Title: Understanding

Rating: K

Pairing: River Song/Eleventh Doctor, Amy Pond/Rory Williams

Season/Episode: Series 7, right after The Angles Take Manhattan

Warnings: Nothing Bad

Disclaimer: Doctor Who is the property of the British Broadcasting Company and other companies that I am in no way a part of or connected to. In other words, I Do Not Own.

River Song made her final edit and sat back in her chair. She was finally finished writing. It was the first book in the Melody Malone series, or, in actuality, an account of her final hours with her parents.

The thought caused a sharp stab of pain in her chest, and River took a deep breath.

It had been one week since the Weeping Angel had sent Amy Pond and Rory Williams back to the past. In doing so they had created a fixed point in time. The TARDIS could not travel there without destroying New York City.

River had spent the week writing the book. She would then travel to the past and give it to her mother for publishing, completing events.

Her time had also been spent travelling with The Doctor. Amy's last request had been for River to take care of The Doctor, and so she was. It had been pretty easy to do. He had spent his days going from one isolated place in space and time to another. He was wrapped up in his grief.

The Doctor knew loss and grief. He had lost his entire planet. He had lost companions before, that was why he started to keep an emotional distance with everybody. Yet, he had lowered his guard with Amy and Rory. They had become more than companions. They were family.

Literally, through River's marriage to The Doctor.

River knew enough to keep her distance during that time. When he was hurting he could lash out, and that was not something she wanted to be a part of. It wouldn't be personal; just his way of pushing her away.

Now, however, it was time to let him know that she must leave. It would hurt him. Right after Amy had chosen to go into the past he had asked River to travel with him. She had said yes, but not permanently.

It would have gone well at first. They would experience history and explore beautiful places. River, however, had been on her own for too long. She knew that eventually she would feel trapped and leave, probably with no warning. He would resent her for it.

No, their relationship worked because they were apart for most of the time.

o.O.o

River found him in the control room sitting in the doorway. He was staring silently out into space.

"Doctor?" River cautiously asked, kneeling behind him.

"She brought me here. I wanted to go to the top of Mount Everest, but she brought me here. I don't want to be here—" he explained, "—but she won't leave."

River knew that the TARDIS sometimes had a mind of its own. She also knew that when it went someplace unexpected it was because The Doctor needed to be there. "What is this place?"

"This is the first place I took Amy. She didn't believe that we were actually in space. So I proved it to her." River heard the ghost of a smile in his voice. "I held onto her ankle for safety as she floated."

"Ah." River ran her hand lightly over the wall of the TARDIS. "Maybe she's grieving too."

"What?" He turned to look at her.

"Well, she did have a one of a kind bond with Amy." At his look of confusion she waved her fingers at him, reminding him that the TARDIS was in a way her mother too. "Unless you make a habit of allowing your companions to—"

"No!" he interrupted. "You are one of a kind, River."

She smirked. "Don't you forget it."

Shifting position, she gently pulled him against her. He resisted for about a second before settling. She could practically feel the pain radiating off of him and wished there was some way that she could take it away.

"River?"

"Mmm?"

"Why did you encourage her to do it? I was trying to stop her but you…"

"Like mother like daughter."

"What?"

River took a deep breath. "I know what it's like to love somebody so much that the thought of never seeing them again is unbearable."

He didn't respond to that statement. She hadn't expected him to. Instead, she felt him lightly touch her vortex manipulator. "You're going to see them again though."

"No, I'm not. I'll leave the manuscript for her to find, but I won't speak to them. They deserve…they deserve normality now. They deserve peace."

"That's what she chose." She could hear the bitterness in his voice and she now knew that was part of what was bothering him. In the end Amy had chosen Rory over the Doctor.

"Yes, Sweetie, it is."

They sat in silence for a while longer before returning to the control room. When he tried the controls again, the TARDIS let him choose a different destination. Peeking outside she saw the snow-capped peaks of the Himalayas.

"It worked," she reported.

The Doctor pet the control console, murmuring something that she couldn't hear. When he looked up, he frowned. "You're leaving now."

She looked towards her bag and touched her vortex manipulator. "I was planning on it."

"Was?"

"I won't stay forever. You know that. But I think I can manage one more dinner and sleep."

His smile was genuine, and at that moment River knew that he was going to be okay.