"River!" The Doctor called, running about the corridors of the TARDIS. "River, where are you? And will you hurry up?" he heard her shout something in return, but her voice was too distant to make it out. He sighed and walked to the console room. It was River's birthday, and he had a whole night planned. Dinner first, of course, but she knew about that. After that, he had a whole night of surprises lined up for her. The theater, a live concert, a Shakespeare play dedicated to her... He liked to make things special.
"I might be a little while longer!" came a voice from somewhere deep in the TARDIS. "I just found the perfect outfit!" The Doctor sighed and slumped against the main console. That bloody woman, he thought as he stood there, she really knew how to take her time. His mind went back to her last birthday when she had taken three hours trying to choose which shoes went best with what jacket, and he was lost in his memories for a while. Jim the fish, the crash of the Byzantium, The Library... He froze.
The Library.
The first time that he met his wife, but the last time she met him. He closed his eyes, remembering her face as she said goodbye. And remembering her face when he had told her that he didn't know who she was. He inhaled sharply and closed his eyes, only now feeling the pain of losing River. No, he told himself, don't do this now. Tonight is going to be a good night. He had only just shaken himself out of this momentary lapse of depression when he heard footsteps from behind him. He looked up and turned to River to make some comment on 'what time she called this', but had to catch his breath when he saw her.
"River. You... You look so -" The Doctor began, staring at his wife from the opposite side of room. He searched for the right word to use. Pretty? No, that sounded stupid. Like a school boy. Beautiful? Better, but it still wasn't enough. Hot? He laughed to himself. As much as River would probably love to hear that, it just wasn't his type of vocabulary. No, there was one word that summed her up perfectly right now. She stood across from him in an elegant black dress that hung close to her body, making her curves that little more perfect. Her hair was wild and untamed as usual, but now it seemed to glow around her pale face, and as The Doctor caught her eye and she winked, he knew what word he was looking for. "Cool!" River laughed.
"Thank you, sweetie," she replied, walking across to him. "You don't look too bad yourself." The Doctor gestured to his own evening wear.
"'Not too bad?' I spent ages choosing this!" he exclaimed. River raised an eyebrow.
"And you still went with the bow-tie?" she asked cynically, straightening it as she spoke. He playfully batted her hand away.
"Will you leave off the bow-tie for one night?" he asked, a slight tone of annoyance in his voice. River's eyes widened and she placed her hands on her hips.
"Will you ever stop wearing it?" she asked.
"No."
"Then no, I won't," she smiled. The Doctor shook his head but returned her smile.
"Come on," he said, holding out his hand. River took it in her own. "We have dinner reservations." She laughed, and tossed her hair off of her shoulders as they walked hand in hand to the door of the TARDIS.
"Yes," River replied as they walked. "We also have a time machine..."