What's in a Name?

by DemigodDaughterOfTheTARDIS

He's had so many names, been called so many things in his long, long life... but there is one name that he holds near to his hearts. Twelfth in the 'Remembering A Forgotten Song' series.

A/N~ Thanks to authorlouise, Astrakelly, yesitneedssaying, and digitalfletch for reviewing! I absolutely appreciate the support.

Number Twelve: Names

12/River

He had so many names - although most of them were titles, really.

The Doctor. The Oncoming Storm. The Destroyer of Worlds. The Last of the Time Lords.

Then there were the nicknames - ones given to him that he adopted immediately, and ones that he hated at first, then grew to love.

Theta Sigma. Thete. Spock. Doc. Martian. Raggedy Man.

But there was only one name that he really treasured.

Most would think that it was his name, his true one. The one that no one must ever know. The one that only River Song ever knew. But that wasn't it. He only kept that one a secret out of necessity - out of respect for the Time Lords.

No, the name that he treasured was one given to him by someone else - a woman who has no equal in all of time and space.

Sweetie.

River Song called him that. Only River - only her. No one else would even think of trying to get away with that. But she did. From day one - on both ends of their timelines - she called him sweetie.

River Song - the woman with nearly as many names and titles as he had.

River Song. Melody Pond. Mels Zucker. Melody Malone. Hell in high heels. The woman who killed the Doctor. The woman who married the Doctor. Prisoner 426.

He had been too shocked at her sheer audacity when they first met to correct her when she had first called him it. Then it just got pushed to the back of his mind as the day wore on - more important things to think about, after all.

Then they met again. And again. And again. And the name which had once annoyed him to no end morphed into something else.

It became a term of endearment. Of trust. Of challenge. Of danger.

Of love.

And that was what scared him the most. He had loved many people over his long, long life, and many of them had loved him back, but none of them had ever talked to him like that. Like they knew him - always and completely.

But she did, he knew that as soon as she told him his name. She knew him better than anyone could, other than the TARDIS. She knew about every black day, every death, every battle - but she also knew about every bright day, every life saved, every companion gained.

All the miracle days when everybody lived.

8888

Then they were on the cruise ship Harmony & Redemption, and for the first time, it was him who got to call her that name.

"Hello, sweetie."

A/N~ Please review!