Note: I'm aware that this could be better, and I'm revising it. Once I'm happy with it, I will republish it as "Before The Sun Rises", which I think sounds better.
River tromped through the snow with her fur lined hood concealing her face from the swirling snow. She had been walking through the whole mess for an hour, dragging a freshly killed reindeer behind her. Finally she reached home. "Michelle, ma belleā¦." The Beatles' "Michelle" was playing softly over the Tardis speaker when River stepped into the Tardis. The lights were dimmed as she waltzed in and sashayed over to the Doctor, who was hurriedly setting the table with all manner of concoctions. "Sont des mots qui vont tres bien ensemble"
"Hello sweetie. She said with her familiar smile. " My, how romantic. What's the occasion?" She asked looking the whole grand array over.
"I thought we might have a nice dinner before we set off "
Tres bien ensembleā¦.
"Where to this time?" River asked briskly dancing around the table.
"I thought we might go to Barbados" he said lighting the candles.
"Oh yes, but not the planet?" River said picking up a rose.
"Oh course not, do you think they'd even let us back there after last time?"
"It was beckoning to me."
"It did nothing but sparkle"
"That is basically what I meant"
"You and your glitz"
"It comes in handy"
"How?"
"Well, It could be used to refract light in a pinch"
"And why would you want to do that?"
"Didn't you sunburn like a tomato last time we went there?" She said changing the subject.
"Yes" the Doctor answered painfully.
"And I got a golden tan." River said remembering her trip fondly.
"Lucky you. Where else do you suggest we go"
"Well, if you don't mind business"
"What kind of business?"
"The legal kind, sweetie."
"Good." The Doctor replied with faked relief.
"It's a fascinating ancient relic, and I promise you it won't belong to anyone by the time we get to it."
"It isn't cursed, is it"
"I don't think so" She replied thoughtfully.
"Too bad. That's my favorite kind. "
"I didn't know you took such an interest in my work"
"Are you kidding? After chasing monsters around all day, your objects are a welcome diversion"
"It's not always safe."
"Of course not, you're there."
"Haven't you ever seen the movies?"
"Haven't they always been fake?"
"Not always. They can be surprisingly accurate if you go to the right planet"
Right, we'll retrieve your bobble, and then - Barbados" he said with a grand gesture.
"It's not a bobble" River said distractedly looking at the Tardis monitor.
"Is it still snowing" he asked.
"No, not anymore"
"You know, it's funny" the Doctor said with an air of wit while raising his eyebrows in that strange adorable way that River loved while approaching her, "We're spending our sunset years waiting for the sun to rise"
"You mean my sunset years" said River sadly, her bemused smile suddenly fading as she walked over to the controls."
"River, you don't know that." "Why we don't even know if I have any regenerations left. I could be killed in a vengeful reindeer attack tomorrow, for all you know."
River gave in to a small smile. "Don't worry sweetie, I would protect you."
"Anyway, River, your sunset years are when you only have a few decades left, the way we've rigged the game, you'll be a tri-millennial before you even retire."
"Well that sounds appealing" River said sarcastically.
They had figured out some time ago that they didn't have to spend 24 years on the planet all at once; they could spread it out significantly by traveling all year long and spending only one day of their relative year out of their total 8760 allotted days on the planet. So they traveled like an old married couple in their caravan seeing the sights and getting into the occasional scrap, returning like a pair of lovebirds every year for Christmas. They had 8760 Christmases to spend together. But boy was that a long time to be married. Didn't old couples get cranky and homicidal? Or was that just a horror film he'd seen. He and River watched a lot of old films. Last night they'd watched Double Indemnity, and now the Doctor was a little jumpy every time River glared at him. The Doctor wondered if would ever tire of River's laugh, or the way she teased him, or their endless banter. He looked over at her with her as she bounded around, with her wild hair bouncing and her sweet blue-green eyes shining as she stroked her hand over the Tardis console fondly, and he didn't think so.
