Waking up on the cold concrete, he stood up and looked around. He was back in New York, and River, the Doctor and Amy were nowhere to be seen. No paradoxes, no TARDIS, no rifts - he was all alone.
Again.
At this moment, nothing could compare to the crushing and debilitating grief he felt, because everything he'd done had been worth something. Not something, all of it had been worth the world, because Amy was his world.
Waiting beside a box had been worth it because he knew that she would someday come out, and his would be the first face she ever saw.
Loving her throughout all the ups and downs had been worth it because he knew that she would love him back, despite all the other distractions, all the other preoccupations.
Now, all that had been for nothing. He'd never see her beautiful face, her blazing hair nor her eyes boring into him ever again.
But it was alright. It was alright, because he knew that Amy would be happy. Amy would keep traveling with the Doctor, and Melody, and all the other crazy and wonderful and beautiful people they'd meet along the way.
It was alright, because Amy would be happy.
Wandering around the city, he pondered what he would do for the rest of his life. He could take a job at the hospital, maybe get a cat or a dog, maybe write a book or something -
Amy wouldn't have wanted him to be unhappy for the rest of his life. She would have been disappointed if he didn't do something remarkable with his life, just as he would be disappointed if she didn't do anything remarkable with hers.
Rory walked around the city and imagined what it would look like by daylight. He'd heard that New York was a beautiful city, and anyone and everyone could make it here. Surely a young British guy could do something with his life.
He'd make Amy proud.
He found a bench in Central Park and sat down with his thoughts. Closing his eyes, he recalled her features pressing against his, and sighed in reminiscence. He missed her already, but she would be happy traveling with the Doctor. That was all that mattered.
Preoccupied by his thoughts, he almost missed the sounds of a woman sobbing. Opening his eyes, he looked around to see what was happening. A few meters from him, he could make out the figure of a woman kneeling on the ground with a head of brilliant red hair.
It couldn't be - she couldn't have, he couldn't have let her, she wouldn't have let her…
He slowly walked over, wary that it may just have been a stranger or even worse, a trap, but there was no mistaking that hair. No mistaking that voice.
He stood behind Amy as she continued to bury herself in her arms, kneeling and crying. Then, he slowly bent over and whispered, "You idiot, you could have went to another time."
Amy froze and looked up, and Rory took her into his arms.
"Rory…"
"Sh… it's alright, I'm here, you're here - we're here together, and that's all that matters."
"Rory, I love you, I left them, River, the Doctor..."
She sobbed quietly into his chest, and he gently hugged and comforted her.
"Hey, shh… together or not at all, right? Amy, I was so alone, and I owe you so much… Amy, I love you so much, we'll be okay together, okay?"
She answered him with a kiss, and they held each other on the cold streets of New York, ignoring the street sleepers and druggies who were staring at them.
The first face the boy who waited really saw after the angels was the face of the woman he loved -
And that was enough.
