Summary: Amy sometimes wonders why River always calls her by her first name. Melody always calls her mom. The Doctor isn't the only one River lives to see.
Warnings: A Good Man Goes to War spoilers, main character death(s), speculation.
The first time Amy meets River Song from her perspective- the River that they know, not Melody, (who's back on the Tardis with Rory, mopping about how she's old enough to go on an adventure with the rest of them and how she knows more about weaponry then they do- boy did Rory give her a talking to her then about how guns were not toys), the first time she ever sees her is on New Earth. The Doctor and her are being chased by a large cat creature- the Doctor had shouted something about genetic tampering and cat nurses over his shoulder before they took off in the opposite direction. Round the corner of a long darkened corridor, a figure looms in front of them and Amy skids almost to a stop, at loss of what to do. The creature is so close she can feel its breath on her back, when the figure- a woman- grabs her and pulls her to the ground. Crouching beside her the other woman takes aim. Amy sees the Doctor quickly ducking his head as a bright laser fires out of the gun the woman is holding. The cat creature recoils, growling, and then it drops to the floor whimpering as the woman fires again and again and again.
The Doctor shuffles closer to the two of them and shouts to be heard over the barrage. "That's enough! Stop!"
The firing stops, but the gun is still raised and it trembles. Amy holds her breath, still wrapped in this strange woman's arm, not wanting to frighten her. Something wet drips on her head. She peers upward, spying a familiar mess of curls.
The Doctor slowly wraps her fingers around the woman's trembling hand and pulls the gun away. "River," he says softly, his eyes confused and worried. She avoids his gaze, only has eyes for Amy.
Amy stands up fully and her daughter follows, wrapping her gun arm around her as well, pulling her tightly into her shoulder. The woman looks younger then Amy has ever seen her before, possibly still a teenager, but of course, looks can be deceiving. Amy knows that being part-Timelady makes her actual age uncertain.
The Doctor and Amy are silent as River holds Amy close.
"M-mom," River says choked, letting out a disbelieving laugh. "Mom."
Thoughts begin to blossom in Amy's mind, fear grips her. River has never called her mom before. It's almost as if River hasn't seen her in years.
"River is Mel- are you-" Amy is one moment away from running back to the Tardis to see if Melody is okay, that she hasn't disappeared again.
"I'm fine," says River shakily. "M-mo…Amy," she pauses and seems to pull herself together. "Melody's fine. Really." She pulls back smiling brilliantly. Alarm bells go off in Amy's head. She knows her own daughter- something not right, she's way too cheerful too fast, but she lets it go for now. River leads them back through the winding corridors talking with her the entire way, walking so close that their shoulders occasionally touch. Her eyes are just a tad too bright.
So focused on River, Amy never notices the Doctor looking at her gravely.
River never calls her mom again. It's too painful.