I was just writing in my journal when I heard it. A wheezing noise that only comes from one special blue box. A hopeful noise, one that promised adventure and danger, and pure, unadulterated joy, such that I never got in Stormcage. Carefully closing my journal, making sure the dog eared pages, falling out along the binding, remained safely tucked inside the worn blue cover. I stood up.
"Hi, honey, I'm home!" He said with a grin.
"And what sort of time do you call this?" The corners of my mouth twitched upward into a smile. I don't need the spotters guide for him. Not my doctor.
"Time for a gondola ride in the warm summer of '46, a quick stop at the famous interspace gourmet, and then we're off to one of the moons of Thyrmione, planet of the purple quail". He was as excited at the prospect of adventure as I was.
"And when you say '46, you're referring to..." I cocked an eyebrow.
"1646, obviously." he flashed a grin.
"Ah, of course. Can we make a pit stop first?" I asked.
"Of course, River. Anywhere and everywhere, everything that has ever happened or ever will, where do you want to start?"
I laughed."Arizona, actually. 2009. Sometime in late may, about 60 miles west outside of Tuscon. I've apparently got a package waiting for me there." I nodded towards the phone on the wall.
"Then I guess we'd best hurry, Professor." He swept a deep bow, gesturing royally to the doors to the best ship in the universe.
Once inside, he began fliipping switches and pressing dials, running in a circle round the console, long legs flailing to move as fast as his thoughts.
"Arizona, you said? Coming right up, Professor Song" he saluted.
The TARDIS began to shake and rumble, and we rematerialized to its beautiful wheezing. I stepped out into the blazing sun and hot, dry air, and looked up at the cloudless sky. I took a deep breath, felt the heat from the dust through the soles of my shoes, and released a puff of air. I turned, smiling, about to tell him I would be back in about an hour.
"DOCTOR?"
I turned and saw a dark- haired man striding towards us, his long blue coat flapping out behind him. I heard a gasp from behind me.
"Jack?" The doctor sounded truly amazed. "What? But...but how? You were... I mean..."
The man(apparently his name was jack) laughed."Dead, you mean? Haven't we been over this?" he frowned. "You changed your face again."
The doctor frowned. "What, you don't like it?"
Jack smirked. "You look twelve." I hid a giggle behind my hand.
Jack heard and looked over. "It seems I've been directing my attention the wrong direction". He held out his hand to shake. "The name's Captain Jack Harkness. And who, may I ask, are you?" he winked.
I almost exploded from trying not to laugh. It was all I could do to shake his hand and reply "Professor River Song". I turned back to the Doctor and finally delivered my message. "Be back in less than an hour, sweetie. Try not to discover an alien plot to take over the world while I'm gone, you know how those hold us up" I smirked and strode off toward the post office. Behind me, I heard Captain Jack guffaw behind me.
"Sweetie? Oh man Doctor you are whi.." he stopped short, probably due to the look I was sure the Doctor was giving him. I smiled and continued my walk down the dusty path towards the tiny post office.
I had just picked up my package when I saw the pair walking towards me. I signed for the box, and tucked the small parcel into my jacket.
"What'd ya get?" Jack queried, curious.
"I don't know, I havent opened it yet." I sauced back at him with a wink. Jack grinned, enthused.
"Lets go get some coffee, theres a quaint little shop just around the corner. You can open 'er up then".
The Doctor grimaced. "I'm really more of a tea person, Jack."
We got coffee. Jack turned out to be the biggest flirt I'd ever met (Excluding myself, of course). All too soon, the Doctor and I had to leave, he said something about not wanting to miss our window for a gondola ride or something, which was weird because he drives a time machine (how many women can say that about their blokes?). I disregarded it for the time being, the Doctor seemed anxious to get to Italy, so I obliged his whim and we dashed off. Seconds later, the Doctor was opening the doors to a bustling marketplace and we stepped out.
"I think our boat is right over here" he said, turning a corner ahead of me. I followed him, and smiled when i saw the boat awaiting us. Inside the long, black boat was a picnic basket and a familiar red plaid tablecloth.
"Last time I tried to have a picnic with you, dear, I almost caused reality to burn-" he began.
"We both did, Sweetie. I'm taking partial credit." I interrupted him. Even though it never really happened, I remembered the alternate reality I had plunged the earth into.
"I thought we could try again." Excited, he clambered into the boat and opened the basket. "Look, I even got a new bottle of champagne from Napoleon!" He looked up at me, afraid of what I would think.
I smiled, and grasped the offered hand as I climbed in the boat with my doctor. I noticed the gondelier hadn't even flinched at the Doctor's Napoleon comment.
"What's up with Leonardo?" I nodded at the Italian.
The Doctor looked up with the bottle he was trying (and failing) to open. He saw what I was referring to. "Borrowed the teselecta", he said offhandedly.
"You say borrowed..." I raised my eyebrows. He looked at me and shot me a truly mischievous grin. Finally, he succeeded in wrenching the cork out of the champagne bottle, and poured us each a glass. We sat there in silence for a few minutes, enjoying the gentle sway of the water under our boat. I remembered my question from earlier that day.
"Sweetie, not that I'm not loving our gondola ride, but why did we need to leave Jack's so quickly? I hate to remind you, but you do have a time machine."
He looked at me, suddenly nervous. "River, do you remember that package from earlier?"
I realized I had forgotten all about the small package in my coat pocket. I pulled it out, and opened th box. I drew in a breath sharply. Inside was another small box, TARDIS blue. A jewelry box. Cautiously, I lifted the lid. Inside nestled a beautiful ring, gold, with swirls of tiny leaves and flowers and vines. A beautiful blue gem rested in the center, held in place by delicate gold vines. Shocked I looked up at the Doctor. "Sweetie, I..."
"Do you like it, River? We can get a different one, if you want, I don't know if this is what you like, but I just thought since we're technically married, you should ha-" he rushed.
I leaned over and kissed him. Smiling, I whispered against his lips, "Oh, Sweetie." He wrapped his arms around me: big mistake.
The gondola, off balance because of our sudden movements, tipped us into the canal, almost flipping over. "Oh, sweetie!" I gasped, not quite as pleased this time.
"Do not steal our ship again, Doctor. There will be consquences next time."
I looked up at the boat. Apparently, the crew of the teselecta had returned.
I giggled. "You did say borrowed, Doctor?"
"My apologies, Captain." The doctor grinned cheekily.
I collapsed into laughter, struggling to tread water at the same time. The teselecta looked disapprovingly at us. It teleported away, leaving us stranded in the middle of a canal.
Clambering back aboard the boat, we struggled to get back to the TARDIS.
A half hour later, we finally made it back to its blue doors. We locked eyes, and collapsed once more into giggles.
"So, Professor Song, where do you want to go next?"