FRESH START (Amy)

[Rory Williams]

Rory pulled up the beautiful red sports car to the curb, leaping out of it, a wild grin on his face. He'd enjoyed that. Driving around Leadworth wouldn't seem like the most appealing thing to most people, but with his new car, and a beautiful village to see, it was perfect for him. Except for one thing. Amy. She'd decided not to join him on his little ride, and he knew exactly why. She still missed him.

The Doctor had left them. He'd given them a perfect little house, with an amazing (according to Rory) car, and left them to it. A happy life. Rory accepted this, appreciated that he'd do all that for them, but he felt Amy was unhappy. Maybe she didn't want to settle down? Did she miss the TARDIS? Or was it just the Doctor?

He knew those two were close, closer than he and the Doctor probably were, but Rory couldn't comprehend why she couldn't let go. He walked to the blue front door and stepped inside their new house, trying to put on a smile for her, to cheer her up.

"I'm back! Popped into your parents on the way, gave us this weird ornamental lamp thing. Shall I bin it?"

[hayles]

Amy was one who normally refused change - unless it was for the better. She threw a fit when moving away from her home in Scotland as a small child - because they were forcing her into something new. Something different. Something scary. The new life transition was quite similar. She had gone from living in a time-and-space machine with her best friend and husband...to normal life. Everything was linear. There wasn't a mystery to be solved, nor an alien that was terrorizing the world around her. Everything was so simple. So normal. So...safe. It was almost off-putting. But she knew it had to be. The Doctor had sacrificed her faith in him, just to save her. To save them. She couldn't reject it, or she was rejecting all the work he had done for her. Amy knew the Doctor didn't want to get rid of his two best friends in the Universe - but he had to.

To protect them.

Rory had gone out with his new girlfriend sports car, which the Doctor had gotten him. She had refused to go along, simply so the man could bond with his car. Knowing Rory, he probably figured that she was sitting in a corner hoping to hear the grinding engine sound.

But she wasn't. While he was out, Amy had actually cleaned their place, for they had been gone for quite awhile. Everything had a fine layer of dust upon it. In the fridge, things had spoiled. While the Doctor's intentions were nice - he still had dropped them off months after leaving. Bills were in the mailbox threatening to seize the place. The power, water, and electricity had all been shut off. While sorted now, it had been a bit of a bother.

Amy's eyes shot to the door as she heard the purr of their new car. The Doctor swung open, to reveal Rory holding...something.

"What the hell is that?" she asked, placing her hands on her hips and tilting her head to the side.

"I'm back! Popped into your parents on the way, gave us this weird ornamental lamp thing. Shall I bin it?"

Amy took the lamp from Rory, and stared at it, with a puzzled expression, "But what if they come over?" she asked, her voice oddly bored, "I'll stash it up in a closet somewhere and bring it out when they come over, so they get all excited and happy that we use something they gave us," she stated, already walking towards the closet.

[Rory Williams]

"What the hell is that?" Amy replied at the sight of the lamp in Rory's hand.

He had to admit, he'd expected her to be being anti-social or something, moping about the Doctor. To find her so...normal, wasn't what he'd expected. Though this thought process made it seem like it was bad she was acting normal, it really wasn't, it was just...puzzling to him. Had he misconceived the Doctor and her's relationship? To be honest, he was just a tad confused.

A part of him missed the Doctor, more than he expected actually. They were good friends, mates, and they'd been through a lot together. There were some things that Rory had shared with the Doctor he never had with Amy. Not all good. The events in the Two Stream Facility still lurked in his mind, a shiver running through him at the very thought of being in that situation again. Picking which version of his wife to kill. But that was the past. Long ago. Now he had a new life, a life he'd always wanted. He just had to forget all the bad stuff. If he could.

"It's from Tibet apparently. Probably should have stayed there..." Rory admitted, looking down at the lamp.

"But what if they come over?" Amy reasoned. "I'll stash it up in a closet somewhere and bring it out when they come over, so they get all excited and happy that we use something they gave us."

"Urm, yeah, 'bout that, I was thinking maybe we could go to their's, or more ideally, you go to their's," Rory suggested, feeling incredibly uncomfortable. "...Your Dad scares me. A lot."

Trying to avoid any eye contact with Amy, for fear he'll crack, he set the lamp down on a table and headed into the living room, sitting down on the sofa. He threw his keys aside and relaxed into the seat happily.

"Got the job interview for the Hospital tomorrow, but the thing is, tie or no tie? Apparently, no tie is chic. I'm not sure what that actually means, but it's meant to be good. What do you reckon?" Rory asked, rapidly changing the subject.

He picked up the NHS leaflet he'd got with his job application, and flicked through it, despite having read it numerous times before. It was the usual promotional rubbish, but he figured if he knew everything about it he could spout it at the interview. It would probably add a much needed positive to the various negative points he'd present. He saw a picture on one of the last pages and paused thoughtfully, staring down at it. A baby. He'd always wanted kids when he was growing up, always imagining himself to be a family man. He still wanted to be that man, and he was meant to be, with Amy, with their little Melody. But she was gone. Melody was gone. He continued to stare at the picture, deeply saddened at the very thought. Was she going to come back to them?

[hayles]

"It's from Tibet apparently. Probably should have stayed there..." Rory commented, causing Amy to shoot it a side-glance, as she threw it into the closet, reasoning that she should keep it around simply to keep her parents happy. It made sense. They would pause and smile at each other, if their lamp was easily seen within the house.

"Urm, yeah, 'bout that," Rory began, as Amy closed the closet, and returned to her husband.
"Bout what?"
"I was thinking maybe we could go to their's, or more ideally, you go to their's," he continued, as Amy shot him a confused expression, "...Your Dad scares me. A lot."

Rolling her lips in, Amy attempted not to laugh, for she knew it would hurt Rory's fragile ego.
"Scares you?" she repeated, her voice filled with questioning, as she put two hands on his shoulders, "Scares the Last Centurion?" Amy continued, squeezing his shoulders, "Scares the man who waged across the entire Universe just to find his wife and child?"

She kissed him lightly on the forehead, "Rory my father has known you since we were kids, and is half your size. You have nothing to fear out of him."

"Got the job interview for the Hospital tomorrow, but the thing is, tie or no tie? Apparently, no tie is chic. I'm not sure what that actually means, but it's meant to be good. What do you reckon?" Rory asked, changing the subject as Amy moved away from him to re-close the closet door which had fallen open.

"Hmm..." Amy pondered, sitting down next to Rory, "You don't want them to think you're too full of yourself," Amy crossed her legs, "Since you'll be driving up in a shiny red sports car...so I'm thinking tie."

Her eyes fell to the leaflet that Rory was holding, and took it out of his hands, and placed it back upon the table, "Roranicus Pondicus Williams...cus," Amy smiled, stumbling over his last name...their last name, "You're not allowed to stare into this leaflet anymore. You're just going to make yourself so nervous you'll just stare at them when they ask for your name."

Amy opened the leaflet, and quickly scanned through the pictures. The small picture of a baby sent an icy chill down her spine. She had gone through the pains of child birth. She had held and loved a child that was her own...until it melted to flesh, then turned into her best friend and the Doctor's lover.

Her hand unintentionally wrinkled the bottom of the leaflet, before she dropped it back onto the table.

Bracing her forehead with her hand, she simply stared into space for a moment. It was all a matter of mindset. She couldn't let her mind get wrapped in what was and had to settle it in what is. The now. She had a home with a husband. A whole life to plan out.

But her mind kept slipping back to the was. The Doctor. River. Mels. Space. Time. Adventure. The entire Universe with one flip of a switch.

Now she was here.

[Rory Williams]

"Rory my father has known you since we were kids, and is half your size. You have nothing to fear out of him."

Rory smiled slightly as she kissed his forehead, and grasped his shoulders. He loved her so much. She was one of the few people who could deal with his insecurities without making him feeling like an idiot. She was beautiful. Caring. Smart. Funny. Basically, everything Rory thought he wasn't. She was perfect. And she'd picked him.

"Actually, I'd guess about 3 quarters my size, if we're being pedantic, but y'know..." Rory babbled, in his usual modest style.

As he sat on the coach with the leaflet, he began to wonder about what would happen if he didn't get this job. As Amy gave him the much needed fashion advice, he pondered what he could do without a job at the hospital. Move? He didn't like the idea, considering how much he loved Leadworth but if he had no other option, he'd have to. He could always find another job, but ever since he was a little boy, he'd set himself on becoming a doctor. Maybe it was because of the Raggedy Doctor, the man the young Amy Pond admired. It was weird how it seemed the Doctor had influenced his entire life if it was true. Really weird. Rory snapped out of his little trance as Amy took the leaflet from his hands, and he looked over to her beside him.

"Roranicus Pondicus Williams...cus. You're not allowed to stare into this leaflet anymore. You're just going to make yourself so nervous you'll just stare at them when they ask for your name."

"Well, it's probably going to happen anyway," Rory figured, hardly exactly looking forward to the interview.

Rory's gaze turned from a casual one to one of concern as soon as Amy dropped the leaflet onto the table, holding her head. She didn't do it suddenly or anything like that, but something seemed to be up. He hated to see her upset like this, but over the years he'd slowly learnt to comfort her when she was sad, instead of just being...well, Awkward Rory.

"Amy? You okay?" Rory asked gently, extending an arm around her comfortingly.

He stared down at the leaflet, and saw the wrinkled page, the same page as the one with the baby picture. Coincidence? Unlikely. Amy had actually got to spend some proper time with Melody, had gotten to know her, so if Rory missed her she surely did too. His little baby girl. Their little baby girl. River. That thought still perplexed him, that his baby had grown up to be River. And part of him didn't like it. The idea of his daughter running around risking her life like that? No, he didn't like that at all. He'd learnt quickly that he couldn't stop Amy from that sort of stuff, it was one of the reasons he came aboard the TARDIS, but he didn't want his daughter doing that. Plus, he'd seen her...change. Regenerate, or something. His daughter could change her body and that was scary. He could get to know when Melody, and then find her turning into another.

"Melody..." Rory started, nervous, just wanting to address the topic. But he couldn't reassure her. Not when he had so many doubts himself. "Do you reckon we'll get her back?"

[hayles]

Amy took a deep breath through her nose and slowly released it through her lips, as she stared down at the floor - head resting upon her hand. She could hide it, but Amy knew it was there. She was hurt. Very hurt. In every way the Doctor had changed her life for the better - he had also changed it for the worst. She got her parents back - but she had to experience her husband's death several times. She got to travel all of time and space - but it cost her Melody. Her child. Was it worth it? If the Doctor had never entered her life, would she be a better person? Would everything be...happier?

"Amy? You okay?"

Sliding her eyes up at Rory, a small smile tugged at her cheeks. Oh Rory. Stupid face. As awkward and easily confused he was, he was still the best man she had ever met. Sure - he wasn't some Time Lord who could travel the Universe and show her everything. He was better. He wasn't corrupted by all of that, like the Doctor was. Rory Williams was the most human man she had ever met. And he loved her for more than just her long legs and bright hair. He waited two-thousand years for her. He battled his way across the Universe for her. The Last Centurion.

"Eh..." she half-grunted, straightening up slightly, as if caught texting by a teacher, "I've been better," she admitted, her voice a bit low.

"Melody..." Rory began, causing Amy's eyes to close for a brief second - as if someone just threw something toward her eyes, "Do you reckon we'll get her back?"

"No," Amy stated, dragging out the 'o' a bit longer than normal, "Because as the Doctor has said, there are fixed points in time. We grew up with Mels and that's not going to change. Our baby isn't coming back Rory. We've managed to birth and raise a child to adulthood...and we're not even thirty," she half-laughed, with a note of sadness, "I'm a bit off-put by the fact the our daughter does dirty things with my imaginary friend," Amy continued, narrowing her eyes lightly, "Like...I'm happy she has someone...I think. Minus the fact that she - you know - kills him. But..." Amy frowned, crossing her arms, "Our lives are kind of confusing," she realized, leaning her head upon Rory's shoulder.

[Rory Williams]

"Eh...I've been better," Amy admitted, and Rory squeezed her gently.

Amy was always fun, bubbly, laughing, basically everything she wasn't in that moment. Seeing her like that made Rory more uncomfortable than he'd ever imagined possible. Seeing her sad made him feel as if he'd let her down. It was his job to look after her, and if she was sad or upset, then it meant he hadn't been looking after her well enough. Maybe he was being overprotective, but he didn't care, she was his wife! But what she said next is what shook him the most.

"No. Because as the Doctor has said, there are fixed points in time. We grew up with Mels and that's not going to change. Our baby isn't coming back Rory. We've managed to birth and raise a child to adulthood...and we're not even thirty,"

Rory just stared at her for a moment, unable to quite take in what she was saying. He knew he didn't want to accept it, but he wished she couldn't either. He wished she wanted it just as bad as him, and still thought there was hope. He wanted there to be hope.

"Amy...no...no, no, I don't care what the Doctor says! What was it you used to say, the Doctor always lies? Well, this is it. This is him lying! Amy, please..." Rory pleaded, more forcefully than he attended, tightening his grip on her.

"I'm a bit off-put by the fact the our daughter does dirty things with my imaginary friend. Like...I'm happy she has someone...I think. Minus the fact that she - you know - kills him. But..."

"I really don't want the image of my daughter doing...things in the TARDIS, with a man with a bowtie..." Rory quipped in his deadpan manner.

"Our lives are kind of confusing," Amy muttered, resting her head on his shoulder, and he nodded.

"I know, I know...I'm over 2000 years old. Well, mentally. But if things like that can happen to us, then surely that means it can happen to Riv-, I mean Melody! We can get her back!" Rory reasoned, instantly hating himself for slipping up on the name. She's called Melody. Melody.