Don't own Doctor Who, its quotes or its characters.

Happily Ever After

He was silent after his outburst, for how long he wasn't sure, his hands covering his face, shielding him from the sight before him, his throat clogged with tears and loss.

And then he moved joltingly, his limbs jerking as though they were someone else's, his hands lowering, hitting the ground with a thud.

He stared at the grave disbelievingly, the words not making sense, blurring before him as he shifted where he knelt, rocking back onto his heels as he ignored River's soothing voice, his hand outstretched, stopping just short of the cold, stone grave.

It hit him like a punch to the gut, the breath driven straight of him as he read the words over and over, their names hurting him more every time he did so.

They were truly gone; he would never see them again, never mock-or kiss, as he had taken to doing recently for some reason-Rory, never tell them to run, never call Come along, Pond and have Amy follow him, excitement in her eyes.

They were dead, cold and still and dead, buried beneath his feet.

It was this that made him choke, his tears scalding his skin, leaving him gasping for air, screaming words he couldn't comprehend, stumbling to the TARDIS, a silent River behind him, her hand on his back.

He snarled, pulling away from her and slamming the door, barely missing her arm.

"Doctor," she said quietly, and he hated the calmness of her voice, the stoic expression upon her face.

He ignored her, not even turning to face her, instead heading for the stairs, sitting down heavily, his gaze on his hands, the tears gone as quickly as they had come.

He was hollow, alone, numb.

But deep within him, hidden beneath the hurt and the shock and the overall wrongness of the situation, past the raw wound in his hearts where he would remember and love them forever, he felt…pride.

Pride and contentment, his joy somewhat dull, tainted with the beginnings of mourning, but it was there all the same, burning and shining like a dying star.

It had been Amy's choice all over again, and she had chosen love, chosen Rory like she had numerous times before, the princess to his Prince Charming.

And that was why he couldn't feel any anger towards her, couldn't resent her choice despite his selfish wish that she had stayed with him, remained a child in his eyes forever; she had grown up, experienced normal life with Rory and gotten a taste for it.

Amy loved Rory and Rory loved Amy so what else mattered but that?

So yes, he was broken again, alone again, but he would recover as he always did.

And somewhere, some-when, Amy Williams was alive and well, living day after day with her husband, the one who waited two thousand years for her, as a little girl once waited for a mad man with a box.

Raggedy man…goodbye.

Yes, the fairy tale was over for Amelia Pond.

But at least she'd gotten her happily ever after.