WHEN COMPANIONS MEET

Chapter Two

They walked out of the TARDIS into a London alley. It was a bright, sunny day with a few clouds drifting across the sky. The Doctor pointed up at the zeppelins crisscrossing the sky and smiled at the delighted looks on his companion's faces.

"This universe is slightly different to our own," the Doctor said to them as they walked out of the alley. "Most universes have slight differences between each other. This way…"

He led them out of the alley, across the street and to the right. They walked for about five minutes until they found a little café. The café had a patio that was surrounded by a black iron fence. There were several metal tables inside it, shaded by red umbrellas over them. The tables had wooden chairs around them. There were a few people sitting at the tables but at the back they could see Rose sitting by herself drinking a cup of coffee while she watched the people walking by. The table was near the patio door. Next to the door was a large plate glass windows and there was a couple sitting next to it at a wooden table on wooden chairs similar to the ones at the metal tables. The Doctor could tell the place was busy from the crowd inside. A sign by the plate glass window indicated that the main entrance was on the side of the building just inside an alley. The Doctor and his companions walked over to it and went inside. There was pop music coming from an overhead speaker and it mingled with the crowd noises and the clinking of silverware on plates.

"How are we gonna do this without revealing who we are?" Rory said as they looked at the patio through the plate glass window. "We can't say that the all the tables are filled up and we need to sit with her."

The Doctor scratched his cheek while he thought about how to do this without arousing suspicion. Finally, he decided to just wing it and hope for the best and he and his companions walked up to the counter at the back of the building and ordered some coffees. While they waited for the coffees, the Doctor decided to try something and quickly formulated a plan. He told Amy and Rory to follow his lead and when they received the white mugs of coffee and paid for them, Amy and Rory followed the Doctor while they took their coffees outside. He went through the door and confidentaly walked up to Rose. She was wearing a white cotton sundress and sandals and the Doctor could tell she was pregnant. He hair was longer now, down past her shoulder blades and it blew gently in the breeze. She had a glow to her that the Doctor found beautiful. Rose frowned when the Doctor walked up to her with mug in hand.

"Hello, my friends and I saw you sitting by yourself and we wondered if we might join you?" he said.

"I'm meeting someone here but you're welcome to sit for a bit until he comes," Rose said with a shrug.

"Thank you," the Doctor said as he, Rory and Amy pulled out some chairs. "I'm Trevor and this is Amy and Rory. We've been in the states for a few years and recently moved back to London so we're trying to adjust and we're eager to talk to others. After living with Yanks, it's nice to hear an English accent again."

Rose chuckled.

"Well, welcome back then," she said.

"Thank you, it's good to be back," the Doctor said while Rose took a sip of coffee.

"So…where did you live in the US?" Rose asked.

"Texas. Lone Star State. Yeee-haaaw and all that," the Doctor said.

"Why'd ya wanna come back here then? Isn't Texas hotter and dryer?" Rose teased.

The Doctor grinned, missing the old banter they had between them. He suddenly wondered if it was a good idea coming here. Now that he saw her, he desperately wanted to be with her again and he had to fight not to blurt out who he really was.

Look at her, you fool, she's with child, the Doctor thought to himself. She's with your clone, she has a life with him and you're thinking about barging into it.

But he still wanted to hold her, caress her and take her on adventures again. She was so beautiful and he realized he was now insanely jealous of his clone which struck him as odd since his clone was a version of him. So he was jealous of himself. It boggled his mind.

He made some small talk with Rose while Amy and Rory watched him. He suddenly realized that Amy was trying to discreetly signal him. He looked at her and she jerked her head towards the right, indicating that she wanted to talk to him privately. The Doctor excused himself and walked with her to the other side of the patio while Rory spoke to Rose.

"She's beautiful, why did you leave her behind?" Amy said softly when they were out of earshot.

"It's complicated," the Doctor said.

"Do you still love her?" Amy said.

"It's not a question of whether or not I love her. She's with child. You did notice that, yeah?"

"Yeah but why is she here? Did you meet her here?"

"No. We came here by accident several years ago and she was stuck here for a time and then she came back to our universe and then I left her and my clone here."

"Why'd she come back?" Amy said.

She sighed when she could tell the Doctor was being evasive about it.

"She tried to find you, right?" Amy said. "She came back to find you after she was stuck here and you sent her away again, am I right?"

"Pond, it's complicated."

"Do you still love her?"

"Yes," he said between clenched teeth. "But I can't tear her away from this world. We can't bring her on the TARDIS if she's pregnant."

"Why not? I was pregnant," Amy countered.

She sighed and put her hand on his shoulder when he gave her a peeved look.

"Look, I'm sorry, I was the one that put the TARDIS up to this and I should have kept my mouth shut," she said.

"No, I wanted to do this. I could have said no," the Doctor said, calming back down. "I needed to see her and find out how she's doing. But I can't interrupt her life anymore."

"And is her life being interrupted?" Amy said. "Why don't you tell her the truth and let her decide for herself. Maybe she doesn't wanna be here. Maybe your clone doesn't wanna be here. D'ya ever think of that?"

"Where would I put them?" the Doctor said.

"Um…in a house?" Amy said.

The Doctor tried to be stern but Amy's response brought a smile to his face and he shook with silent laughter while Amy grinned and shrugged.

"Well, if you're not taking them with us, they could live in our house," Amy said. "The one you gave us. Why couldn't they live there?"

"And drive Rory's car?" the Doctor said.

"Well, no, probably not that because Rory would whinge but they could live in the house. Just ask her, stupidhead!"

"Stupidhead?" the Doctor said with feigned annoyance. "Now see here, Pond, I'm the…"

He looked around and muttered Oncoming Storm to her before continuing.

"And I will not be called a Stupidhead by someone far younger than I am," he finished.

"Then quit being a stupidhead and go tell her the truth," Amy said. "Why be miserable all your life. You deserve happiness, go and get it!"

"And what about my clone?"

Amy thought about that for a few seconds.

"Menage a trois?" she finally said.

She giggled at the feigned exasperation on the Doctor's face.

"Just tell her, even if you leave her here, let her know the truth. Come on, Doctor, my poor husband can't keep up the charade much longer," Amy said, gesturing to Rory who was still chatting with Rose.

The Doctor blew a puff of air out of his lips.

"Alright, I'll do it. But if she attacks me and beats me for leaving her here, I will do the same to you."

"I'll take that risk," Amy said.

"Rassilon, why do I let myself get talked into these situations?" the Doctor muttered as he and Amy walked back to their seats.

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