Amelia Song Series. Part 2 of 4.
"We're going to take her somewhere special," He danced around the controls, flicking switches with a flourish as he twirled on the spot. "She works too hard, your Mum." He threw Amelia a wink over his shoulder and she giggled, joining him at the console.
"Maybe you should get a haircut then, if it's such a special occasion." She eyed him and the Doctor looked up, his forehead wrinkling as he tried to see his own hair.
"Good idea, Amelia, and whilst we're at it, I think I'll get a new suit. You should find something nice to wear too, there's a dress-code where we're going. Run along into the wardrobe and find something pretty for yourself and your mother. Remember, she likes blue."
Amelia rolled her eyes as she made her way up the stairs. "How could I forget, Dad? All the Tardis ever gives her is blue. I swear, she's trying to make Mum look like her."
The Doctor smiled softly, running his hand along the console in a gentle caress. Amelia noticed his face change from one of excitement, to one of quiet contemplation. She could see a pain there that she didn't recognize, something from deep in her father's soul that scared her just a little bit. "She really loves your Mum." He almost whispered, leaning into the console as if to embrace the old girl if he could. "Maybe even more than she loves me."
Amelia didn't respond, she didn't know how; her father had gone silent as he watched the time rotor moving up and down, listening to the gentle breathing of the Tardis – or what she liked to refer to, as the Tardis breathing – and he looked so lost; he looked so old. She'd never seen her father look so much like his heart was broken and she didn't understand it. Her mother was going to the Library - so large it didn't have a name, it was just 'The Library' – and she was going to be leading an expedition. There wasn't anything unusual or unexpected about that. There wasn't anything new or scary about it.
It was just a Library and a whole lot of books.
With her little blue diary in her lap and a half-packed duffle bag sitting lop-sided in the corner of her room, River sat with her legs tossed over the arm of her favourite chair. She'd been dozing for the last half hour, her head of wild curls rested on the back of the chair. Amelia had long since gone to bed and she was reading about their adventures with the Doctor. She read about Amelia's tenth birthday, the weeping angels, Utah and the little girl in the cell next to hers when she was a child. She remembered it vividly, the Doctor appearing out of no-where, whispering to her through the bars and telling her that she needed to be brave, before he whisked the child away and left her there in the dark and the cold. She'd never hated him for it and for so much of her life, she couldn't work out why.
She knew now. And it made her smile.
River sat up straighter in her chair, listening to the sound of the wind outside in the trees. She expected to hear a noise, that very distinct noise that brought tears to her eyes when she hadn't heard it in so long. Somehow, she knew that she should hear it, but it was nothing but breeze and rustling tree leaves.
She was there though. She was reaching out, she was kissing River's mind with all the love and affection she had since she was a baby and she'd had to reach across all of time and space, to soothe her as a one-eyed woman dragged her away from her family. She was that constant, steady presence that had sent her whispers and promises of a future worth surviving for. She was there, in the garden, River knew it; but for some reason she hadn't made a noise and River wondered if maybe, she hadn't wanted to wake Amelia.
But why?
She placed her diary down on the side table, gingerly making her way to the window and pushing the curtains aside. Sure enough, that beautiful girl was sitting right in the centre of her garden, the lights of her 'Police Box' sign illuminated in glowing white and she smiled as she heard the chime of the door bell.
She dashed down the stairs, two at a time, not caring for how eager she seemed. She swung the door open, her smile broad and her eyes aglow.
The Doctor stood there, his hair trimmed and his suit pressed. He wore a brand-new tweed with a softer stitch in a darker shade and his bow-tie was a vibrant red. "Hello, my love." He breathed out and River grinned wider, throwing her arms around him as though she hadn't seen him in years. In truth, they'd been linear since Amelia was born, always meeting in the right order, as long as Amelia was around. She'd never thought it strange or disconcerting; she only took it as a gift and appreciated it for its simplicity. She didn't like to imagine the alternative.
"What are you doing here, Doctor, I didn't think you were coming for another week." She grinned, clearly not disappointed with the change. The Doctor glanced down at his watch, shrugging his shoulders as he moved in closer to her and kissed her nose.
"A little birdie told me you were going on a trip." He smiled down at her, his hands pressed to her waist as her arms came up to rest on his shoulders.
"The little birdie wouldn't happen to be in the Tardis, would she?"
"We're taking you somewhere special. I didn't want to wake Amelia, because that'd be awkward." He grinned and River's eyes lit up with knowledge as she noticed her daughter's head pop out the Tardis doors, as she looked over his shoulder.
River opened her mouth to protest, she had packing to do and things to organize. Half of her team still hadn't confirmed their participation and it was getting awfully close to their date of departure. She needed to work, but her daughter and husband were beckoning her with and adventure and she always found it so hard to refuse.
"Please, my love," The Doctor's voice sounded almost pleading and River only then, noticed the look in his eyes. "I need to do this, for you." She studied him so closely, the age in his eyes and the tears left unshed. He was hurting, the pain as distinguishable to her as moon in the sky.
"Oh course, Sweetie," She nodded, swallowing hard and wrapping her arms around him as tightly as she could.
He reached down and grabbed her hand, entwining her fingers with his as he pulled her toward the Tardis. Amelia was waving from inside the doors and River looked up to her bedroom window briefly, seeing that the light was still out and hoping that her Amelia upstairs would continue to sleep soundly and never know she was gone.
TBC.