A/N: I forgot to mention this in the last chapter, but this is potentially slightly AU. Their timeline is obviously a bundle of madness, so I supposed it could fit in somewhere, but who really knows what is up with them. Also I am apparently on a writing mission, so for now it appears I'll be updating fairly quickly.

Chapter 2

The Doctor awoke to River's cries. The cry she emitted now was not the same as the previous long, disturbing scream that he had heard before. He quickly stood, ignoring the wave of sick and the chills that washed over him. He looked over, seeing that the icemen no longer had their hands on River's head. She was tied to hooks that had been anchored in the wall. The Doctor did not recognize their location, and he was truly unsure of how long he had been unconscious. Three of the icemen remained- two on either side of River and one stood further back holding a glass vase.

River was struggling against her bonds, but it was evident she had been there for quite some time for her struggle appeared weakened and disheartened. The Doctor attempted to stand, finding he himself had been tied to hooks on the floor. He began to try and force his way out, though he could tell by the strength of River's bonds that it was most likely no use.

The Doctor heard River's struggles growing stronger and he looked toward her once again to take in what was happening. One of the icemen who stood next to River had hit his finger against the stone wall, causing the ice to snap, leaving a sharp edge rather than a normally shaped finger. River struggled more as the iceman with the vase walked towards her. The sharp finger next to her began to run down her arm. The iceman applied more pressure, causing blood to pour.

River cried out, shaking from both the pain and the intolerable cold. "Doctor, please, please help me," she screamed, tears forming behind her voice.

The Doctor struggled more, still to no avail. "I'm right here River. I'm going to get you out, I promise."

As soon, as the Doctor finished his sentence, the iceman removed the half-filled vase away from River's arm. The one who had previously cut her placed his other hand against her arm, stopping the free flow of blood. River cried out again from the feeling of the absolute cold that washed over her from his touch. The bleeding stopped and the creature removed its hand. River slumped back, exhausted from the struggle and loss of blood.

Then they let her go. They released River from her shackles and walked away into the dark corridors of the catacomb. River collapsed to the ground now that she was no longer forced to be standing. She crawled over to the Doctor, taking the sonic from his pocket and using it to release his shackles. Once his hands were free he grabbed River's hurt arm, quickly analyzing the severity to the wound with the sonic.

"It's starting to heal already, but why did they need your blood? What are they doing?" he murmured looking into River's eyes. She was pale and looked like she would soon be ill. The Doctor's expression softened and he reached forward to touch her face. "Let's get to the Tardis before they get back." He stood, but stopped River before she could. He reached down, placed his arms around her, and picked her up.

Her head fell back as she once again lost consciousness. The Doctor gently kissed her forehead, and began walking in the opposite direction the icemen left in, hoping that it was the way out of what now seemed to be an endless array of catacombs. Luckily, his idea was correct. It appeared the icemen walked further into the catacombs rather than leaving them. After only a few minutes of walking, he reached the stairs. He began to climb the narrow staircase, and despite his usual clumsy habits, was gently sure that River's body was never knocked against the walls which were so close together that it seemed as if they were almost closing in on them.

The Doctor reached the top of the stairs, entering the still dark crypt and fumbling his way towards the exit. He was able to reach around River just enough to open the door. The light from outside poured in, and the Doctor noticed that once again the planet looked abandoned. The snow continued to fall and the grass continued to be green. The planet appeared just as it did when they first arrived. He could see the Tardis waiting patiently just outside the village. As they stepped outside, the microbot snow began to fall on them, warming them back to a comfortable temperature. The Doctor looked at it with distaste, knowing it probably played a part in the horror that had just occurred.

With warmth coming back to her body, River moaned against his shoulder. He quickly kissed her forehead, making sure she knew she was not alone or still in the catacombs. "I've got you River. We're almost to the Tardis," he whispered in her ear comfortingly. He continued to walk through the apparently empty graveyard, and then through the abandoned village. As he walked, River began to awaken, but she remained pale and weak.

Finally, he reached the Tardis. He opened her doors, hoping she would be kind to him today. She was of course, if not for him, but for River. As soon as he walked into the console room, the Tardis created a door. The Doctor opened it, finding a room with a large, soft looking bed. Despite the comfort of the room and bed, medical equipment was also present on a bedside table. He laid River on the bed, sitting beside her and pushing her hair away from her face. Her eyes fluttered open and she smiled weakly.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

"Oh absolutely fantastic," she responded, sarcastically. Despite her sarcastic attitude, her voice was quiet and horse.

The Doctor smiled and grabbed some things from the table to clean her arm. She flinched slightly as he began to rub a cool liquid on it. He then dressed her wound with a soft, white bandage. "You'll heal quickly thanks to the Time Lord DNA, not as quickly as I would, but still quicker than your average human," he rambled as he taped the bandages.

River remained quiet as the Doctor ran the sonic down her body. "Your temperature is returning to normal," he added.

"Doctor, why did they take my blood?" she asked quietly.

"I don't know, River, but believe me I'm going to find out. I won't leave this planet until I know you are safe."