This is my first attempt at a Doctor Who fanfic, so sorry if its not very good. It carries straight on from the end of 'A good man goes to war', so obviously, spoilers! Reviews are welcome and I will continue this story if people seem to like it. I hope you enjoy...

'I'm Melody. I'm your daughter.' Those were the words he'd just heard, he was sure of that, he was pretty sure... no he was certain. There was no way he could have imagined River saying that, no way he would ever have dreamt up such a thing, so his ears definitely couldn't have picked up those words from anywhere else but River's lips. River. River had said that. River Song, his daughter... nope, he still wasn't getting it.

Never before had River felt the nerves she had pulsing through her now, yes she had some idea how to expect both of them to react, but still, it was all unfamiliar territory. She had been dreading this day for so long, the day that marked the end to Amy and Rory being the people she recognised as her parents. Yet, somehow, she still felt a twinge of excitement, perhaps it was just the distant hope that she would see the love in her parents' eyes one last time before this meeting came to its inevitable end. Hope which was fading by the second as she glanced between the pair. Rory's immediate expression spelled 'Really!', but it quickly transformed into an utterly baffled look, his jaw still gaping and his eyes unable to tear themselves away from River for even a second, you'd think he'd suddenly found himself face to face with a weeping angel rather than his daughter. Though still anxious at what his reaction would eventually be, River couldn't help but be mildly amused by him for the time being. Amy, however, seemed a long way from her husband's response. She had gradually moved away from bewilderment and horror, glancing down at the prayer leaf several times and back to River, and now seemed to have reached sheer disbelief. River struggled to keep eye contact with Amy, the look of hurt and betrayal she was faced with proved to be far more painful than she imagined.

Initially Amy was shocked, well, that was an understatement, but the closest word to the truth. It was unbelievable, incomprehensible... and that was the conclusion she rapidly reached. "No" the word sounded like it had come from a stranger, the noise so distant, but she knew she must have spoken when River's attention settled on her. River stepped forward slightly, her hand presumably poised to offer comfort, but Amy quickly stepped back in equal measure. From somewhere she could hear Rory say her name, his feeble, half-hearted attempt to comfort her, but he was too pre-occupied with his own thoughts to engage any further just yet.

"Amy, I know this is hard for you..." River's calm voice pierced through Amy, at that moment something snapped inside her heart.

"No!" Amy shouted, holding an accusing finger up to River, creating a much needed barrier between them, "You have no idea! My baby is gone, and you knew, you knew this would happen, you could have stopped all of this!" Tears cascaded down Amy's face as her rage poured out into every word.

River edged away ever so slightly, her heart breaking with every syllable that was being thrown at her. She so desperately wanted to leave, to run, run back to the Amy and Rory that she knew and loved. But running did not come naturally to River, she was good at it, yes, but never did she run willingly, never did she back down, never did she show her fear, her weakness. Never did she run, not without the Doctor there to tell her to do so, and even then, she rarely listened. But now, she would give anything to be able to run and hide and avoid this day forever.

Rory suddenly became aware of his wife, he could feel her harsh movements by his side and see the pain deep in River's eyes, and eventually his ears caught up and he could hear her voice, her words. "Amy" he tried again, this time putting his arm around her, finally tearing his gaze away from River who seemed to be focusing on the cot rather than look at either of them. "Ssh, Amy... Amy calm down, we have to be strong now."

Amy allowed herself to rest against her husband, safe in his arms, her tears once again falling without restraint, "I want her back, Rory. I want my baby back in my arms, I want Melody."

"I know, I know" Rory soothed, he glanced up at River who was doing a poor but determined job of hiding her emotions, her attention still apparently on the cot. His next words were approached with extreme caution and no small amount of hesitation, "...but we never really lost her."

"She is not Melody!" Amy exploded, unable to fathom Rory's outlook. River jumped slightly at the outburst, the subtle movement noticed only by Rory who had responded similarly.

A welcome distraction came in the form of Madame Vastra as she cleared her throat, "Sorry to interrupt, but perhaps we could..."

She didn't need to finish, River immediately sprung to life, "Of course" she smiled, the façade of her usual character instantly restored as she strolled over to them, already fiddling with her time vortex manipulator.

Rory watched until River had vanished with both Madame Vastra and Jenny, before turning back to his distant wife. He had a feeling River would take longer than necessary to return. "Amy, come with me" he whispered softly, gently tugging at her until she followed, allowing him to lead her over to a crate where she was persuaded to sit. Rory perched beside his wife, taking her hand in his; Amy slowly looked up from their hands, her expression so lost and confused, and heartbroken. Rory stroked the hair away from her tear stained face with his free hand, "Melody Pond" he smiled, a single tear running down his cheek. A few silent tears fell from Amy's eyes too at the mention of her lost daughter. "It's a beautiful name," he continued with the same smile and tears, "the perfect name for our little girl. Melody Pond is a superhero, she is strong and brave and clever and beautiful...just like her mum" he added, love radiating from him. A sad smile then replaced the previous one as he began to gently open Amy's clenched fist, "You chose the perfect name" he sighed. Up to this point, Amy had been mesmerized by his words, now confused she looked down to her hand, only then noticing the ever present prayer leaf.