"Well, that about does it," Lily said as she finished up the "tour". "Here, let's sit down for a bit." She gestured to the swing bench on the porch.

Amy and Lily sat down on the bench, staring up at the start-scattered sky. Lily smiled. "Weird to think we've been up there, isn't it?"

"Mmhmm." Amy looked up, locating the constellations she'd been taught as a child, as well as things the Doctor had pointed out to her.

"Why are you doing this?" The sudden outburst startled Amy, and she looked at the youger girl in shock. "Sorry, I didn't mean for it to come out that harsh. What I meant," she clarified, "was why did you say that you wanted to talk to me? Because I know you didn't have a sudden wave of trust."

"For one thing, I wanted to give your mom and the Doctor a chance to catch up and talk – without other people in the room. Also, I wanted to learn more about you. I really do want to trust you," she stressed, pleading with her eyes. "It's just… when I was younger, I didn't live in the best part of town, so I learned to be suspicious of anyone I met, making them prove they could be trusted. It was sort of a survival instinct," she said, smiling ruefully. "I was hoping this," she said, gesturing to the two of them with her hand, "talking, would help me trust you more."

"Ah. That makes sense. And sometimes it's good to be suspicious, because sometimes even those who you thought you could trust betray you." She smiled. "Not saying that I would!"

"I hope not," Amy laughed.

"So, what do you want to know?"

Amy stared into the sky again, as if searching there for the answers to begin. "So… this house… Have you lived here your whole life?"

"Most of it." Lily nodded. "We did live somewhere else for a few years when I was little, but I can hardly remember it, and now I'm so attached to this place that I kind of don't ever want to leave."

"Your mother… you live with her. But where's your father?"

Lily's face didn't change. "My father's gone."

Amy needed to ask. "Gone… dead? Or just gone… left?"

Lily smiled. "Gone dead."

Amy wondered how she could smile while talking about that. "I'm so sorry."

"Don't be." Lily shrugged. "He died before I was born. I don't miss him, because I can't really miss someone I never knew, can I?" She smiled softly. "I accepted the fact a long time ago, and Mum's good enough to make up for not having a dad."

"Can I ask… how?" Amy knew she would know what she meant.

"Not exactly sure… Mum's kind of vague about it. I think he was… a policeman?" She thought. "Or maybe in the army. I'm not sure, something like that. There was some sort of accident, and he was just gone."

"How'd your mum take it?"

"Well obviously I wasn't there, but I think she took it pretty hard. I mean, there aren't any pictures of him, and she tries to change the subject whenever I ask about him." She frowned. "It's weird, though. Sometimes it doesn't seem like she's sad…" She shook her head. "I don't know, I still don't like to press the issue."

Amy nodded. "Completely understandable." She paused for a moment, then asked, "What about your mother? How did she get involved with the Doctor?"

"You know, I'm not sure how they met. But the Doctor wanted to take her on as a companion, took her for a few trips. But Mum left."

Amy looked at her, surprised. "Left?"

"Yeah. She said something like she felt like there was too much too fast, and she couldn't handle it all." Lily smiled. "Which I get, it is pretty overwhelming at first, isn't it?"

"It sure is," Amy agreed fervently.

"But Mum still thought the world of him," Lily said, staring at the sky again. "Told me all about this man who had given her adventures, and showed her that she could live her life in a different way. She always told me that he changed her life." She turned her head toward Amy. "She's been telling me about him for as long as I can remember."

"But what about you? How did you get involved with the Doctor?"

"He came back and asked me to travel with him."

Amy was shocked. "Just like that?"

She shrugged. "Sometimes I get the feeling that Mum had asked him to, but I wonder."

"So he just showed up and asked you to travel with him?" Amy didn't know what to think. The Doctor didn't chose companions like that. He just didn't. There had to be some even that happened first to expose it all. Was it just because the girl's mother had been a companion? Somehow she doubted it. There was a piece missing from the puzzle, and if she could just find it, the puzzle would be complete and the picture would make sense.

A/N: OHHHHHHHH cliffy...... but not really :) so has anyone figured out the secret yet? I tried not to make it too obvious, but subtlety isn't really one of my strong points.... Review if you think you know!