giefu

Title: Betty and Veronica
Author:

thewaterbandit
Character(s) or Pairing(s): The Doctor, Amy, Rory, River Song
Rating: G
Summary: Remember the time when I wrote about something other than Doctor Who? No, I don't either.

Meeting River's always a bit disconcerting for everyone involved, and Amy's left in the control room while the Doctor takes Rory off into the back to look for 'something'. Amy's not one hundred per cent convinced that this isn't just avoidance tactics. The Doctor claims to love mysteries but all that means is that he loves mysteries he can solve so he can feel clever. River Song won't be solved until she wants to be.

"So." River raises an eyebrow, and Amy knows what's coming. "Mrs. Williams?"

Amy draws herself up defensively. "Yeah. What's so surprising about that?"

"Just the way you look at the Doctor." River shrugs with a studied carelessness. "I've seen that look." she looks at Amy sideways. "Had it myself, actually. All this-" widespread arms indicate the TARDIS, "it can turn a girl's head. A dashing, eccentric space hero turns up and tips your world upside down. It's very attractive in a man. How does centurion-boy compare?"

Amy groans in frustration. How come nobody ever got it? "I don't… Rory doesn't need a spaceship to make him interesting, okay? He was one of two male nurses in his hospital. Leadworth is a bit old-fashioned like that. He played with me when everybody else called me Crazy Amy because I was going to the child psychologist every other week. When we were in secondary school, he punched Keith Carter for making fun of me. He likes…" she pauses, but this is River. River likes that kind of stuff. "He likes dressing up. And he's brave even though he doesn't know, like, several billion languages and everything about science. I'm attracted to the Doctor, I'll admit-"

She didn't realise she'd been walking forward until she was practically under River's nose, but Amy couldn't help it. These were things she couldn't admit to Rory himself- she was pretty sure he knew she loved him, anyway- but they'd been waiting to be said for a very long time. Two thousand years, actually.

"-but I love my husband."

Is that sympathy in River's face? Amy catches a flash of something before River's back to her normal self, all secrets and smiles.

"Well, just asking." she says briskly. "Now, the Doctor's left is in the control room. Let's see what we can dig up."

---

Somehow, they've ended up in the wardrobe. It's huge. Piles upon piles of fabric of every shape, colour and texture. The Doctor looks around and screws up his face as if he's concentrating.

"It was this way last time." he mutters. "Left, right, right, forward-"

"Is that a dress?" Rory interrupts. He indicates a black Victorian-looking number hanging on a rack next to a number of other very distinctly feminine outfits.

"Yes, outstanding observation. Now, if we turned left instead of right, then maybe we-"

"Oh well, if you're into that kind of thing." The smirk in Rory's voice makes the Doctor actually pay attention.

"If you must know, it belonged to a young lady I used to travel with." he snaps. "She left it behind."

"You had other women?" Rory's expression is one of slowly dawning disgust. "Other young women? So what is Amy to you, exactly?"

"Look, I did my best to get you two together-"

"Yeah, I remember." Rory replies. "I died. Twice. And then came back as a plastic Roman."

"You got married eventually, didn't you?" the Doctor puts his hand on Rory's shoulder. Rory moves away a bit. "Look, I'm nine hundred years old. Nine hundred and seven. I don't know, you lose count after a bit. Anyway, I am really really old, and I've been doing this for a long time. After a while, it gets… dry. Seen one star system, seen 'em all. So I bring people like you and Amy along. Because it's too wonderful for a tired old man like me who doesn't appreciate it any more."

"Yeah, well-" Rory's run out of words. The Doctor does that to people sometimes, he's observed. "Sometimes, you and Amy-"

"I'm sorry, Rory- If I ever-"

And because he knows the Doctor's genuinely worried, it's okay. Rory breathes deeply, and lets it go.

"Doctor, our relationship is bigger than just her and you."

"She loves you, you know. Even if she doesn't say it."

"Yeah." Rory replies as if it's the most obvious thing in the world. "I know."