"Amy's coming home. She says the cubes are gone. It's too bad. I wanted to observe her more in hopes of better understanding what they meant." The Doctor sat across from Rory in the Pond's living room.
"I don't care what they meant at long as she's safe." Rory looked a little annoyed. "Amy isn't some kind of experiment for you to observe, she's your patient and my wife."
"I'm sorry if I sounded insensitive" Dr Smith apologized. Rory quietly nodded to accept it.
The next year was a very prolific one for the celebrated science fiction novelist, Mrs. Amy Pond with two incredibly successful books. The Year of The Slow Invasion was praised as 'heart-warming and enormous fun". While Melody Malone: Private Detective was hailed as 'A block-buster worthy action/thriller' and 'brilliant film-noir sci-fi'. Amy was so popular she was flown to New York City with her whole family for a massive book signing and Q&A in her honor filled with her biggest fans.
Once they got a chance to actually explore the city they settled on a spot in Central Park to have a family picnic. Dr. Smith was invited too of course. "There's something different about you, isn't there?" He had a hard time figuring it out.
"It's my glasses. I'm wearing reading glasses on my nose now. See?" Amy pushed them up with her finger. as she spoke.
"I don't like them." The Doctor frowned. "They make your eyes look all liney." He quickly had to eat his words when he realized the lines around Amy's eyes had nothing to do with how her glasses fit her and everything to do with her slowly approaching her mid-thirties. "No, actually... Sorry, they're fine. Carry on"
Amy wasn't falling for his attempt at a recovery. "Rory?" She smiled at her husband. "Do I have noticeable lines on my eyes now?"
Rory turned around so as not to look at her when he lied. "No" He answered.
"You didn't look" Amy knew Rory couldn't lie when he was looking at her.
"I noticed them earlier." Rory quickly turned around noticing his error. "Didn't notice them! I specifically remember not noticing them. Who wants coffee?" He quickly changed the subject. They all agreed and Rory went out in search for coffee with Melody while Amy and The Doctor stayed on their picnic blanket.
"Nice job, old man" Amy rolled her eyes.
"I'm sorry" Dr. Smith blushed a little. "I forget you're not the little girl I met all those years ago"
"To me you're still the handsome young doctor I met all those years ago even if you do have some rather noticeable lines under those eyes." Amy smiled.
Rory held his daughter's hand as they weaved through the crowded streets of New York to the nearest coffee shop. "Can I have a coffee, dad?" Melody tugged at her father's sleeve
"I don't know, Melody. It's sort of a grown up drink. I don't think you're going to like it." Rory smiled.
"I'm almost 12, dad!" Melody put her hands on her hips in an effort to stand her ground.
"Oh, fine. Well, in that case, we'll have a triple espressos for the young lady." Rory joked making Melody cross her arms and frown like any pre-teen girl would at a dad joke.
They settled on letting Melody have a frozen choco-latte and started walking back to the park. But something strange was creeping into the corner of his eye. Rory could have sworn he saw something, someone. Someone he hadn't seen in years. His hands were full with coffee for Amy and The Doctor so he couldn't hold his daughter's hand.
"Walk faster" Rory spoke as he walked with his daughter.
"Why?" Melody saw the worry in her father's face and began to walk quickly with him. "Dad, what is it?" She whispered.
"Nothing, you run ahead" Rory watched as she did as he said. Melody didn't know what it was all about but it sounded serious so she obeyed without question.
"Hello, Rory" River stopped him in his tracks and made him spill his coffee. "Get in" She pointed with her gun to the car that pulled up behind him.
He obeyed as he shot River an angry look when she sat down next to him in the backseat. "Don't you dare touch my family." Rory's voice was low and deep as a quiet rage began bubbling up to the surface.
"You're girls are safe. It's The Doctor we're after. He isn't all he seems, Rory. You have to believe me." River seemed to be genuinely honest. "I may have been wrong about some things but there's a whole team of us working to make sure Doctor Smith pays for his crimes."
"Mom! Mom!" Melody finally reached Amy and Doctor Smith.
"What's going on?" Amy noticed her daughter was alone. "Where's Rory?"
"I don't know. He told me to run back to you. I could tell he was worried about something" Melody sipped her frozen choco-latte.
"I don't like the sound of that." The Doctor knew it wasn't like Rory to act so irrationally. "Let's go back to the scene of the incident and see if he's still there." They ran back but there was no one there. The Doctor's phone beeped. "I got a message" The Doctor picked it up to see it said 'Hello, Sweetie'. Dr. Smith's heart sank to his stomach. "Check Rory's phone. We can find his location with it, right?"
"On it." Amy called but there was no answer. Even so it did show where he was; or at least where his phone was. "Winter Quay?" Amy read what was on her phone. She looked up at The Doctor for some sort of confirmation that he knew what to do. But he looked equally confused.
Rory arrived at a strangely empty hotel and was forced into a room. "By now I'm sure your daughter has told Dr. Smith you've disappeared. He'll be trying to help his precious Amy find you." River looked down at the phone in her hand. "Looks like they just tried to call" She smiled. "No doubt they're trying to triangulate a signal to find your location."