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DINNER
The Doctor led River to their table, “the finest in all the galaxy.” It had been set with beautiful gold-rimmed china, and the finest crystal and silverware. He held her chair for her as she sat, the picture of a gallant gentleman. It was a gesture his previous self never would have made, not because he was rude, but because it never would have occurred to him. She’d only known this face for a few hours, but she had already cataloged a number of traits he possessed that his other faces hadn’t. And she was captivated by every single characteristic she’d discovered.
He was attentive, witty, slightly awkward, and utterly charming. They talked about everything under the universe and nothing in particular. Some people would call it “catching up.” They called it “comparing diaries.” For once, they had time. Twenty-four years.
DANCING
Once their dinner things were cleared, he stood and offered her his hand. He had that look on his face, his chin angled slightly down with a small smile tilting his lips up at the corners. The music from the Towers was flowing around them, and she moved into his arms. “Do you remember Mum and Dad’s wedding? That giraffe-like dance you did? I’m glad you’ve grown out of that.” He laughed, even as his cheeks were dusted with pink. “I’m no longer the awkward puppy I was then, River.” She rested her cheek against his. “You’re still awkward, darling, just in a different way.” He wisely decided not to comment on that, content to sway around the floor with her in his arms. The sun was still working its way down the horizon, and it would last at least a year. She lost track of the hours she spent in his arms, listening to the ethereal music swirling around them. Had she ever danced with him like this? She had memories of dancing with Eight and Five, but they hadn’t known who she really was.
Then, there was Four. Oh, Four. Talk about a charmer. She’d met him in an alternate timeline due to interference by the Discordia. In that timeline, they were already married, and he knew who she was. Intimately. She remembered those times, but she wasn’t sure the Doctor did after the timeline had been restored. “I do remember,” he murmured, picking up on her thoughts. “I remember all the times we met, whether I knew who you were or not. And there are many days that I wish we’d had all those years and faces together.” She rested her cheek against his shoulder, sighing softly. “So all those times I used the memory worm on you didn’t take,” she chuckled. “No, my love, they didn’t.” Her hearts skipped a bit at his use of the word “love.” It wasn’t a word he used as a general rule. He had definitely grown.
HOME
The first tiny bit of conflict came after dessert. They’d decided to have something from the sweets trolley after dancing, along with cups of Darillium’s finest coffee. Then they’d headed back to the TARDIS, sonic screwdriver in River’s hands. “We need to move somewhere for the rest of the night,” River murmured as she snapped her fingers to open the doors. He turned to look at her, his magnificent eyebrows raising in surprise. “What’s wrong with right here?” he huffed. “Do you really want people knocking on the door at any time they wish? That could turn out to be a bit of a bother,” she said, stifling a giggle at the thought. He crossed his arms and stared at her with a stern look on his face. He managed to hold the look for an entire minute before his own smile broke free. “Hmmph. I suppose you make a fair point. I don’t want anyone thinking this is the loo. Where do you suggest?” She thought for a moment, the landscape of Darillium flashing into her mind. “I believe I know just the place. There’s a lovely ledge to the east of the Towers where we can be tucked away.” He went to the controls, but she gently nudged him out of the way so she could input the coordinates. Before he could protest, which he surely would have, they were landing silently on the ledge she’d chosen.
“You’ve been putting it off forever, but I’m going to fix the chameleon circuit. We can actually have a proper home instead of a police box for a while. No offense, old girl,” she murmured, giving the console a loving little pat. “Now wait a minute. You’ve gone a step too far, woman,” he sniffed. “I like her as she is.” She turned to look at him, a single eyebrow raised as she stared at him. His shoulders fell, and he stuffed his hands in his pockets. “Fine.” Within moments, the TARDIS had been transformed into a lovely English cottage on the outside.
She (the TARDIS, that is) took it upon herself to transform a suite of rooms into a replica of that same English cottage for them. She deleted rooms that they wouldn’t need for the next twenty-four years, and she added a few that they would. The effect was cozy, warm, and charming. There was a library with a large stone fireplace, dark wood paneled walls, and plush comfortable furniture. They even planted a garden, using the TARDIS as an artificial sun for their vegetables. The TARDIS had turned herself into a proper home for them – something neither of them had every really had.
FAMILY
The sun had finally gone down, and all was dark. And it was going to be dark for a long time. They’d quickly settled into a routine – River made breakfast every day, followed by time spent exploring Darillium, usually with lunch out somewhere. It was a bigger planet than they’d realized, and they spent untold hours finding new towns to visit. River put away her diary. This life was just for the two of them, and had to be lived, not recorded. They actually settled into the same timeline. Settled into a home. Settled as a couple.
Even though the TARDIS was pretty much shut down, she retained all her medical and diagnostic functions, just as a safety feature. One day, about three years into their time on Darillium, a pleasant little chime sounded throughout the TARDIS. Various readings started scrolling across the data screens, and River stopped in her tracks as their meaning finally computed in her brain. It had never even occurred to her that it could be a possibility. Surely, she was too…
She knew where the Doctor would be – in the garden. He’d discovered an affinity for digging in the dirt and had taken to carrying around her sonic trowel when he wanted to work out there. He reminded her a bit of her grandfather, Brian. She wandered outside, her face still showing her surprise. She plopped down on her bum next to him, uncaring of the potential for getting dirty. “Doctor, I need to tell you something.” He looked at her, noting the strained pallor of her complexion. “River, what is it? Are you alright?” She stared at him, her lower lip trembling. Then, just as quickly, a soft smile broke over her face. “I’m pregnant.”
Their little cottage expanded by first one room, then two. A little girl - Amelia Rose - inheriting her grandmother’s red hair combined with her mother’s curls; and a little boy – Rory Alistair – bearing the names of the Last Centurion, and the Brigadier General who’d been one of the Doctor’s dearest friends. If there was one cloud in the sky of River and the Doctor’s happiness, it was that their children would never know their grandparents. So, they told them story after story of the adventures of Amelia Pond and Rory Williams, the Doctor and River Song. Little eyes would grow wide as they spent nights under the stars around a campfire, toasting marshmallows and hearing tales of Weeping Angels, Cybermen, Daleks, Slitheen, Sycorax, the Headless Monks.
They grew up learning about being Time Lords, the responsibilities that came with the ability to travel through time and space. Many debates were had between the four of them, whether or not to send them to the Academy on Gallifrey. Neither River nor the Doctor would force them to go if they truly didn’t want it. But both their children decided that they’d like to learn more about their heritage as Time Lords. They were as well prepared as they could be by their parents, and it was with tremendous pride, and a few tears, that in their twentieth year on Darillium, the Doctor left with Amelia and Rory while River stayed behind. He was only gone a moment from River’s perspective, although he spent several weeks helping them get acclimated to their new surroundings. They held each other that night, neither willing to admit to the tears they were shedding, knowing their time together was slowly winding down.
GOODBYE
One year. They were down to their last year on Darillium. In twelve months, the sun would come up and it would be time for them to leave. River felt like an internal clock had begun ticking in her soul, dragging her ever closer to the time she’d have to say goodbye to the Doctor. She cherished every moment she had with him, and made sure he knew how loved he was, even if he never truly said it back. He’d shown her, in more than mere words, how much she’d meant to him. It shamed her just a bit that she’d told that room full of people that he didn’t love her. He did love her. It was obvious. To her knowledge, he’d never devoted twenty-four years of his time to anyone else the way he did for her.
They spent that year either holed up in the TARDIS, or in their garden. They heard from the children on a regular basis, and they did one last grand tour of Darillium. They spent their last night much like they had their first one – on the balcony in the restaurant. They’d said everything they needed to say, so they held each other on the dance floor. It was funny, the Doctor mused to himself, River looked younger now than she had their first night here. Funny what a bit of happiness did for a person.
She was ready, (not really) with her vortex manipulator strapped to her wrist, Luna already programmed into the settings. Being who they were, they both put on brave faces as they said their goodbyes. “See you around, Professor Song,” he murmured, unconsciously echoing his earlier face’s final goodbye. “Until next time, Doctor.” As if they actually had a next time.
In a flash of light, she was gone, appearing in her study on Luna. She had two messages waiting for her. The first was from someone named Strackman Lux from the Felman Lux Corporation. That could wait. The second one was from the Doctor, and she opened it with a smile.
“My darling River,
I wanted to tell you, in case you didn’t already know, how much our time together meant to me. I’ve been a bit of a rubbish husband, and I’m sure you’ve often wondered how I felt about you. But please know that I absolutely, positively, unequivocally love you with all my hearts. I didn’t marry you on top of that pyramid just to restart the timelines. I had three other solutions in my back pocket. I’m sorry it took so long for me to tell you all this, but I’m horrible with emotions, as you well know. It almost killed me on that spaceship to hear you say I had never loved you. I don’t want you to have another moment without knowing that my hearts are yours.
Always yours,
The Doctor”
She had to wipe a few tears away as she read the message. It had taken long enough, but it had been worth the wait. Her Doctor loved her.
She opened the next email.
“Dear Professor Song:
My name is Strackman Lux, and I have a proposition for you…”