Disclaimer: Doctor Who is owned by the BBC not me... But, I bet you knew that. ;-)
"So, I grew up with Amy and Rory. They became the best friends I had ever had. Many times it seemed like they were raising me."
She gave a small, knowing smile to her parents and then continued.
"At times I forgot I was still in the care of the silence. I almost forgot why I was there in the first place. Almost.
"When Amy came to me and told me that she had met the doctor again, I started making plans. Even though I knew it would break my p... best friends' hearts, I had a job to do.
"It was not until almost 4 years later that I finally met him. I met Amy's raggedy doctor she always talked about. And I was ready. I stole a car and was on my way to complete my mission.
"After that, a lot of long boring events took place and long story short; we ended up in Berlin 1938. We sort of crash landed in Hitler's office." Rory rolled his eyes, knowing why she was skipping that part of the story. "Hitler at the time was being attacked by a time-traveling robot sent from the future to punish criminals."
She said this with such ease it would make you think it was every day for her. The truth is it probably is, or at least every-other day.
"So he picked up his gun and shot at his attacker. But he missed. He shot me instead. That's when I changed again, into this body.
"Once that was all over I had a job to complete. I poisoned the Doctor with a kiss and set out into a new town."
"But, the Doctor, he is still alive, isn't he?" Brian cut in, slightly alarmed. "He couldn't have died then, I met him! Unless… unless I met a younger him. But Amy and Rory would have told me right?" he asked looking at them.
"Just let River finish her story" Rory suggested.
"I'd say the Doctor you met was probably an older one… but I'm getting ahead of myself. I was followed into the city by the robot. Its new goal was to punish me for killing the Doctor. It captured me and was about to start the execution process but the Doctor, that impossible man, he ordered them to stop and they did. He was dying and he took the time to save me, his murderer" River explained, each word carrying more emotion then the one before. Amy and Rory were drawn in by her story. Though they were there when it took place, they had never heard it from their daughter's point of view. They were taken back by how much love and forgiveness shone from her eyes as she talked.
Brian's eyes, however, shone of confusion and a longing to get some answers, so River quickly continued. "After I was saved, the Doctor showed me how to save Amy and Rory. It was only after all this that I saw the Doctor as more than a target. I realized he could truly be as wonderful as Amy had said and what I was raised to believe about him could all be a lie. I didn't know what to believe any more. I didn't even know who I was.
"But the whole time the Doctor was dying, he kept calling out for one person, a "River". She was a mystery to me. Finally, with his last breath, the Doctor gave me a message to give to River Song once I found her. He said…" she paused for a moment to compose herself. "He said, 'I trust you with my life'.
"I just couldn't stand this mystery any longer so I asked Amy to tell me who this mysterious woman was. I had my suspicions but was still shocked when I found the truth. She was me. The Doctor trusted me with his life, his murderer. So I did the only thing I knew I could do to save that wonderfully mad man. I gave the rest of my lives to him, to bring him back." River stopped, the weight of her words hanging in the air. After a minute she looked up, gave a small smile and ended with a simple, "And that is my story."
Brian finally opened his mouth to speak but closed it again quickly. He sat there like a gapping fish for a second before he could say anything. But his mind was full enough. Mels was River! River was Mels. The Doctor knew and trusted her? They met Hitler. The Doctor died. Mels, no River, saved him.
Since Brian was being unusually quiet, Rory started to finish clearing up. River got up with him and said, "I think I'll let you just sit with your thoughts a while Brian."
As she got to the sink she felt a hand on her arm. She turned and saw her father mouth two words, thank you. She smiled back at him to let him know it was her pleasure.
Brian got up and moved to where they were standing in the kitchen. "Why don't we get more comfortable? I would love to know what you've been up to lately Mels."
River smiled at his use of her old name. She was not really fond of it in itself but, especially coming from Brian, it held a special place in her heart.
A/N: We made it to the end of River's story. :-) I liked the idea of Brian getting to know what happened to Mels and that she didn't just fall off the face of the planet... not really. Anywho, what did you think?
P.S. In the next chapter there will be something which I'm hoping will be a bit of a surprise for you all.