River Song: Hello Sweetie

Rest Now, I Will Carry You

Rest Now, I Will Carry You

The Doctor drops Clara off for the weekend and promises not to get into trouble. Well, not too much trouble, anyways. He sets course for the moons of Kaline, but when he opens the doors of the Tardis, he's at Luna University. "River." He breathes. He makes his way through the student-filled sidewalks quickly and walks straight into someone. "Sorry." He says as he hurriedly pulls up the woman he knocked into. "Are you alr- River?" The woman's curly, blonde hair falls away from her face. It is River. She looks startled, but smiles when she recognizes him. "River!" He cries happily, and pulls her face into his hands as he kisses her. Kisses her right in the middle of the sidewalk, completely ignorant of the stares of the curious students that make their way around the currently busy couple. He pulls away slowly and intertwines his fingers with hers. He pulls her in the direction of the Tardis and she follows him willingly. Not a word is spoken, just a companionable silence as they walk side by side. River sighs when they step into the Tardis. The Tardis hums to her child and River laughs. "It's good to be back." She says, and the Doctor almost replies before realizing she wasn't talking to him. The Tardis is humming and her lights are blinking and the whole atmosphere is so incredibly joyful. The Doctor leans against the rails and just stares at his wife in wonder. He hasn't seen her since Darillium, and that was a very long time ago. He saw her at Trenzalore, but it wasn't a her that was alive, well, you know... Alive, alive. He's missed her. That's an understatement, but he can't find the right words to describe the magnitude of his feelings for her. Out of every place in all the universe, the only place he loves is right by her side. She's his family and his home, and his two hearts are happily nestled in her two hands.

River is setting coordinates to some unknown place when the Doctor finally speaks. "So, when are we for you?" He asks casually. River's hand stills on the controls and she takes a deep breath before answering. "I did Manhattan a month ago." The Doctor's hearts immediately clench. His poor River. Her voice is strong, as it always is, but her eyes give her away. They are full of pain and unshed tears. Manhattan was a long time ago for him, and he has finally been able to move on enough to be able to remember the fond memories without being overcome with the bad ones, but he also remembers who had helped him move on, River. She had been so brave for him, so strong. She had held on to him as he had cried over HER parents and never once had she shed a tear in front of him. He's loathe to admit it, but when he was younger, it had helped when she had been the strong one. But he's here now, and he will be there for her. He will be the strong one. He promises.

"It's been quite a long time for me." He finally replies. River's hands fiddle with the controls as she tries her hardest not to cry. She smiles faintly, and the Doctor's hearts clench again. He opens his mouth to say something, although he's not quite sure what, but River cuts him off quickly and tries to change the subject. "Well, let's have an adventure! I've set course for Saeban, in the year of their revolution-" he cuts off her sentence by wrapping his arms around her and holding her tight. She is stiff and rigid in his arms and it breaks his hearts. She's in so much pain but she's trying to hide the damage from him, for him. She pulls away first and he lets her, but he holds her face in hands and tries to figure out how to help her. She won't meet his eyes. "River. River, please look at me." She slowly lifts her eyes to his. Her eyes are filled with loss and emptiness. He looks at her with understanding and she yanks herself away from his light grip. She starts to spin away, but he grabs her hand and she stops. "River, please talk to me. Yell at me, slap me, do anything, just let me in. Please." River turns to him, and he can see the raging storm within her. "Please, my love, can we talk about this later? Let's go on an adventure, please." He sighs and lets her go back to steering the Tardis. He never really could say no to her, but he knows not to let this go. "Ok." He says. "But we will talk later." His tone is gentle, but filled with firm determination. River sighs and nods, "Later." They land with barely a sound, the Doctor tangles his hand with River's, and they walk into an adventure.