London, England June 9, 2002

Rose is sixteen by now. I go to her window for the tenth time and I watch her. She looks so much like she did when I first met her all those years ago. And now it's time to get back to Amy. I left her in the Van Gogh exhibition at the art gallery. I am pretty sure she's safe but not a hundred percent. Maybe ninety percent, possibly seventy percent, you know what, let's just say eighty. I mean we did just go see Vincent Van Gogh and we fought a brutal monster that you can't see and her husband just died then never existed. Yep perfectly fine. I run to the TARDIS.

"I'm coming Pond!"

***

"Doctor, I'm fine. I said you could trust me and you can."

"I know I can trust you but..." I look at her. It's wrong to leave her after what happened to Rory. She grew up with a crack in the universe, two parts of time that should have never touched, a fracture in all of time and space, right in her bedroom wall. That's what made Rory nothing but a memory. As a time traveler, Time Lord nonetheless, I can remember things that don't exist like people and places.

Rory. Sometimes Amy can remember, but it is too hard for her to remember Rory.

Amy looks into my eyes. "Doctor, when we were walking to the church, Vincent said I had lost someone. I didn't know what he was talking about but then... he said I was crying. I was so confused but when I touched my cheek I felt tears. My tears. For a moment I wasn't so confused, but then I forgot why I was sad again."

"Oh Pond, there is a lot of things we don't remember, even right after thinking about them."

"No, but Doctor, I was sad. Sadder than I've ever been in my life but I don't know why. Doctor why was I crying?" she asks me furiously.

"I don't know," I lie. It is too painful for me to tell her. For her to remember. There's already so many things that make her life unsensible. Rory will just be yet another thing that made it so.

"No, you're lying." She shakes her head. "You know something. You know why I was crying! Why was I sad? What happened? Who did I lose? Why won't you tell me?"

"I promise I would tell you if I could, but right now Amy I can't! Now get in the TARDIS, I'm taking you home!" Amy is taken aback by the harshness in my voice.

"But Doctor!"

"Now, Amy," She storms off into the TARDIS. I know she's not doing anything wrong but I can't tell her what she wants to know. I can never tell her. I never had to hide anything from Rose... But she's gone now with me in another universe. Happy. But I had pushed her away. I need to see her one last time, but not now.

***

Rory's back! I just rebooted the entire universe by flying into my exploding TARDIS and survived, while also discovering Rory turned into a Roman after dying and I did this all in time for Amy' and Rory's wedding. Then I changed the life of Kazran, an elderly man that reminds me a lot of Scrooge. I think Amy's favourite part was getting Rory back, not that I blame her. Anyway, I saved the lives of so many people and changed Kazran's life. Rose would have been proud. She always changed people's lives, once she changed the life of a Dalek, and that's hard to do. Even I couldn't do that, not that I've tried or anything like that. Albeit Rose could ha-. No I'm not going yet. I can't.

'Could you do it? Could you do this? Think about it, Doctor. One last day with your beloved. Which day would you choose?' Kazran had said that about his love.

Rose. Not today. Not yet. I just can't.

I won't.

***

Okay. I need to get back to River, whom I just married, and my in-laws...Oh great, I'm never gonna get used to that. Anyway, I hope River told Rory and Amy that I'm alive. Oh no, now River's going to make me do husband stuff like... well I don't know, but I know I don't want to do it. I was married to Queen Elizabeth I... that was a mistake, but that whole experience is pretty hazy, this is going to last a longer time.

***

Good news! River did tell Rory and Amy I survived.

I came to see them for Christmas dinner. Turns out they had waited two years for me. Right now I'm in their bedroom looking at their photographs of them and River. I spot a picture of River as a newborn and pick it up. I remember that day. Amy will be calling me downstairs any minute now. I didn't tell her I came up here. She thinks I just went to the restroom.

"Doctor, I'm waiting!" yells Amy.

"Very funny Amy!" I yell back. She's never gonna let me live that down.

Once Rory and I left her on Apalapucia, the number two destination for the discerning intergalactical traveler, because of a disease that would kill me in a day. I had told her to leave me a sign to where she was and she did: she used her lipstick on a metal door bearing the words 'Doctor I'm waiting!'

I step into the kitchen to help with the dishes.

"Hello Sweetie," River says as I come closer. When she does she looks like she is about to kiss me but instead she slaps me.

"Ow!" I shriek, flailing my arms around to emphasize the pain.

"That took you long enough!" she scolds.

"Sorry!"

"Oi, you too. Watch it," Amy says as she points at the both of us. She is carrying a dirty pan that held the turkey see had made for Christmas dinner. "Now out of the way!" she says as she puts it in the sink.

"Sorry Amelia," I say sheepishly, glaring at River.

"Just stop fighting." she says. River chuckles under her breath. "You too." Amy gives her a look and River darts her eyes away from her mother. Surprisingly, I see her mouth flicker into somewhat of a smile.

I stare at her curly golden hair until Rory comes into the room.

"What's happened?" He looks at me. "Okay, what did he do now?"

"Nothing," I retort, offended. Amy and River scoff.

"Uh-huh." Amy says sarcastically under her breath. She turns back to the sink. Rory walks over to her and kisses her gently on the cheek. He then whispers something inaudible and her entire face lights up and she chuckles.

This. This is the life I want to have. With them.

"Alright," Amy looks at me. She takes off the white and green oven mitt she's wearing. "We have a little surprise for you."

I look to River for an answer but it doesn't come, she just smiles and follows her parents into the den. When I first walk in I see a big navy blue box with a white bow.

"What's inside?" I ask, grinning like a child on Christmas. Two out of three, not bad. I am grinning. It is Christmas. But I am not a child.

"Uh-uh," Amy wags a finger at me. "Open it first. We've already had to wait two years for you to open it, so you're not going to spoil it." She's right. They've probably waited two Christmases for me to get this. "We wrapped it while you were in our bedroom," She gives me a look a mother would to a young child when they misbehave.

"You knew?" I ask, surprised.

"Of course we knew." She lowers her voice to a whisper. "You're really noisy." She smiles.

I take the distraction to ask again. "What's inside?""

River's right. You are a twelve year old," Amy jokes. "Don't ask again. Open it!"

I look at River, who is failing to hide her enormous smile. What could it be to evoke such behavior? From River nonetheless.

I sit down beside River and Amy. Then I carefully remove the delicate bow and place it in one of my inside pockets.

"Why're you doing that?" Amy asks, but before I can answer River replies.

"He's preserving the memory of this moment." She winks at me. "And he has a good reason to do so." Her smile gets even brighter.

I open it to find a TARDIS-blue bow tie with the words 'Bow Ties are Cool' sewn into the fabric with yellow thread. I reach deeper into the box and see a bright red fez with ebony black tassels.

I lean over and give Amy a hug around her neck. "Thank you," I say to her with great sincerity. She hugs me back.

"This is nice," she says. "But it was Rory's idea." I give him a hug too.

"That's good. You're cool. Romans are cool."

River bursts into laughter. "Don't worry River, you're cool too." I hug her as well. She laughs even harder. "You see, this is the perfect Christmas," I say.

"No," Amy yawns. "This is the perfect family." Soon after she falls asleep next to Rory and I.

She's right.

Rory picks her up and carries her to their bedroom.

"Night River. Night Doctor," he says.

"Night Dad. Merry Christmas."

He smiles at his daughter. "Merry Christmas."

"Night Rory."

"Good night."

He continues his way up the stairs to their room.

After a few minutes River comes closer and hands me a card. "Here, Sweetie."

The card is pale yellow. When I open it I see a picture, obviously drawn by Amy when she was little, taped to the second page. It doesn't say anything in particular, just a few, incredibly meaningful words, written by each of them. The first one is written by River.

Wonderful

Mad

The second one is written by Amy. The last word is written by Rory.

Dangerous

I smile at that last one. That's one of the first things he said about me. At the bottom there are short but significant messages, also written by all of them in the same order except the last sentence:

Merry Christmas Sweetie

My raggedy Doctor

You make my life... exciting

And then:

Love Team TARDIS,

River, Amy, and Rory XOXO

That was a joke I made a long time ago. I didn't think they remembered it. 'Team TARDIS'.

"Thank you," I say quietly.

"You're welcome, Sweetie." River smiles and then leans in and kisses me.

Soon after I fall into a peaceful dreamless sleep beside her.

***

Christmas has long since passed by and I haven't seen River or the Ponds in awhile. No reason really, just things got in the way. Hope they're still alright.

I'm in the TARDIS right now and I'm back to thinking about my past. Wonder how it would have turned out if the Kaleds weren't turned into Daleks in the first place. I know it's cruel of me to think such things but I continue anyway. They would have lost the Time War. Heck, there might not have been a "Time War." They might have died at the battle of Skaro. Timelords may still exist. But who would I be without them? Without making the choice to- No I won't think about that. Something else. Please. I then realize what that "something else," is. I have to do this. I have to be able to move on.

I glance at the ever-present photo of Rose and I when I was my ninth incarnation of myself. It's time.

"I'm coming for you Rose."

When I step outside, I see Rose. I pick up a newspaper abandoned on the snowy ground. December 9, 2004. So close. This has to be my last time coming. I see Rose walking by so I walk towards her but I'm interrupted...

"Hello mister," I look down to see a young boy standing beside me.

"Hello," I say. "What's your name?"

"Henry," he answers. He has brownish-gold hair and honey colored eyes. He looks about nine years old. His hair is laying gently across his forehead and freckles cross from his cheeks over the bridge of his nose.

"Hello Henry."

"Hello, who are you?" he asks.

I smile. "I'm the Doctor."

"That's a funny name."

"Yes it is." He smiles at me.

"Is that your box?" he asks me.

"Yes."

"Do you sleep in it?"

"Wh-why would I do that?" I ask with mock offence.

"Do you?" he insists.

"Okay, fine, Yes, maybe..."

"Wow." He smiles. "Can I see inside?"

I smile and let him in.

"You alright mate?" I turn to see Rose talking to me. I smile at her.

"Eh, uh, yeah," I reply.

She smiles. "Alright see ya," she turns to leave. After she leaves I look up at the night sky. Rose.

This. This is what I get for messing with time. But this is my last time.

After a few minutes of awkward silence,- people are very suspicious when a young boy goes into a small box, accompanied by a stranger, and don't come back out after a few seconds- Henry comes back outside, thanks me, and heads back to his home. I quickly go back to my own time.