A/N So I rewatched all the River Song eps, and well...this happened.

I'm certainly not the first to attempt to writer River's life story, but hopefully I'll bring something unique and interesting to the party. All aired episodes (including mini episodes) will be referenced here. Spoilers for anything where River appears or is mentioned.

AerynB and GrumpyJenn are both lending me their mad beta skills for this epic, so big thank yous and much love to each of them.

I hope you enjoy and will stay tuned for the (admittedly rather lengthy) ride! :)

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or its characters, and I make no profit.

The Only Water in the Forest Is the River

Chapter One

People often say that life doesn't make sense.

River Song figured she had more right to that sentiment than most.

Her earliest memory was of her mother calling her Melody and telling her of the man who was coming for them, who would never let them down. During the following horrific years in an American orphanage, little Melody clung to those words. Her daddy would come. He would rescue her. He would. Mummy had promised.

Mummy had also said that Melody Pond was the name of a superhero. And so eventually the girl had gotten tired of waiting and set about rescuing herself.

River often thought she was lucky that during her seven years in that orphanage she'd been surrounded by the Silence. Consequently she remembered very little of it.

Mostly she just remembered being terrified.

Pain, loneliness, and fear were her constant companions. She could recall sobbing in her bed and begging someone to please, please help her and strange messages that appeared on the wall at random but very little else.

Dr. Renfrew tried to help her, more than once, but in the end he learned better. She couldn't quite remember details, but she had a vague recollection of him screaming, sounding just as terrified as she felt, and promising that he would never again interfere with Melody's training.

He never did.

She'd wondered what she was being trained for. And how she'd ever complete it when she couldn't remember ever having any training at all.

Then came the day they brought out the space suit. Melody could actually taste the fear that rose up in her throat. "Don't let it eat me!" she shrieked, even though she had no idea why she'd think that.

She managed to get away and ran faster than she'd ever run in her life (at least as far as she could remember). Dr. Renfrew had told her to get as far as she could as fast as she could, and even though neither of them were sure why, she did as he said.

She slept on benches and in alleyways and under awnings, but only for short stretches of time; she couldn't afford to stay still for long. She had to keep moving.

She ate out of dumpsters or bits she could beg or steal. But mostly she grew accustomed to her belly being empty.

She couldn't quite adjust to the cold though. As the crisp coolness of autumn gave way to the bone-aching chill of winter, she wondered if she'd ever be warm again.

The orphanage had been warm. Maybe she should go back.

But the dread that filled her at that thought was far colder than the December nighttime air, so she kept going.

She knew the end was coming soon when she got sick. Coughing and wheezing, her chest aching, her belly empty and her clothes in tatters, Melody knew that she wouldn't last much longer. Strangely she didn't feel afraid. After spending her entire life feeling nothing but fear and hopelessness, it didn't make sense to her that death was the one thing that wasn't the least bit frightening.

But then she understood. Because even as she felt herself dying, as she felt her systems slowly shutting down, she could also feel the healing begin. Somehow she was going to get better.

Maybe she really was a superhero. Because she could fix this.

And she tried to tell that nice concerned gentleman exactly that, but then then the whole world seemed to explode around her-blazing colors and light and her entire body being ripped apart and somehow put back together again.

It wasn't quite put back the same way though. As she collapsed in the alley, she stared down at hands she didn't recognize. The ragged coat ballooned around her. She huddled into it like a blanket and stuck her thumb in mouth.

Why was she sucking her thumb? She didn't suck her thumb. She was seven years old, for crying out loud!

Only it didn't seem like she was anymore. How bizarre.

"Hey, it's okay, I've got you," a low, soothing voice spoke in her ear. And suddenly she was being picked up and carried out of the alley.

Melody stared at the face of the man who held her so snugly against his chest. She wasn't quite sure who he was, but his stride was sure and his arms felt safe. And he was warm. She rested her head on his shoulder and fell asleep.

###

Arthur and Jessica Williams were a kindly older couple. Melody felt like she'd been given a set of adoptive grandparents. They fed her and clothed her and showered her with love and affection. And their son Anthony was like having a really cool uncle.

It was Arthur who'd found her in the alley, and he took her home with him and nursed her back to health. Then he and his wife just kept her, even though they received a lot of flack for taking in a black child...especially one as out-of-control and "different" as Melody. (She tried to follow the rules and to fit in, she really did-she just happened to be lousy at it.)

Melody called them Nan and Papa. Mummy and Daddy were reserved for her parents, Rory and Amy Pond.

Nan and Papa called her Mels.

They promised they would get her to her parents one day. It was years later before Mels understood just what that had cost them.

Mels spent seven years with the Williamses-a radically different seven years from her time in the orphanage. She could remember every moment, and what's more-she wanted to.

But in September of 1977, Papa sat down with her. He and Nan had looked sad and strained ever since her eighth birthday (okay, so she wasn't really eight, but she appeared to be, and it had been seven years since her rebirth as a toddler). She didn't like her grandparents being sad; maybe he was going to tell her what was wrong and she'd be able to help.

"Melody, you know...Jess and I love you very much," he began. For some reason, he always did a funny little pause before he said Nan's name. "But we promised you we'd get you to your parents. And no matter how hard that is for us, it's the right thing to do. And now it's time to do that. We'll miss you, more than you'll know, but I know you need to be with your mum and dad."

Mels couldn't help the smile that lit her face at the mention of her mum and dad, even though she really didn't want to hurt her Papa's feelings. "Oh, Papa, thank you!" She threw herself into his lap and hugged him hard. "And don't worry-I'm sure they'll let me visit you lots."

Papa smiled sadly. "Oh, baby girl. I wish it were that easy. But someday you'll understand. Just remember that we love you and that your mum and dad love you. And that you are strong and brave. You be a good girl, okay?"

Mels smirked. "Of course I'm strong and brave-I'm a superhero! But being a good girl really isn't much fun, Papa."

Papa chuckled and squeezed her tight. "That's my girl," he murmured. He kissed the top her head. "All right, let's get your Nan and Anthony and do this before I change my mind."

No matter how excited Mels was at finally being with her parents, good-bye to the Williamses was hard. All four of them sobbed throughout the farewell hugs and kisses, with Papa muttering something about never being able to pull off "cool." And then Anthony loaded her into his car and drove her into New Jersey.

They arrived in a small clearing that looked to Melody to be the middle of nowhere. An uneasy feeling settled in the pit of her stomach. "Tony? Why are we here?"

He turned to face her. "Listen, I know this is weird. And I don't really know the rules-how much I'm supposed to tell you. I may muck up the whole thing, but-how much do you remember from the orphanage?"

Melody thought. "I remember being scared and alone and that I wanted my mummy. I remember that I had a picture of her. I remember Dr. Renfrew telling me to run. I remember lots of stories about a really bad man named the Doctor. I remember-I think I remember a mean lady with an eye patch, like a pirate. That sounds weird though. I'm not sure about that."

Anthony nodded. "She's real, Mels. And she's beyond mean. And she's found you, which is why we've got to get you out of here. I hope we've timed this right-someone should be meeting us soon."

"Oh, someone is," a smug voice gloated.

And there she was. Seeing her brought it all back, all those things Melody had forgotten about those first seven years. The woman smiled cruelly. "Did you really think you could escape us?"

Mels wasn't really sure who "us" was, but she had no desire to find out. She looked frantically at Anthony. Maybe he wasn't her daddy or even Papa, but could he still save her? Or would she have to save herself again?

She wasn't sure she could save herself again.

There was a sudden crackle of electricity. A dark-haired man in a long coat appeared seemingly out of nowhere, as well as a woman with the craziest mop of curls Melody had ever seen. The woman immediately started shooting, although Mels wasn't really sure at what. The man grabbed her and Anthony and tapped a watch of some sort on his wrist. They disappeared in another burst.

They were back in the city. Mels looked around in disbelief. How were they back in the city?

They weren't anywhere near Nan and Papa's house, but this was definitely New York. What on earth was going on?

The man stuck his hand out to Anthony. "Captain Jack Harkness. And I'm sorry to rescue you and run, but we're working on a tight schedule here. Just tell your parents that River says hello and that she loves them very much. And she'd have come herself, but...you know."

Anthony nodded solemnly. "I do know. And thank you."

Jack turned to Mels. "All right, kid. Here we go again."

There was another flash. Mels was starting to feel sick.

Now they were somewhere else entirely. Mels looked around at the lush green landscape. It was beautiful. Then it all caught up with her, and she swayed slightly.

Jack caught her. "Easy there. Vortex travel takes some getting used to. Don't worry, you'll have the hang of it in no time."

She blinked. "We're going to do it again?" She wasn't sure her stomach could handle that.

He chuckled warmly. "No, honey, not right now. Catch your breath, and I'll explain."

"What you're going to be, Melody, is very, very brave..."

Mels lifted her chin. "I'm fine. Go ahead and explain now."

Jack nodded. "All right. You tell me what you know first. Then I'll know where to start."

She thought for a moment. "I know I'm from...somewhere else. Somewhen else. I have memories of my mother speaking to me when I was just a baby, and I know I shouldn't be able to remember that. I know I spent seven years in an orphanage being trained for something, but I have no idea what. I know hearing or seeing anything about the moon landing makes me have nightmares. I know I was dying in a back alley at age seven, and then I fixed it...only after I fixed it, I wasn't seven anymore. I was more like one. And I didn't look like me anymore." She drew a deep breath. "I know that doesn't make any sense, and I don't usually tell people. But your wristwatch and all the popping in and out of places don't make sense either, so maybe you won't think I'm crazy."

He chuckled again. "No, sweetheart, I don't think you're crazy. I know more about all of it than I can tell you, really. But I'll do the best I can. Your name is Melody Pond, but you know that already. When you were just a baby, you were kidnapped by some evil folks who wanted to use you for their own purposes. Your parents have been trying to get you back, but they haven't been entirely successful up till now."

"But you can take me to them?" Mels asked hopefully.

"That's the plan. Hopefully these coordinates are right. I had a bit of a glitch when I entered them. Trying to get in and out of Manhattan is hell. But I'm pretty sure the source where I got them is reliable." He smirked at that, and Mels wondered what the joke was.

She didn't get a chance to ask. "Now I'm told I can't just deliver you straight to the Ponds. Apparently I'm to take you to a lady named Miss Zucker. Don't ask me why; something about timelines."

"Timelines..." Mels murmured thoughtfully.

The word stirred something in her. The thought popped into her brain that she could see timelines, but that made no sense whatsoever.

Did it?

"So my parents will find me at Miss Zucker's then?" she asked, wanting to distract herself from her own crazy thoughts.

"That's what my source tells me," Jack assured her.

It turned out that Miss Zucker was actually Sister Anne Marie Zucker, a nun with no sense of humor whatsoever. Melody had the strange thought that her entire existence revolved around the Church, but then she couldn't figure out what that actually meant.

Sometimes she got awfully tired of the random thoughts that popped up in her brain. They made no sense.

So Mels settled into Sister Anne Marie's foster care and waited for her parents to show up.

She got bored waiting.

And that led to trouble.