The Time Travelers Wife

The Truth Finally

That morning of the Doctor's seventh day being with Anne-Marie on Earth he found her awake and sitting at the dining room table with a fire proof box in front of her, open. She was going through some papers and pulling out some fat wads of cash. "What are you doing?" the Doctor murmured sitting up and rubbing his eyes. Anne-Marie looked up at him.

"Going through some of my parents things. They were never really fond of banks you know. Kept all their money at home in here." she taps the fire proof box and begins shuffling through some things and pushing the money to one side. Standing the Doctor makes his way towards her. He stares down at the little booklet in front of her open up to a blank page.

"What are you staring at?" the Doctor questions confused.

"What do you mean? It's my birth certificate." Anne-Marie replies glancing at him with a funny look on her face. The Doctor tensed up as he stared back down at it. The paper shifted from her birth certificate to the booklet then back again like his mind couldn't decide what he was looking at.

"You think that's your birth certificate?" the Doctor asked for clarification pointing down at it.

"No, I know it's my birth certificate." Anne-Marie replies with a roll of her eyes, but it wasn't her birth certificate. It was psychic paper.

"Anne-Marie that's not your birth certificate." the Doctor said slowly.

"Yeah it is. It clearly states; Anne-Marie Melancholy Almund. Born April 16th, 3000. I was four pounds and five ounces." Anne-Marie says chuckling.

"Melancholy." the Doctor repeats smiling for a little bit temporarily forgetting where this conversation was leading.

"Yea. Strange i know but i like it." Anne-Marie shrugs sheepishly blushing a little.

"No i like it. It's perfect for you." the Doctor responds immediately touching her shoulder. Anne-Marie blushes harder before meeting his eyes. She gingerly leans up and kisses his cheek feeling the butterflies swarming the pit of her stomach as she did so. It was the Doctor's turn to blush. Still smiling Anne-Marie glanced back down at her birth certificate and the Doctor became aware of that nagging voice in the back of his mind telling him to begin investigating and figuring out what the heck was going on. The Doctor cleared his throat trying not to look too suspicious as he walked around the house. He'd done it before, multiple times, but now he was actually looking for something. Something off. Something that would signal to him that this wasn't really Anne-Marie. "Anne-Marie?" The Doctor said, a question in his voice. She glanced up at him and put the paper away.

"Yeah?" She replied. The Doctor scanned the mantle of the living room and at all of the family photos visible in this room. It was like he remembered it back when Anne-Marie first met him. There weren't any pictures of her before the age of seven.

"Where are all your baby pictures?" The Doctor asked clasping his hands behind his back and turning slightly to face her. Anne-Marie shrugged.

"They're out there. Or they might be hanging in the hallway." Anne-Marie replied evenly. The Doctor headed down the hall. There were photos alright but still none form before the age of seven.

"I don't see any!" The Doctor called out popping his head around the corner and glancing at Anne-Marie still sitting at the table. She rolled her eyes and sighed, getting up. She gave him a small smile.

"You're helpless Doctor." Anne-Marie said nudging his shoulder as she brushed past him. The Doctor smiled and watched her slowly scan the pictures. That easygoing smile that had been there a couple of minutes ago faltered, then faded. "Huh. I guess my parents took them down and put them away. Thank god too. I have some pretty embarrassing ones." Anne-Marie started laughing and went back out to the dining room, sitting at the table again. The Doctor still wasn't convinced. Her parents didn't take down the pictures they just didn't have any.