Amelia Song, Madwoman In A Box
Chapter 1
Karn, during the era of the 3rd Doctor
"Okay, that should do it, looks like your father's Tardis, the face before the first one you knew."
"He didn't change it much at first, right, the first regeneration I knew? I've seen the pictures with you, dad, nana and grandfather in the Tardis…"
River's eyes looked sad, "He and the Tardis did that after Manhattan, after we parted. He grieved quite deeply, he thought he was close to losing me as well, in fact I think he feared he wouldn't see me again. His Tardis was grieving too, losing a whole family you played a part in creating…"
"But then he came to our home, right before Jonothon was born."
River smiled nostalgically. "Yes, walked right in on my class. He had no clue I was pregnant…"
Amelia giggled. "Daddy loved telling that story."
"He was so overjoyed. Then we had you too before Trenzalore…"
"And we got to meet nana and grandfather. I just barely remember that."
"Yes, that trip to 1972 Madison Square Garden, the One to One concert. Completely accidental meeting. But so wonderful. Finally my parents were old enough to be my parents and be grandparents, but still young enough they still seemed so much the same to me. I know your father was overjoyed to see them, but sad at how old they were. But it helped, after Trenzalore, we talked about it a lot."
"I remember. You played the music from the concert a lot and danced to it too."
"Yes. Are absolutely you sure you don't want to join Jonothon's two kids and his grandchildren, staying with my mum and dad, building a life there?"
"Nah. Too sad, and way too limited. I want to be like dad- be the 'madwoman in the box'. Besides, you already said it, that other universe probably needs to have a Doctor."
"I said that when you were so firm in your plan. I was rationalizing." River smiled lopsidedly. "I knew you were his little girl the moment you were born."
"Doesn't mean I didn't love you just as much, mum."
"I know. "
"And we all followed your advice, even me." Amelia grinned.
"I'm glad. I knew you all would, at least on the most important point."
"Face the darkness within and accept it, but don't let it become all that you see of yourself. You are neither saint nor monster, you are you."
"You don't know how overjoyed I am that you all took that to heart."
"I remember Trenzalore, mum, so I know."
A flash of pain crossed River's face. "Yes, I suppose you do."
"I'm the most like him of us kids, so maybe it was for the best that I did see it."
"That may be the only positive thing from seeing that horror."
"Father started listening to you more after Trenzalore."
"Yes, 12 and I really drew close. I think it helped a lot that was the female regeneration."
"I had two mums!"
"In a way. I could still see him in her though."
"Yeah, but she was happy to try being more like you. You two even went to that place that could do parthenogenesis so she could have one of the babies."
River smirked. "I warned the Doctor how hard pregnancy was, but no, she would do this, nothing could dissuade her." The result was their second daughter, Pond Song.
"Are you sad mum, that I've not yet had a kid? That if I do, you won't know, won't see it?"
"A little, but I have far more than enough grandchildren, don't worry. I hope you do someday though- fall deeply in love and have a family."
"If I have a daughter someday, I'll name her River. That universe needs a River Song too."
River hugged her daughter tight and squeezed back the tears. "You be a good girl and go find them."
"I will. I'll remember to play them the holovids too."
"I have the time and place coordinates stored. Remember, cross the dimensional path at the date I programmed, there should be no difficulties crossing there. Once you arrive safely, close off the path. Then go to-"
"2020, their address. I know. Mum, do you think nana and grandfather exist there?"
"I don't know, and even if they do they may have married other people, and even if they married I don't exist there. There may be a Melody Williams, but she's not me, even if they married on the same date and conceived a daughter right away she'd only be nine years old in 2020."
"But if they do, and even if Melody Williams is only a completely human nine year old girl, I'd still like to find them."
"Well then, you should. But start with the Tylers first. They are the only ones that will understand who you are at first. They'll help you find your way."
"You think they'll accept me straight off?"
"The human clone of your father is there. He'll help, I'm sure. He knows who I am."
"Do you think they had kids?"
"Rose, and as your father called him, Handy? I wouldn't be surprised."
"Heh, Handy. Bet if I call him that he'll know for sure I'm the Doctor's child."
"Wouldn't hurt." River laughed. "Be your most charming, funny and a bit mad- like your father."
"Already in my plan, mum."
River smiled and nodded. "Good. I know you learned to fly the Tardis the right way from me, but when you land in 2020, fly it wrong like your father, leave the brakes on."
Amelia giggled. "I know mum."
Mother and daughter gave each other one last tight hug. Then River walked out of her daughter's Tardis to a nearby creek. She turned around and waved to Amelia.
Amelia Song gave her mother a wave back, then closed the doors. She sighed, then strolled to the console and started the Tardis, deliberately leaving the brakes on. "Bye mum." Tears glistened in her eyes, but a hint of a smile was on her face, because she knew her mother would laugh in spite of herself, hearing that sound.
River let her tears flow once the door closed, but gave a watery laugh at the noise. '"Oh you cheeky little girl! Just like your father!" A hint of a smile ghosted across her face. "That's Amelia safe from the Time War." Relief coursed through her, another child of hers safe now.
"Pond's fine, she knows how to hide through time and space, my dear little delinquent daughter. She's like me at my wildest but without the programmed psychosis, even managed to fall in love and have a daughter, crazy little family."
"Jonothon, my sweet, brave firstborn. You'll face the Time War, make sure any that change their minds even at the last minute they can, will be able to flee. But next, I'll be making that trip with you and my grandchildren, leaving them with my mum and dad. They'll be so surprised to see Jonothon all grown up and a grandfather, no less."
"I'll have to tell mum and dad about the other children. They saw Amelia and knew I was pregnant with my third-Rory Song. Much to the Doctor's annoyance, their second son developed as strong a passion for archeology as his mother. Once their Rory was a teenager he began accompanying his mother on archeological trips. He went to his mother's university and also became an archeological professor.
When the whole family went back to ancient Gallifrey in 13's later years, Rory Song approached the adventure like the ultimate archeological exposition. He never really adjusted to Gallifrey though. He was the first of their children to "disappear". River and the Doctor took their second son where he decided to make the real adventure of his life. Rory Song chose Earth, 8th century BC in what would soon be named Rome. So now there really was a "Rory the Roman" in the family. It would be ironically funny if Rory Song somehow ended up being his own ancestor. That was what the three of them joked about in their final conversation, it made the parting easier, in a way.
Rory Song was three quarters time lord just like all her children with the Doctor. Her son could quite possibly be somewhere alive in a later regeneration, even in the 21st century. He'd know from what they had taught him, if there was an accidental meeting, not to let on he knew any of them though, not even his father. She wondered if he was alive then, and had followed his grandparents and parents lives…
The younger children and most of the rest of River and the Doctor's descendants chose to stay on Gallifrey, even knowing the terrible secret about the Time War. The only other one that left Gallifrey for good was Susan. Susan, their youngest grandchild, left with the Doctor late in his cycle back to his first life. The First Doctor was indeed her grandfather, even though she had never seen that face of his before their escape from Gallifrey in a "stolen" Tardis. Susan had decided to live in the 22nd century on Earth. That had kept her safe from the Time War. River saw her for the first time at Trenzalore as an older woman, a grandmother herself.
Susan had immediately recognized her and embraced her warmly with a tearful cry "Grandmother! I thought I'd never see you again!"
River smiled and returned the embrace, the irony of this repeated pattern in her life almost made her laugh. This time it was her turn to see a descendant of hers older than herself, long before she would see her as a baby…
After Trenzalore she and the Doctor had made visits to Susan and had met her three children, six grandchildren, and five great grandchildren. They made a last stop together just before the Doctor had died as his 13th self. Susan already existed as a young woman on Gallifrey at that point. But the Doctor wanted to see as many of their descendants that they could find, before he had to make the sacrifice that would begin his cycle anew. This was his first great secret, and the reason why he was given his birth name, he would never truly die.
Amelia was to share some of this story of the Doctor and his family, but not all, with the Tylers. If he asked, Amelia could share with the human clone of the Doctor some of the more devastating things, like what had happened at Trenzalore. Amelia greatest adventure was just beginning. River typed in her coordinates on her last vortex manipulator, the family estate on Gallifrey. It was time to go with Jonothon to see her parents one more time- on 1976 Earth, in the countryside, just north of New York City.