Yowzah Oneshot Collection (3)

10

               Love Is Like A River

                 impossiblesongs

One

"I should have known, my love."

"Spoilers." As the word leaves his mouth it twists up in a warm smirk. This is the first time he visits her since Lake Silencio.

River Song was sitting in her cell, scribbling furiously in the freshly blue colored book. The images of America and of time disintegrating are still forefront in his mind and he's not sure where he stands with her now. River Song is indeed in prison for his murder and will be for the rest of her days. There comes the guilt again. It never leaves him.

The TARDIS is invisible for now so he sonics himself into her cell and approaches her warily. There are many things he's sure she wants to ask and he's not sure all the answers are in his ability to give.

It seems forever that the pen is in stride until she places it down and closes the journal, pushing it under her pillow. She finally sits up and faces him.

"So, to what do we owe this lovely visit then?" River smirks.

"Er-" He pauses.

River laughs, "It's so nice to watch you try to disentangle yourself sometimes, sweetie. Oh, but I do know why you've come. And it's alright. I understand."

He didn't quite follow her. "I'm sorry, understand what?"

River looked serene, patient. "It was an alternate reality, Doctor. Now, I'm not complaining about that kiss. Our first saved you from near death and now that's something to brag about but I'm no fool." She tugged on his bow tie affectionately.

"I know the difference between a means to and end and a fairytale ending." she sighed.

His hearts seems to fall down to the pit of his stomach. He hadn't expected for this conversation.

"I didn't want to kill you and you didn't want to marry me. I suppose we both held up our end of the bargain." River looked into his eyes with so much love and admiration. Ultimately the look she held was a look of the most understanding he's seen in a long, long time.

"River." He shakes his head. "I didn't mean it like that. I didn't-"

He started pacing her cell. He didn't expect this at all. He expected something entirely different; he didn't know what it was, but not this! A bit of banter, flirting, something! Not River standing here basically telling him what was ultimately sort-of, kind-of, basically true. It was an alternate reality and no, they weren't really married but that didn't mean… well it didn't mean – he doesn't even know what it means.

"River, I didn't mean it like that at all." He finally says.

"It's alright, sweetie." She presses on, gently. "Perhaps this way I can find myself. Find River Song."

He laughed softly. "You are River Song."

The Doctor reached out to touch her for the first time since he'd stepped into her cell. His hand caressed her cheek and that made her eyes fall shut slowly, pleasantly.

"River," he remembered the time. "The guards are almost going to come do their rounds, listen to me." He said sternly, making her eyes flutter open.

She looked upon him intently as he told her that he would be back.

He watched her face fall much further than he'd seen in a very long while. Watched her face fall almost a hard as he saw as it appeared for the first time (in his line of order, that is).