HOW I MET YOUR FATHER
Not long after Martha's and Mickey's wedding things began to change. Amy seemed to sleep less and was easily irritable, Rory worked longer hours to pay for the wedding, and Jack had been acting rather odd as well but the real change? The actual dramatic change? Well that started on a normal, unremarkable day… "Hey," Amy greeted Rose. "''lo," Rose mumbled exhausted. It had been a long and difficult day in the office. Her boss was a nightmare, and a pig, and a general egotistic jerk. "Good day?" Amy shrugged. "You?" "Terrible." "Oh good," Amy said distractedly, "could you do me a favour?" "Depends," Rose replied warily. "I need a ride to Stevenage." "Can't Rory do it?" Rose whined. "NO!" Amy yelled. Rose looked taken back and Amy smiled sheepishly. "Sorry…it's just, err, well he's at work for starters, and I don't really want him to know." "Wedding stuff?" "Something like that, yeah." Rose looked like she was about to argue so Amy pulled out the pouty lips and big eyed look that always won with Rory and would certainly weaken Rose's resolve. After all it was this look that convinced Rose it was a great idea to flat share with Rory, and to go to all those parties, and to see her really crap play that one time, but it won't work. Not this time. She wasn't going to give in this time. She was tired, grumpy, and really needed a cup of tea, and therefore was not going to do any road trips. No way. Nuh-huh. Not in a million – She gave in. She wasn't even sure what happened. One moment she was refusing the wide-eyed pleading Amy, and the next she was in her car heading towards the M25. She was certain Amy knew witchcraft. "So why exactly are we going to Stevenage?" Rose asked once more. "Just for something," Amy evaded. "Amy." "What?" "I'm your best friend," Rise said patiently as possible, "I've known you for nine years, I know all of your tells, and I know you're lying to me. Why are we going to Stevenage?" Amy sighed. "You know that I haven't been sleeping well?" "Yeah…" "Well I've been passing the time by doing all sorts, you know reading, work, playing computer games – I once got the high score on that download of Tetris you have on your laptop." "That was you?!" Rose shouted disbelievingly. "I blamed Rory for that!" Rory had to deal with Rose at her most grumpiest for two days until she finally, after wasting hours of her life that she will never get back, topped that horrible high score. "Why do you think I used his initials?" Amy smirked but it faded quickly. "Anyway, one night I was researching some drama stuff, and I found a group, amateur stuff but they're doing a tour round the country, they'll even be going to Edinburgh for the Edinburgh Show! And I thought…well it was too good of an opportunity to give up." "Amy," Rose cried out exasperated. "You're getting married in two months! You won't be able to go on a tour round the country in the summer." "I know, I know," Amy said hastily, "but I needed to do this. I'm not like you Rose, I haven't accomplished my dream." "You think designing the trees for my boss' model is my dream?" Rose raised a sarcastic eyebrow. "You know what I mean," Amy rolled her eyes, "you're an architect. You made it. But I haven't, I skipped the good part of my career and gone to the dead end of it all. I'm not an actress. I haven't been in anything since my last performance at Uni and I…I need to know I can pass an audition. I need to know if I'm good still." "I understand that I do," Rose started sympathetically, "we all thought you were going to make it big. Rory believed it more than anyone, and we were all sad to see you go straight from Uni into a teaching course, and then straight into a teaching job, all for the sake of helping us pay rent for the flat….but you can't do something like this. Join a local amateur group, take some sick days and audition for the West End, or sign up for one of those rubbish reality talent shows to land you an acting career, but don't ruin what is the best thing in your life." She took a deep breath and sighed heavily. "I'm sorry," Rose finished, "but you need to tell Rory." Amy sighed. "Fine, can we stop at a service station and get a cuppa first? I need something." "Fine," Rose rolled her eyes. They drove in silence even when Rose found a service station that had a Costa Coffee in it. Rose eyed Amy from the corner of her eyes worriedly as she pulled in, Amy expressed absolutely nothing so when Rose had just parked the car, and was about to get out, it was a bit of a shock when Amy suddenly shoved her out, locked the doors on her, and then, despite Rose banging on the window and shouting abuse at her so called best friend, she drove off. She bloody drove off and abandoned Rose at a random service station in the middle of the M25! Rose couldn't fucking believe it! "AMY! AMY!" Rose fumbled for her phone, angrily jabbed at her buttons, and then waited for the phone to be picked up. Leave your message after the beep. "Amy, this is Rose, you know your best friend you abandoned on the motorway? I'm just calling you to tell you that I am going to kill you. And in case you don't get this I will be sending a text message as well." After she angrily jabbed at her keyboard, she sent a very threatening text, and then instantly called her new best friend. "Rory I need a ride." "Sure, but can it wait till I finish my shift?" Rory asked sweetly. "I only have an hour left." "Yeah," Rose said gratefully, "I'm out on the M25 and-" "Sorry Rose, my supervisor wants a ward," Rory interrupted. There was a pause and she impatiently shifted her phone from one hand to the other and kicked a can that someone had just chucked on the ground with no consideration to the environment. "I've just been asked to do some overtime, and you know we need the money for the big day, couldn't ask Amy to pick you up? She has the keys to my car." There is a pause as Rose ponders how to inform Rory it was his so called delightful fiancée that had abandoned Rose realised what a terrible idea it was to phone Rory. "Never mind!" she shouted quickly. "I'll call someone else." Hurriedly she hangs up and jabs hastily at the buttons to ring the next person on her list of potential heroes. "River I need you to pick me up from the M25-" "No can do sweetie," her friend purred. "You know that if I have one rule, just one rule, it's to never leave London unless it is something exciting and exotic." "But-" "No," River interrupted coolly. "Now go away I have an essay due tomorrow that I haven't finished "But I need-" River hung up on her. The bloody cow that calls herself Rose's friend, just hung up on her! Oh if Rose gets her hands on that girl… There was only one person left and, best of all, she knew he wouldn't ask why she needed a ride. Without hesitation she dials Jack's number. DWDWDWDWDW Jack had been very much prepared to go to every service station in order to find Rose. Fortunately though he didn't need to since she was at the third service stations he went to. With a huge grin on his face he parked smoothly, and pressed the button to unwind the window down. "Need a ride, beautiful?" he asked in his best flirtatious voice. The pretty blonde turned round to reveal that she wasn't Rose. "Sorry," she smirked, "I have my own but I can give you my number." "Err…" Jack wasn't sure how to gently turn this girl down without coming across as a complete arsehole but once again luck was on his side as Rose came to his own rescue. "Jack!" she cried out ecstatically. She ran past the blonde, causing her to huff in irritation and storm off, and eagerly got in the car. She greeted Jack with one of the biggest and warmest hugs he has ever had in his life. "Thank God you came, I thought I was going to have to book a room here." "As if I could let you stay in an overpriced poor quality franchise hotel mere miles away from your home," Jack shook his head, "besides I don't abandon my friends." "Well it's good to know one of my friends have that philosophy," Rose muttered darkly. "Care to fill me in sweetheart?" "Ah…Amy sort of ran off with my car and left me here," Rose admitted sheepishly, "we had a bit of a fight." "What about?" "Promised not to say." Jack peered at her admiringly until the car behind them beeped angrily he had caused a bit of a traffic jam on the exit lane for the service stations. With the faintest of blushes (for he doesn't embarrass easily unlike some) he quickly moved into action before he caused any more traffic issues. "Let me get this straight," Jack said, "Amy abandoned you in the middle of nowhere so to speak, and you're still going to keep her secret?" "Uhuh." Jack whistled. "You're a better person than most." "I'm not!" Rose flushed. "You are too," Jack argued. "Am not." "Are too." "Am not." "Are too." "Am not." "Are too." "Am not." "Are too." "Am not." "Are too." "Am not." "Are too." "Am not." "Are too." "Am not." "Are too." "Am not." "Are too." "Am not." "Are too." "Am not." "Are too." I'm not going to lie Kids, this childish argument carried on till we reached the outskirts of London…so yeah about forty minutes almost. "You are so!" Jack changed the words of his argument abruptly. "God, Rose, why is it so hard for you to take a compliment? You are the best. The best friend anyone could have, the best person to be with, you're so funny, intelligent, and kind, and you're the best good looking girl." "Really?" Rose questioned bitterly. "I'm the best?" Jack nodded as he had to focus a little on road, some idiot just drove out without any consideration. "If that's the case then why the hell did you reject me nine months ago?" "Because I'm an idiot!" Jack snapped. "What?" "I'm an idiot," Jack repeated softly, "I've been utterly blind. Completely stupid. It took seeing you at the wedding to realise…" "Realise what?" Rose prodded gently. Her heart was hammering hard in her chest and her hopes were swelling up to dizzying heights. She had tried to move on from him. God knows she tried, perhaps not as hard as River would have liked, and certainly not well enough to see a bloke more than a handful of dates. If Jack was going to say anything less than a confession…if this was her getting her hopes up stupidly, then she wasn't sure if she could cope with another rejection from him. This was it. Their last chance. "That I love you," Jack whispered. He dangerously risked looking at Rose properly and declared himself much louder. "I love you, Rose Tyler." Rose bit back the instinct to reply, throw her arms round him, and snog the living daylights out of him, and instead merely smiled. "We should get back home," she said. "Oh," Jack looked disappointed, "right. Of course. Yeah I understand." "Well I say home," Rose played with her hair coyly, "I mean your place. That way there's no one to interrupt us." Jack blinked. "You mean…?" "Well I can't just show you how much I love you back in a car while you're driving!" Rose squawked a little. "I'm not some bloody cheap whore!" Jack chuckled but he shot her one last scorching and very serious smouldering look before he really put his foot on the pedal. After all they had nine months of being idiots to make up for. DWDWDWDWDW Amy got back in before Rory did, fortunately. Unfortunately there seemed to be no sign of Rose and she swallowed back her guilt in order to act normal as possible. "Hey," Rory greeted her with a peck on her cheek. "Good day?" "Yeah," Amy lied brightly, "you?" "Not particularly," Rory shrugged his coat off, and wandered into the kitchen to put the kettle on. "Got a funny phone call from Rose though." "Oh?" Amy tried to sound natural but it sounded false even to her own ears. Perhaps she wasn't that good of an actress and therefore will definitely not be getting the role. "Yeah," Rory said oblivious, well on second thoughts… "Something about being abandoned on the M25, I couldn't go and get her because of work obviously…did she call you?" "No!" Amy responded immediately. "Really?" Rory peered round the kitchen door and looked at Amy sceptically. "That's not like her. I thought she would have called you before me." "Well, I, err, had my phone turned off," Amy half lied. She certainly turned her phone off when she got to the community centre her auditions were being held at. "She must have contacted someone," Rory said worriedly, "I know River won't go but surely….she's not still out there is she?" he rushed to the answer machine and sighed in relief. "There's a couple of messages here. One of them has to be her!" he immediately pressed the button. You have two new messages, the mechanical voice grated out, first new message: "Hey, it's me," Rose's voice chirped cheerfully, "just to let you know Jack rescued me, no thanks to you two useless lumps, and I'll be out with him. Don't wait up!" Second new message: "Amelia Pond?" an odd male voice echoed. "Hi this is Jeff, the director and head of Stevenage's Adult Drama Productions, just a quick call to let you know we thought you were fantastic, and you got the lead! We start with the read through and a briefing on the travel arrangements first thing tomorrow morning. So if you can arrive some time before ten that would great. Thanks, and congrats." BEEP! There are no new messages. Rory stared at the answer machine dumbstruck while Amy felt her stomach due celebratory somersaults. She got the part. She got the lead. She was fantastic. Someone thought she had potential. She could still be an actress…. Oh God! How can she get married now? "I can't believe it…" she breathed. "I got a role…I got the lead….Rory I got it!" she squealed excitedly. Anything to put off telling the truth just yet. She threw her arms round him and kissed him soundly. "Congratulations," Rory said proudly, "why didn't you tell me you were auditioning?" "I didn't want to jinx myself, I wasn't sure if I could get the part, and…." She bit her lip nervously. An appalling habit that she picked up rom Rose. "And what?" Rory prodded gently. When Amy didn't answer immediately he began to panic a little. "And what?" he repeated himself. "What aren't you telling me, Amy?" "It's a special sort of play," Amy said slowly. "Graphic scenes?" Rory jumped in. "But we had agreed if you were to make a career in acting I can't get jealous at these sort of things because they were just part of the job …if that's all what's worrying you, I wouldn't-" "No, it's not that," Amy shook her head, "it's just that it's on our wedding…" "So we post pone the honeymoon and surely they'll have an understudy for the day," Rory said reasonably. "It's a travelling dramatics group!" Amy snapped. "I'm expected to spend the summer travelling the country and performing this play!" "I don't understand…" Rory's good, warm, and happy mood vanished, and he started to get a little angry. Amy could tell, his mouth had tightened, the warmth had disappeared from his eyes, and he was standing very, very, still. "When were you going to tell me you won't be able to make it to our wedding because you're travelling the country in a theatre company?" "I wasn't sure if I would get the part!" Amy protested. "I just did the audition today." "Okay, let me rephrase that," Rory glared at her fiercely, "why didn't you tell me you were going to audition for a travelling theatre company?" "I wasn't sure if I would get the part," Amy repeated herself. Only she didn't sound very convinced or convincing. "Why would you audition for something like this?" "Because I needed to know-" Amy stopped herself abruptly and stepped back from Rory. Uncertainty now poured in her stomach once more. She got the part, she was good, and now she should be happy with that and carry on with her life with Rory….but she still didn't know if she wanted to marry him. "What?" Rory yelled. "You needed to know what? That if you wanted to marry me? Because it looks from here that you don't want to marry me!" "I don't!" Amy shrieked. Hot tears suddenly ran down her cheeks as Rory looked at her completely heartbroken; furious, angry, and any other adjective associated with that emotion sure, but heartbroken all the same. It just made her want to cry. "I want to do this! If I don't do this, I know I will regret it-" "So marrying me will be something you'll regret?" Rory interrupted furiously, Amy sobbed helplessly as more tears ran down her face, but she didn't say anything in defence of that attack. She was absolutely silent. "Amy?" Rory prodded less angrily now. "Amy, would you regret marrying me?" Rory now sounded like a lost little boy and that only made Amy cry even more. "Say you won't regret marrying me," Rory pleaded with her terrified, "say you won't regret it. Please." Amy shook her head and more tears fell. Only this time they were Rory's as well. DWDWDWDWDW That morning I had gone home having just had the best night of my life only to find that the worst thing possible has happened. Rose had been laughing as she ran across the road in the rain (yes it was raining again that was just typical British weather there). She just had the best night of sex in her life, she had just won the heart of the best man she had ever met, she was now Jack Harkness' girlfriend, and boy, did it feel good. Her laughter halted to a stop and her smile faded when she saw Rory sitting on the porch steps, he was soaked to the bone, and had the most depressed, look on his face. He looked up mournfully and said the worst words in the history of worst words. "Amy broke up with me." "Oh Rory," she sighed heavily. Her happiness drained immediately and she suddenly found herself exhausted as she automatically sat herself down next to him, and wrapped an arm round him. Her head fell onto his shoulder as she hugged him tightly. It was just them two now. Amy had abandoned them. End of Series One.
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