The Dalek's Daughter

River

     He turned to me ten minutes after the transmission had ended, looking lost and hopeless. "River, I-" he started, when I turned around and slapped him. "Save it. You just let our daughter blow herself up when you know we could have found another way. You know that." His mouth gaped open, and I could see that I'd hurt him. Normally, I'd feel a twinge of guilt, but not this time. My daughter had been at stake and he'd fucked it up. 

     "I don't ever want to see you again," I said quietly before disappearing in the depths of the TARDIS. Mom and Dad followed me. Something didn't feel right. My daughter was clever enough to do everything else, surely she'd been able to find a way off of the fleet. In my hand was a letter that I'd taken out of his pocket, from her. She had my handwriting, I realized as I entered my room. I slipped the letter out of the envelope, unfolding it, and began to read.

     Dad,

     I could tell by the look on your face the moment I said "spoilers" that you realized who I am. I need you to do what this letter says. I think, after all this time of leaving me to the daleks, that you owe me this. Tell Mom, Grandma, and Grandpa that you knew Belladonna was an Avatar. I know that you'll have lied, and the TARDIS wouldn't really have detected it, but we're all liars in the end. Tell them you reprogrammed her. Then take them to Evidence Room A, which is where the TARDIS will be. Leave. Get as far away from here as you can, and don't hesitate, and don't argue. You left me here, so do this one thing for me.

     I wish I'd been able to know you and Mom, I really do. I admire you both. I know quite a bit about you two, since I had to study you for my training. You're both really good people, better than I would ever have been. So, Dad, and Mom if you read this, please forgive me for I'm about to do. Or maybe have done already, depending on when you read this letter. I love you, even though I don't know you. And remember, demons run when a good man goes to war." 

     I jumped up, my eyes wide. "Demons run, oh Kira, you clever girl," I yell, running into the console room. Without speaking to him, I set the coordinates for Demons Run, which I haven't been to since they took me from Mom and Dad. "River, what are you doing?" he asks, as Mom and Dad come into the console room, looking confused. I turned and grin at him. "Taking you to our daughter," I reply, tossing the letter at him. He catches it and doesn't even bother to ask where I got it. 

     He knows better than to question me, so when I land, he looks at the coordinates immediately. "Demon's run," he whispers, then his eyes light up. He grabs me and kisses me quickly before opening the doors of the TARDIS. I pushed past him, gazing around the room where, once, long ago, I'd been taken from my family. 

     "Took you long enough," said a voic from behind the TARDIS. Kira stepped out from behind them just as I turned, a grin plastered on her face. I run to her, sweeping her up even though she's nearly as tall as I am and kiss her forehead. "Kira, you clever girl, I love you so much," I shout. Kira smirks, wiggling a little to let me know I was holding her too tight. I let go and hold her at arm's length, looking at her. "What, you couldn't have thought that I was going to give up that  easily, did you?" she asks as the Doctor swoops her up. As soon as he puts her down, Amy and Rory hug her. 

     "Only for a moment," I say, smiling at her. She wipes her eyes, which are wet. "You should've known that I'd be too damn stubborn for that, just like my mother," she said. I felt my own eyes tearing up. We all walked backk to the TARDIS together, listening to Kira tell us how she managed to escape. As soon as the doors shut behind us, the Doctor spun around to face us all. "All of time and space. Where to next?" he asks, smiling warmly. "Well, I for one, am not going back to prision," I say, wrapping my arms around Kira again. She stiffened for a moment, then relaxed against me.

     "And I'm not going back to New York yet," Amy says. "So, kid, it's up to you," the Doctor says, looking at her. She marches past him and grabs the controls. "I say it's time for an adventure. Geronimo," she said, starting the TARDIS up.