AN: This particular fic was written for the Resolved Argument Prompt Exchange and is my first attempt at both Doctor Who fic and a challenge fic, so I hope I've done well enough to please. I think I've managed to get the characterization right, but please call me out on anything that seems OOC.
I hope you enjoy and if you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact me.
The Doctor was used to finding messages in odd places. Many of them were from himself to himself. He'd never quite got the hang of keeping everything straight in his mind- there was far too much information crammed in between his ears and, being a time traveller for so very many years, his thoughts often twisted into circles and spirals.
He'd developed a habit of leaving IOUs and half-thoughts scattered around the TARDIS, tucked away for some day in the twists of time that he might need to build another timey-wimey detector that went ding when there was stuff or a reminder to bring along a chicken the next time he went to visit Casanova and a warning to never ever do both at once.
Then there were the scraps of psychic paper that tended to appear whenever the TARDIS thought he needed a push to go elsewhere. Those usually led to the most interesting situations. He couldn't count the number of places he'd been banned after answering some of those, but he never could resist a mystery. Sometimes he thought the TARDIS completely made up half of those messages just to watch him run about.
But then there was River. For an archaeologist, she certainly had a bad habit of defacing books, artifacts, ruins, entire planets just to get his attention. She never left a message the same way twice and he was forever smoothing things over with collectors and museums alike. Part of him wanted to scold her for being such a naughty woman, but a much larger part wanted to sit her on his knee and whisper exactly what he thought about her wicked ways. If he was quite honest with himself, he actually looked forward to those delicious messages almost as much as the woman herself.
But this time there wasn't a mysterious set of coordinates attached to the ever enticing "Hello Sweetie." This time all he found was a jagged 1 and a depth to his anger that chilled and numbed his hearts. It took no time at all to extrapolate the residual temporal energy and filter it through the TARDIS data core, leading him to a star cluster a trillion light years from Stormcage and a thousand thousand years from River's own time.
It was generally considered incredibly bad manners to land in the bridge of any starship without announcing oneself, and doing so in the bridge of a Sontaran ship was just mad. But the infinitesimally small portion of his mind that wasn't made of ice water was feeling particularly reckless at the moment, so his fingers flew across the dash, coordinates entered and confirmed with a thought. The TARDIS herself initiated flight, quietly engaging an energy shield and hurtling through the vortex beyond the speed of thought to materialize with her customary wheeze.
The Doctor wasted no time, pushing the doors open with deliberate control, facing the barrel of a Sontaran blaster with a cool mask of apathy. The interior of the ship was hardly impressive. It must have been a scout ship; navigation systems and reconnaissance devices were packed in tightly, leaving just enough room for a narrow cot built into the side of the ship. And who should be cuffed to its side but Doctor River Song. The Sontaran in the middle of the room stepped forward.
"Halt, sir! State your intentions immediately or prepare to be destroyed for the glory of the Sontaran Empire!"
The Doctor ignored him, shoving his hands in too deep pockets and drinking in the most welcome sight of Doctor Song; she'd levered herself onto an elbow, though her face was obscured by shadow. He was able to keep his voice remarkably even. He congratulated himself on that minor victory, that too small part of himself shifting from recklessness to a fizzy sense of relief and slight embarrassment at getting so worked up over a single Sontaran. Though, that did raise the question of how River had gotten into this situation in the first place.
"Honey, I'm home."
"And what sort of time do you call this?"
He could hear the smile in her voice, but at this point the baked potato lost the little patience it had to begin with.
"State your intentions, sir! You are trespassing on a vessel of the Sontaran Empire. I demand your immediate surrender!"
The Doctor frowned and turned to face the minor annoyance.
"Oi, you shut up. I'm a bit busy at the moment, so sit down, keep quiet, and point that gun somewhere else."
The Sontaran bristled, indignant shouts falling from thick lips and a gloved finger tightening on the blaster's trigger. Before the alien could get a single coherent word out, the Doctor rushed forward, leaning into its face and shouting it into submissiveness- an admittedly impressive feat.
"I- am- talking!" He quieted then, words tumbling one after another almost too quickly to understand. "I don't know what you're planning, but I can guarantee you this: you're in way way over your head. So do yourself a favor and do exactly as I say. You haven't tried shooting me yet, though you'd clearly like to. You must be smart, for a Sontaran anyways. That, or you're a coward, and something tells me that a coward wouldn't survive long enough to captain a scout ship. So tell me this: what could you possibly want with Doctor Song? Sontarans don't take prisoners, and even if they did, why her? What is she to you? And while you're at it, tell me exactly what you did to her. You must have done something because if I know anything about Doctor River Song, I know that she would never allow herself to be overpowered by some Sontaran clone, much less a two-bit scout like you. And another thing- My River never ever misses a chance to join in on the fun, so why hasn't she made her move yet?"
River shifted on the cot, scooting a little closer to its edge.
"Doctor, I-"
He cut her off with a sharp gesture and piercing tone.
"No. I want to hear him say it. I want the truth- the pure, undiluted truth- and we both know that that is one thing you will never give me Doctor Song. You don't get to decide what I should know and what I shouldn't. I'm not a child that needs protection from an unpleasant reality and I will not be treated as such. So forgive me, but this time I'll be hearing it from the Sontaran because apparently my enemies are the only ones that respect me enough to tell me the truth!"
The Doctor lapsed into a silence just as sudden and jarring as the bursts of gunpowder quick temper, steely eyes never leaving the Sontaran's muddy brown as he awaited an answer not long in coming.
"You are correct in one regard, sir: I admire your spirit, so I will hold nothing back. I am no mere scout; nor am I a Captain. I am Commander Strax, pilot of Scout Ship Alpha-Delta-Six-Twelve of the Sontaran Battle Fleet. I am under direct orders to procure a sample of this 'Doctor Song's' DNA in the name of the Sontaran Empire. I am told the genes will prove most beneficial to future clone batches and will provide insights to the genetic make-up of a now extinct race known as the Time Lords. Perhaps you are familiar with them. Doctor Song is believed to be the so-called 'better half' of one of the greatest Time Lords to ever exist. A mighty warrior indeed and a worthy foe. This 'Doctor' is to be commended- he fought valiantly on the field of battle, besting my four remaining batch brothers. I alone survived and I now go to deliver the remaining genetic material to the mothership orbiting Breeding Planet Eighteen. I am no nurse, but I suspect the Doctor Song is weary. Perhaps that is the reason he is content to await reinforcements- a wise strategy befitting the remnants of a great warrior."
The Doctor's face soured, voice soft with frostbitten anger.
"I'm going to say this once and only once, so listen up; you might just learn something. The Time Lords are not extinct- not while I'm alive. And as the last of the Time Lords, I have placed Doctor River Song under my protection. Any assault against her might as well be a declaration of war against me. And I am the one the stars whisper about: I'm the Oncoming Storm, the Madman with a blue Box, the Predator of the Daleks, I- am- the Doctor. Now, think for a moment. Granted, that's a tall order for someone like you, but think- just for a moment. You just called Doctor River Song my better half. And you truly have no idea how right you were. River Song will always be my better half, but that just brings one question to mind. One tiny little question that's staring you- staring everyone straight in the face, and you can't even see it. Because you see...If River Song is my better half...then what does that make me?"
Commander Strax finally lowered his blaster, pointing its tip to the space deck, a look of deep respect creasing his thick brown hide.
"Then it is an honor to meet you, Doctor. And it will be an even greater honor to face you on the battlefield. I am ready, sir. Take your she-Doctor and let me face my end with dignity befitting a soldier of the Sontaran Empire."
The anger drained away from the Doctor's face, leaving the dregs of shame and a weariness that settled so completely into his bones that it simply was.
"No, Strax. There will be no battle. Not today."
The Sontaran inflated, indignant at the perceived slight.
"How dare you sir! How dare you deny me such an honorable end! I demand the right to face you on the field of battle. You will not refuse me, Doctor!"
The Doctor merely raised his sonic screwdriver, pointing it towards the cuffs on River's wrists and releasing her with a thought. She rubbed the chafed skin, hesitating before sliding off the cot and stepping into the light. The Doctor's breath caught in his throat at the bruise spreading across her jaw line and the crusted blood at the corner of her lips. He withdrew even further into himself at the sight, a ghost of infinite sadness slipping behind his eyes and shame deepening into raw guilt. She reached out to him then, desperate to wipe that awful look from his face, cursing herself for allowing him to see the damage.
"Doctor-"
He stopped her with a raised hand.
"Leave me. Please. I can't do what needs to be done, not with you here."
She drew herself up, tears collecting behind her eyes, torn between fury and hurt.
"Of course. I'll just wait inside the TARDIS then."
She pushed past him without another word, biting at reddened lips and shutting the door of the TARDIS with a bang. Strax waited expectantly, blaster fully engaged, but the Doctor pushed its barrel down gently, wrapping strikingly white digits around the Sontaran's thickly armored wrist.
"I meant what I said, Strax. I've had enough of battles, enough of death and pain. I'm tired- so very tired- but I can't stop just yet." His eyes darted up to meet the Sontaran's. "If you force my hand I will not hesitate. So please- do the smart thing. Go to your superiors. Tell them that you faced the Doctor and lived to tell the tale; tell them that Doctor Song is defended. Someday I may meet you on 'the field of battle.' But that day is not today."
And before Strax could wrap his mind around the Doctor's words, he slipped into the blue box and disappeared from sight.
He couldn't say exactly how long it was before he convinced himself to go find River, but it was quite long enough in the TARDIS's opinion. The Doctor knew for a fact that the door he'd opened was supposed to lead to River's favorite bedroom, but instead of stepping into a Victorian style suite complete with parlor and a powder room featuring fifteen different shades of hallucinogenic lipstick, he found himself falling headfirst into the pool. He flailed his way back to the surface in no time at all- surprise and chagrin stamped clearly across his features, bow tie drooping and hair falling over his eyes- and found himself facing his equally surprised, though admittedly much drier, wife. The TARDIS hummed with what sounded a lot like satisfaction; no doubt she found the whole situation amusing. His wife, on the other hand, looked decidedly frosty- reddened eyes distinctly unimpressed and lips turning down at the corners.
"Oh...hello, River."
"Doctor."
He levered himself out of the pool with a wet sploosh and sat on the ledge next to her, leaving his spindly legs to dangle in the water a few inches away from hers. They sat together in silence. Somehow watching their own wavering reflections seemed easier than addressing the elephant in the room. It wasn't long until even their silence felt stretched thin, like a rubber band pulled too far.
"You shouldn't have come."
The Doctor blinked, nonplussed at the abrupt assertion.
"What?"
She turned on him, angry tears threatening to spill down her cheeks.
"You shouldn't have come."
The Doctor frowned, eyebrows pressed together in confusion.
"Of course I should have come, what else would I have done?"
"You shouldn't have done anything! I'm a big girl- I can handle myself."
He snorted and climbed to his feet, pushing the hair out of his face as he paced the length of the swimming pool.
"Is that what you call it? Funny, I call it being abducted- by aliens no less! Abducted by aliens...if your parents found out I'd never hear the end of it! Besides- you invited me. Or at least you were in the middle of inviting me when you were attacked by Sontarans and eventually taken captive on their starship until I came to rescue you- which, by the way, was not as easy as it looked."
River gasped in indignation.
"Rescued me? I'll have you know that I was doing fine on my own! I could have escaped whenever I wanted- I've snuck out of Stormcage often enough, one Sontaran would have been no problem! But no- you had to storm in and ruin everything."
This time it was the Doctor's turn to sputter.
"Ruined everything?"
River swiveled to pin him with a glare.
"Yes. Ruined. You always do this. You're always treating me like I'm a child. Well I have news for you- I don't need you to rescue me. I can take care of myself! I may not be nine hundred years old, but I know myself better than you ever will!"
They both pulled up short at that, River's eyes widening and acceptance deepening the lines around the Doctor's tightly pressed lips.
"And whose fault is that, Doctor Song?"
There was no bite to his words, no sharp accusation or bitter undertone- there was only weary resignation and a hopeless sort of affection that cut River more than anything else ever could. She stood and slipped her hand into his, lacing their fingers together without a word. She leaned into his side then, bare legs dripping wet, not caring that her dress would soon be just as sodden as his suit.
"I'm sorry, my love. I never meant for it to go this far."
"I know."
He buried his face in her hair and pressed a kiss to the top of her head, curls muffling his words.
"And you are forgiven. Always and completely forgiven."
They stood like that for another indeterminate amount of time. It just seemed to be one of those days...or nights; it was all the same in the TARDIS. By the time they'd both dripped dry, their bitter words faded, glossed over but not forgotten- never forgotten. The TARDIS hummed soothingly as she drifted through space and time, offering her thieves what comfort she could.
River finally pulled away from her husband, slipping a hand into his and leading him through the halls instead.
"River? Where are we going?"
"All my life I felt like I was trapped in a darkness I couldn't understand. And then I met you, and you showed me what the universe could be." She turned and faced him with a smile. "I think it's high time I returned the favor."
The Doctor grinned and straightened his bow tie.
"Well then...lead the way, Doctor Song."
"Gladly, my love."
It wasn't until they reached the control room that the itching at the back of his mind solidified into a realization.
"Now hold on just a minute! You aren't taking me to some sort of archaeologist thing are you?"
Doctor Song gave him a teasing grin.
"Spoilers."
"It would seem as if I was in the dark, but I was only blindfolded." Life is Like a Boat, Rie Fu. (TheOriginalBakuraKun)