The house was quiet. The Doctor and Rory had gone out to the shops.

"Why don't you two go out, do the shopping, and go out for lunch or somethin'. I dunno, just… have fun, alright?" In all honesty, Amy was just getting tired of the Doctor's hanging around the house all day.

He just can't handle being domestic, she thought to herself. An amused smile played around her lips as she watched the Doctor choose an overcoat.

This cube invasion thing's almost too much for him.

Maybe curiosity would kill this cat. With boredom.

Amy stood in the front doorway and called out a few last words to Rory, such as "Don't let 'im sonic the ATM!". Rory nodded dutifully, and trotted after the Doctor.

"And don't let 'im drive, whatever you do!"

"Gotcha. See you later."

That Doctor… he's like a big, raggedy giraffe.

And she loved him for it. After all, he was her imaginary friend come to life. And her son-in-law. And Rory… well, he was her stupid-faced Roman in shining armor. Always.

Closing the door behind her, Amy headed towards the kitchen. Breakfast dishes were waiting to be done, and after that sweeping, and after that… She was distracted from her mental to-do list by a brief flash of light from the living room.

Hold on, is that…? A smile crept across her face as she realized what had just happened.

"Hey, River."

"Hello, Mother."

It had been months since Amy had seen her daughter, but she wasn't sure how long it had been since River had seen her. Traveling with the Doctor had completely changed her perspective on time. Sometimes it could be all… wibbly-wobbley.

Amy trotted over to River and they embraced each other fondly. Sometimes, they were Amelia Pond and River Song, traveling the universe, saving the world, flying around with the Doctor in his Tardis through time and space. But other times they were simply Amy and Melody Pond, mother and daughter, bound together with family ties that would never be broken.

After releasing River from her arms, Amy studied her face for a moment. She seemed much older, tired and… sad, than the last time she'd seen her.

"Melody, are you okay?" Amy asked gently. River sighed, swallowed hard and shook her head.

"Mother, there's something I need to tell you." Her voice was shaky. Putting her arm around River's shoulder, Amy guided her to the couch and they sat down together. River took a deep breath and Amy could tell that she was trying to keep it together.

"It's… well, the Doctor and I... we tried, mother. And I lost it." Tears sprang to River's eyes, and she couldn't go on. Amy's heart ached as she realized what her daughter was telling her.

"Oh, River…" She pulled her closer and let her cry on her shoulder. She was always so strong, so, confident. But today she was a sad little girl on the inside, with a broken heart and shattered dreams of being a mum.

Tears came to Amy's eyes. She knew almost exactly how River felt at that moment. She herself was unable to give Rory any more children, as much as she would have loved to. But they had come to terms with that, and in spite of their disappointment, they'd learned to move on. Amy gently told River about it.

"But mother, it's all my fault. This body's too old. Two months along, and I lost our baby." River was struck by another wave of grief. When that had passed, she sat back and stared glumly at the floor, not even bothering to brush away the tears that fell from her cheeks.

"What must he think when he looks at me? He looks so young, and I look so…"

"Stop it. Right now," Amy commanded. Without allowing River to speak a word, she continued.

"First off, don't blame yourself, okay? And second, he is the Doctor. Don't even think for a second that he'll stop loving you. He'll never, ever, leave you. I know that firsthand, alright." Amy's voice grew husky, and she quickly brushed away a falling tear with her finger. She then sighed, and her tone became softer.

"I'm really, really, sorry, River. I know that it hurts. I know what it's like to lose a child." River nodded.

"I know, mother."

A few moments of heavy silence passed. Then River spoke.

"I haven't told him yet." Amy sighed and rubbed her back gently.

"Tell 'im. He's your husband, Melody. If you're hurting, he'll want to make it better." The tears came again to River's eyes, and she brushed them away with her sleeve.

"I know."

River took a deep breath.

"Mother..."

"Mhmm?"

"Thank you."

Amy and River held each other in a tight embrace for several minutes, letting the last tears fall.

They had both seen their share of pain and loss, thanks for the Doctor. But pain and loss had defined them, as much as happiness or love.

"You'll stay until the Doctor gets back, right? You'll tell 'im?" Amy inquired softly. River swallowed, and nodded.

"Yes, mother, I will." Amy smiled sadly.

"You're a good girl, Melody." River took a deep breath and stood up from the couch.

"Right then… I can't sit here stewing all day. Mother, what can I do today?" Amy smiled mischievously, stood up next to her daughter, and turned her in the direction of the kitchen.

"Well, since you're asking…"

[Thanks for reading. I hope to write another chapter where River talks to the Doctor. So stay tuned!]