My second anniversary with the Doctor ended like a normal day, but it sure as hell didn't start out as one. The thing about the Doctor is that you can never really have a normal day with him, you had to save one planet or another before you can even go on a date. Normally I loved the Doctor making my life more interesting, but on our anniversary. Sometimes I really hate that man. In the end, the Doctor had taken me out to lunch… on another planet, naturally. Which one, I wasn't sure, but it was beautiful. The streets were made of gold and every store window was a translucent layer of sapphire so every interior had a turquoise hue. He had truly outdone himself. It was just the two of us for once, no Ponds, no Donna, no Weeping angels. No, what we faced before that was even worse.
Even though the setting was marvelous, his entrance into my- our, technically- home was what reminded me why I loved him. I adore the Doctor, but sometimes months go by between his visits, even though he has a time machine. So, I was sitting in my den reading the paper. Then I heard the most beautiful sound in all of the universe- the sound that made my heart melt every time I heard it. The TARDIS. He remembered our anniversary. I couldn't believe it. All of space and time and he comes home for dinner. Or so I thought. He barged in the door without even a warning knock (Not that he really needed to, but it's the polite thing to do)
"Run," said the Doctor as he brushed past me and into the kitchen. I stood in the entry hall dumbfounded. Not even a kiss as a hello. Not even a hello as a hello. Oh, that man. But I ran after him regardless. He was in the mess of a back yard digging up my vegetables.
"Hello, sweetie," I said in my sweetest voice. It did its' job, he looked back at me as if he had just remembered we were married. Maybe we weren't yet, for him.
"I'm home, honey" he said dryly. I looked at my nonexistent watch, wanting to salvage a sliver of normality with our old game.
"And what sort of time do you call this?" I replied, cracking a smile.
"Hard day at the office," He deadpanned, "Aren't wives supposed to have dinner on the table, or something.
Okay, so he knew we were married. This was going to be a good one, "What, you're not going to take me out? Even on our anniversary, you are still dreadful at matrimony." I knew I shouldn't have said it. Leave well enough alone, River, but I simply could not help myself. All of the color drained from his face.
"That's today?" he asked. I nodded, trying not to let my fake smile waver. He began to pace around, smashing my tulips, "I thought I had more time. They warned me not to save the 4th moon of Clum, but did I listen. No, I had to rescue the stupid satellite from a deadly asteroid and lead my wife to her deathbed simultaneously. Stupid Doctor!"
I wanted to ask what the hell was going on, but I knew better to interrupt him while he was ranting. It did no good to remind him of the countless lives he's saved when another was on the line because of him. This one must be especially hard because it was, well, it was me. River Song. Melody Pond. Heroic Wife of the Doctor. What point was he at, I wondered? Did he know I was Melody? Did he know that I was released for his murder months before this moment? It was so hard to sync our journals with us always having to hide, and fight and run at every turn. The trials of being a time traveler's wife. But I wasn't a woe-me type of girl.
I walked over to the man I loved and embraced him. It did the trick, he immediately stopped lecturing himself about god knows what, and hugged me back, he grabbed me tight, as if it would be the last time it ever happened. Maybe it would.
"I've missed you, River," I wanted to say the exactly same thing, except with my lips. But I held back. One unplanned kiss could destroy our fragile time crossed love. So I hit him instead.
"Gone for months without a word," I said as he cradled his reddening cheek, "No phone call, no letter. I don't ask for much Doctor. All I need to know is that you are alive wherever you are. But you don't even give me that, honestly, sometimes I wonder why I even put up with you,"
"River, I-" he began. But I wouldn't let him get that far. The only way I survived this marriage was not letting him know how much he hurts me, and the best way to do that is to not let him close enough.
"Stop, Doctor," I said, harsher than I'd meant to, "What kind of trouble have you got for me this time?" He looked at me guiltily. Okay, exactly the wrong thing to say.
He backed away from me. Second guessing his instincts. "Maybe I shouldn't have come," he said, "This is a mistake. I have to go."
I grabbed his arm. Not willing to let another inch of space between us, "Oh no you don't. You are not going to come here with a massive problem just to leave with a wave of self-doubt."
"River, you don't understand," I put my finger to his lips and gave him my best spoilers look.
"Now, where are we going, sweetie?" I looked at him expectantly, hoping he couldn't see through my ruse. Honestly, we could go back to the Byzantium, all I wanted was to spend more time with him.
"We," he began carefully, "Are going to a library.