River and the Doctor had found each other, against all odds. They had 24 years of bliss ahead of them. They even still loved each other, perhaps more than she and the bow-tied Doctor ever had. She had nothing to complain about.
Well, almost nothing.
"Nardole, how many times?"
River and the Doctor were sat at a candlelit table, holding hands. Their eyes had been locked and their hearts beating in sync before the giant cyborg came blundering in.
"I'm sorry, River, but it is urgent. I don't know where he went and-"
"Wait, wait, wait," the Doctor stammered, raising the hand that had been holding River's. "I thought you said you were looking for toffee."
Nardole rolled his eyes. "Yes, Toffee; my dog. Well, he's sort of a dog. A red dog. Not Clifford, mind."
River brought a hand up to cover her face, then lowered it with a patient sigh. "Have you asked Ramone?"
Nardole's mouth opened in a distinct 'O' shape. "I didn't think of that. Hey Ramone!"
Nardole's head began disappearing into the neck of the machine. This time both of River's hands came up to cover her face.
"Not here, Nardole," she muttered.
But now Ramone's head was sitting at the top of the blasted cyborg, sweating but smiling.
"Did someone mention Toffee? I saw him in the basement lounge earlier. He loves finding little nooks and crannies to sleep in." Ramone grinned brightly. River gave him eyes that she had previously reserved for Madame Kovarian.
"Ramone, can you please, please, put a 'Do Not Disturb' sign on the door to this room and make sure it's in a language everybody knows?" River spoke each word like it was a separate threat, but her eyes turned almost humored as she met the Doctor's eyes again. "We don't want a repeat of the hot tub incident."
The Doctor's face dropped, cheeks going pale before blushing to a dark red. "River!"
She smirked, leaning back into her chair. "Sorry, sweetie, it just slipped out."
Ramone, still hovering by the door, nodded. "I'll go sort it out. You two carry on."
The way he said that last sentence and the smile that accompanied it forced a cringe onto River's face and a raised eyebrow onto the Doctor's. Once he was finally gone, the couple looked to each other and then to the candle sitting in front of them.
"So," the Doctor started, twiddling his thumbs. He didn't continue.
River cleared her throat. "That was a nice supper. For a while."
"Yes." The Doctor nodded, and then they met eyes and both fell out of their awkward sideways glances.
"Doctor," River said, leaning forward. "I know we've had a lovely time here, but...I really want to have some privacy. With just me and you. Some time to talk and...maybe do some other things."
The Doctor flushed again, but quickly regained his composure. "There's always one escape route."
River cocked a brow. The Doctor smirked. "It's never let me down."
They held each other's eyes, daring each other. River let out a sigh as she looked away.
"No, we can't keep running. If we leave, we'll never come back here."
The Doctor bit his lip. Her words were true, hard as it was to accept. But a cheeky grin curled his lips as an idea struck.
"What if we lock the controls?"
River's eyes gleamed, partially from disbelief and partially from the thrill of breaking the rules.
"Can we do that?" She asked, excitement rising in her chest.
The Doctor shrugged, eyes wild. Oh how she had missed this. Fancy meals and dresses were one thing; adventure was where she truly came alive.
"I've never tried it," he admitted. "But it's definitely possible. That's how they used to train younger pilots. You can block everything except the fast-return switch. Set a destination, lock the controls, and the TARDIS can only go there and wherever you took off from."
River let out an anxious laugh. "That's brilliant."
"That's Timelord technology," the Doctor stated proudly. River watched him for a moment. For a moment, she pondered asking him about Gallifrey; about the Timelords and the mysterious gift of another regeneration cycle. Then she thought better of it. Adventures were to be had. One adventure, at least.
River and the Doctor hopped to their feet at the same time, rushing out the door hand in hand. When they reached the corridor leading to the dusty blue TARDIS, they found Ramone carrying a little 'Do Not Disturb' sign in his large cyborg claw. River almost felt a little guilty running off like this.
"Thank you, Ramone," she called out as they passed him by. "We'll be back soon!"
The TARDIS doors opened with a squeak and River turned to find the Doctor standing with an inviting arm leading her into the ship. She entered without hesitation, already putting Darillium in the back of her mind.
The Doctor went instantly to the Console, turning dials and switches and pulling levers. River joined him and leaned on the less important controls to watch him work.
To himself, the Doctor muttered, "If I can just-"
The controls suddenly locked into the Console; all except the fast-return switch still glowing beside River's elbow. She gave her husband a big smile. "Perfect. Where are we going?"
He slid the screen over to her, watching her expression carefully. When she read the destination, though, her eyebrows furrowed.
"I've never been there before. Heard the stories, of course," River said, turning the screen back toward the Doctor. "What's it like?"
The Doctor shrugged. "I've never been there either. I picked at random. The TARDIS thinks it's a nice spot for a date."
Groaning filled the space, and suddenly the ship lurched, sending both occupants almost to the floor. They both simply laughed it off grabbed onto the closest railings they could find. Holding on for dear life, River threw the Doctor a mock disapproving shake of the head.
"One of these days I'm going to teach you to fly properly!"
The Doctor responded with a lopsided grin. "You love it and you know it."
River looked up at the shaking ceiling, listening to its groaning, wheezing sound, and then looked to the Doctor, still holding onto the railing with one hand as he fumbled closer to the door. Yes, of course she loved this life.
She loved it so much that it hurt.
As the TARDIS finished landing and the Doctor pulled open the creaky doors, River shook her head and blinked back into focus. The Doctor was waiting by the door, watching her carefully.
"Coming?"
River smiled and took his hand as they exited the old ship. It wasn't often that they got to go on a proper adventure together; neither of them knowing what to expect. River quite liked this excitement. Perhaps a little too much, if she were honest.
Outside the TARDIS doors was a place River could only identify as paradise. Caverns as high as mountains surrounded them, hiding secrets that her archeological heart craved desperately to discover. Above, blues and purples dotted with white stars blanketed the sky. It was as if the universe had combined their deepest wishes into one perfect place.
The Doctor's eyes went instantly up to the sky. He hardly even remembered to close the TARDIS doors as his feet drifted across the rocky terrain, tripping over pebbles as his head stayed craned up toward the stars and the two moons nestled beside each other. River squeezed his hand to bring him back down.
"Sweetie, this is beautiful."
The Doctor simply nodded. River smiled at that, and kissed his cheek. This time, he turned down to her, with his own smile brightening up his features. She couldn't remember seeing this version of him so happy before.
"Shall we go exploring?" She asked, pulling out a portable light globe.
"Lead the way."
They traversed nearly the entire cave system before sunrise. The caves winded this way and that in an intricate and elaborate system of hills and valleys. River's globe lit the way through darker tunnels, but for the most part they used only the stars as their guide. The Doctor looked up every now and then, in awe of the vista above them: a perfect night sky framed by endless walls of ancient stone.
Just as the sun began peeking over the horizon, River's eyelids started drifting closed. The Doctor noticed before she did. He always had paid more attention to her well being than she did.
"Do you want to go sleep in the TARDIS?"
River waved him off, examining the reddish brown wall of the cave. "I'm fine."
Her words would have been more convincing if she hadn't yawned halfway through uttering them. The Doctor tried not to roll his eyes.
"It's perfectly natural. You're basically human; humans need lots of sleep."
River yawned again, and finally accepted that she might need some rest. "Let's stay here. It's beautiful. And…" she touched his cheek. "I'm not ready to go back yet. I like spending time with just you for a change."
The Doctor smiled softly, and they sat beside each other against the wall. He took her hand and she leaned on his shoulder.
"I love you, sweetie," she murmured, eyes closed.
"I love you too."
As he watched, her breathing slowed into the slow rhythm of sleep. He'd always been somewhat annoyed with the human need to sleep every day, but he couldn't bring himself to be anything but enchanted this time.
"Goodnight, sweetie," he whispered, rubbing his thumb over her hand. She responded with a snore that melted both of his hearts.
To be Continued