Big Bang Challenge (part 5)
fifth and final part!
“You two might want to think about moving.”
It wasn’t exactly the nicest wake up line, but the urgency in the tone conveyed all the warning that was needed. River’s eyes flew open and she sat up to see Jack standing in the open doorway, a pile of what appeared to be clothes in his hands.
“The Doctor’s looking for you two,” he told her, glancing at the sleeping form of Amy next to her. He couldn’t help it as a small smile found its way onto his features. He clearly wasn’t the only one to have a good time last night. “I’ll keep him out of the way. Oh, and the women gave me these for you.”
River smiled her thanks, catching the bundle he threw in her direction, saving it from hitting Amy. Waiting till Jack had closed the door before turning and placing a gentle kiss on the younger woman’s forehead, stirring her from her sleep. Her eyes blinked open to reveal amber eyes still full of sleep. River could only smile at the adorable sight before her, stroking the side of Amy’s face. “We have to go.” She chuckled at the pout which immediately formed on Amy’s lips, leaning down to kiss it away.
“Don’t want to move,” mumbled Amy, laying her head in River’s lap in the hope of keeping her still, and not having to get up.
“We have to, darling,” sighed River, running her fingers through Amy’s hair.
Amy smiled at the archaeologist’s fond little title for her, pleased that the Doctor wasn’t the only one with a pet name. She rolled over onto her back so that she could look up at River’s face, smiling at the state of the blonde’s hair. Bed head definitely wasn’t her best look.
“The Doctor’s looking for us,” River told her, reaching over to look through the bundle of clothes Jack had thrown at her. They were…simple, to say the least, but functional. “Come on,” smiled River, nudging Amy. “The sooner we get out of here the sooner we can find somewhere with style and shops and replace these. I was thinking 27th century Paris?”
Amy grinned at the suggestion, finally sitting up and taking the clothes River handed her. She watched as the blonde slid out from under the covers, starting to gather up their own clothes from around the room, her skin looking even more delicious in the sunlight that filtered into the room. She still couldn’t tear her eyes away from her as River started to tug on her clothes, mixing her own underwear and strap top with one of the strange tunics that had been provided for them.
“Going to sit there staring all day, Pond?” River grinned, her words prompting Amy into action. Well, to kneel on the edge of the bed, anyway. The red head stretched her arms out towards River, pouting until the older woman finally stepped into her arms, which she settled around her neck as she kissed her deeply. “You need to get dressed,” River told her quietly but firmly as she pulled back. Amy, however, didn’t budge, keeping her arms where they were, her hands clasped behind River’s neck. Chuckling, the blonde shook her head, picking up Amy’s bra from the bed and starting to dress the younger woman. It seemed that this was a suitable compromise to Amy, who didn’t mind River dressing her, since it meant she got to kiss her in between each article of clothing. “Shoes,” River finally told her, slipping out of her loose embrace with a final kiss. “Before the Doctor finds us.”
With a sigh, Amy sat heavily on the edge of the bed, reaching for her trainers and tugging them onto her feet, watching as River laced up her own combat boots. Last night had been something. And last night had also changed something. She knew that when they went outside, she would need to face Rory again, and if she was honest, she didn’t want to. It wasn’t that she was embarrassed or ashamed to face him. That she could so. It was that she didn’t want to lose the intimacy she had with River, as she knew she would when they had to face the others. “I’m going to tell Rory,” she decided out loud. “I’m going to tell him everything.” She looked over at River, waiting for her to say something, but for once, the blonde seemed lost for words. “I don’t love him anymore, and I’m not doing anybody any favours by pretending I do.” She took River’s hand in her own. “I want to see what we could be together.”
“We’ll be amazing,” smiled the archaeologist.
“I thought you didn’t have spoilers on this one?” asked Amy.
“I don’t, but you don’t need spoilers to know some things,” smiled River, pressing her lips to Amy’s in a chaste kiss.
*
Stepping out into the bright sun, Amy put a hand up to protect her eyes, squinting to see against the harsh light. She could barely make out the sorry forms of Rory and the Doctor, clearly suffering from the festivities the night before.
“Amy, River,” greeted the Doctor, although with none of his usual enthusiasm.
“Heading off, are we?” asked River brightly, clearly intent on not letting this chance to annoy the Doctor slip by.
“Er, yes, I thought we should, um, you know, leave them to it,” mumbled the Doctor, vaguely gesturing around the settlement. “And go somewhere a little bit more peace loving where we can relax.”
“How about Woodstock?” grinned River.
“I was thinking somewhere a little quieter,” said the Doctor, his suffering evident. "Jack was kind enough to suggest the silent seas of Maldras...although he did follow it by asking for the return of his vortex manipulator back. Sometimes I wonder which of you two is safer having one of those things."
Amy stood close to River, casting her eyes over Rory, who looked to be in a similar state to the Doctor, and sighed. She was going to have to break his heart. It seemed cruel to do it on top of such suffering. But then perhaps it was better to have it all at once than dished out in small amounts. Still, she would at least wait until they got back to the TARDIS. She had the awful feeling that he might cry, and it wasn’t fair to make him do it in public.
*
“Are you sure about this?” River asks, hovering in the doorway of Amy’s room in the TARDIS. There’s not a doubt in her mind that she wants to be with Amy, but for once, she also cares about the heartbreak she’s causing. It seems, that when it comes to Amy, she cares about her and everything even remotely related to her. She hesitates when Amy reaches out her arms towards her. She knows Amy asked Rory to come and find her so they could talk, and as much as every part of her wants to be in Amy’s arms right about now, she thinks that Rory deserves more than that. She’s taking someone truly amazing from him, the least he deserves is to hear it from Amy herself.
With a sigh, Amy dropped her arms, picking at the cover of the bed on which she is perched. “All my life I’ve waited for things to feel right, and now I think I finally know how to make that happen.” She looked up to meet River’s eyes. “I want this to be our bed River. I want to be able to wake up and not just want to close my eyes again and go back to whatever dream I was in!”
River couldn’t help but smile at Amy’s words. It had been so long since she had ever truly let someone in, forever since she fell so truly and deeply in love with them. “I promise I’ll do everything I can to make sure you never want to sleep, because even the dreams won’t be as good as what we’ll have.”
Her voice was as gentle and soft as Amy had ever heard it, and happy tears welled up in her eyes. She smiled, not for a moment doubting River’s words.
“I’ll be waiting, just like I always have.” With a final smile, she reluctantly stepped out of the doorway, stopping in her tracks as she came face to face with Rory walking along the corridor. She glanced at him, saw the tears gleaming in his eyes, and realised he knew. She tried to walk past him, but he caught her arm.
“I’ve always known, River. I might just be some dumb human from the 21st century, but even I’m not stupid enough to miss how much you love her. You forget you’re not the only one ever to have looked at her that way.”
River looked up to meet the honest, sad gaze of Rory, who before now, she suddenly felt she had always underestimated.
“I knew it would never last between us, but I wanted to believe it could. I thought, that maybe, once we were married it would fix things, but I realised even then it was a mistake. She never wanted to marry me River. You don’t spend your entire wedding day in tears when you’re happy and marrying the person you love.” He sighed, shaking his head. “Look, just make her happy, okay?”
River found herself nodding dumbly, tears in her own eyes. Rory dropped her arm and she started to walk away again, wanting to leave the pair in some privacy, but Rory turned to her once more.
“No need to go anywhere River. I just want to say goodbye and get a few things. I don’t want her to feel this is her fault. It’s what she needs and I just can’t give it to her…” he trailed off, his gaze falling to the floor. “And I never did like to see her cry, and you make her smile like no one else.”
The tears River had been trying to hold back spilled openly down her cheeks as she stood, useless, watching Rory take a deep breath before walking into the room to leave the woman they both loved. Indulging in such deep emotional outbursts was something River rarely did, but right then, she couldn’t do anything else. Hot tears continued to flow openly down her face as she thought about what it would feel like were their positions reversed. In all honesty, she knew she could never have afforded Rory the same kindness he had to her. She would have been angry and bitter to the last.
“Goodbye, Amy,” Rory said from the doorway, gazing down at the engagement ring he now wore around his smallest finger.
River’s eyes jerked up from the floor, watching him as though transfixed as he left, carrying himself with all the energy of an empty sail.
“River?” Amy’s voice, although quiet, reached her ears, and she quickly shook her head, trying to collect her thoughts as she stepped into the room. Amy sat as before, on the bed, tears falling down her pale cheeks, despite the smile that found its way onto her features as River, her River, stepped into the room. “Close the door, and help me mess up this bed,” she said, her voice low, her lust-filled gaze holding River’s. She saw River about to protest, and cut her off, needing her to understand. Just needing her, in every capacity. “I don’t want to remember the first day I woke up in your arms as a sad day. I just want to remember you. I want to remember what you feel like, what you sound like, what you taste like.”
“You two might want to think about moving.”
It wasn’t exactly the nicest wake up line, but the urgency in the tone conveyed all the warning that was needed. River’s eyes flew open and she sat up to see Jack standing in the open doorway, a pile of what appeared to be clothes in his hands.
“The Doctor’s looking for you two,” he told her, glancing at the sleeping form of Amy next to her. He couldn’t help it as a small smile found its way onto his features. He clearly wasn’t the only one to have a good time last night. “I’ll keep him out of the way. Oh, and the women gave me these for you.”
River smiled her thanks, catching the bundle he threw in her direction, saving it from hitting Amy. Waiting till Jack had closed the door before turning and placing a gentle kiss on the younger woman’s forehead, stirring her from her sleep. Her eyes blinked open to reveal amber eyes still full of sleep. River could only smile at the adorable sight before her, stroking the side of Amy’s face. “We have to go.” She chuckled at the pout which immediately formed on Amy’s lips, leaning down to kiss it away.
“Don’t want to move,” mumbled Amy, laying her head in River’s lap in the hope of keeping her still, and not having to get up.
“We have to, darling,” sighed River, running her fingers through Amy’s hair.
Amy smiled at the archaeologist’s fond little title for her, pleased that the Doctor wasn’t the only one with a pet name. She rolled over onto her back so that she could look up at River’s face, smiling at the state of the blonde’s hair. Bed head definitely wasn’t her best look.
“The Doctor’s looking for us,” River told her, reaching over to look through the bundle of clothes Jack had thrown at her. They were…simple, to say the least, but functional. “Come on,” smiled River, nudging Amy. “The sooner we get out of here the sooner we can find somewhere with style and shops and replace these. I was thinking 27th century Paris?”
Amy grinned at the suggestion, finally sitting up and taking the clothes River handed her. She watched as the blonde slid out from under the covers, starting to gather up their own clothes from around the room, her skin looking even more delicious in the sunlight that filtered into the room. She still couldn’t tear her eyes away from her as River started to tug on her clothes, mixing her own underwear and strap top with one of the strange tunics that had been provided for them.
“Going to sit there staring all day, Pond?” River grinned, her words prompting Amy into action. Well, to kneel on the edge of the bed, anyway. The red head stretched her arms out towards River, pouting until the older woman finally stepped into her arms, which she settled around her neck as she kissed her deeply. “You need to get dressed,” River told her quietly but firmly as she pulled back. Amy, however, didn’t budge, keeping her arms where they were, her hands clasped behind River’s neck. Chuckling, the blonde shook her head, picking up Amy’s bra from the bed and starting to dress the younger woman. It seemed that this was a suitable compromise to Amy, who didn’t mind River dressing her, since it meant she got to kiss her in between each article of clothing. “Shoes,” River finally told her, slipping out of her loose embrace with a final kiss. “Before the Doctor finds us.”
With a sigh, Amy sat heavily on the edge of the bed, reaching for her trainers and tugging them onto her feet, watching as River laced up her own combat boots. Last night had been something. And last night had also changed something. She knew that when they went outside, she would need to face Rory again, and if she was honest, she didn’t want to. It wasn’t that she was embarrassed or ashamed to face him. That she could so. It was that she didn’t want to lose the intimacy she had with River, as she knew she would when they had to face the others. “I’m going to tell Rory,” she decided out loud. “I’m going to tell him everything.” She looked over at River, waiting for her to say something, but for once, the blonde seemed lost for words. “I don’t love him anymore, and I’m not doing anybody any favours by pretending I do.” She took River’s hand in her own. “I want to see what we could be together.”
“We’ll be amazing,” smiled the archaeologist.
“I thought you didn’t have spoilers on this one?” asked Amy.
“I don’t, but you don’t need spoilers to know some things,” smiled River, pressing her lips to Amy’s in a chaste kiss.
*
Stepping out into the bright sun, Amy put a hand up to protect her eyes, squinting to see against the harsh light. She could barely make out the sorry forms of Rory and the Doctor, clearly suffering from the festivities the night before.
“Amy, River,” greeted the Doctor, although with none of his usual enthusiasm.
“Heading off, are we?” asked River brightly, clearly intent on not letting this chance to annoy the Doctor slip by.
“Er, yes, I thought we should, um, you know, leave them to it,” mumbled the Doctor, vaguely gesturing around the settlement. “And go somewhere a little bit more peace loving where we can relax.”
“How about Woodstock?” grinned River.
“I was thinking somewhere a little quieter,” said the Doctor, his suffering evident. "Jack was kind enough to suggest the silent seas of Maldras...although he did follow it by asking for the return of his vortex manipulator back. Sometimes I wonder which of you two is safer having one of those things."
Amy stood close to River, casting her eyes over Rory, who looked to be in a similar state to the Doctor, and sighed. She was going to have to break his heart. It seemed cruel to do it on top of such suffering. But then perhaps it was better to have it all at once than dished out in small amounts. Still, she would at least wait until they got back to the TARDIS. She had the awful feeling that he might cry, and it wasn’t fair to make him do it in public.
*
“Are you sure about this?” River asks, hovering in the doorway of Amy’s room in the TARDIS. There’s not a doubt in her mind that she wants to be with Amy, but for once, she also cares about the heartbreak she’s causing. It seems, that when it comes to Amy, she cares about her and everything even remotely related to her. She hesitates when Amy reaches out her arms towards her. She knows Amy asked Rory to come and find her so they could talk, and as much as every part of her wants to be in Amy’s arms right about now, she thinks that Rory deserves more than that. She’s taking someone truly amazing from him, the least he deserves is to hear it from Amy herself.
With a sigh, Amy dropped her arms, picking at the cover of the bed on which she is perched. “All my life I’ve waited for things to feel right, and now I think I finally know how to make that happen.” She looked up to meet River’s eyes. “I want this to be our bed River. I want to be able to wake up and not just want to close my eyes again and go back to whatever dream I was in!”
River couldn’t help but smile at Amy’s words. It had been so long since she had ever truly let someone in, forever since she fell so truly and deeply in love with them. “I promise I’ll do everything I can to make sure you never want to sleep, because even the dreams won’t be as good as what we’ll have.”
Her voice was as gentle and soft as Amy had ever heard it, and happy tears welled up in her eyes. She smiled, not for a moment doubting River’s words.
“I’ll be waiting, just like I always have.” With a final smile, she reluctantly stepped out of the doorway, stopping in her tracks as she came face to face with Rory walking along the corridor. She glanced at him, saw the tears gleaming in his eyes, and realised he knew. She tried to walk past him, but he caught her arm.
“I’ve always known, River. I might just be some dumb human from the 21st century, but even I’m not stupid enough to miss how much you love her. You forget you’re not the only one ever to have looked at her that way.”
River looked up to meet the honest, sad gaze of Rory, who before now, she suddenly felt she had always underestimated.
“I knew it would never last between us, but I wanted to believe it could. I thought, that maybe, once we were married it would fix things, but I realised even then it was a mistake. She never wanted to marry me River. You don’t spend your entire wedding day in tears when you’re happy and marrying the person you love.” He sighed, shaking his head. “Look, just make her happy, okay?”
River found herself nodding dumbly, tears in her own eyes. Rory dropped her arm and she started to walk away again, wanting to leave the pair in some privacy, but Rory turned to her once more.
“No need to go anywhere River. I just want to say goodbye and get a few things. I don’t want her to feel this is her fault. It’s what she needs and I just can’t give it to her…” he trailed off, his gaze falling to the floor. “And I never did like to see her cry, and you make her smile like no one else.”
The tears River had been trying to hold back spilled openly down her cheeks as she stood, useless, watching Rory take a deep breath before walking into the room to leave the woman they both loved. Indulging in such deep emotional outbursts was something River rarely did, but right then, she couldn’t do anything else. Hot tears continued to flow openly down her face as she thought about what it would feel like were their positions reversed. In all honesty, she knew she could never have afforded Rory the same kindness he had to her. She would have been angry and bitter to the last.
“Goodbye, Amy,” Rory said from the doorway, gazing down at the engagement ring he now wore around his smallest finger.
River’s eyes jerked up from the floor, watching him as though transfixed as he left, carrying himself with all the energy of an empty sail.
“River?” Amy’s voice, although quiet, reached her ears, and she quickly shook her head, trying to collect her thoughts as she stepped into the room. Amy sat as before, on the bed, tears falling down her pale cheeks, despite the smile that found its way onto her features as River, her River, stepped into the room. “Close the door, and help me mess up this bed,” she said, her voice low, her lust-filled gaze holding River’s. She saw River about to protest, and cut her off, needing her to understand. Just needing her, in every capacity. “I don’t want to remember the first day I woke up in your arms as a sad day. I just want to remember you. I want to remember what you feel like, what you sound like, what you taste like.”