Epilogue

Home

"Where thou art, that is home"

-Emily Dickenson

XXX

A thin layer of snow covered the ground, blanketing the grass, the pavement, the steps all in a pure shade of white. And the snow continued to fall, draping over the two figures huddled on the doorstep outside of the little townhouse with the bright blue door.

Amy huddled closer to River, wrapping the heavy quilt tighter around them as she shivered. "I'll see him to his next regeneration, I will." She grumbled.

"Mum, it's fine."

"No, it's not. He'd only just showed up and off he pops without letting anyone else know."

"He said he'd only be gone an hour."

"Ha!" Amy scoffed into the air, bouncing a little to shore up more heat. "I'll believe that when I see it. You think he'd pick a better time of year though, yea? At least the last time it was a bit warmer. Makes waiting for the blockhead a bit more manageable." River laughed at that, the tension and strain she didn't know she'd been carrying melting through her body. Honestly, she should have shivered it away by now.

They had seen everything, Amy and Rory. They'd heard the front door close as the Doctor bounded down the front steps with the hopes of slipping into the TARDIS unnoticed. They had been watching from the window when River followed, marching across the frozen road in bare feet and no coat. And they had made it to the bottom of the stoop before the TARDIS had even fully vanished, leaving River to make excuses as always.

"He'll be back." River assured them, arms over her chest and gaze dropped to the snow covered ground as she forlornly trekked her way back to them. Of course he would. He always came back eventually, but it wasn't the Doctor's disappearance Amy and Rory were worried about. They'd noticed something was wrong, even if River would admit what. Rory was to reach River, meeting her at the edge of the pavement and wrapping his arms around her. She stiffened at first, but then relaxed, shivering against his chest as she wrapped her arms around her father, slowly melting into his warmth the way only a daughter could.

Amy dashed inside for extra blankets and pillows, promptly drying off a spot on the stoop and plopping down. "He said an hour? Well, then we'll wait." She declared, settling herself onto the warm cushions.

River faked a laugh, reluctantly pulling herself from her father's warmth enough to see her mother who'd already wrapped herself in so many blankets she was three times her normal size. "Mother, we don't have to. It's Christmas, we should just carrying on with our evening. He'll get back when he gets back."

She tried to be rational about these things after all, but it was Rory, more concerned about getting her into his coat, who gave her a tight squeeze, "Is that what you'd really prefer? That we just carry on?" When River didn't answer he kissed her temple. "Sit next to Amy. You need gloves."

Nearly an hour slipped by. River and Amy were still shivering on the front stoop when the door opened and shut behind them, the little knocker rattling on the hinge. "Alright, cocoa for all!" Rory declared, slipping under the edge of the blanket River held up for him. He passed hot mugs down the line, shivering slightly. "I tell you it's a lot warmer in there than it is out here." River smiled at him and tugged his knitted hat down over his ears.

"Don't complain to us, complain to the son-in-law." Amy said, wincing at her own words and taking a sip of cocoa. "What's our time?"

Rory glanced down at his watch. "58 minutes 42 seconds."

And suddenly as if in a grand display to underscore his kept promise, the screeching of the TARDIS cut through the quietness, marking the Doctor's arrival.

"Hullo the Ponds!" The Doctor cried stumbling from the TARDIS and waving to them through the snow.

"Oi, Raggedy man, you are a lucky man." Amy called back to him as he quickly crossed the street. He stood at the bottom of the steps, rubbing his hands together, a gleeful grin plastered across his face as he took them all in, his Ponds waiting for him on Christmas. "We were going to lock you out in about half a minute."

Rory rolled his eyes. "Don't listen to her. She's all talk. Never would have happened."

"Oh I'm sorry, hated to hold Christmas up and all but had some very important business to take care of. A dear old friend of mine was a bit lost" his eyes landed on River before moving on, hands waving in the air. "Anyway, popped in to see her, got a few things straightened out and just dropped her back off at Elion. She promised me she would be alright. I hope she wasn't lying to me." He looked back at River who smiled up at him.

"I'm sure she's just fine, Sweetie. You can have that effect on a girl."

"Well…" he bobbled his head a bit, tweaking his bow tie as Amy shifted her gaze from the Doctor to River and back again. He caught Amy's gaze and froze, dropping his hand. "Well, then. Who's ready for Christmas? Tell me you saved the carols for me. Oh I hope you save the carols." They all clamored to their feet then, gathering pillows and blankets and mugs of hot cocoa as they headed inside.

"Oh my god, it's so warm in here!" Amy cried over her shoulder disappearing into the den with an armful of blankets. "I'm telling you, Raggedy Man, 30 seconds more." Rory followed her, but a hand wrapped around River's arm held her firmly in place.

"How are the memories then?" he asked, voice lowered, eyes watching the doorway to make sure they were still alone. She hummed.

"All as they should be, my love. Well done."

"Nothing different, nothing lost?" She shook her head and he let out a shuddering breath. Shoulders sagging. "I thought I might have… I thought I lost you there." And there were her arms, wrapping around him, just as he remembered them, warm and soft even with the remnants of snow clinging to her coat.

"I know." And just for a moment he allowed himself the privilege of pressing his forehead into her shoulder. "But you didn't. Nothing changed. Not one line." She pulled away from him then, and offered him a sip of her cocoa which he accepted gratefully, humming at the richness and licking his lips. And then, as if it has skipped his mind:

"I have a present for you."

"For me?"

He dug deep into the pocket of his tweed and pulled out a long strip of silk. A bowtie. And how her eyes lit up when she saw it. "Oh, I haven't seen that in ages," she breathed, holding her hands out to him and letting the fabric dangle against her palms, feeling it glow with the imprints of their weddings as it sat suspended between their hands. Finally, the Doctor let it go and it raveled into her hand

"You asked me to keep it safe until you got to where you were going." He slipped his hands into his pockets, rising on the balls of his feet. His dark eyes sparkled and twinkled and a fond smile played on his lips. "I wonder, River, have you gotten there yet?"

River stared at the pool of fabric, curling her fingers around the silk and feeling it solid in her hand. She nodded, lifting her eyes to him. "Yes," she beamed, "I believe I have."

"Hello, old friend, and here we are. You and me on the last page." I want to thank you so much for taking this journey with me, for reading my story, and sticking it out to the very end. I hope that you've enjoyed it. I hope that it's added a little brightness to your lives, and I hope that you've caught yourself wondering how our dear characters were faring between all the chapter updates. I you have, I'd love to know. Until the next time...

XOXO,

The Riverwatcher