A/N: SO! This is actually a companion piece to Mrs Marcus Volturi's story "Journey to the End"... Basically, it's from when the Doctor meets Lorna, who if anyone remembers was in A Good Man Goes To War, where she mentioned she'd once ran with the Doctor. It's set between that episode, and Let's Kill Hitler, but in regards to "Journey to the End" is actually set a few years earlier for the Doctor, and a few years later for River... Which i hope is okay for Mrs Marcus Volturi, because i actually didn't let her read this, as i wanted it as a surprise so... SURPRISE! Haha...

I was going to put this in Bowties, Fezes and Stetsons, as chapter 14? I think i'm up to 14... but i don't think it had enough River in it, plus i felt it deserved it's own little corner.

So if you guys enjoy it, go read Journey to the End, or if you're reading this because of that, i hope you liked it. I hope Mrs Marcus Volturi liked it... And i'm now going to go update B, F & S... Oh, also

Disclaimer: I do not, unfortunately, own Doctor Who :'(

Enjoy

The Gamma Forest

He'd been looking for Melody for well over a month now, and he could not find her anywhere. He searched Earth, all different years and different countries… He even checked the countless colonies that existed through space. Nada… No Melody, anywhere. He sighed in frustration, leaning against the console of the TARIS with his head on his hands.

Melody Pond… River Song… Did he even want to find her? If he did, River wouldn't exist. All they had, all he thought they had… Wouldn't have happened… He may not even exist… In The Library, it was because River took his place that he didn't connect himself to that chair… If River was Melody, he would've have died there, saving 4022 people. But then, if he had died, he wouldn't have met Amy. Would Melody have even existed? At all? Sure, Amy would've married Rory, but would they have had kids that early? And Melody was special… She wouldn't have been Human Plus without the TARDIS… Oh this was so hard to think about…

He looked up, watching the screen with determined eyes. They flitted across names, planets and stars… Names… What about her name? River Song meant Melody Pond in the language of the forest. The Gamma Forest to be exact. Maybe there was a clue to her whereabouts there. Better yet, maybe that's where she was.

He jumped up, circling the controls with a rejuvenated enthusiasm. He knew it was a long shot, but maybe, just maybe… He'd find something.

He landed, and barely three seconds later, he was out the door. The forest was large, and dark in the early hours of the morning. It was misty, but he could still see, thankfully. He strode forward, jumping over logs and smiling at animals. He stuck his hands in his pocket, whistling as he walked. He came to a clearing, flowers just in bloom and the grass wet with slowly drying rain. He stopped short, spotting a girl sitting on a rock in the far corner. She was pretty. Long blond hair tied with ribbon. She was singing, stitching something on to some cloth. He walked forward, making sure his step were loud so as not to startle her. She looked up, eyes wide but then she smiled. He grinned in return, coming to stand in front of her. He dropped to the floor, sitting cross-legged and ignoring the wetness pooling under his bottom.

"Hello there." He greeted.

The girl smiled shyly at him, her blond hair falling in to her eyes.

"Hi."

"What's your name?"

She sniffed, poking her tongue out as she stitched a border on the cloth.

"Lorna. What's yours?"

He smiled, the name ringing familiar in his head.

"I'm the Doctor. What are you doing out here alone?"

She shrugged, turning the cloth to stich the other way.

"Nothing. Why are you here?"

He smiled again, shaking his head at the repeated questions.

"I'm looking for someone. Do you think you can help me?"

She looked up, twinkling eyes lighting up with interest.

"Yeah!"

He stood up, holding out his hand to pull her up alongside him.

"I'm looking for a baby. A little, tiny baby. Human, mostly. Her name's Melody."

Lorna nodded, gripping his hand tightly and running off in to the woods. She laughed as he stumbled, attempting to catch up. The ran, and ran, and it was then he realized where he knew her from. She was the girl from Demon's Run. The one who helped them fight against the monks, and find Amy. She swallowed, tears building in the corner of his eye. She died that night… Helping him to help his friend.

They skidded to a halt, having come across a cave. Lorna stood on her toes, pulling him down to her.

"A monster lives in there. A baby wouldn't be there, would it?"

She whispered in his ear, hands cupping around her mouth as though sharing a secret. He pursed his lips, thoughts running through his mind. There might be. In order to guard Melody. He was about to respond, when a loud, deadening roar echoed from within. He stood to full height, Lorna's hand grasped in his own. Something ran out of the cave, shooting a blaster gun behind them. He barely had any time to register that it was River, when she grabbed his free hand and tugged her after him.

She dropped his hand, allowing him to pick Lorna up and run full pelt. He heard a thundering crack from behind him. Turning as he ran, he saw a tree slowly fall to the ground. Eyes widening, he caught up to River, and despite the situation, smiled in her direction. He heard Lorna scream from his shoulder, though it sounded as though it was in delight. They ran, and they ran, until they reached the clearing he and Lorna had previously left. They had walked a fairly long way, he realized. Sitting Lorna down on the rock, he bent over at his knees, heaving in great gulps of air.

"River?"

She grinned at him, winking as she too caught her breath.

"Doctor. Been a long time since we were last here."

He blinked, cocking his head to the side.

"We've been here together before?"

She smirked at him, walking to kneel beside Lorna.

"Spoilers. Now what are you two doing here?" She asked, bending down to look at the cloth Lorna had begun to stitch on again.

Lorna looked up at her, smiling. River smiled in return, a somewhat motherly smile. The Doctor grinned, having not seen River when around kids, it was nice to know she was maternal.

"I was helping Doctor look for a baby. Melody… But I didn't think a baby would be in a cave with a monster." She said, turning to the Doctor with a smug grin and her hands on her hips. "I told you there wouldn't be a baby in there."

The Doctor nodded, shrugging in a cartoonish way.

"I know, I know. I should have listened to you."

He smiled at her, looking up at River all-knowing grin, her eyebrow raised. A call echoed from within the forest, Lorna's name reaching their ears. Lorna jumped off the rock, hugging River around her waist and then the Doctor.

"That's Mama… I've got to go. It's was nice to meet you Doctor… Ms River." She handed the Doctor the cloth, before running off through the trees.

They smiled after her, the Doctor looking down at the blue cloth in his hands. Stitched in silver, was his name. Doctor. Not his real name mind you, but that didn't matter. River walked to his side, resting her arm on his shoulder and leaned against him. She looked down at the cloth, a smile on her face.

"She's a sweet girl."

He nods, folding the cloth and placing it in his pocket.

"Brave too." He said, looking in to River's eyes. They stared at each other for a few moments.

"You're looking for Melody." She says, not a question, but a statement. He nodded, swallowing slightly.

"I'm looking for you, yes."

She smiled, shaking her head.

"Can't you tell me where you are?"

Once again, she shakes her head, turning and walking away from him.

"Come on!" He shouts after her, scrambling to follow. "A hint, or a clue. Co-ordinates. Something! River!"

He chased after her, her laughter ringing in his ears.

A/N: There you have it guys... . Allonsy