Dreams:
She's underwater. There's blue all around and there's a feeling of peace. But it's a chemical calm and it's fading quickly. Panic is rising in the back of her mind but she can't figure out why. All she can see is azure, the water is still around her. It's quiet, fish circle her still form. And that's when she realizes, she can't move at all. She's trapped in a spacesuit.
The spaceman is coming to get you Melody. There is nothing you can do to stop it.
The chilling voice of her terror and mentor runs through her mind, over and over again.
Run. Run, my love. Please. I can't stop it.
And then she can see him, her childhood monster, her love forevermore. He dies in front of her horror struck eyes. His beautiful golden glow useless, as she shoots him again.
I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry.
She wakes up in silence. It's dark, and she can feel the thrum of two hearts beating slowly next to hers. Her heart slows down it's frantic sprint. He's safe, her Doctor, and his presence calms her terrified stillness. "River, are you all right?" He mumbles sleepily. "I'm fine, my love. Just a dream." He rolls over and holds her still tense form. Her body slowly loosens to fit his own and she curves into him. They fit together, their hands laced together and their hearts combined like the perfect puzzle. Slowly, surely, River falls asleep to the comforting lull of four hearts, beating together in time.
Legos:
He's been at it for hours. It's night time, the Ponds are asleep, and the Doctor is enchanted by the multi-colored building blocks. He gets lost, building cities and planets and a blue Tardis. He's so busy he doesn't hear the zap or see the flash. "Hello sweetie." He does hear that. "Hi honey." He says, smiling up at River from his position on the floor. "What on earth are you doing?" River asks, sitting down next to him, her eyes aglow as she stares at his creations. "We're not on earth, silly." He says, bopping her on the nose before picking up the spaceship he's working on. "When are we for you?" He asks, almost completely focused his project. "It's a few days after the Byzantium for me. You and Amy were so young." She says fondly. The Doctor winces, he hadn't been all that nice to her on that adventure. "I'm sorry for me back then." He says, his eyes never meeting hers as he reaches for a block that's too far away. River passes him the block and gives his hand a light squeeze before letting him go. "It's all right, my love." She murmurs, her voice full of understanding. "You didn't know any better." "But I did, and I should have been better." River cups the Doctor's cheek in her hand and he finally meets her eyes. There's sorrow and regret in his gaze, but a gentle smile and fierce love in hers. "You are forgiven, my love. Always and completely." He smiles and places his hand over hers. "That's not fair, using my own words against me." She smirks, her thumb brushing across his lower lip. "I never said I was fair." He nips at her thumb and she lets go of his face with a laugh. "So, am I helping you with that thing of a spaceship, or do I get to make my own?" The Doctor pouts. "Oi! You're just jealous because my spaceship is cooler than anything you could make." River raises an eyebrow. "Is that a challenge? Because you are no match compared to me." "Oh, it's on, Song!"
"I win." "You do not!" "I so do. Your spaceship doesn't even have the right amount of rockets and your brick colors don't match at all." "It's cooler that way! Your spaceship, it might be 'correct' but it's boring!" River laughs and pecks him on the cheek. "You are incorrigible." She tells him fondly. "And you lost." He says resolutely. She snaps his braces and he yelps. "And apparently a very sore loser!" He rubs his chest where the braces hit him. "I never lose." River says smugly. "Oh yeah?" The Doctor asks, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Yeah." "We'll see about that." She realizes what he's thinking and a knowing grin stretches across her full lips. "House rules?" She asks, her eyes gleaming in anticipation. "Don't need them." The Doctor says, eyes raking her form, waiting for her to move first. She does. Legos fly.
Amy stretches as she pads down the hallways. Her eyes halfway closed as she slowly joins the waking world. She trips over something and sprawls across the floor. She glares at the offending object. It's a cardboard box. She sees multiple cardboard boxes littering the floor and reads the colorful words painted across them. Connect Four, Chess, Monopoly, Parcheesi, Sorry!, Mouse Trap, all the board games she knows, and many others she doesn't. She hears laughter coming from the room closest to her and she picks her way through the debris to see who the mess came from. As she suspected, it's her raggedy idiot and her daughter. The Doctor and River are laying on their stomachs, thoroughly enthralled in their game. It's one she's never seen before, clearly alien, and clearly very complex. "What is all this?" Amy asks, gesturing to the box of Mouse Trap in her hands. "Good morning mum. It's a game." River says, distracted by a move the Doctor makes on the glass board. "I can see that." Amy huffs. "Why are there games all over the Tardis?" "River said she never loses." The Doctor says distractedly. "So?" Amy asks, sulking as she plops next to them, her hands playing with a couple of River's curls. "So the Doctor has been trying to prove me wrong all night. He's failing." "Oi! It's because you're cheating! Amy, your daughter is a cheater!" The Doctor cries, his finger pointing accusingly at River. "Don't be ridiculous, Sweetie." She laughs. "I'll stop being ridiculous when you stop cheating." He grumbles. "Play nice kiddies." Amy teases, kissing River on the cheek as she stands up to leave. "Oh, Amy?" The Doctor says when she gets to the door. "Can you answer me one thing?" He holds up two spaceships, one blue and one a mish-mash of color. "Which ship looks better?" He asks. "The blue one, of course." She says as she flounces out the door. There's a shriek and then River's throaty chuckle. "I told you Sweetie, I never lose."
Stars:
"River, talk to me." He says, his chin on her shoulder, his breath ghosting across her neck. "Sweetie, I'm busy." Glasses are perched on the bridge of her nose, a thick tome of archeology sitting on her lap. He leans over her, she's sitting on the couch, and reads a paragraph. "What you're reading is so boring." He says, pressing a kiss behind her ear. "I told you, I have to study." "You're in a time machine, I think you can take a few minutes off." "If I don't read this now, I never will. "I have a surprise for you. Come with me." River sighs, takes off her glasses, and grabs his outstretched hand. "All right. This better be worth it." "It will be. I promise."
"Oh." River breathes. "Oh." The stars are better than shining. They burn like a thousand suns, twinkling and undulating against the dark, dark blue backdrop of the universe. "Thank you Sweetie." She whispers, awe-struck. "You're welcome." The Doctor smiles, his fondness for her overflowing. She grabs his hand and squeezes it lightly in gratitude. She sees there's a blanket on the ground in front of her and smiles. "You nostalgic idiot." "Well... Yeah." She lays down on the blanket and he joins her, their hands intertwined as they gaze up at the heavens. "The stars are the most beautiful sight I have ever seen." River says quietly. "There's nothing else that could make me feel so big and so small in the universe. Because there they are, the stars, living and burning and dying, and everyone everywhere can see their glory. And every night, I get to be a part of the universe, watching them." There's a silence as the Doctor soaks in her words. "You're amazing." He says at last. "Thank you. Thank you for this." She says, turning to face him. "You're welcome." He says, the night lights reflecting in his eyes. She kisses him, once, twice, three times. "Thank you." He murmurs around her lips, their breath mingling together in the brisk, night air. "For what?" "Making the stars shine brighter." She kisses him again, familiar, forever exciting, and the stars burn on above them. The moment is eternal. Their eternity can't last, but the stars burn on.