The Penny Drops!

Part 8

River yawned and stretched out across her cot. It had been a long day on the dig site, and she was more than ready to rest.

Not really sleep; she could only do that when the Doctor was there. He was the only thing that could come close to comforting her when she woke up from the nightmares. Mainly because he was there, he was breathing, alive and well. Not sprawled out across the beach at Lake Silencio. Or remaining dead at Berlin. Or a variety of other things she had been taught to do when she was young.

But she could close her eyes, and rest her tired limbs. She grabbed the small blanket from her backpack and spread it out, then leaned her head back. All four of the moons were up in the sky now, with different galaxies peppering between them. There were Klasklaans singing, which was more or less the equivalent of crickets chirping. Except this was a lot more like a lullaby.

Then, just when she thought the night would (for once) go peacefully, the whooshing sound of her husband leaving the brakes on sounded the air. In her tent. As the TARDIS materialized, several of her papers went flying and she scowled. Damn him.

She pushed the blanket off and stormed to the doors, not caring that the only thing she was in was her underwear. She was ready to demand that he clean and reorganize the whole mess, when she flung the doors open and noticed that this was the wrong TARDIS. This desktop was early. So the Doctor was early.

She looked around cautiously.

"How'd you get in?" A somewhat playful voice demanded. She nearly jumped (nearly. She'd never admit she was surprised), then whirled around to face him.

"This is the fourth." She murmured looking him up and down. "Yes, it is. Now how'd you get in? You'd need a key. And it doesn't look like you have a lot of a place to put one." The Doctor stated, trying to avert his eyes away from any inappropriate places they had been lingering.

River chuckled. "Bless. Well, I think maybe the Old Girl likes me. She is a beauty with this desktop, isn't she. Although, I do like the one with the glass floor better. Much more fun." She walked up to the console and stroked it.

"It's cheating if you know me from the future and come in now."

"I've never been one to follow rules." She replied easily, still stroking the console. Then the TARDIS hummed, well, more like purred.

The Doctor furrowed his eyebrows. "Will you get your hands off my TARDIS?"

"No, she likes it. Besides, I've always wanted to see this desktop." The TARDIS purred again in agreement. "Say, would you like a jelly baby?" He suddenly asked, deciding that if the TRDIS liked her.... why not? River turned to look at her not-yet husband.

"No thanks. I've got to rest tonight. Been at the dig all day. But it was good to see you, sweetie." She planted a kiss on his cheek. "Dig? Oh, you're an archeologist." He groaned.

River rolled her eyes. "Get over it. Now, I'm erasing this memory. You're not supposed to have met me yet."

The Doctor started to protest, but she put a finger to his lips. "Trust me." She told him, then put two fingers to his temples and erased the last few minutes.

She laid him gently down on the floor, set the TARDIS to leave, and then went out the doors.

The Doctor woke up a few minutes later with a start. "Why am I on the floor?" He wondered aloud.

The TARDIS purred.