks wouldn’t suddenly invade yelling about the Time War, or cybermen stomp through the doors, or any other aliens from a thousand different species that held a grudge. The Doctor had too many skeletons in his cupboard for comfort...
Instead there was lovely food and fabulous conversation (Amy and Rory had been seated next to Martha and Mickey, and they had entirely too much fun comparing stories), as well as music and dancing (and the Doctor’s dancing was... embarrassing uncle squared). All told, it was as perfect a wedding day as could be hoped for.
It wasn’t until things were beginning to wind down a little - Mickey was dancing with Tish and telling her goodness knew what, she kept giggling - that all of Martha’s misgivings came to fruition... And yet it wasn’t at all what she’d expected.
There was a collective gasp, the music quelled with a sideways squeak, and then a cold, harsh, alien voice spoke.
“Martha Jones!”
She turned, and saw an alien - blue and yellow and with eyes as black as the night, looking very much like the nest of terrifying flesh eating spawn they’d destroyed last month - holding a gun to Mickey’s head.
“You destroyed my children, Martha Jones. Now behold as I destroy that which you love!”
She couldn’t breathe. She couldn’t move. All she could do was stare into Mickey’s terrified eyes, knowing that this was what loss was like. Nothing in her life, nothing in the entirety of the Master’s reign, had come close to this.
Then a shot rang out and for a blind split-second Martha’s world was in ruins. But then the alien fell down, as Mickey staggered, unharmed.
Looking around, shocked, Martha saw River, gun in one hand and open handbag in the other, slowly turning to look at her.
“Told you I can shoot faster than you can think,” she said smugly, and all Martha could do was whisper an entirely inadequate ‘Thank you’ before running to her husband, ignoring the outbursts and the questions and the panic which was retro-actively setting in. She just needed to hold her Mickey and know that he was alive.
It wasn’t until a few moments later, when she’d double-checked that he was OK, and faintly began to be aware of the noise around her (including her sister’s tearful anger and shock) that she heard a hesitating voice.
“Um... excuse me... But could I maybe have a little help?”
Turning she saw Rory with another alien. He was standing behind it, obviously pinning its hands behind its back and the cake knife (so recently used to cut the five tiered cake) held to its throat. As Martha stared at this incongruous image, momentarily unable to make it fit (Rory had come off as a wouldn’t-hurt-a-fly type, and besides he'd told them he was a nurse), Amy ran forwards, tugging on River’s handbag.
“River! Handcuffs!”
“Of course dear,” River said absentmindedly, before pulling some out and handing them over, her attention on the still-living alien, who was now beginning to struggle, causing Rory to press the knife closer.
“Listen mate, I really don’t like killing things. Doesn’t mean I won’t or haven’t. I was a soldier for centuries and could kill you about twenty different ways even without the knife. So don't push your luck.”
Tish tugged at Martha’s arm, insistent, even more thrown than Martha herself.
“Martha - who are they? How do they...”
“Ponds,” the Doctor replied with immense pride and satisfaction, materialising behind them out of nowhere.
“They’re Ponds. My marvellous, magnificent, impossible Ponds.”
As Amy swiftly and competently attached the handcuffs, River’s next words were completely out of the left field, and stopped any further conversation.
“Well hello again,” she finally said, stepping forwards as her eyes trailed over the alien.
“You killed my wife!” it said, furious, and she tilted her head, utterly unconcerned.
“And I'm pretty sure I remember telling you that if I ever saw you again, I would kill you. Can't say you weren't warned.”
“Wait - you know each other?” Mickey asked, and River smiled.
“After a fashion... It was during my first ever dig, back when I was studying. We were on Blini-Gaar and found the lost Silver Tablets of Xorxo...”
The Doctor suddenly spoke up, excitement in his voice.
“Ooooh the Silver Tablets of Xorxo! You know I was there when-”
“Yes dear, I’m well aware,” River cut him off. “Anyway, news spread fast, and before you could say Raxicoricofallapatorious, we had pirates landing, wanting to steal them.”
“So what did you do?” Tish asked, their surroundings momentarily forgotten.
“Well I killed them obviously,” River said, as if this was the only logical outcome, then frowned. “Professor Pond - the leader of the dig - was not very pleased mind you. Although that might have been because her best trowel was the nearest weapon to hand - it got more than a little damaged by all the stabbing. Anyway, I let junior here go, since he was young and pretty, and I thought he might yet have a chance to change his ways.”
“I did! I reformed. I married. And then they murdered our children!”
“You came to an inhabited planet to spawn! A Level 5 planet no less! You know as well as I the rules that forbid that. Didn’t feel like jumping through all the hoops, did you? Can’t blame you for that, but you’ve got to be able to cope with the consequences. The Judoon would have executed you on the spot... Shall we save them the trip?”
A light cough, and she lowered the gun.
“I know, I know. But I’m not letting him go again...” Her eyes narrowed, and then she abruptly smiled, clearly pleased.
“You know, I just had a marvellous idea. What say you I take you to Stormcage?”
The alien seemed to blanch, then began protesting wildly.
“What’s Stormcage?” Martha’s mother asked, and River turned her head.
“Highest security prison in the universe. He won’t ever bother you again. Here, let me stun him for a while-” She changed the settings on the gun. “I’ve yet to dance with my husband, and after all, that is why we came. I’ll take this lowlife away later.”
So Martha and the Ponds moved the bodies - the dead one and the now unconscious one - as Mickey and the rest of the family tried to explain to the other guests just what had happened.
As the music tentatively started back up - the Doctor and River leading the dancing (and he could dance properly) and generally bringing everyone’s spirits back up - Martha retreated to a table near the back. She needed to be alone as she tried to come to terms with the fact that this was her fault. If it hadn’t been for River (and the other Ponds) most of her family would have been dead... And it was all because of her.
But then, what could she have done differently? There was no way she could have let the flesh-eating spawn go.
After a while, the party back in full swing, the Doctor came and sat beside her, gently patting her hand. He didn't need to say anything, but she knew what he understood. Or maybe she finally understood him...
~~~
Later.
There were goodbyes and hugs and admonitions to come visit more often. As River - prisoner in tow - kissed the Doctor goodbye, she suddenly laid a hand on his chest.
“Sweetie - be a darling and drop by Tigella and get some of that lovely juice? You know the one we got that time we stopped the Ruthanian Rebellion and caught the green pegasus?”
He scratched his head.
“Don’t we have plenty left?”
“Only one carton, and it’s gone off.”
“Surely-” he began, but she put a finger across his lips.
“Dearest I had a conversation with it yesterday. It’s off.”
“Oh,” he said, slightly put out, then added, worriedly: “Is it OK in the fridge?”
“Oh it’s perfectly happy,” she replied, “and I put a note on it to stop any of the strays from trying it.”
Martha’s eyes widened. “Oh my god! You really do call us strays!”
River turned to her, slightly nonplussed.
“Well it’s what the TARDIS calls you. It struck me as rather fitting...”
Then the Doctor gathered Amy and Rory up with a ‘Come along Ponds’, and River and her prisoner vanished in a flash of light.
Martha’s mother smiled as they watched the TARDIS dematerialise.
“Isn’t it lovely? I used to be rather worried how he coped out there on his own. And then he’s all married and happy and with lovely new Companions... Oh I really couldn’t wish for more.”
For a moment Martha could feel anger shimmering. ‘It’s not what you think', she wanted to say. 'River isn’t just his wife, she’s his killer, and she’s not just taking that alien to Stormcage, she’s going back herself. She’s Amy and Rory’s daughter, and she was stolen and abused and it’s all the Doctor’s fault. The price they’ve had to pay for their love of the Doctor makes mine fade into insignificance...’
Yet who was she to throw stones? Who was she to tear down hope and imagined bliss with harsh truths? Only serendipity had saved her own family today.
So she looked on the happiness and satisfaction on her mother’s face - and lied.
The End