River Song ducked under a few laser shots, taking cover behind the remains of an old stone wall. Then, as she saw her perfect opportunity, she jumped out of her hiding place, fired a few well-aimed shots at the chitsuri and raced back towards the TARDIS that luckily wasn't parked too far away. The sounds of the chitsuri shooting at her followed her inside the blue box, but – as she took notice of relief – nothing penetrated the time machine's doors.

Quickly, River typed in the coordinates of her exact position but set the time to three and a half hours in the future. With perfect precision, she landed the TARDIS where and when she wanted to… 8.12 pm, that should do.

'Meet you in four hours outside the facility where I parked the TARDIS'

The Doctor had said to her as they had separated to go through wit hthe vague plans they had had – admittedly, not everything had worked out quite the way they had anticipated, but, taking in calculation the time it hat taken River to get back to the TARDIS without getting shot, the three hour travel into the future should fit in the Doctor's plan perfectly.

Expectantly, River glanced towards the now silent door. The chitsuri were long gone and the Doctor hopefully had succeeded in his plan and would turn up here any second now.

For a few moments, everything was quiet. River leaned back onto the console, still waiting for the doors to open, but after several minutes of nothingness that felt like an eternity to her, she began to grow restless. She moved towards the stairs leading down the console and sat down there, waiting for the Doctor's return, but as she continued to sit in the silence, she couldn't help the steadily growing worry inside of her.

After the first half hour, River considered taking the TARDIS to a point in the near future – fifteen minutes perhaps – to shorten her waiting, but the Doctor could return any moment and if he found his TARDIS gone… No. She had to stay and wait; her Doctor might need her help. He still was so young… but even though he didn't know who she was yet or just how closely they were connected, she was certain he knew he could trust her any time and with anything. She would certainly not let him down now, he would turn up in a few seconds anyway, minutes at the most, she really needn't worry, really really needn't.

River tried to calm her insecure and pounding heart and told herself over and over again that everything was fine, she was safe, the Doctor was safe and they would get out of this place soon, but somehow she couldn't seem to be able to convince herself of it.

"It's nearly midnight, where the hell were you?"

Seeing the fury and the rage on River's face over the just barely concealed worry and relief, the Doctor automatically raised his hands above his head in a yielding manner. An angry River Song – as he had learned the hard way – was a dangerous variable in the equation of his well-being.

"Sorry honey, I know I'm late…"

The Doctor only realised his next mistake when the curly-haired woman stormed towards him and examined his now exposed arms.

"Doctor, where did all these bruises come from?"

She asked, her voice dangerously low.

Hurriedly, he pulled back his arms, now he knew he was in trouble – she only ever refrained from calling him by an endearing title when she was deeply distressed by something. Nervously avoiding eye contact, the Doctor began to explain:

"Well, um… River, look, I'm sorry. I know this didn't quite work out the way…"

"We had a plan! You said we had a plan and I'm fairly sure it didn't involve you being in that damned building alone for six bloody hours and coming back bruised and, and… Why didn't you defend yourself? Why do you never defend yourself? You know what, you're going to carry a gun from now on, anywhere you go, and you'll learn how to use it!"

She shouted, the anger now predominant over the worry. The Doctor tried to take her hand gently to calm her down, but River jerked it away from his touch and turned on her heels, grabbing the bars surrounding the console instead.

"River, listen, please! Calm down, I'm sorry, I really am, just let me explain myself"

He pleaded, stepping closer to her again, but careful not to get too close as he truly felt no desire for some broken limbs right now.

When no reply came from the fuming woman in front of him, the Doctor assumed she was waiting for a comment on her demand that he should carry a gun.

"I couldn't, you know I couldn't. Even if I had a gun, I could never use it, I'd never hurt any other being, River."

He tried to reason with her, and she spun around, looking like an avenging angel in her anger – furious but surreally beautiful.

"Alright then"

She said, taking a deep breath to compose herself and crossing her arms before her chest. When she spoke again, her expression was blank, detached even.

"Then I can just never let you leave my sights again. I have a gun and I really don't mind shooting anything and anyone who tries to harm you."

River turned around and strutted off towards her room, the clicking of her heels the only sound in the TARDIS. Even as she felt the Doctor's eyes following her, River never even so much as looked back but instead went straight to her room, quickly changed into something more adventure-proof and tucked her gun into her belt, deliberately making sure it was clearly visible before returning to the console room.

Arguing with the Doctor was like arguing with a little child, but two could play at that game. She would not – she could not see him endangered or harmed just because of his stubbornness…

She was sure that some day his impossible moral compass would get them all killed, and she was determined that whatever happened, she would be at his side, offering the best protection she could.

Stepping back into the console room, River found the Doctor standing in the exact place and position she had left him in. He looked like a lost puppy, especially in this incarnation that was physically so unfortunately built with his extraordinarily long and uncoordinated limbs and his hair that kept falling into his eyes… He was her Doctor and as she cautiously advanced towards him, his eyes following her every movement, River felt the angry and strict expression she had tried to keep up fade into a softer and gentler one.

River stopped next to the Doctor and let herself sink down into a seating position on the stairs, her knees pulled to her chest.

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the Doctor – her Doctor – silently mirroring her motions and coming to sit next to her.

"River?"

His soft and cautious voice just barely reached her ears and that guarded, vulnerable tone he only ever let her hear was enough for River's so carefully held back emotions to overflow and she took a shuddering deep breath, carefully leaning sideways until her head came to rest on his shoulder. When their arms came into contact, neither of them pulled back.

River only looked up when she felt the Doctor's fingers interlacing with hers.

"I suppose I shouldn't have reacted like that"

She admitted quietly, and the Doctor, knowing this was as close to an apology as he would get, smiled down at River,

"It's alright, Sweetie, it's alright, come here."

With that, he took her into her arms and she wrapped her arms around his middle as she allowed him to pull her close to his chest.

For a wonderful eternity, they stayed like that, her head resting on his chest so she could hear both his hearts pound and let herself be calmed down by the steady sound.

They both knew that sooner or later he would do something to upset her again and far too soon they would start to know less and less about one another until the days they both so feared would prove fatal to them, but right now, for the moment, everything was fine. They were together, nothing could come between them and they were able to just peacefully enjoy each other's company and the constant ridiculous banter between them.

For the moment, all was well.

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