Yowzah Oneshot Collection (1)

156(G)

A River in Egypt

atheneglaukopis

"River, no. No, no, this is a very bad, extremely very not good idea!"

He stalked around the TARDIS console in a vain attempt to change the coordinates for the fifth time, but she blocked his movements with practised ease, paying him no mind as she rolled her eyes and an amused smile ghosted her lips.

"You're just upset that I suggested something more exciting than Disneyland Clom, sweetie."

"When you called saying that you needed assistance with an 'emergency rescue mission,' this is not what I had in mind."

He had begun pacing and, though he was making a magnificent effort to hide it, his clenched jaw and worried eyes gave away his increasingly tangible nervousness. River eyed him carefully, more than a little confused as to why he was behaving so strangely. His quirks she could handle, but she'd never seen him so distraught over such a comparatively safe adventure, and his uneasiness was starting to rub off on her.

"I thought you would have found it a noble act of historical preservation."

"Yes, well. Let's go preserve history elsewhere."

She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him with one finely arched brow. "What have you got against ancient Alexandria, Doctor?"

"Nothing! Nothing at all. Lovely place. Cleopatra IV's a great friend-bit of a pushover, though; you were quite right-"

"Julius Caesar's about to pull some idiotic stunt and burn down the greatest library in Earth's history, and you don't want to help me save even a fraction of its contents?"

The Doctor cringed at her words, their frustrated and slightly hurt tone clenching his hearts and increasing the sharp pain of the memories that always drifted on the outskirts of his mind. He lowered his head and clenched his hands into fists, his hair falling over his eyes as he struggled with the emotion this still young River could not yet see.

"I hate libraries, River."

"You like the TARDIS library well enough." She uncrossed her arms and placed her hands on her hips, a patronising smirk lifting the corners of her mouth. "And I'll be with you, my love. If you get scared, I'll let you hold my hand. Doesn't that make it better?"

"No." He looked up slightly, gaze unfocused, and put on his best petulant voice to hide his building panic. "You and libraries are even worse. In fact, if you never went to another library ever again, it would be too soon."

"There goes my career, then." Something in his eyes unnerved her, but she shook off the feeling and her smirk widened instead. "Libraries are a bit of a necessity."

"Good. Archaeology is rubbish, anyway."

She let out an exasperated sigh and her lips dipped into an angry frown, having finally had enough of his irrational obstinacy. "Doctor, I am going in there and saving at the very least a handful of those scrolls whether you like it or not. We've got twenty minutes before this whole place goes up in flames; you can come if you like, but don't think for one second that-"

"River..."

She stopped abruptly at the ache in his voice, and her annoyance disappeared completely when she saw the telltale sheen of tears in his eyes. She closed the space between them, tirade forgotten, and placed one hand on his tweed-clad shoulder, the other against his cheek, caressing the smooth skin tenderly. "Oh, sweetie... whatever it is-whatever happened-you'll be fine. We'll be fine. I'm here. There's nothing in this library we can't handle. You and me, running for our lives. Just another adventure." Her eyes blazed with a fiercely protective spark, and he couldn't stop his slow smile from growing, even as his hearts stumbled and twisted within his chest. He nodded and wrapped his arms around her, her forehead nestled against his neck and his hands in her hair. They stood that way for a long moment, taking and giving comfort in the circle of their embrace, neither yet willing to let go. When she felt the tension begin to drain from his frame, she pulled her head back and gazed at him with a small smile. "Are we good?"