Madame Kovarian's Fate…
Chapter One
The Tardis warped into sight, its big blue shape filling the void that a room always seemed to have when she wasn't there, and River's flailing doctor emerged, bow tie and all, smoothing back his ridiculous hair.
"Hello Sweetie" whispered River; he had not seen her yet and she wanted to see what his reaction would be before making herself known, she peered around a concrete pillar in the corner.
Another woman stood in the middle of the room, her hands behind her back.
"Madame Kovarian." he said slowly, stepping forwards in caution, his eyes getting that worried, questioning look they always got when he didn't understand something; a look that never lasted for long because the Doctor was so old and so wise that nothing really surprised him for long anymore.
"Where's Riva?"he said, his voice low, quaking with anger.
River decided to emerge from her hiding point; it didn't do to let him get angry, it was so hard to reach him when he got angry. She walked towards the him, "Here, Doctor" she said.
His eyes, that had grown cold and black with rage at the sight of Madame Kovarian, softened a little when they saw her, but only a little.
He tore his gaze from River and back to Kovarian, who, he realised, had her hands locked behind her back in a pair of impermeable hyper steel handcuffs.
He glanced back to River, and said, "River? What's she doing here?"
She ignored his question and moved towards him, momentarily distracting him with a small kiss. "River?" he said again frowning at Madame Kovarian his arms still entwined with River's from the kiss.
She rolled her eyes, A "present. " she said simply, leaning back against a desk. "For who?" he asked innocently, straightening his bow tie.
"For Amy" she said in a matter of fact tone.
The Doctor's subsequent, questioning look encouraged her to offer more information.
"Before… when I stopped you from dying" she said, strolling around the room, running her hands over the dusty bookcases.
"At Lake Silencio." she added.
He nodded sadly.
"I changed the future when I didn't kill you and only Amy and I remembered."
She glanced at him.
He was looking at the floor, sadness and weariness showing in his eyes.
"And me." He said in a fragile voice, "I remembered."
River moved the conversation on swiftly, not wanting the Doctor to regress into the darkness of the memory, of the time when the world went wrong and history got jumbled up.
"Well you remember the Silence were attacking us, they broke out of their tanks and electrocuted people through the eye pieces?" He nodded, examining his shoes regretfully.
"Well Amy, she-she got angry She let Kovarian die."
He was silent.
"She's never forgiven herself." added River quietly.
"It didn't really happen, she didn't do it. Not in this version of reality. But she still remembers."
River didn't know how this next part was going to go.
She didn't know how he would react.
Several unreadable expressions crossed his face before he finally smiled,"River Song. And Amy Pond."
He shook his head.
"You're going to show her-", he gestured to Madame Kovarian,"Show Amy that she's still alive. "
River nodded, she was standing in front of him now, and they were gazing into each other's eyes. "River." he said softly, knowing what she was thinking,"I can't let you kill Kovarian. You know that?"
He reached out and squeezed her hand.
"I can't risk it."
"Why not?" asked River feeling hurt,"Doctor you can't care about her after what she did!"
He smiled, "I don't care about her, I care about you. You're not a killer, River Song, at least not this kind. Not while I'm around."
"She took me away from them." said River glaring at Madame Cavarian.
He touched her cheek gently, turning her face back towards him, "I know River. And I will never ever forgive her, but I can't let you do this."
To be continued…