It was a special night for them. Their last night. His last gift to her. It was supposed to be a beautiful moment. Instead, as the end of the night drew closer, River became sadder. It drove the Doctor crazy, until he had a bright idea and suddenly stood up, to River's surprise.
« Stay here, River. I've got exactly what you need – or rather, who you need – to cheer you up. »
« Doctor ? »
But the Doctor was already gone in his TARDIS, which dematerialised. River stood up, already ready to shout at him in the now empty room, but before she could, the TARDIS rematerialised again. It was his TARDIS, but slightly different. Older, and younger at the same time. The door opened, and a man came out of it. River looked at him, he looked at River, and they had the same surprised look for a second, before the man smiled and raised his hat at her and spoke with a rather thick Scottish accent.
« Hello, I'm the Doctor. »
« The Doctor ? Oh, you must be an older incarnation... »
« An older ? And I thought of me as still in my prime... »
The remark made River smile, and the Doctor smiled as well he then looked at the room, curious, apparently trying to understand why he was here.
« I received a message, saying I was needed here. From a grumpy old man, tall, a funny accent. He said it was important. Do you happen to know more about it ? »
« Yes, I do. But the story is a long one, Doctor. »
« Well, we might as well have a cup of tea in the meantime, then ! »
The Doctor served the tea while River told him their story – how did they meet, their adventures together, and their last night together, here. He listened, his chin on his hands that were on his umbrella, sometimes smiling, sometimes raising his eyebrows, sometimes frowning, but always showing River that he listened to what she said. When she finished, he stayed silent a bit, then spoke.
« So I married you ? »
« Yes, Doctor, you did. »
« Well, time and tide melts the snowman. Oh, I wonder what Ace would say if she knew. She would laugh, probably. But now I understand why I am here. You are sad, and I'm sad to see you sad. Listen. Don't let that sadness spoil your night, our night, River. Enjoy it. Whoever you will be for me, if I married you, if I told you my name, then I must care for you more than I would care for anyone else. And I wouldn't like to be unable to make you happy, if it was my last possible gift to you. »
River did not answered, but the Doctor could guess the answer in her eyes. The Time Lord felt sad for her, but he knew tricks that could make people smile. That was why he brought himself here. He quickly took two spoons from his pocket, put them in his hand, and played with them. He played on his lap, and then on River's, until she smiled.
He taught her how to play with the spoons. He told her stories, about his adventures, with Mel, with Ace, or with other companions. When he saw food, he juggled with it, and confessed to her his hatred for carrot juice and the horrible thing he ate on planet Segonax. They spoke for hours, they laughed together, they listened to each other, until even the Doctor could not find anything to keep the silence away from them. They both knew what it meant. It was time for him to go.
The Doctor stood up first, looking for his hat. River stood up too, his hat in her hand. She approached him, stopping only when she couldn't walk anymore, otherwise she would have stepped on his feet. They were almost the same height, so she looked directly in his eyes, and he in hers. River slowly kissed the Doctor's forehead, before putting the hat on his head. He smiled at her, and she could feel all the affection he had for her as he quickly caressed her nose.
« You're a very special woman, River. No wonder why I fell under your charm. »
« You're as special as I am, Doctor. Even more. »
He did not answered. He just smiled again, a more mysterious smile. He did not agree with me, but he did not wanted to argue with me. Instead, he opened the TARDIS' door. The Doctor did not entered the TARDIS at once, though he hesitated, as if he had wanted to say something. Then, he shook his head, raised his hat in a goodbye gesture with the most adorable smile on his face, and entered the TARDIS, which dematerialised. Once I was sure that he was gone, I turned around and looked outside. The light was strange, giving an eerie atmosphere to the room, and it was reflecting on something on the table. When I recognised what it was, it made me smile, as I felt one tear rolling down my cheek.
The Doctor would be looking for his spoons for a long, long time.