Rory threw his arms around a corner of the TARDIS.
"You wonderful lady you. Thank you."
Rory kissed the side of the TARDIS. Amy patted her side and added:
"We are going to sleep. If you need anything just wake us up."
The TARDIS shuttered in response.
"What is the matter?" Amy asked.
Rory touched the front door. It opened at his touch. Amy looked inside. Her rotor was spastically bobbing up and down and the lights were dimmed. Rory and Amy walked in and everything felt wrong.
"Amy something is wrong. Let's get the Doctor."
The TARDIS slammed the door shut. Suddenly Amy and Rory heard one word in their heads:
STAY
"Ok, we are not going anywhere." Amy said.
"What's wrong?" Rory gently asked.
Amy and Rory had walked up to the console. Various images of everything that had happened flashed on the screen.
"It is ok. We are all safe." Amy said.
The TARDIS was trembling beneath their feet. Rory closed his eyes and suddenly understood.
"Amy. She knows that."
"Oh! You poor girl. It is ok. You got really scared didn't you?"
Amy finally understood. The TARDIS needed to mentally collapse.
"We aren't leaving. Just let it go." Rory said with a smile.
The sound that came from the console was as close to a grateful sob as Sexy could manage. Amy and Rory just listened as she let all her stress go. Just like with the Doctor. They just needed to be there.
The Doctor looked out the window of the guest bath at his TARDIS. He could feel her stress and sadness.
"You can't stay in there forever, Doctor. " River said with a smile.
"No. Your right. Sexy needs me."
The Doctor opened the door to River's smirk.
"Sweetie. She will be fine."
"But she is.."
"How many times do I have to tell you this. It is sometimes easier to cry to your friends than it is to cry to your partner. Doctor. My parents helped you through it. Let them help her. Understand?"
"Understood."
"Good. Now where were we?"
"Ri..ver." The Doctor growled.
The Doctor was trying very unsuccessfully to sound dangerous.
"Oh, I remember now."
River broke into a big smile and made a grab for the Doctor. He curled up and squeaked.
"I didn't even touch you!" River said through a laugh.
The Doctor bolted by her and out of the bathroom. River was totally over come by how he could totally take her out of herself. That simple fact was part of the bedrock of why River loved him so completely. Yes, what she was doing was very childish. It didn't matter. She was having fun.
"Just a suggestion. May be you and the Doctor should think about relaxing that, "Don't get emotional" rule just a bit. Don't let it build up so much." Rory suggested.
The TARDIS quieted a bit and turned up the lights.
"Does this mean you will think about it?" Amy asked.
Maybe.
"That is all we ask." Rory said.
"We better go and save the Doctor before River tickles him into another regeneration." Amy said.
The TARDIS made the happy humming noise that Rory and Amy recognized as her laugh.
"Oh old girl. Want to hear a story?" Amy said.
Rory took one look at Amy and turned blood red.
"Please no." Rory whispered.
Rory turned to leave but Sexy wouldn't open the doors.
"See she wants to hear it."
Rory just walked up to the glass floor and laid down. Total mortification on his face.
"It all started one day in seventh grade. Mels and I were planning a sleep over. There was this guy that wanted to date Mels. But she wouldn't give him the time of day. "
"She was to good for him."
"Well, then how did they talk you into spying on us? Hmmm? You weren't her father back then."
"But I was her protector." Rory said proudly.
Rory expected Amy to burst out in laughter at that. Amy sat and thought about what Rory had just said.
"Yes you were. You protected Mels from herself. She would listen to you when she wouldn't listen to anyone else." Amy said proudly.
Amy kissed and hugged Rory.
Awww
"Thank-you."Rory said.
"Now. Back on to the spying campaign." Amy continued.
The Doctor was under the guest bed. If this was what the humans referred to as a "Tickle Fight", it was entirely one sided.
For all the time he and River spent together, physically enjoying each other, he had never found her version of his "primer button". That was River's term for the space, under his left third rib, that seemed to turn on every ticklish part of his body.
"How am I supposed to tickle someone who isn't ticklish?"
"Your clumsy hands can't do it!"Eight yelled.
"Excuse me."
"I know you were distracted but what did you think was making River jump and screech when Melody was over here?
Eight sighed. The Doctor's mind was filled with images of Eight's hands driving Melody to tears because of laughter.
"But what haven't I done?"
"Listen the beautiful, bespoke psychopath, warrior queen we married puts up a great front."
"I know how fragile..."
"I don't mean emotionally. I mean physically. She plays rough in the bedroom and every other way also.
Eight could feel Eleven slipping into a memory barrage of physically enjoyable encounters with River.
"Focus!"
"Sorry."
"If you want to tickle her you have to be as delicate with her body as we have learned to be with her soul."
River walked out of the master bath and started her hunt again.
