Summary: There are spoilers for the new Doctor Who season that hint at Amy and Rory getting a divorce. What would be that catalyst?
Disclaimer: Owned by BBC and Moffat et al. I just play in the verse.
Warnings: Spoiler alert for DW 4x08 and 4x09 Silence in the Library and Forest of the Dead as well as all of seasons 5 and 6 if you haven't gotten far enough to know who Amy and Rory are.
"River! I told you, you never have to knock – Oh! Doctor! Hello!" Amy threw her arms around her friend, then backed off, grabbing him by the shoulders. "Come in! I was hoping you would get here today, but this is a surprise. Is River with you? She promised she'd be here a few hours ago, but I don't know what's keeping her."
The Doctor shook his head slowly, but Amy had already retreated into the house, expecting him to follow. The front room was decorated with cheery balloons and a banner proclaiming "Happy Birthday Melody!" along the far wall.
"Last she was here, she said that she'd just come from seeing you, and wouldn't tell me about your date, but changed the subject and said she'd been hired to go someplace called the Library? Have you heard of it? Of course you've heard of it. You're the Doctor. RORY!" Amy called up the stairs. "THE DOCTOR'S HERE!"
"Did he bring River?" Rory's voice floated down before his feet pounded down the steps.
"No, but he was just about to tell me how their date went," Amy grinned.
Rory sighed. "Amy, no, you promised you'd stop asking." He shot an apologetic look at the Doctor and paused, taking a long look at the Time Lord. "What's wrong?"
Amy spun at Rory's question, also paying attention to her friend. The Doctor's features were drawn and his eyes had lost their usual sparkle. His shoulders had slumped, and he stood like a man ready to face a firing squad: resigned. He didn't say anything at first, just stood, and stared at their faces. Because what's the point in them being happy now if they're going to be sad later?
He'd been keeping this from them the moment he knew River Song was the daughter of Amy and Rory Pond. At first, he had convinced himself that the time with the Vashta Nerada could be years in the future. He didn't even know if it was his eleventh regeneration that would hand her his modified sonic then, she'd been so excited when she'd zapped herself on board the TARDIS on Rivos 5 and dragged him to the local tavern. She'd ordered the soup and told him about her plans to visit The Library, which had been empty for many years – and no one knew why. She'd been hired to find out exactly that, but she would be staying with him for awhile before her team would leave.
Not long after, the Doctor surprised River with a date on Darillium, where he presented his modified sonic screwdriver to her. "Just in case," he'd murmured with a kiss to her forhead.
The answer is, of course, because they are going to be sad later.
"What's wrong?" the note of panic in Amy's voice had the Doctor blinking and shaking his head.
"Amy, Rory …" He paused. This grief, while his also, needed to be bottled. He had to be strong. "River isn't coming."
The Ponds – the Williams', he must remember – stared at him. Rory began to crumble. Sensible, steadfast Rory, who understood the dangers of being around the Doctor, better than anyone perhaps, and even more profoundly – accepted it – took in a sharp breath and curled in on himself.
Amy raised her voice and railed. "What do you mean, isn't coming? It's her birthday, Doctor. She just doesn't not come home for her birthday! She has to be coming!"
The tears were sliding freely down her face, because even Amy, as brilliantly angry as she was and could get – understood. "I didn't get her first birthday, or her second, or God, and even when she was Mels, it didn't count because I was a child and I didn't know she was – I've only had three years with my daughter! How, why, how…"
As she howled, she fell into the arms of her friend, who despite his promise to be strong, grieved with her. When Rory shuffled over, they were for a time a heaving, angry ball – fighting one another, as well as remembering the need to comfort and be comforted by those who knew River Song best.
For awhile, Rory immersed himself in the hospital, and Amy had made friends with one Martha Jones and occasionally helped with cases. Occasionally, she ran off with the Doctor for more adventures. She said that it hurt, being so surrounded by the constant reminders of her daughter, but that it was therapeutic too – she felt closer to River in the TARDIS, running after Sontaran, and beating up Daleks when they showed their plungers.
Rory worried, but at first, he couldn't face the TARDIS or the Doctor. He knew it hadn't been the Doctor's fault – his entire life had been entwined with the Time Lord and knew very well that death happened, simply put. Even still, it was hard, knowing he wouldn't see River again. Amy was usually home for supper in any case, and if she wasn't, well. He only started noticing a few months after the birthday celebration that wasn't. Then, it was only occasionally, and she would be back within the week.
As the weeks and months continued, Rory and Amy healed from River's death, and spent more time laughing with one another again. Rory went back to normal shifts, and Amy went off with the Doctor less, and started on missions with UNIT as a consultant more. Things were beginning to look up again.
On their fourth anniversary, Rory had the house alight with candles and there were wildflowers gracing every surface. The petals of violets and sunflowers marked a path to their bedroom, and he found that he was so happy to have a sense of normalcy again – well. Normal for the Ponds.
Amy giggled at his overacted bedroom-eyes through supper, and howled her love for him all that night, crushing petals blindly in their fury.
The next morning, Rory allowed Amy her lie-in and showered, dressed, then moved around the chilly flat, gathering candles whose wax had spilled onto their mis-matching tables. he swept up the flowers and, humming to himself, started making breakfast when the phone rang.
"Pond residence!" he chirped.
"Hullo. Dr. Rosenberg's office for Amy Williams, please?"
"She's still asleep. I'm her husband, can I relay your message?" Rory swept eggs onto a plate, cradling the phone between his shoulder and ear. He hadn't been aware she was seeing her gynocologist again.
"Of course, Mr. Williams. We are calling to remind that Amy needs to not have any food or drink today for her procedure tomorrow, and to make certain that someone is available to pick her up from the hospital."
"Procedure?" he asked, setting down the pan.
"The tubectomy, yes. Please make certain that she's here by 10 am. Thank you!" The nurse hung up.
Rory didn't hear the click of the receiver on the other end, or the crash of the phone onto the floor over the roaring in his ears.
"Rory? Who was that?" Amy had apparently woken, showered, and dressed as he had cleaned.
He turned to face his wife. "What's wrong?" she asked, not liking the ashen tone his face had taken on.
"That was Dr. Rosenberg's office, reminding you not to eat or drink for your procedure tomorrow. And to have someone pick you up from the hospital," Rory's voice was strained, but each syllable was clearly pronounced. Amy stilled.
"Oh."
"Oh? Oh?" Rory's voice cracked. "Were you even going to tell me you were getting your tubes tied? Was that a thought for you? I thought we were going to try again!"
Amy bristled. "I told you before, I didn't want more. I had Melody."
"Melody grew up, Amy. She grew up into brave and lovely River Song, and she died. We're still young, we talked about this. We can still have a family – have more babies. You know I want more kids!"
"And you know I don't! I'd never wanted to be a mother, and after River died, I didn't want more, I don't want more."
"After last night, I thought that –"
"That what? I'd stop taking cases with UNIT? That I'd stop helping the Doctor and be careful with my life? We've seen the wonders and the horrors of the universe, Rory! Even after the Miracle, people still turn a blind eye on what's out there. I can't leave this world to its own devices, I have to help in any way I can, and I can't do that when I'm pregnant." Amy had come forward to clasp his hands, searching his eyes earnestly with hers, willing him to finally understand. Amy Pond, the Girl Who Waited had turned into one of Earth's defenders, just as many of the companions before her had.
"We didn't use protection, you could be pregnant now," Rory said, grasping.
"I…" Amy ducked her head. "I've been getting the shots. I'm not pregnant." Rory dropped her hands as if they were live coals.
"Why didn't you say something," he hissed, backing away. He saw Amy, but suddenly, it was as if a curtain had parted, and the glowy bits all turned black. He'd had his rosy glasses revoked where Amy was concerned long ago, but this was like seeing a side of her that no one ever knew.
"Because I knew how you'd react!" She laughed bitterly, hysterically. "You just told me how you thought we'd still have babies even though I've told you so many times over the last how many months that it wasn't happening. Why didn't you listen? I never lied to you about that."
"But you lied to me about the birth control. And the major surgery that will render you practically sterile. Who were you planning on picking you up from the hospital, Amy? And how do you think you were going to keep it from me? Since, I don't know, I fucking work there?"
Amy stared at him, whispered, "Martha. Martha was going to sign me out, then the Doctor was going to pick me up. I was going to recover in the TARDIS, and be home in time for dinner."
Rory was floored. She'd had the whole thing engineered so he wouldn't find out. "You enlisted the Doctor to lie to me too?" He knew the Doctor had lied to them, to him, more times than he could count, but it was usually for their safety, and not like this.
"He doesn't know yet. He's meeting Martha and I tomorrow evening. I just told him I wanted to fly for awhile."
Rory started shaking his head, as if the motion would fling the lies from his ears, reversing time to when Amy kept nothing from him, and certainly nothing like this.
"Rory, I – I'm sorry. I should have told you. What can I do? I was just, scared…" she started, but Rory put his hand up. She knew she'd gone too far, but how do you fix something like this?
"I can't even believe you right now. I can't even – we were moving forward and – cancel the appointment." His eyes lit manically, and he started nodding through his tears, noticing that Amy's cheeks were wet, too.
"What?" she asked.
"Cancel the appointment. Continue with the shots for now, but don't do the irreversible. Don't do the surgery. We can talk about this, and it will be okay. We'll be okay."
Amy stared at him for a moment, and asked, "If I don't go through with the surgery, we can work this out?" She was hopeful. She knew that they were at a crossroads – a completely unexpected crossroads that, on reflection, really shouldn't have been such a surprise. This moment could turn everything one way or another. She was about to agree to almost anything he asked. Almost.
Rory grabbed Amy around the waist and hauled her to him, speaking quickly, tripping over his words, almost as if he weren't fully aware of what he was saying. "Yes, of course, we'll be fine. I can forgive you for not telling me. I can understand. We can hold off for a few more years, and I'll just convince you that another baby will be alright. We can do both, save the world and have a kid. We can. Of course you have fears, but I'm the Last Centurion and you're the Girl Who Waited, Defender of Earth. We can do this, but we'll wait, it's okay."
Amy was shaking. He didn't get it. What was worse was that she didn't get his reluctance to believe her. He thought she'd be patched up and fixed and ready in a few years time, and they could have another baby. To replace her Melody. She wasn't having it, and she pushed away from him. "No," she whispered.
"No," she said again, louder and more forceful, when he paused and blinked owlishly at her. "I can't, Rory. I wish you'd see." She breathed in and shook her head. "I'm going tomorrow. I have to."
Rory dashed the back of his hand across his cheeks and started looking around for his trainers. He spotted them under the dining room table and quickly, awkwardly pulled them on.
"What are you doing?" Amy asked, following him. He didn't respond, and just stood, searching for his jacket while she started screaming the question at him.
Rory found his coat and threw open the front door. "I need -" he stopped and ran out the door, throwing his hands wide in anger. The words "I can't do this anymore" rang in Amy's ears as she followed him desperately to the stoop, watching him march away.
"Fine!" she yelled after him, the roar of the wind drowning her voice, carrying to him nothing but a whimper. Amy slid down doorjamb and watched Rory walk out of sight.
Hours later, the doorbell rang, and Amy moved to answer it, hoping to see her husband, sheepishly proclaiming that he'd forgotten his keys. Instead, Martha Jones stood grinning on her stoop, with an outrageously handsome man in an old army coat standing behind her.
"Amy!" Martha greeted her friend enthusiastically. Amy pasted on a smile and returned the hug. "Amy, meet Captain Jack Harkness. Jack, this is Amy Pond."
The man took Amy's hand and kissed her knuckles. She forced a giggle. "Dammit Jack!" Martha laughed.
"I was just saying hello!" The friends laughed at this; Amy was lost, but ushered them inside.
"Pleased to meet you. What's going on?"
"Well Amy, there's this initiative that we need to jumpstart back in England – under the radar of UNIT, and I told Jack here that you'd be perfect for it."
Amy's brows lifted. This was the reason she'd lied to Rory, and this was what she'd committed herself to long ago. She breathed in, and slowly exhaled, nodding. "What's this, then?"
Jack grinned. "We're bringing Torchwood back."