Chapter Text
Darkness had already engulfed Manhattan for quite some time. The only light in the gloomy corridor of the tall building was shed from a small office. The sign on the door said 'Melody Malone private investigator'.
The room had only one cabinet holding some files easy to reach. Aside from other items well locked away, since they didn't really belong.
'Well it would have been absolutely rude to reject a judoon medallion... ' River Song found herself thinking while leaning back on her chair and stretching her arms. But then she shook her head slightly, looking back at the paper folder on her desk in front of her. She had to stay focused. It was time to move out.
She shut the folder and stood up turning the desk lamp off and walked to the small side room to collect her kit. She was alone. Luke, her by then graduated student had been out on a date night.
The poor bloke wasn't very lucky on the love field, despite of being pretty smart and rather unique. 'Was he overly shy?' River wondered. She couldn't imagine that being appealing to any girl or boy.
She had just buckled her waist pouch on when she heard a noise from outside. Someone was trying the door, tugging on it hard once having found it locked.
River grabbed her gun and holding it up she moved to the wall. Breath held back she peeked out from the door frame. The silhouette of a tall and wide shouldered figure was all she could make out through the frosted-glass sign.
The figure stopped trying the knob and in a few seconds the silence was broken by a high-pitched buzzing. The alarm on River's face turned into a broad smile and she quickly put the gun away. She fixed her hair instead.
She walked to the main room and switched the desk lamp back on behind her. The door opened.
„Just can't resist a shut... Oh... hello!" she smiled with eyes wide opened once she could see properly who had just entered.
The man had short hair and wore an outfit that was almost all the way black, including a leather jacket. And an almost similarly surprised expression as her own, but it soon turned strict.
„Melody Malone? We need to talk."
After a short pause of trying to put two and two together, River asked puzzled,
„We... do?"
„Yep!" The Doctor crossed his arms.
„All right... let's... talk, I suppose..."
She walked by him to close the door, making sure she checked him out from behind on the way.
„Nice!" she muttered naughtily.
The time lord immediately turned around.
„What?"
„I said... it's not very nice to just break in on someone like that..."
„Well, what I'm about to say is even less nice."
„Oh... is that so... Mr..."
„John Smith. I've come to check on your operation."
He produced the black card holder with the obviously blank paper.
A knowing smile flashed through River's face but then she proceeded to „read" the „identification".
„Should I feel threatened... Mr. John Smith, time agent... of the marital department?"
„What?!" he excalimed with a mixture of confusion and annoyance and, only a brief moment late, turned the card towards himself to „read".
The act was almost convincing, River decided. If not for the obviously blank paper.
„They printed it wrong," he eventually explained while putting the holder back in his coat.
„Outrageous!" she replied wih fake annoyance as she moved back behind her desk. „I'd quit immediately if I were you."
„Yeah, well you're not me, so you'll need to tell me what exactly you are doing here."
River sighed.
„That door sign was a waste of money, wasn't it?"
The Doctor snorted.
„Yeah, funny that. I visit here for just a relaxing sightseeing and a cup of tea only to find time looped murders, people turning into feline creatures, countless time distortions that bounce off my time ship like it was some ping pong ball..."
„Well you can consider at least two of those things sorted. Feel free to thank me..."
„...and a supposed private investigator who apparently has a vortex manipulator in 1937!"
„Now that is just rude!"
The Doctor put both fists on the desk, looking straight into River's eyes.
„Drop the act, Malone."
„That's Prof... Ah, what's the use..."
She sighed.
„Listen... Mr. Smith..." she looked at him with a sarcastic smile „I get that you are upset about these issues, but I hate to break it for you, you're not the only person in the universe with a sense of temporal responsibilty. I can assure you I'm not the cause.. of your time related problems. So what is the point of this visit aside from looking pretty? ...annoyed?"
The Doctor watched her with narrowed eyes for seconds.
Eventually he straightened up.
„Flight accidents. Or rather the lack of them," he blurted out while slowly shifting back to lean against the wall.
„What?" River asked taken aback.
„I was going to solve the mystery behind the missing ships near planets Vuevis and Jibronox..."
„Oooh yes... I've read about that area. Engines going haywire, distress signals with no real detectable sources... It's like the space version of the Bermuda triangle."
The Doctor lifted an eyebrow.
„Yes. Or well, it was. Not a single ship has crashed or disappeared nearby for months."
„I see... and that is bad... how?"
„It's not, by definition..." he shrugged with an ignorant looking smile. "Two unhabited planets, undisturbed space traffic, all the merrier. Except..." he turned serious „the planets are now time locked all of the sudden."
„Time locked?" River asked puzzled. „Doesn't that require time lord interference?"
The Doctor raised both eyebrows and was left with no words for a moment.
„Well... It does. Usually," he replied in a few moments. „Although I've.. looked into that.. and took it out of the equation here."
„Right," River nodded solemnly. „So you're worried that whatever caused the time lock might spread to other planets that may not take it so lightly."
„Well, pretty much, yep."
„Mm.. not the kind of issue I was expecting..."
„What do you mean?"
„I've taken the case of finding a missing girl."
She reached for the folder. The Doctor furrowed his brow, realizing he had not noticed the item before, even though the desk was almost empty otherwise.
„There's a perception filter on that thing?"
River looked at him surprised.
„Yes. And a quite boosted one too, if it worked on both of us. It may have got hidden for some time in my drawer before I noticed it, tonight.
This is Hattie Walker. She had been missing for two days when her mother came to me," she said as the contents, photos and written notes of the folder got scattered on the desk. „It's from the year 200.004."
„The future?" the Doctor looked at her, scoldingly. "You're dragging items from the future into the past??"
River sighed.
„Every time..." she muttered annoyed. „Yes, I tend to come back here to think, because I like the atmosphere. Sue me."
„Hm..." The Doctor grabbed the sonic and used it on the various data.
„The filter is not the only thing about it though."
„What?" River asked.
Focusing on the folder he hid the screwdriver away back in his jacket.
„Right. Nice chat. Carry on, et cetera."
He turned to leave but before he could have opened the door River's hand pushed it shut.
„And just where do you think you're going?" she asked, scolding.
„Off to solve the case, and be back for tea, see ya," he grinned smugly.
„What, my case?" she asked incredulously. „Without me? Oh no, you don't!"
„Oh yeah? Just watch me."
He reached for the door knob, but River moved in the front to block it entirely.
„Listen... Mr. Smith. I'm here to help," she smiled.
„Why does everyone assume I need help?!"
„Because two pairs of hands will always be better than one? Trust me, it makes all the difference when it comes to spa treatment. And... because that data you have memorized is only going to send you on a wild goose chase."
„What?!"
„All my anachronistic files are isomorphic. You know..I'm not sure if it showed you existing data or a randomly generated one... but I can assure you it has nothing to do with your time locks. It's a safeguard for just the occasion of prying eyes taking an unwanted peek," she smiled broadly right into his face.
The Doctor crossed his arms and watched her silently through annoyed eyes.
„Oh come on, don't look so pouty...," River continued. „I did say I had a sense of temporal responsibility."
The Doctor sighed.
„Fine. But no way I'm going by vortex manipulator."
„Oh, is it because it's always at hand, precise or because there's no need to remember where you left it?" she asked smugly.
The Doctor snorted.
„Let me show you the fine way to travel."