Following The Doctor in his eleventh incarnation, soon after the events that took place during the TV episode "The Wedding of River Song"
"When I said 'Your place or mine?', you know I wasn't being serious, right?" said River, leaning back against the Doctor's chest, tilting her head up to catch a glimpse of his expression as he played absentmindedly with her hair "I wasn't actually giving you a choice, it was just something flirtatious to say." The Doctor laughed quietly, twirling a piece of River's hair around his index finger.
"I'm aware." he answered simply
River lay against him, strangely exhausted, as he sat with his back propped up on the cold metal frame of the bed. It was a bare, white mattress on a plain metal frame, the only pillow stuffed between the Doctor's back and the frame. A prison bed. The Doctor sat with River beside him on the narrow mattress, barely enough for the both of them even with him as skinny as he was. She lay against him as he ran his thin fingers through her crazy curls, gagging every few minutes as a stray piece found its way into his mouth, which caused River to fight back the urge to laugh.
"What's wrong with your prison cell, anyway?" he asked, a smile in his voice knowing that River didn't find it funny in the slightest "It's all very nice, if you ask me. Accommodations, three meals a day - all for free!" Even though he couldn't see her face, the Doctor knew River had narrowed her eyes angrily. Well, if she didn't want him to brighten up the fact that she was in prison for life for murder - his murder, in fact - it was her loss. He really didn't care, he was still alive after all. No blood, no foul.
"Besides," he continued, "the bedrooms in the TARDIS are still furnished with bunk beds. Didn't think you'd like that, but I couldn't bear to get rid of them. Sentimental reasons, mostly. Anyway, what's the problem with changing things up a bit?" He could sense another scowl coming from River, as he heard her sigh loudly.
"A change for you," she pointed out, in an uncharacteristic foul mood "I spend all my days here, apart from the times where I escape for a bit of fresh air or you whisk me away on some other adventure, all these Doctors of different ages. Do you know how confusing it all is?" He chuckled, though it was slightly high pitched in that funny voice of his.
"So, you're never here at all, are you? And you're not the only one confused, don't you forget." he said, ceasing the stroking of her hair as he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer to him "Speaking of forgetting I believe I forgot to ask you something when I came in. When is it? Where are we, time-wise?" River thought for a moment.
"Hmmm, it's all a bit of a blur. I can't tell if what happens are just colourful dreams or not, most of the time. I really don't want to consult the diary. Where did you just come from? You look pretty young." The Doctor leaned forward, his head appearing beside hers, studying her face.
"Why thank you, so do you." he grinned, resting his chin on her shoulder "You've already been imprisoned, so this should come as no surprise to you" he concluded, recalling the last time he had been in her presence. She had been younger then, he was certain of it. "I just got back from our wedding, actually. It was rather short, but necessary at the time, I suppose. We really should try that again sometime, make it more official. I didn't even get to tell you my name."
River laughed quietly, her mood brightened by the memory of their short wedding, her parents the only people other than themselves in attendance. Also, all of time had been falling apart, which had put a bit of a damper on things. His death - his murder - waiting in the near future, hanging menacingly over their heads. A sad memory, so full of pain... but so very happy all the same.
"Spoilers." was all she said in response to him wanting another wedding, which earned her a chuckle, and a soft, quick kiss on the side of her face, right behind her ear.
"A little later in my time then," he whispered happily, imagining his future that she already knew so much about, from the sounds of it. "Comforting to know I have a future, at least."
"I will tell you one thing though, it was impossible to plan," River confessed, in high spirits now as she remembered more happy times from her past, this Doctor's future. She still sounded tired though, seeming eager to just relax against him forget everything "I had to make sure to find a version of you who had already attended our first wedding, one who was old enough. First time, I got a really old version of you who even remembered the wedding I was trying to invite him to." The Doctor laughed, able to see the situation clearly in his head. River pulling her hair out in frustration as she tried to catch the attention of the right Doctor, the right version of himself. "I managed to get you there eventually though, looking just a bit older than you are now."
"Not a long way off then," he said brightly, and River could tell he was grinning hugely "What was I wearing? Did I - or will I - still look hot?" River laughed loudly, and it was a wonder no guards came running to check in on her.
"You wore the usual, no matter how much I begged." She replied, once she had reined in the laughter "Bow tie, braces, that annoying little tweed jacket with elbow patches…" she trailed off as she heard the Doctor chuckle by her ear, amused by his future self. "Still incredibly sexy." She said almost sarcastically, causing the Doctor's smile to widen, though she still wasn't able to see it, she knew it was there.
To any observer, if there had been any, the scene in front of them would have appeared so very strange, wrong even. Even though he was older than her by hundreds of years, the Doctor's eleventh incarnation was small, skinny, and the youngest he'd ever been. He looked barely twenty, only his eyes revealed his true age, the ancient knowledge that hid behind them. They were closed now, though, as he pulled his wife against him, his head resting on her shoulder, his cheek pressed against hers. River, on the other hand, appeared older than him by decades. Old enough to be his mother even, though the way he held her close suggested a completely other type of love, not the kind between mother and son. They discussed their wedding happily, flirting openly, he and River laying together on the metal prison bed, with River too tired to do much else and the Doctor completely content in doing nothing at all for a change.
She fell asleep like that, so completely drained by some adventure the Doctor had no clue about. Had he been there, he wondered? If so, what version of him, his past, his future maybe? A completely different incarnation? It was all so very complicated, their timelines a jumbled mess, making even his mind hurt a little. He was grateful for moments like this, where it didn't seem to matter much. No life threatening, apocalyptic scenario, no screwed-up timelines making everything even more complicated. It was just him and River. Him and his wife.
As he felt the morning approach, he removed himself slowly and gingerly, incredibly careful not to disturb River. He succeeded, and she slept on, oblivious to his absence beside her. She looked so different, asleep. She looked peaceful for once, no danger, no excitement, no gun pointed at his head. She looked as innocent as she had as a baby, when she had only been Melody Pond, so sweet and young. Planting a kiss on her forehead, the Doctor slipped out of her cell without a sound, and River did not stir.
Would another version of himself visit her in the morning? Save her from her sentence that wasn't her fault, freeing her for a precious few hours in a different time and place to escape boredom? Where would she be tomorrow? With what Doctor, what incarnation, what age? The questions nagged him, but he still managed to open the TARDIS doors, slipping quietly inside.
The TARDIS was quiet, save for the low bangs and blips it always made, the audible hum of life, of immense and impossible energy. It had always been bigger than he really needed, but never before had it seemed so empty. The Doctor half expected Amy to come running out from her bedroom, her red hair a complete mess, to give him a big, crushing hug and a quick slap in the face for leaving her alone so long. Rory would undoubtedly follow right behind her, giving the Doctor a glare as Amy hugged him, but equally happy about his return. They weren't here, though. No Amy, no Rory… nobody but him. Him and the TARDIS.
"Where are we off to now, old girl?" he whispered, approaching the console uncharacteristically slowly, stroking her metal railings as he went. The TARDIS made a loud whirring noise, an angry whine of protest. The Doctor laughed quietly, patting her soothingly. "I'm sorry, you're not old at all. You look good as new, I swear. Same as the day we met." he smiled, shaking his head slowly "Typical woman." he muttered the last bit, rolling his eyes with a half-smile playing at the corner of his mouth. He chuckled, not only at the TARDIS' offense, but the fact that he was talking to her. He was really going mad, but he didn't really care. "Off we go then, sexy."
He made his way around the circular console, pressing and pulling random buttons and switches as he did. The TARDIS swayed, tumbled, and rocked, but he held onto whatever he could as hard as he could, his skinny legs sticking out every which way as he did. He had no idea where he was headed, or where he would end up. Who he would meet. He liked it that way, he supposed. It was all a wonderful mystery, where he would end up next. The empty TARDIS dragged his spirits down, though. The complete absence of life. No Amy, no Rory, and definitely no River, nor any other of his long list of past companions. What was the point in traveling alone?
The TARDIS landed with a thud, letting out that trademark whine of hers as she settled, landing somewhere unknown. The Doctor's mood lightened as he thought about it, what would he find when he stepped outside? What planet, what time? During what horrible crisis the TARDIS had led him to fix? He smiled, though the action seemed slightly pointless, with nobody to see it. He shook his head, dispelling the depressing thoughts, before skipping happily towards the TARDIS doors.
He flung them open hastily, letting out a small gasp of surprise as he stared out the doorway.
"Oh, River" he sighed, his eyes wide, appalled by the scene in front of him "What have you done now?"
Well, there is is. The first in what I hope to be many more chapters. I really hope I get around to posting the rest of it once I've edited/finished it. Don't be afraid to tell me what you think :)