Ever since River had been imprisoned in Stormcage, she had been finding her way out again and again. Often, she was visited by the Doctor, running together across time and space. Other times, she broke herself out purely for entertainment, using her vortex manipulator to find out just how much trouble she could get herself in.
But sometimes, it wasn't all about the adventures and the romance and the running, sometimes, she was a little more grounded.
Sometimes, she went home.
On this particular day, River was bound for her parents' house, the coordinates a well-used sequence on her keypad. As usual, her arrival came with an almighty crash of lightning, the storms of the vortex blasting through the house before vanishing. In its wake, stood River Song, fresh from adventure, her dress still swinging about her knees.
"Mother?" she called as she read through the hallway, then appearing in the kitchen doorway.
"Sorry I'm late," she said as she bustled in, her hair bouncing after her. "Not that I'm late to you, but really I should have set off three hours ago. Men, what are they like?"
River chuckled as she dropped herself into a seat besides Amy, helping herself to an apple from the fruitbowl in the middle of the table. She took a bite, still amused before it dawned on her that Amy wasn't reacting the way she usually did.
"Mother?" she asked again, her voice turning concerned and her humour melting away.
Index and thumb finger stroking over the finger where her wedding and engagement rings used to be, Amy hadn't even realised that her daughter was actually here. Finally coming out of her thoughts, Amy went to reach for her cuppa and nearly jumped out of her skin when she finally noticed she wasn't alone. "River!" She gasped, cold tea spilling onto her hand and on the table. "When did you get here?" Amy asked once she calmed down.
"Just a couple of minutes ago!" River told her, reaching her hand out quickly to take the cup out of her mother's hands. The ceramic was cold to the touch and so she was reassured that she hadn't scalded herself.
"You were in a whole other world," she remarked, taking the cup away for her and passing her the kitchen towel to wipe her hands dry. "Is everything alright?" she asked, casting her a curious look out of the corner of her eye.
Takeing the towel from her, Amy wiped her hands and then the table. Avoiding eye contact with her daughter for as long as she could. "Everything's fine." Amy said, hardly able to make her smile look anything but fake as she finally looked up at her. "But, em-" Clearing her throat, Amy moved past River to toss the damp cloth on the counter. "Now's not the best time." She turned around to face River again. "I'm-" She was what? Amy had to come up with a plausible reason to be left alone without telling her the truth. "I'm about to go out, actually." As if to prove her point she went to grab the car keys that were no were longer there.
River's eyes followed her mother across the kitchen, careful and keen. For as tender as River was around her mother, her ability to read people was a skill that never went away, and she could see beyond the act she was putting on right now. Because not only was this her mother, but her training made her exceptionally intuitive.
Slowly, River got to her feet, her eyes glancing towards the spot where her parents' car keys normally hung.
"Mother," she then began carefully, her eyes happening upon various spots around the kitchen, noticing subtle differences that would be missable to the human eye, but to a Time Lord were striking.
Finally, her gaze returned to Amy, her voice careful but firm. "Where's dad?"
Licking her lower lip, Amy's gaze fell onto the empty hook that held the keys. "Out." She told her daughter without making eye contact. Despite the fact that River was an adult, she still found it hard to tell her the truth.
There was a quiet sigh from River, who slowly nodded as though everything suddenly made sense.
"I see," she then said gently, and there was even a hint of a smile on her face. Humans and their relationships were so quaint sometimes.
"What did he do this time?"
River had happened upon her parents in the aftermath of arguments before. It was often something mundane that had been blown out of proportion and usually ended with Rory turning up looking like a kicked puppy with an equally sad bunch of flowers.
It hadn't been the first time River, or others for that matter, had seen Amy and Rory fight. But they had kept this particular problem to themselves, it had been hard enough for Amy to come to terms with the fact that she could never give Rory the family he wanted. That she wanted. To bring anyone else into it was just unnecessary, especially River. "Does it matter?" She tried to keep her voice void of any emotion and believed she did a decent job at doing so at the very least.
That made River pause. Normally, with a little cajoling, Amy could break into a reluctant smile and give her the break down of whatever silly little mishap had happened this time. But the fact Amy didn't want to talk about it made River uneasy. Whatever this fight was, it had hit Amy hard, and naturally, it did so with River.
"What did you fight about?" she asked quietly, for a moment, feeling very much their daughter. Young and naive, uncertain of how to approach such adult matters in an adult world. "Please don't tell me the Doctor's involved," she added with a small sigh. It wouldn't be the first time the Doctor's impact on their lives had caused a shaky balance to their relationship.
Despite the fact that she knew River was just concerned, she found it difficult to do anything but lie to her. "No, it's got nothing to do with him." She told her, giving her that much before trying to get off the subject. "Do you want anything? Tea?"
But sometimes, it wasn't all about the adventures and the romance and the running, sometimes, she was a little more grounded.
Sometimes, she went home.
On this particular day, River was bound for her parents' house, the coordinates a well-used sequence on her keypad. As usual, her arrival came with an almighty crash of lightning, the storms of the vortex blasting through the house before vanishing. In its wake, stood River Song, fresh from adventure, her dress still swinging about her knees.
"Mother?" she called as she read through the hallway, then appearing in the kitchen doorway.
"Sorry I'm late," she said as she bustled in, her hair bouncing after her. "Not that I'm late to you, but really I should have set off three hours ago. Men, what are they like?"
River chuckled as she dropped herself into a seat besides Amy, helping herself to an apple from the fruitbowl in the middle of the table. She took a bite, still amused before it dawned on her that Amy wasn't reacting the way she usually did.
"Mother?" she asked again, her voice turning concerned and her humour melting away.
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"You were in a whole other world," she remarked, taking the cup away for her and passing her the kitchen towel to wipe her hands dry. "Is everything alright?" she asked, casting her a curious look out of the corner of her eye.
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Slowly, River got to her feet, her eyes glancing towards the spot where her parents' car keys normally hung.
"Mother," she then began carefully, her eyes happening upon various spots around the kitchen, noticing subtle differences that would be missable to the human eye, but to a Time Lord were striking.
Finally, her gaze returned to Amy, her voice careful but firm. "Where's dad?"
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"I see," she then said gently, and there was even a hint of a smile on her face. Humans and their relationships were so quaint sometimes.
"What did he do this time?"
River had happened upon her parents in the aftermath of arguments before. It was often something mundane that had been blown out of proportion and usually ended with Rory turning up looking like a kicked puppy with an equally sad bunch of flowers.
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"What did you fight about?" she asked quietly, for a moment, feeling very much their daughter. Young and naive, uncertain of how to approach such adult matters in an adult world. "Please don't tell me the Doctor's involved," she added with a small sigh. It wouldn't be the first time the Doctor's impact on their lives had caused a shaky balance to their relationship.
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