Title: "Anniversary: A Special Gift"
Rating: T
Warnings: None
Summary: The Doctor gives River something very special as a wedding anniversary present.
Characters/Pairings: The Doctor/River
Spoilers: A subtle reference to the final events of "The Angels Take Manhattan", one event in "The Wedding Of River Song" (the wedding that might-not-actually-have-been a wedding, depending on your view about the ceremony atop the pyramid), and "The Time Of The Doctor".
Notes: This was originally intended to be a separate story from "Well Met By Moonlight", but after reading someone's review of that story, I decided to make this sort of a follow-up to it instead. This is technically the first of two parts, but it can be read as a standalone, too.
Disclaimer: Doctor Who is currently in the care of Steven Moffat
As the couple entered the TARDIS, River, intending to tease out more of her husband's new personality, asked in feigned ignorance, "Why did you pick tonight in particular to visit?"
The Doctor, seeing through her façade immediately, answered with a knavish smile, "Why do you think?"
"Just testing the new you,...Sweetie." River replied with a smile and slight hesitance.
"You can continue to call me that, you know." the Doctor reassured her, smiling. "I still like it when you do."
"Then I will, Sweetie." River said, putting her arms around him and giving him a kiss. "Happy anniversary."
"Happy anniversary to you too, dear." the Doctor replied, doing the same in return.
"So are we going somewhere to celebrate, or are we staying in?" River asked as she followed him to the console platform.
Looking back at her, the Doctor answered, "I thought we would go somewhere, but I want to give you something first. Hold on."
River watched in intrigued silence as her husband turned away, lifted open one of the panels on the console, and took out two small, black velvet-covered boxes.
"What is it?" River asked, as the Doctor picked up one and set aside the other.
"This." He answered as he opened it and showed her the object inside. River then came closer to get a better look.
The instant she saw it, her eyes opened wide in wonderment, and she asked in a low, awe-stricken voice, "Is that...?"
"A wedding band engraved with Gallifreyan writing?" the Doctor said with a tender, loving smile. River simply nodded, still too stunned to speak. "Yes, it is."
"Yours, or mine?" River asked, finally able to speak again.
"Yours." the Doctor answered, putting the box back down. "This one is mine." he added, gently pushing the other box toward River.
"How did you come by them? And what does the writing on them say?" she asked, as she picked it up and opened it.
"The TARDIS made them. They aren't normally in that form, but since Earth is your home, and mine, in a way, the TARDIS and I agreed a ring would work best. What's engraved on them are the traditional vows we would have said if we had been married on Gallifrey."
River set down the box she had been holding, then threw her arms around the Doctor and said with passionate gratitude, "They're beautiful, Sweetie!"
"I'm glad you like them." The Doctor replied, smiling blissfully at her, then following that up with a loving kiss.
"On Gallifrey, was the exchange done in a ceremony?" River asked.
"Yes, it was." the Doctor answered, nodding. "If you would like to do it that way, we can, but it would have to be modified a bit, and the TARDIS will be the only witness."
Taking his hands in hers, River replied, "That's fine. The TARDIS is my mother just as much as Amy was, so it's the next best thing."
"Are you sure you want to make the exchange in the ceremonial way, even without Amy and Rory here to see it?" the Doctor asked, caressing his wife's face comfortingly.
"Yes, I am." River answered with a smile.
"Alright, then we will." the Doctor said.
As he took River's ring out of its box, he asked her to do the same with his. Once she had done so, the Doctor asked her to listen. In the moments that followed the request, the couple, through thoughts rather than words, formalized their union and acknowledged one another as man and wife. It was also on this night, during the voiceless exchange of vows, that River Song learned the Doctor's name.