"You always do this!" River shouted. "You waltz in here when it's convenient for you, never mind what you might be interrupting, and pick me up for some adventure dropping me back when you think I have become too much trouble." The Doctor stood, looking at his wife, her chest heaving as she breathed heavily, out of breath from shouting. Her eyes were shining with unshed tears of anger.
"River I don't understand. Where is all this coming from?"
"Oh well you wouldn't understand would you? It's probably been no time at all for you. But for me? For me, it's been over a year! And it's always at your convenience but not always at mine you know. It makes it extraordinarily hard for one to live ones life when…"
"It's been over a year?" The Doctor looked at her, crestfallen, his old eyes filled with sorrow and unspoken apology. "I only meant it to be a day."
"Yes. It's been over a year. I have heard nothing from you, for over a year! Now do you understand?"
"River I…"
"Oh save it!" She turned away from him in her rage and went to the window, arms folded over her chest, and gazed out at the university below them. The Doctor walked silently up behind her and went to wrap his long arms around her. She shrugged him off and he sighed.
"River, I am, so so sorry. I must have set the coordinates wrong or something but I swear to you, I never meant this to happen."
"Just make bloody well sure it doesn't happen again," she snapped. He reached out tentatively to brush his fingers down her arm.
"I promise." She turned around and let him pull her into his arms, closing her eyes as she nestled into his embrace, breathing in his scent, feeling the touch of his rough coat beneath her fingers.
"I've missed you so much," she murmured. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have been so angry it's not like this hasn't happened before. I think I am just tired."
"Never, ever be sorry for anything. Especially not this. This is not your fault. It's my mistake, my apology, not yours."
"It's hard. This whole thing, everything about it. It will always be worth it, every time, but that doesn't stop it being hard." The Doctor kissed his wife gently and stroked her wild curls out of her face.
"Tell me what I can do to make it better."
"Take me to bed," she mumbled. So he scooped his wife up into his arms and carried her into the bedroom.
Once they had snuggled down beneath the covers, and River was once again safely cocooned in her husband's arms, he kissed her softly, tracing the lines of her face with his finger tips.
"Good night River."
"Good night sweetie."