Arcadia's Love (Book TWO)

Wanted: Dead or Alive

I have just realised how many feels I may have given you in the last episode with Sarah Jane... I cried writing it, just to say, and I just wanted to take this opportunity to apologise, and hand out Jammy Dodgers and tissues, saying that I am so sorry, so so sorry. Oh, and my plan is so worth it ;) xxx

Amy:

The second Christmas without my sister. God, this was never going to get any easier, was it? We were making dinner, and every 10 minutes it felt like the door was going with yet more people coming along carolling. So, Rory let me get the water pistol down from the loft, which was amazing. I wanted to get the tazer, but he said that was a waste if we got a burglar. 

So, we'd finally sat down, and... The door went for what felt like the millionth time. "Argh! If that is more carol singers, I have a water pistol! You don't want to be all wet on a night like this." I shouted, going to the door and pulling it open, squirting first and asking questions later.

And then I stopped.

Because my brother in law was stood there, looking a little confused, and incredibly nervous. He didn't look at all different from the day that he 'died'. "Not absolutely sure how long..." He trailed off.

"Two years?" And then I squirted him again.

He nodded a little. "Okay. Fair point."

"So, you're not dead." I told him, leaning on the door frame and wearing the traditional, and ridiculous Christmas jumpers, that one little piece of Sera that we had left after she died. Doing what she did with us every year.

"And a happy New Year!"

"River told us."

That made him sigh. "Well, of course she did, my Melody."

"She's a good girl, your daughter." And then I sized him up a little. "Well? I'm not going to hug first."

He lifted his head up defiantly. "Nor am I."

We spent a few moments not looking at each other before laughing and hugging. Oh, if only Sera could be here... "Mister Pond! Guess who's coming for dinner?"

Rory came in then, and pretended to be surprised when he saw our supposedly dead brother in law. "Whoa. Not dead, then."

"We've done that." I laughed, patting his shoulder, making him realise. "We're about to have Christmas dinner. Joining us?"

"If it's no trouble." He smiled, looking behind us both, as though trying to see someone else. The Doctor didn't think River was here did he?

My hubby smiled a little. "There's a place set for you."

"But you didn't know I was coming. Why would you set me a place?" He asked, really confused. Did the Doctor really not understand that we cared about him enough to think about him every Christmas? 

"Oh, because we always do. It's Christmas, you moron." I laughed, pulling him inside and Rory closed the door. "It's turkey, and I swear to God if you start doing all that spitting it out and throwing everything around again, I will kick you out of my house."

Rory laughed at that, having been told everything that he'd done when he'd first landed, and then went into the dining room with the turkey and everything on the table, and he stopped in the doorway, seeing three places set, one each for us, and then the spare one on the end. "Doctor?" Rory asked him, seeing him pause. "Everything alright?"

"I thought she'd be here. I can't find her, after the shop burnt, after... Sarah Jane, and Melody wouldn't say anything." He muttered, looking at a photo of my sister on the wall. She was sat on a rock up a mountain, hugging her knees to her chest and grinning. She was gorgeous, and I missed everything about her. This was the longest we had ever been apart, and I knew that it would only get worse. "She's not anywhere."