Who's the Giving For

Title: Who's the Giving For
Author: Vesper (Regina)
Warnings: none
Category: General
Characters: The Eleventh Doctor, Amy Pond/Rory Williams
Summary: The Doctor gives away Amy at her wedding. 1010 words.
Archival: If you wish to archive, please link to my website. Please keep all my headers intact.
Notes: For Azarsuerte, on the occasion of her birthday. Title from "The Wedding Song (There Is Love)".

Amy bit at the side of her thumb, watching the Doctor pace. Beyond the doors in front of them was the sound of fifty-odd people waiting for their entrance, and a piano playing softly.

"You're looking a bit shiny, there, Doctor."

"Oh?" He felt his forehead, and then said, "Blimey." He felt around in the inside of his tuxedo jacket for a handkerchief.

"You're nervous, aren't you? You're so cute when you're nervous."

He found it, pulled it out, and wiped at his forehead, while turning from the doors, back to her, back to the doors.

"I haven't exactly done this before, you know, Amy."

"Firsts for everyone!" she blurted, hands flying outward.

"You're taking it well," he said, in a tone that implied he knew how nervous she was.

"Yeah, well..."

She ran the palms of her hands down the front of her dress, taking a deep breath. She said, offering herself a little reassurance, "At least we've already run through this. And, this should be easy enough, compared to Daleks, and cracks in time."

"Ah, ah, see there...that's..." he lost his words, so he resorted to lifting a finger and waggling at her. Amy smiled, amused, and captured his hand in hers. He twisted it around to hold hers. She gripped it, hard.

"It'll be fine, tell me it will be fine," she said.

"It will be fine. You know it will."

He gave her a quick kiss on the forehead.

She took a deep breath again.

"Rory. Rory."

Rory turned around at the fierce whisper, to spy Amy's head peeking around the door.

He said, "What are you doing? You know you're not supposed to--"

She stepped out and said, "That's silly. How do I look?" She turned slowly around, one hand in the air and the other holding up what little train the dress had.

"You...you look beautiful."

"I know. Thank you." She dropped the train, and stepped up close to him, watching how he blinked and his adam's apple bobbled. "You don't look half bad yourself. Your tie's crooked." She adjusted it and dodged when he leaned in.

"Uh-uh. Not yet."

"Amy...."

She grinned at him and then said, "Tell me, have you seen the Doctor? I can't seem to find him."

"No. No, I haven't. If you find him, you'd better tell him not to let anything spoil this."

"Oh, I'll make sure."

She walked to the door, turned around and gave him a wink before disappearing.

He let out his breath.

Amy found the Doctor outside, walking round the church, staring up at it as he walked. She watched for a minute, head tilted. He reached into his tuxedo jacket, pulled out his sonic screwdriver, shook it out, and pointed it at the stones of the wall beside him. Amy started walking to him, as he examined the results.

"What is it, Doctor?"

He looked up, startled. He snapped the screwdriver shut and put it away.

"Oh, nothing, nothing. Just some, thing. Uh, all fixed now." He smiled, the one that didn't quite reach his eyes, and said, "Well, look at you, Amy Pond. Don't you look lovely."

"Soon to be Amy Pond-Williams."

"Ah." He drew out the sound, and nodded, pursing his mouth in approval. "Good, that."

She narrowed her eyes. "Are you sure there's nothing wrong?"

"Quite sure. Is it time?"

"Not quite. Almost."

"You know, I was joking about giving you away."

"Oh, you say that now, but I don't think you were."

"Right you are, yes."

"I can't think of anyone I would rather have."

"Why, thank you."

"You're welcome, now get inside before they think I've run away."

"Oh, we wouldn't want that. Lead on, Amy soon-to-be Pond-Williams."

"Rory," Amy tapped his shoulder. Rory finished shaking someone's hand and turned around, as Amy said, "Look."

He said, "What am I--" before he noticed what she was pointing out--the Doctor across the crowded room, glancing around, before ducking out the side entrance to the hall.

They looked at each other for a few seconds before they both started excusing themselves to those around them, moving to the same exit.

Amy took Rory's hand, pulled, and said, "Come on." He waved back at everyone, a sheepish smile on his face and then scurried with her out the door.

"Oi!" Amy called to the rapidly receding figure of the Doctor. "Where do you think you're going?"

He turned around, and she could see the key to the TARDIS already in his hand. He shifted weight from one foot to the other, pointing back with that hand at the blue box in the distance, parked in between two medium-sized bushes. "I was...just..."

"Just about to leave, weren't you," said Rory.

"I'd come back! Maybe. Possibly. You're newlyweds, now. You don't want me hanging about."

Amy raised an eyebrow, and looked at Rory. "What do you think, Rory, is that true?"

"You could give a toast."

He shook his head. "Public speaking...not really my thing."

Amy said, "We don't want you to go."

"I should...go."

She said, "You could take us with you. One last adventure, right?" She placed a hand on Rory's arm. He looked at her. She smiled at him. He smiled back and covered her hand with his.

He looked at the Doctor. "Yeah, one last adventure."

"But what about your honeymoon?"

"You have a time machine," Amy stated.

"I do...have a time machine."

"What about it, Doctor? One more adventure, pretty please?"

The Doctor asked, "Good for it, Rory?"

"Well, they're going to wonder where we've gone."

"Ah, let them wonder," Amy said.

She let go of Rory and sauntered past the Doctor, then turned and walked backward for a few steps. "Come on, boys, time's a-wasting."

They started after her.

"What about it, Doctor?" Rory asked, "Think we'll not get into trouble?"

"No guarantees, Rory. No guarantees."

"Fair enough."

"That would be me," said the Doctor. He pressed his hand over hers, before taking it and handing her up the platform.

Amy put her hands into Rory's.

End.