A/N- I am SO sorry I've left these stories for so long without updating! I promise, they're being worked on, I'm just trying to reign in my thought process as even more new ideas are added before the others are fleshed out, but I promise to update as the muses calm enough for me to complete one chapter or story at a time. Thank you so much for reading, and I hope when I do update, each part will be worth the wait. Enjoy!

Amy smirked and traded a gleeful smile with her husband, whose eyes had begun to water slightly. Her smile turned to pure sneaky delight when the Doctor finally braved a glimpse at her, and she raised her eyebrows meaningfully at him before glancing down at Bella, whose gaze had now trained on River. Amy turned toward her daughter and was surprised to see a look of slight hesitation and confusion in her eyes.

"The Last Centurion? The one that protected the Pandorica?"

Uh-oh. The Doctor looked hard at his wife, before he managed to whisper, with a face of sudden realization, "Yes. Yes, that Centurion. Do you know it?"

Amy and Rory suddenly turned and looked at River in a whole new light, their grins not quite as wide as only moments before. River was so much younger than they had realized- they had all just assumed she always knew everything, so it was so off-putting to see her this young. River simply looked down briefly at Bella, before looking up to the Doctor again.

"Of course I know it. I've searched for the stories my whole life. I've spent quite a few years trying to find out if he even ever existed. I could tell her what I've heard, I guess."

"Why did you search for him?" Rory cut off Amy and the Doctor, who were both poised to speak just then.

River, who was gently rubbing Bella's stomach and stroking her head, looked up at him.

"Oh. He's been a part of my dreams for as long as I can remember."

"Tell Bella the dreams, River," encouraged the Doctor, looking slightly sad even as he smiled up at Rory.

"Well, I only ever remember wisps of a woman speaking to me when I wake up, Doctor." River shrugged, eyes still on the little girl whose breathing had begun to slow ever so slightly. She missed the pained yet proud expressions on Amy, Rory, and the Doctor's faces. "Well, that and this ridiculous image of peaceful man in a warrior's uniform. Yet it fits, somehow. As though he was always meant to wear it. Funny though. There's never a weapon in his hand- almost as though he fights better without one, but is comfortable enough to use one. But that's not his main purpose- being a warrior, more like, being a protector. A guardian." She laughed how ridiculous her dreams sounded aloud. "A soldier who heals…"

"And he always comes- even if there's a whole entire army of evil bad guys in his way. And when he comes in, everyone runs away, except him. And he just kisses you and make it all better," chimed in Bella eagerly, helping River tell her favourite story.

Rory's eyes are properly moist by this time, and River looks up at the sound of his sniffles, confused.

"And he has happy tears," whispers the Doctor, talking to Bella yet looking proudly at Rory.

"And he doesn't let anything stop him from protecting those he loves," continued Amy, eyes also full of pride as she gazed at her husband.

"Bella," the Doctor says, an idea forming in his mind, "Gran Amy met the Last Centurion personally. How would you like it if tonight, she told you the story?"

Bella's eyes went wide, her face full of excitement.

"You really for reals met him, Gran Amy?! In real life and everything?!" She squealed in delight, Amy's already high "cool" factor increasing exponentially as Bella realizes her new grandmother met her imaginary hero.

Amy laughed softly at this, looking up at Rory before settling in next to Bella, preparing to once more share the story of the best man she'd ever met to yet another baby girl she couldn't imagine loving more.

River looked quizzically at her mother, wondering why she had never mentioned meeting the legendary hero of her dreams. When she felt the toddler's hands tug at her shirt, pulling her down next to her, she decided that tonight, she wasn't too old to hear a bedtime story either, so she snuggled down with her arms embracing her future child, and turned her attention to Amy. She readjusted her position, patting the spot beside her to make room for Rory, who had been perched at the foot of the bed. He sat behind her, arm loosely around River as he reached out a hand to stroke his granddaughter's hair.

She looked up, and the image of her husband holding their daughter while she held her own was nearly too much for Amy to handle and she felt she would literally burst from happiness.

She began to speak, and as she shared the story of the legendary man to whom she was married, Bella's eyes never wavered from her face, as she listened intently to a real- life account about her Last Soldier Man.

"… and he had lived for so very many years, but when I saw him again, he looked just as young as when I last saw him. And he saved me, again. Just like he always did. Just like he always does. And just like he always will for you, too, Bella Amelory, little Bella girl."

River looked up in wonder as her mother was telling the story, her mind making the connections no one had ever told her before. Amy smiled during her story, and though River knew she could see her out of the corner of her eyes, she never looked up from Bella's face to answer River's unspoken question. She met her husband's eyes, Bella's head and most of her tiny body nestled against his chest as he watched her eyes flutter as she fought between her exhaustion and her interest in a new Centurion story. When the Doctor looked back at River, he smiled, nodding in answer to her silent inquiry.

"Do you really think so?" Bella addressed her Gran, excitement making hearts beat quickly just for a moment against River's palm.

"I know so," reassured Amy, before looking toward her husband with a smile.

River turned, amazed, and a look of complete and utter wonder passed over her face as she took in Rory.

Bella nodded, at peace, and nestled against her father, even as River reached out and squeezed her own father's hand, their eyes meeting and unspoken thanks and promises passed between them. They were pulled back to the moment when Bella reached out and grasped River's other hand in her own, pulling it securely around her, finally ready to give into sleep.

"Sleep, Bella mia Bella, and dream nice dreams," whispered the Doctor into her head of curls.

"Even if Mommy forgots me again, Daddy, my century will come save me," assured Bella confidently as she closed her eyes.

"Always," whispered Rory, bringing a serene smile to more than one girl's face.