Another short story about Amy & Rory leaving. This is all part of my grieving process I think.

I'm not profiting from my use of characters recklessly abandoned by Doctor Who.

It was a month since the Doctor's blue box had faded away but the memory of him and their life together was still fresh in Amy and Rory's minds. They had both decided to take advantage of their savings and take at least a few weeks to get their feet under them again. It was strange to be traveling forward in time at the regular old pace again. Time lag, Amy called it.

Rory would never admit it to Amy, he didn't want to worry her, but it made him nervous. He found himself worrying as time moved forward. Sometimes he'd be sitting alone and suddenly needing to see Amy, to make sure she was there. When he lay down at night he'd fight a sudden panicked thought that he might not sleep.

All those years, those hundreds of years of time slowly ticking by with no Amy and no sleep…just endless waiting. It'd all flash into his mind, pressing his normal memories, his human memories to the edges of his brain with a painfully intense pressure. But then Amy'd roll over and snuggle into his back or he'd turn the corner and she'd be there and the pain would be gone. This was his life. He was human and it was normal for one day to follow the other.

The days did follow and on the thirty-eighth day of their new life without the Doctor, they had an unexpected visitor.

Rory was making Amy's favorite breakfast; eggs in toast, when the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it." Amy said, jumping down from her perch on the kitchen counter. "You just keep doing what you're doing." She gave him a peck on the cheek as she passed. "Mama's hungry."

Amy's step faltered a bit and Rory knew the old joke had struck a new chord with her as well. Though they knew what happened to their daughter, and though they'd met her and even shared adventures with her, it still hurt that they would never raise her.

Rory would still have dreams of that tiny, amazingly beautiful bundle that fit in the crook of his arm. He still woke to the sound of Amy crying in her sleep. They'd fallen so deeply in love with her in those fleeting hours at Demon's Run and try as Rory might he couldn't completely reconcile Melody the baby with River the Time Warrior.

He suspected it was like people who never see their loved ones dead or attend a funeral. Yes, that must be it. There was no closure. He'd lost his baby girl and couldn't even mourn properly because he'd found her before she'd been lost; only as a gun toting, mad adventurer who was older than he was. Rory tried to shake off the sudden gloom and looked up to see Amy doing the same.

She kept walking to the door and Rory kept cooking breakfast. They carried on without a word like good little soldiers.

Rory heard the door open and a startled gasp from Amy made him turn, half expecting to hear the Doctor's voice.

But what he heard was Amy's voice exclaim, "Professor Bracewell!"

"Hello!" A kind elderly voice exclaimed. "Oh, Amy dear. So very nice to see you again. You look exactly as I remember you."

"As do you!" Amy responded.

"Well," The voice chuckled. "It's one of the advantages of being made of metal. Though I can't say I like how the world has changed. You've no idea how many places I can no longer visit."

Amy must have looked a question because the man explained. "Metal detectors and all that."

"Oh, yes. I can see how that would be a problem." Amy said. "Oh! And here I've got you waiting at the door. So, sorry. I'm still half asleep I think. Come in. Come in."

Rory had just finished with the toast when Amy and the visitor entered the kitchen. Rory smiled because Amy was positively beaming.

"Rory, I'd like you to meet Professor Edwin Bracewell. He and I met in London during the war. You know, the bit with the Daleks?"

Rory's eyebrows went up. "Ah yes. Amy's told me all about you. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"The pleasure is all mine, young man. The Doctor's told me a lot about the both of you and all the adventures you've been having."

"You've seen him?" Amy asked. "You've seen the Doctor?"

"Well, not recently. It's been, oh I'd say twenty, twenty five years now. But it was the Doctor after he'd parted ways with you. I suspect he'd had some time to miss you because he talked about you," Professor Bracewell chuckled, "oh, quite a bit. In fact,"

Bracewell pulled out two old, yellowed envelopes.

"you were the reason for his visit. He wanted me to give these to you."

Rory took the envelope offered to him, as did Amy. They seemed remarkably ordinary. Name and address scribbled just where they ought to be, but under the address a date was listed.

"I suppose I could have just placed a stamp on them and put them in the mail but," Bracewell shrugged and smiled. "I wanted to see you again."

"I'm very glad you came." Amy said, and she put the envelope, unopened, down on the counter.

"Um, we were just about to eat some breakfast, would you like some?"

"Strictly speaking, I don't require food but it is comforting to eat from time to time. Especially with friends."

Rory put his envelope down next to Amy's and pulled out two more pieces of bread while Amy led their guest into the parlor.

Several hours later, they saw their new friend to the door and had made plans for another visit. It was nice to know there was someone out there with whom they could speak openly about their insane lives and the Professor had confessed it was very nice for him to be able to be completely open and honest about his 'condition'.

Amy shut the door and they stood silent for a moment.

"I guess we should open them." She said at last.

"I know." Rory answered. "For some reason, I don't want to."

"I know." Amy giggled a bit nervously. "I don't know why. They're just letters."

"I guess, well, maybe because it'll make it real." Rory said after a moment. "Letters left for us in time. That's it, you know? There's something awfully final about it."

"Yeah," Amy said and walked into his arms for a hug. "Yeah, like he's really gone for good."

"Like reading the will." Rory said, thinking back to his earlier thoughts about Melody.

"Still," Amy said with that brisk determination Rory admired so much. "Best get it over with, yeah? Like a bandage." And she made a ripping gesture.

They picked up the letters and looked at each other.

"You first." Rory said. "You were the one he picked, after all. I was just along for the ride."

Amy frowned as though she wanted to argue his statement but seemed to decide to let it go as she turned the envelope and, despite her earlier ripping gesture, very gently opened it.

"Pond," She read and exchanged an amused glance with Rory.

"I will miss you and I selfishly hope you will miss me. But I also hope that you will never forget who you are and what incredible things you are capable of. Just because you aren't out here keeping an old man out of trouble doesn't mean your adventure is over. Dazzle them, Pond.

Your friend, The Raggedy Doctor."

Amy had tears in her eyes and Rory stepped forward and held her close. After a bit she pulled away and smiled wetly at him. "Oh, I love you so much."

Rory smiled back. "You, too."

"So, go on then." She sniffed. "What's yours say?"

Rory opened his envelope which was surprisingly much thicker than Amy's. He opened one of the folded papers and was surprised to see it was a certificate.

"What's this?" He asked aloud.

"What?" Amy peeked over his shoulder. "What is that?"

"I think it…I think it's some kind of stock certificate or a bond or something. Look, there's a monetary amount but it's old."

"Rory." Amy breathed. "Rory, those certificates are … that's BP, Loyd's Banking Group, these are some of the most valuable publicly traded companies in Britain! These certificates are worth…"

"..millions." Rory finished for her.

Amy frowned. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Rory smiled. "Why would something be wrong? We're rich!"

"Something is wrong." Amy squinted at him as though he were a maths problem she was determined to figure out.

"Everything's fine." Rory assured her.

Amy's eyes lit. "Where's your note?"

Rory's head dropped a bit. She was too clever sometimes.

"That's what's bothering you. He didn't say good-bye…again." Amy now seemed genuinely angry. "Again! He leaves me a wonderful note about how I should go out and be amazing and he leaves you stock certificates. No wonder you're upset."

Rory smiled, amused and comforted by her indignation on his behalf. "It's alright, Amy. You were the one he picked. He was just sort of stuck with me."

"But he liked you, Rory. He did." She insisted. "I could tell. He admired you. He let you help him with the TARDIS. He never let me do that."

"Yeah, and he never let me do it again after that incident with… well, the skirt."

Amy laughed and Rory fought the urge to sigh with relief at having turned the mood. He didn't want Amy upset over the letters.

It wasn't until several days later that Rory found that he did have a note; scribbled on a small scrap of paper sandwiched in with the certificates.

It was brief, to the point, and incredible. Amy cried when he showed it to her.

It simply said,

"Rory,

I won't tell you to take the money and look after her. I don't need to. I will tell you to take the money and go to school. We both know you'll be the better doctor."