I'm thinking that Sundays may be a pattern... so much for Saturdays. Anyway. NEWCHAPTEROMFG!

Not that anyone cares. It seems I'm the only person on the planet who cares about mixing these two fandoms. Boo. :(

NOTE: This is pretty much a filler chapter. We'll jump into the action next chapter.

Enjoy my lovelies! :D

Amy watched as River shook her head in denial as her hearts broke, helpless in how to comfort her. Comfort was never really her thing; that was Rory's department. As the Doctor waved his little paw at them, she could tell that River was close to completely losing it. Not only did he not remember them, but he was also a cat and he was a baby cat at that. Amy distantly thought about how that was something the Doctor would say, with all those rhymes. Rafiki brought the cub-that-was-actually-a-time-traveling-1,200-year-old-alien to his hairy chest and rocked him.

"I promise you, friends, dat I will do all I can to guide him through his Circle, and give him a place of great honor among de lions of dis land. From what I understand, he can neva remember you, but you 'ave Rafiki's word that he will live a good, long life. I am once again very sorry for you all, especially the one he calls River." River tensed at that. "I do not know what it is like to lose a mate, but I have seen the affects it had on the old queen Sarabi when King Mufasa passed. She mourned for many seasons, but she healed eventually. She had to, to keep de pride togetha in dark times. You will do de same. From how he described you, you are strong like Sarabi was. You will be the rock your people need. Trust ol' Rafiki. You will survive."

"I must go now. De sun is setting, and I must deliver de cub to de pride. He starts a new life at sunrise, so he better get some sleep, eh? Goodbye friends! Carry on and do whatever it is dat de hairless ones do!" The screen shut off then, taking Rafiki and the Doctor with it. River staggered away from the scanner, and fell back onto the jump seat. Amy and Rory pressed in next to her, holding her between them. They stayed like that for a few minutes, huddled together like the odd, mismatched family they were. Suddenly, River wretched herself away and strolled calmly over to the console.

"River?" Amy questioned. "What are you doing?" The blonde woman didn't seem to acknowledge her as she kept turning knobs and pulling levers, but after a moment, without looking up, she answered.

"He's in Africa." She said levelly. "That's not a place he goes often, and it was likely the last place the TARDIS was before She came here. If I can pin-point the co-ordinates She was at prior to arrival, then I can direct Her back there." She gazed up at them both, hope brimming in her eyes. "We can get him back."

"Okay," Rory said a bit skeptically. He was wary, as River was in a fragile, very desperate state. She'd likely try anything to get the Doctor back. "But how do you know they were in Africa?" She raised her eyebrows at her father like the answer should be obvious, and both Amy and Rory breathed a sigh of relief at that. That was a very River thing to do.

"Rafiki was a mandrill, a species of ape only native to Africa. And if there are lions there then that only proves it further. However, currently mandrills only occupy the jungles and savannahs of West Africa, while lions usually stay to the East. My guess is that they are some time in the distant past, when there possibly could have been a niche of mandrills living in an area that coincides with lion habitat."

"Meaning?" Amy inquired, eyebrow raised. River typed something into the typewriter and spun with a flourish, a smirk on her face that clearly stated 'How clever am I?'

"Next stop, the East African Steppe, around 340 AD." As she said this she pulled down a lever, causing the TARDIS to whir to life. Amy and Rory grasped the rails around the console, but it was unneeded, as River switched on the blue stabilizers for a smooth, accurate landing. She glided back over to the scanner to get a look at their surroundings, and was quite pleased with herself to find they were exactly where she had intended. She threw a grin over her shoulder at the young couple. "And that, Mummy and Daddy, is how you fly the TARDIS correctly." Amy smiled back at her, glad that River was acting like herself again, and started for the door, but felt Rory's hand on her arm, pulling her back.

"Wait," he insisted. He then looked over to River, who was leaning against the console. "So what's the plan?"

River sighed and put a hand to her face, suddenly looking weary. She fixed her parents with pleading eyes. "I'm going to use the Chameleon Arch."

Amy's eyes widened in shock. "What?!" She shrieked. "But isn't that what got us into this mess in the first place?" River nodded solemnly.

"Yes, but I can fix it. My connection to the TARDIS is stronger than the Doctor thinks. She speaks to me. She can tell me what to do so that I can make the proper repairs and adjustments. Then I can rewire it so that when I use it, I don't lose my memory." Her eyes were soft, but with a hard edge to them, letting the Ponds know that she wouldn't give in easily. In that respect, she was just like the both of them. Too stubborn to quit and too in love to even consider it. "Do you trust me?"

Rory approached her and pulled her into a massive hug. "Always, Melody. Always." Amy joined in the embrace seconds later, clutching her husband and daughter to her like a lifeline. When she pulled away, she stared the other woman right in the eyes, and with a tone that broached no argument said, "Bring him back, or you're grounded for a year and a half." River chuckled at her, her eyes bright with hope and confidence.

"Yes, mother dear. I'll have him back before you can say 'fishfingers and custard'." And with that, she scampered off to work on the malfunctioning machine.