"Hello, sweetie!" River's voice drifted through the TARDIS.

"River?!" The Doctor looked up, in awe. He hadn't seen his wife in almost three years. Although he hadn't changed his face, he was now an older version of the man she knew, yet, she knew. River knew her husband. She would always know her husband.

"Missed me?" She asked, laughing, a beautiful sound that The Doctor had missed so much, he had missed her, he had missed her so much.

"Always." He replied, laughing with her, taking her in his arms and kissing her lightly on the lips. Since Rory and Amy's departure a year ago, there had been no one else, there never was and there never could be. Amy and Rory were the only people, besides River, of course, that this Doctor loved. There had been others, like Rose, Martha and Donna, of course, but Amy and Rory were different, somehow, yet the Doctor couldn't quite put his finger on why they were.

"Doctor?" River asked, concern in her eyes, "What is it, Doctor? Where are Amy and Rory?!"

"They're," The Doctor couldn't get his words out. How was he going to tell her? How was he going to tell his wife that her parents, Amelia and Rory Williams, were gone?! "River, honey, there's something I need to tell you..."

"They're dead, aren't they?" She asked, tears springing to the corners of her eyes as she spoke, "My Mother and Father are gone, aren't they?" A stray tear fell down her right cheek, splashing onto her purple velvet coat.

"River, I am so sorry." The Doctor placed his hand on her cheek, wiping the other tears that were still falling down, "They had a good life, they were happy, they had each other-"

"How did they die?!" She asked, cuddling into his chest, wetting his coat with her tears.

The Doctor stroked her hair, her lovely ringlets curling around his fingers as he spoke, "Old age, eventually."

"So," She swallowed, "They were happy, and they lived a life, without me, and without you?" She looked up, smiling a small smile.

The Doctor looked at her and returned the smile, kissing the top of her head also, "They were happy, happy as can be!"

"I'm glad they were," She smiled again, reaching up to plant a soft kiss on the corner of his mouth, "Thank you, Doctor."

They stood in each other's embrace for about a minute or so, silence fell all around the TARDIS as they stood together, catching up on three years of lost contact between them. Eventually, River stirred from the embrace, "There's something I need to tell you, sweetie," She looked into his topaz eyes, a sad look crossed her troubled face, "It's about a certain Mrs Martha Smith."

The Doctor, obviously troubled by her news, swallowed nervously, "You- You mean Martha Jones?" He asked, avoiding his wife's eyes.

"She's back," River continued, "She's back, with her husband,"

"Mickey Smith?"

"Yes, yes, she said that was his name, Doctor, she wanted me to tell you this.." She reached up, so that her mouth was mere centimetres away from his ear, "she told me to tell you this: The Drums are returning. It doesn't make sense, does it, Doctor? What drums?!"

The Doctor dropped his hand from their embrace, No, no, that's not possible, no, no, NO! They can't, HE can't be, I watched him die, I watched him DIE!"

River stood back, allowing her husband the space he needed to comprehend this news, "Doctor, what does it mean?!"

The Doctor, still seemingly unable to come to terms with this horrific news, stayed silent, watching his wife warily.

"DOCTOR!" River shouted, getting his full attention, "You tell me what that means, you tell me now!"

"It means, River," The Doctor pulled her closer again, "It means that I, and indeed, you, are in grave danger," He hugged her even tighter, trembling as he spoke, "It means, that The Master is returning."

"Who is?" She asked, confusion on her face.

"The Master. He's- He's like me-"

"He's a Time Lord?!" River gasped, "I thought you were the only one left!?"

"So did I, River," The Doctor sighed, "So did I."