Chapter Thirty-five

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The sun is setting now, and Cherry wonders how much time passed so quickly

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The sun is setting now, and Cherry wonders how much time passed so quickly. How has he been dead for so long already? She climbs precariously to her feet, pushing Amy's arms off of her and then she bends down to pick up his Stetson and she staggers over to the boat that River, Rory and the old man are crowded around.

"Cherry, are you okay?" Rory asks softly as she places the hat down on the Doctor's chest and ignores the reek of gasoline soaking into his clothes. She doesn't hear Rory, and she doesn't feel River pulling her away as she spares one last glance back at the Doctor's face before Rory starts to wade the boat out into the water. Burning him seems like a crime. He's so beautiful.

It's dark by the time Rory lights the fire. He stands in the water, looking over at the burning boat with a hardened expression. Cherry doesn't move or say anything as River keeps her arms around her. She watches in silence as they burn the body of her boyfriend until there is nothing left of him.

"Who are you?" River asks the old man, finally breaking the silence. "Why did you come?"

"The same reason as you," the man holds out a Tardis blue envelope. "Cherry, Doctor Song, Amy, Rory. I'm Canton Everett Delaware the Third. I won't be seeing you again, but you'll be seeing me."

Canton Delaware the Third leaves as quickly as he arrived, and Cherry doesn't even spare him half a glance as he drives off.

"Five," River says, turning to the other three with wide eyes.

"Sorry, what?" Rory says, clueless.

"The Doctor numbered the envelopes," River tells them. "What numbers did you get?"

Rory takes the envelope out of Amy's pocket and holds it out, revealing the four on the back of it.

"Cherry?" River enquires, looking over at the brunette. She stands still, shaking and shivering. Her skin is pale and clammy. Her face shows no emotion. She doesn't care what anybody is saying to her. She doesn't care what is being asked of her. "Cherry, where is your envelope?"

"I think she's gone into shock," Rory says, walking over to her. He touches his hand to her face, and she's ice cold. "She's freezing. We should go back to the diner. We don't have to do this here."

River agrees, and Amy barely nods as the curly-haired woman shrugs off her denim jacket and drapes it over Cherry's shoulders. "I'll drive," River says as Rory helps Cherry and then Amy into the back of the car. They reach the diner and Cherry follows them in as blindly as she got into the car, stalking silently at the back of the group. Unfeeling. Unthinking. Unaware.

"You got four, I was three, Mr Delaware was four," River says, looking at her envelope. "Does anybody know what Cherry's was?"

Rory plucks the envelope poking out the back pocket of Cherry's shorts before the brunette quietly drops into one of the booths and stares at the table.

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