The Talk

Chapter Seven: P.S.

Disclaimer: Not mine, never mine etc etc.

Author's Note: So here we are again. This is going to be my final instalment for this little mini series and I am so so grateful to all of you who reviewed/favourited/read this story, especially as the updates were so sporadic. So this is based on the 'P.S.' cartoon thingy written post-Pond departure but is kinda my own spin on it. Hope you enjoy…

The Doctor sighed deeply as he leant against the wall, looking up at the house with the blue door that he had once known so well. He would not go any closer, not intrude on the lives of the people who now lived here because they knew nothing of the wonderful couple he had once bought this house for or the reason the two of them could never return to this place. No, he would not step inside, would not knock on that door the way he had done so many times before, he would not look through the windows to see the new furniture or the redecoration. He would simply stand here, just for a moment or two longer, and pretend that his old friends were still inside awaiting their next adventure together.

"Oh it's you!" An old man laughed jovially as he opened the door, making the Doctor jump and look round guiltily. "Well come on in then!"

"B-Brian?" The Doctor stammered as he staggered up the path towards the house.

"Well of course. Who were you expecting, the Queen?" He laughed again as he shut the door behind the bewildered Doctor.

"But what are you doing here?" The Doctor asked, wide-eyed, as he gazed around the house he now found himself inside.

"Keeping those plants watered, like I said, Doctor." Brian smiled kindly as he patted the Doctor on the arm.

"But… you do know…" The Doctor began in a panic. It was ten years on, he'd made sure of it. Ten years since Amy and Rory had left this place never to come back. Surely Brain knew what had happened. He couldn't be the one, he couldn't tell him that news. He could barely speak those words aloud let alone inflict that painful knowledge on someone else.

"Oh yes, I know." Brain nodded as the Doctor breathed a sigh of relief.

"So what are you doing here still? If you know they're… not coming back." The Doctor swallowed a lump in this throat as he spat out those last words.

"Well I figured someone ought to make use of the place, so I moved in. Makes me feel closer to them some how." Brian sighed as he absentmindedly stroked the table they stood next to. "Silly, I know." He added hastily.

"Not at all silly. Why do you think I'm here?" The Doctor grinned sheepishly.

"Sentimental fools, the pair of us." Brain smiled sadly.

"Brain, I'm so very-" The Doctor began. He felt tears sting his eyes as he tried to apologise for what he'd taken from this man, from this house- what he'd lost forever.

"Hush now." He said kindly. "We'll have none of that. Let's make us a cup of tea."

The Doctor nodded shakily as he followed Brain into the kitchen where he watched in silence as the man he'd never taken the time to get to know well enough poured their drinks.

"So how did you find out?" The Doctor asked finally as they sat at the small table facing each other.

"Got a letter, delivered by my grandson no less." Brain beamed.

"Grandson?" The Doctor repeated in shock, gulping down his mouthful of hot tea to stop from spitting it everywhere in surprise.

"Oh yes. Lovely man. We get together to play Bridge once a week. The stories he tells- it's almost like they're still here." Brain paused for a moment, gazing into the distance at the memories only he could see. "Oh that reminds me! Got one for you."

"One for me?" The Doctor gasped. "One what for me?"

"A letter of course." Brain heaved himself up from the chair and walked across to the dresser in the corner and began rifling through the drawers.

"You mean the afterward from Amy?" The Doctor asked, trying to hide his disappointment that he'd already read and memorised a long time ago this letter that Brian clearly thought would interest him.

"Oh no, not that. This one's from Rory. I can tell by the writing… Ah! Here we go!" Brian announced triumphantly

"R-Rory?" The Doctor gaped. "But why is Rory writing to me?"

"Well there's an easy way to find that out." Brian nodded as he sat back down, gently pushing the envelope across the table to the Doctor. "It won't bite, I promise."

The Doctor gulped hard as he looked down at the aged, brown envelope that he held in his shaking hands. He was acutely aware of Brian's eyes boring into him and so, because he didn't want to come across as more of a sentimental idiot than he was all ready doing, he ripped open the envelope quickly and pulled out the letter- scanning the contents and trying to remember to breathe.

Dear Doctor,

I hope you haven't waited too long before coming to the point that you came to our old house and got given this letter. If you're still moping about on your own and missing us then, please, stop. I know that you'll have read Amy's afterward by now so I'm not going to spend time reassuring you that we are indeed together and happy but instead I am asking you to get on with the rest of your life. Not because you have to but because you want to. There are still so many new worlds out there that you have to explore, civilizations that are counting on you to save them, ridiculous headwear for you to appropriate. You have new friends to make and a wife to show the stars to.

That, I suppose, is the real reason why I'm writing to you. If I know you (which I think I can say I do by now) you'll have spent the last however long until you wound up at our door moping, drifting from place to place and cursing the laws of time that took your best friend from you. I understand. But I know you'll also have barely given River a second thought because you've been so caught up with your grief and she'll have told you she's fine and put on a brave smile. She's not fine. She's lost her parents and her best friends. Look after her.

I am aware that she's a fully-grown woman who is more than capable of shooting any living creature that annoys her but she is also the baby that I held in my arms for too short a time and the girl I grew up with who I watched fight back the tears when she was bullied until her skin grew tough and she learnt to get the first word in. We can never come back for her, never look after her in the way we should have if things had only worked out differently, and now you're all she has. So you better be more than enough.

I know you love her and you'll look after her. I'm trusting you with the most precious thing to me: I'm trusting you with my daughter. And just you remember- I waited 2000 years for Amy. You mess this up and you better believe I'll find a way to get to you and kick your arse.

Lots of Love,

Rory

P.S. Amy says if you leave River waiting for twelve years you'll be the one needing the four psychiatrists!

The Doctor looked up and shook his head slightly in shock. He didn't know whether to laugh or cry. In the end he let a small giggle escape his lips at the ridiculous nature of the situation. They were fine, they were happy and content enough and sending him threats through time and space. Only the Ponds.

"So…" Brian spoke finally, pulling the Doctor out of his thoughts and back to reality. "I hear you're married to my granddaughter. Maybe we should have a talk about that."

The Doctor groaned as he sipped his now-lukewarm tea. Here we go again.

The End.

(p.s. I like reviews I do)