Chapter Text
Mr and Mrs Pond were, for all intents and purposes, a normal couple. They met, fell in love, and got married, just as normal couples do. They had a daughter and they loved her very much. Suffice to say, there was nothing out of the ordinary about them.
Augustus Pond was short and stout. He was balding, however he had not yet managed to procure any grey hairs. He was overall a very jovial man, who had an almost sickeningly optimistic view of the world and would tell the most horrendous jokes known to mankind. You could never quite tell whether he was being serious about those.
Tabetha Pond was tall and thin. She had a short bob of blonde hair that floated around her head (a significantly better hair situation than her husband). Alike to Augustus, she also saw the world through rose-coloured glasses and never failed to find ways to spruce up a boring activity. She was loving and nurturing and anyone who met her would agree that she was one of the nicest people they had ever met.
Their daughter, Amelia, had a fiery personality, however always listened to what her parents had to say. She did well in school and was inquisitive and never afraid to speak her thoughts to anyone who would listen.
So all in all, a normal family.
Everything has to change eventually, and the Pond’s picture perfect life was no exception. It began when Augustus got a new job in a little town called Leadworth. Leadworth was too far from the family’s hometown in Scotland, so it was decided that they would have to move.
Tabetha and Augustus got settled quickly. They bought a big house with a large back garden- plenty of space to raise a family. Tabetha got a job in the local area, and Amelia was accepted into the village school. In the beginning, it seemed as though Leadworth would suit them.
That was not the case.
It was late one night, Augustus had been called into work urgently and Tabetha, ever kind-hearted, had offered to drive. Surely Amelia could survive on her own for a little while, right? She was asleep anyway, and sleeping children never really get up to very much.
Well, one can always hope. For you see, when the couple arrived back home again, they found the kitchen a mess. There was a disarray of food sprawled across the counter. Everything from fish fingers to custard! Even worse still, someone had clearly been using the stovetop- something little Amelia was definitely not allowed to do.
After this appalling discovery, Tabetha had rushed upstairs to check on Amelia. She was horrified to discover her bed empty and her little girl no-where to be found. Tabetha dejectedly returned downstairs to her husband to share the terrible news.
It was a little while later that Augustus began to notice a chill wafting through the house. After following it, he found the back door open, and Amelia sat atop her suitcase in the garden. She was wearing her coat and hat and was staring seemingly into the empty air in front of her.
“Amelia, sweetheart, what are you doing out here? It’s the middle of the night-you should be in bed!” He coaxed.
“I’m waiting for the raggedy doctor” she replied, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
“And who might he be?”
“The doctor fell from the sky in a big blue box. He came to fix the crack in my wall. He’s funny. He thinks fish fingers and custard go together”
“Alright, why don’t you come inside and you can tell us all about the raggedy doctor in the morning?” Augustus said, trying to convince his daughter to return inside
“But he promised he’d come back!” Augustus could see that there was no fighting her, so he waited until she was almost asleep and then carried her back to bed.
Tabetha was delighted that Amelia had been found, however she was rather concerned about the raggedy doctor. Who was he? A burglar? But he didn’t take anything (other than the food). A plasterer? But the crack in the wall was still there (and why would he come at this hour anyway?).
As she continued to ponder, it occurred to her that one part of the story made no sense at all- the blue box that fell from the sky. After further interrogation with Amelia, she gathered more information on the elusive doctor and concluded: he was completely made up.
At first, Augustus and Tabetha indulged Amelia with her imaginary friend, they helped make figurines of him and his blue box (which they discovered was actually a 1960s police box). They would pretend that he was real and go along with her stories. As time went on, however, Amelia began to forget the raggedy doctor and the events of that night. All was well in the Pond household once again.
But as we have established, things never last.
Amelia had just started year four when things began to go back downhill. She had started misbehaving and acting out in lessons, her previously curious personality all but lost, leaving a bundle of chaos in its wake.
Her poor parents had no clue what had caused this. At least not until Amelia had asked to bring her new friend round after school. If they thought Amelia was bad, Mels was worse. Where Amelia argued with other kids, Mels fought them. Physically. Where Amelia refused to do homework, Mels tore hers up and encouraged other kids to do the same. Where Amelia didn’t pay attention in lessons, Mels skipped them completely. And worst of the worst, Mels not only encouraged Amelia’s raggedy doctor, but she indulged in it- so much so that Amelia had to be taken to a psychiatrist to convince her he wasn’t real (which wasn’t really working, but still, they could hope).
Despite this, the two girls were attached at the hip. Tabetha and Augustus tried tirelessly to smother Amelia’s attachment to the other girl, but their efforts never came to fruition. So instead of fighting it, they decided it would be better to nurture the pair.
As the girls grew, some significant changes were noted. Amelia (or Amy as she now preferred to be called) had become much more responsible. She kept Mels in line, acting almost parental. Mels, on the other hand, had become much more reckless. Despite Amy’s desperate attempts to keep her in line, Tabetha and Augustus still found themselves bailing her out of jail on a regular occasion (really her parents should be doing this! Where were her parents anyway?).
But for all the trouble Mels caused, they too had grown attached. She may be a misfit in the little town of Leadworth, but she was theirs. When she stayed round their house, she was polite, helping clear up after dinner and always remembering her pleases and thank yous.
Mels, the Ponds supposed, was not such a lost case after all.
Still, they never could quite figure out where she came from. She was guarded and told them almost nothing of her home life. From what they could gather, her childhood had been rough, and so was her life at home. She never shared where she lived, opting to walk instead of the frequently offered lift. The Ponds never pushed, and sometimes, if they were lucky, Mels would tell them a little something. Poor girl seemed wise beyond her years. They could only imagine what her life was like.
The pair, it was noted, also had another close friend. A boy called Rory who had been in Amy’s class since she had started school. Rory often found himself at the butt of the girl’s jokes, but in spite of this, Tabetha and Augustus couldn’t help but notice the fondness Amy held for him.
Consequently, it was no surprise to the Ponds when their daughter began to date Rory, he was polite and studious- all the things a parent would want for their child’s partner. It came as no more of a surprise to them when Rory proposed. Tabetha and Augustus couldn’t be prouder of their little Amelia.
Mels also showed a disproportionate level of enthusiasm towards her friends’ engagement. She excitedly helped plan the wedding, coming with Amy to dress fittings and talking for hours about what the wedding would be like.
As a result, it was rather surprising when she declined being maid of honour. It was even more surprising when she said that she would not attend the wedding at all! Tabetha couldn’t help feeling angry at Mels for this. Amy had always been there for her, defending her when no one else would. Why wasn’t she coming to the wedding? Augustus was more sympathetic. Although he couldn’t fathom why Mels wouldn’t want to attend, he knew she must have her reasons. The girls were too close for it to be anything as simple as not wanting to attend.
Their anger directed towards Mels rapidly dissipated during the wedding. This was because something much more interesting had caught their attention.
A woman, unknown to all the wedding attendees, including the bride and groom, had stopped outside the venue. She dressed as though she ought to be attending, her hair neatly organised in a crown of golden curls atop her head.
Tabetha had spotted her. The strange woman told her that she had a gift for the newlyweds. A blue book. It was worn with age, appearing almost as if it had seen parts of the universe no human eye had ever laid eyes on before. However the pages were blank, waiting to be filled.
Tabetha had politely invited her in, but the woman had declined, saying something about how it was not the right time. She had left with a knowing smile, like she held secrets beyond Tabetha’s comprehension, beyond time itself.
Tabetha had brought the book back inside and handed it to Rory, who then proceeded to hand it to Amy, whispering something about an old saying. Amy’s reaction to the book had been strange. She looked as though she recognised it, yet no recognition showed on her face. It was an expression almost impossible to describe unless you had been there to witness it.
What happened next was even stranger. Amy had figured out the book, whatever secrets it held, and climbed across the table. “RAGGEDY MAN I REMEMBER YOU!” She cried. Both her parents seemed appalled at her sudden change in behaviour, but said nothing, choosing instead to watch the spectacle before them. The hum of engines could be heard as a blue police box materialised in the middle of the room.
A man climbed out of it, he introduced himself as the doctor: Amy’s imaginary friend. He was real. And he was here. Tabetha and Augustus couldn’t believe it! All those years denying his existence (and all that money spent on psychiatrists), just for him to waltz into their lives.
Of course they had questions (which would all be answered in due course), but for now, it was time to enjoy the wedding. Amy and Rory were getting married, and the world rejoiced.