She turned the corner on her way home from work. It had been a long day, but they had decided to go to the orphanage. She was rummaging through her handbag when she tripped. A hand had darted out and caught her, a familiar hand. Looking up, she came face to face with her daughter. "R-River?" The tears washed at her make up, causing it to run a bit. "Hello, mom. Mind if I walk with you?"
There wasn't much further to go, and they moved together in silence, neither wanting to ruin the moment. When they got to the building, Amy opened the door and lead River to the apartment she and Rory had been living in. Opening the door for her mom, she saw her father sitting at the table, bespectacled and looking over papers. When he looked up, his glasses almost fell off his face.
"I'm home, Rory, and we have a visitor from 'home'." It was an unspoken rule that they refer to the future as home. A home neither would ever see again. Rory stood, moving to them and embracing his daughter. "God, River. It's been a long time." River smiled, fighting back tears. "It has. How have you been, dad?"
The three of them sat at the table, and River listened to them talk about their lives, about their work, and finally about the adoption to come. She smiled and patted their hands. "He'd be happy to know you two are getting along so well." Her parents look at each other, realization dawning in their eyes as they remembered who He was.
Amy squeezed her hand. "How is he?" River smiled at her. "Well, last time I saw him, we were on a date to the Singing Towers of Darillium. It was so... magical! I had a lovely time." Amy and Rory smiled, a fond memory of sending her off with the Doctor for that date. "Then we know how he is."
She sat back, fluffing her hair. "I'm hoping to see him again, soon. I've got a job I'm sure he'd find interesting." Amy sat up, a question in her eyes. River gave a dismissive wave of her hand, adding, "Oh, it's nothing dangerous, really. Just escorting a few people to a library as big as a planet. Can you imagine! All those stories, and because they belong to the library, he can't go ripping pages out! But we all know he'd want to read them."
Amy and Rory laughed. "Oh, the poor Doctor. You really are terrible to him. I swear, if you're not careful, you'll be the death of him." River grinned widely. "Or vice versa." They sat contentedly, and after a bit Rory made them all some tea.
Finally, it was time for Amy and Rory to go to the orphanage. As they were getting ready to part ways, Amy stopped River, a serious look on her face. "Don't tell him, River. Promise me you won't tell him about this visit? I don't need him tearing apart the whole of the universe to come visit. The fact that you stopped by was plenty dangerous enough." River nodded. "Don't worry, I'll take it to my grave." They laughed, ad parted ways; the parents to make a life, and the daughter, though unknowing, about to save one.
