My take on what could have happened next, after The Return of Doctor Mysterio ending credit rolled.
Doctor Who - The Crystal Hearts of a Time Lord
The pros and cons of becoming a well respected and intellectual amongst the elite of New York's finest journalists could propel you to the top of the ladder, whenever you got your hands on a juicy or shocking story. Lucy Lombard nee Fletcher's main priority was to uncover the truth from some of New York's wealthiest untrustworthy businessmen/tycoons, some of whom she suspected didn't know the meaning of 'honesty'. On this occasion however, she hadn't quite proved successful with getting The Doctor to open up, regarding the reason, as to why he appeared keen to avoid answering questions about his love life. Obviously she had known very little about this curious man since he took it upon himself, to investigate the mysterious goings-on at Harmony Shoal.
Nardole, quieter than normal, casually stepped back into the TARDIS, just in the nick of time as the blue box begun to materialize out of view from the apartment rooftop. Nothing was said out of the ordinary between the Time Lord and his friend, in fact Nardole felt under the impression, he might about to be cross-questioned by The Doctor. Just from one look at those arched ancient-looking eyebrows, gave the game away.
While failing unsuccessfully to remain upbeat and preoccupied at the controls, The Doctor dared not once to establish any eye-to-eye contact with him. No he had opted to behave like his uncooperative self as usual... nothing new there. Upon glancing across the console room, Nardole quickly noted how his friend's shirt buttons must have recently been unfastened and how the lever wasn't angled at the right position. "You told Lucy and Grant didn't you? You shouldn't have done"
"Look I know you're still in the grieving process and you're angry at yourself for deciding to not be there on the day River left to go to the Library but you can't keep blocking out everything what's happened. No one shouldn't especially when things become unbearable for them to handle alone."
Nardole wasn't at all regretting the opportunities he had taken to get The Doctor to open his hearts up about his feelings and why his body language told the obvious story, when Nardole brought her name up in conversation.
"I took it upon myself to I glue your head to your body because I couldn't stand the thought of possibly having Ramone as company." The Doctor didn't look impressed with being faced with a barrage of questions to answer.
"So you keep telling me...funnily enough, you know that always seems to happen when you're not busy trying to bury your head in the sand."
As he slowly came to his senses, The Doctor; with a tired, sad expression on his face, finally accepted that Nardole had raised a rather interesting point. Perhaps backing himself in a corner isn't the way forward when it comes to masking your emotions. Yet he still couldn't find the right moment to admit the truth. "Because it's the truth Nardole. Because saving planets from alien invasions is what I've done for each and every one of my lives and it's something I'm not willing to give up doing. Can we please, draw a line underneath this for now."
"Well if you say so, I won't say another word and I'll choose to read a book instead." Nardole thought his friend deserved some 'me time' of his own.
xxxx
While the roundels adorned and glowed across the walls within the console room, The Doctor's current thoughts were playing heavily on his mind. He suddenly reminds himself of one important promise he chose to make a long time ago - something he's always been telling himself everytime, shortly after he says goodbye to companions/friends or even when fate plays a part in parting them from him forever.
"Never cruel or cowardly. Never give up and never give in." He says under his breath, as if he were somewhat acting on a last minute crusade - with the aim of repeating a magic spell over and over again out loud. In the meantime, he felt both hearts were like two sinking rocks in the middle of an ocean. Hope and confidence were the only words keeping him going. A sudden gust of wind and the sound of footsteps coming from behind him, caught his attention. No doubt it was Nardole, patiently waiting for him to turn around and face him, so he could politely offer a hug.
He didn't dare to consider whether he might be right or wrong, the answer to this very question was momentarily standing right behind him. The voice was that of a woman's, an all-too familiar one. "So the meaning of 'being happy', somehow still can't find it's way into your vocabulary, Sweetie."
"What did you expect? It isn't what you exactly might call 'a crime of the century', for someone such as myself to behave like a madman in a box all the time. The space idiot, who can't admit to anyone that right now he feels he's more adapted to becoming emotional on the inside than the outside, all because he misses his wife." The Doctor's far too aware, he's talking to River's ghost and easily allowing his emotions to finally get the better of him.
He turns to face her, tears clogging the corners of both of his eyes. She's staggered by the surprising fact, he has no problem whatsoever, of knowing she was right there with her in the console room. "How can you hear me? How are you doing that?"
As soon as he's reminded of the very last time, his previous body had encountered River's ghost form, The Doctor concludes, he should avoid any possibility of raising suspicion from her. "Spoilers..." Is the only possible answer he could provide at that very moment.
She narrows the gap between them, ends up leaning back at the railings guarding the control desk. She looks as beautiful as ever
"Oh you impossible man. I hate it when you know and I don't. " As she couldn't suitably find it in her hearts to give one of her typical replies to his tight-lipped remark - teach him a lesson the hard way.
"Taking a page out of my book, Sweetie that's hardly your style . " River, laughs softly. She takes a few steps closer to him, rises up on her tiptoes and reaches out a hand across the little distance between them, to touch her husband's cheek. During the 24 years they happily spent together on Darillium, River developed a fondness of caressing his cheeks and chin with her warm, gentle hands.
"Takes one to know one, I believe humans like to tell each other sometimes." Despite his emotions horribly and stressfully playing on his mind, The Doctor had no problem in cracking a lighthearted joke.
"Yes I believe they do." She smirked, as she shot him a 'must you do this everytime' look. She also reminds herself of the fac,t of how over the 24 years, on numerous occasions when he wittingly tended to stall during one of their romantic moments.
"Your hands are cold." He tells her, yet he doesn't allow the knowledge of this to spoil their poignant moment together. "Do you realize if Nardole intruded on our moment right now, his first hunch would be to give me one of his bear hugs. Of course, that will no doubt be his way of making sure I'm myself soon."
"How is Nardole by the way? Still searching for some creativity to cure any potential boredom?" She asks, while she
"I taught him the basics of piloting the TARDIS. You know even after the third lesson, he was a complete expert. Honestly every so often I get the impression, he wants to give me a run for my money."
"I don't blame him." The smile across her face, never once left her lips.
"River yes but...it's not fair on me though..." The Doctor tried and failed to get his point across. River beyond doubt made sure of that, simply cutting him off by kissing him with such passion and desire. Although knowing this would be for the final time between them, it didn't affect their kiss whatsoever, which felt as good and perfect enough as ever.
They stood in the exact same spot for ages, the couple held each other close and lightly. Their kiss showed no sign of slowing down anytime soon. It grew with confidence and However when that very moment came, the two of them parted for air and River stepped away from him.
From a spectator's viewpoint, anyone might start to consider the possibility, that The Time Lord was resortnig to a rather unusual coping mechanism for grief - seeing something or the ghost of his wife who wasn't really there.
"I don't want to say goodbye to you like this River. I hate sad endings. You know before I regenerated into this me, Amy appeared before me. I got the feeling, she was happy to see me and wanted me to find you again." The Doctor's revelations were surprising to hear. There was no mistake about it, the fact he matured incredibly well over recent years had done him the world as well as time and space, of good. River smiled proudly as soon as she heard him mention her mother.
"Live like a Time Lord. Time travel like a Time Lord but Sweetie, promise me you won't act like a reckless Time Lord because of you're still grieving for me." She tries as much as she can to encourage him not to stubbornly make a huge mistake that may leave repercussions for those around him and to not push those closest to him, like Nardole or another companion away whenever times got tough.
The Doctor couldn't close his eyes because he believed she might vanish before he has the chance to properly tell her he loves her. So his eyes stare up at the aqua lighting above him for a brief moment and then back down to meet her eyes again. "I've never been one to stick by a promise before."
"Sweetie I know. I haven't forgotten that time, you promised to search for my favourite flowers from the Gardens of Bloom and then you ended bringing back the wrong ones because you didn't do much searching on that planet."
"The traffic was bad." The Doctor answers.
"Traffic in space, that's highly unlikely." She laughed off his explanation, in the same way she done the first time he gave this reason. Matters soon turned emotional once more, as River started to slowly fade away, right in front of his very eyes.
"I know I never told you this everyday during out 24 years together on Darillium River... I love you..." His intention was to finally reveal what had prevented him from telling her this every so often. He remembers the time he told her 'Not one person on this ship, not one living thing is worth you' and can't help but wonder whether she had worked out his feelings from back then.
"I know, I've always known." She smiles knowingly as she tells him. Within a matter of moments she fades into thin air.
The Doctor staggers back against the railing. A look of sadness remained etched across his face, while taking everything she said to him, into consideration. He came to the sudden conclusion, she was absolutely right, she was always right. Time travelling in the TARDIS was the best way forward, to mending a broken heart - in The Doctor's two broken hearts.
He knows this will take a fair good while, for him to readjust to the fact, she won't be a part of his many regenerated lives anymore.
xxxx
The Time Lord begins to notice a likely pattern of similarities, the TARDIS is acting quieter than usual just like he currently was. Perhaps the Old Girl had detected what was said between him and River and that she too, was missing the familiar presence of the female Professor.
"Oh Doctor, good to see you're back in the room. Of course I mean that in a good way, not all in a bad way." Nardole is at the helm of the controls as well as assessing the monitor screen, as The Doctor soon becomes aware of his slightly different surroundings and of his friend taking on the responsibility of piloting 'The Old Girl' to eventual safety somewhere on Earth or another alien planet.
How I did come to be passed out?" The Doctor asks, as he attempts to sit properly on the seat, which he was now presently occupying.
"I can't give you answer for that. but I can tell you I did find you half-conscious, asleep on your seat, a bit like a lion at the zoo. I heard you mumbling, you weren't actually making much sense with whatever you were saying and oh yes, the TARDIS was misbehaving herself, for some strange reason. It's lucky I came to check on you, to see if you were feeling okay."
The Doctor suddenly saw a reflection of his eyes, nose and two lines either side of his mouth in the monitor, when Nardole retreats away from where he had been stood. He raises his attack eyebrows up and down, as if to ensure they were functioning well enough. Once he was satisfied they were, The Doctor decided he ought to make an important apology.
"I'm sorry... for what I said to you. I know you've made a promise to look out for me, as well as my best interests at heart and for that I'm grateful to you for."
Nardole now donning a pair of reading glasses and a waistcoat, The Doctor made a quiet note of this in his mind. Nardole looks genuinely touched by this unpredictable timing of his friend's apology, perhaps he should have seen it coming or expected, yet he hadn't. This is what he admired the most about the Gallifreyan, how he took things in his stride, wanted to let you know how very wrong he looked in an argument and how right you showed yourself to be.
"Well, I see your spur-of-the-moment fainting spell has certainly done you some good then."
"Fainting spell? The only time I ever do that is, after I've gone through a regeneration." His 'Regeneration' comment leaves Nardole looking curious. "No I really do mean every word. Like you said, while we were crashing towards New York, yes I do miss River. I know this because I always find myself seeing a vision of her, everytime I close my eyes. I can't even breathe at all. You shouldn't have dropped the 24 years hint to Lucy and Grant." The Doctor, with a brooding, yet understanding look on his face, got up from his seat and leans his slim frame towards the desk and places his long fingers firmly across the very bottom of it. He's deep in thinking mode.
"If you haven't forgotten Mr Huffle feels your pain. In fact everyone did in that apartment. So there's no point anymore, hiding your pain behind a concrete wall. It's better to get it out in the open and then slowly move forward with wherever the TARDIS chooses to take you next." Nardole feels he ought to try one last attempt, at getting this message across to his friend.
"Love is a promise, a most precious one and one nobody can go back on, even after they've vowed to follow it." The Doctor says, after his few minutes of silence.
"It is?" Confusion makes itself known in Nardole's mind.
"Yes. Anyone who's ever loved someone or is in love with someone knows this."
"Look Doctor, I know you're still upset and everything but..."
"Ah Nardole, you look like you need to find love, yourself. Who knows perhaps, there's someone out there looking for their true love and they'll say someday find it in you. Grant and Lucy did, me and River did. It should be your turn next." The Doctor flashes the most unexpected grin possible.
"You've seriously lost your mind now Doctor." Nardole, unsure whether to feel relieved to see his friend being sort-of happy again or to simply panic, knowing The Doctor is very unpredictable afterall when it comes to switches and buttons.
"I know...It's a marvelous thing isn't it." The Time Lord seems more than happy to point this out. He knew there might be some occasions where he would be sad and heartbroken - if reminders of River emerged during conversations. However for now, he longed to see what the future holds for him.
"Uh...well..." For once, The Doctor had rendered him speechless, so much he couldn't provide an answer.
The TARDIS began to hurtle to whichever destination, it had chosen to take Nardole and The Doctor to next. Both of them grabbed hold of the nearest thing to them - Nardole using his right hand to hold onto tight to the edge of the right handle railing, on the left hand side facing the desktop. Meanwhile The Doctor is attempting to regain control of 'The Old Girl', who it seems isn't happy with him for ignoring her, while he was talking to Nardole.
She's proving to be extremely tough. Moments later, with thanks to some quick thinking, pressing one or two buttons and then pushing the lever down, she calms down. The two friends recover pretty quickly and get back to their feet.
"So where exactly are we? Now I'm in the not knowing camp" With him having his temporary loss of consciousness, The Doctor remained completely in the dark about the TARDIS' latest surrounding from the outside view. "Now I know what a companion feels when they don't know themselves." He laughs like an idiot, the moment he runs out something else to say.
Nardole finally manages to speak up, admitting he does know where they were. "A place called Persia...I chose it because I quite liked the name."
"Let me guess, 550 BC?"
"Hang on a minute...I thought you didn't know?"
"I always find a way of knowing. It's a traditional Time Lord technique." The Doctor hints with a tap to his pointy nose.
"What guessing?" Nardole straight out asks him.
The Doctor sighs with a shake of the head and even manages a brief smile. "Well one thing's for sure, you continue to surprise me Nardole."
He then looks over his shoulder towards the doorway and soon envisions a lightbulb moment.
"So shall we go and investigate what lies in store for us in Persia?" The Doctor is slowly getting used to the thought of dallying with danger in the sweltering heatwave of the Persian desert.
"Yeah...but don't go too far Doctor. I don't think I want us to get ourselves kidnapped by any angry army, alien or human. You know what I'm like, my squealing will be heard across the whole of Persia."
"Oh I'm sure you'll be fine." The Doctor tries to reassure him, he shouldn't feel too worried. "We've got each other's backs afterall." Nardole reluctantly follows his friend who can't wait any longer to see what view will greet them from the TARDIS' doorway.
"Well would you look at that." The Doctor says, upon realizing they've landed right in the heart of a busy Persian market.
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