The Doctor and River: One Last Adventure

by Melody Zuckers

The Doctor has lived a long life. Lost all those he loved. And he knows, it's his time to die now. But there is one thing he can do. One last piece of happiness he can allow himself. A life with his wife. Without all the monsters and death. Without all the tears and goodbyes he never learned to say. He can give himself, a pleasure he saved for the very last. He can have River Song.

3. The Data Core

The day went by in a blur. Going places. Meeting people. Of course, most of them weren't "real". Just, well... lets say "extras". River had tweaked the data core settings on her second day here. It was now an almost proper world. Each "extra" had their own life, their own story to tell. They didn't just disappear when any of the "real" people weren't around. This was a whole city. Schools, colleges, hospitals, shopping centres, city hall. The people could age now as well, and die, but only when and if they wanted to. Another change done by River, that explains why Cal suddenly started growing older.

Of course, all I wanted to do was be with River, alone, but she seemed so happy. She wore a smile she hardly ever had, but deserved to have. Seeing her like that made me content, that perhaps, I'd done something right.

It was finally 8 p.m. when we got home. Our home. The inside was painted a sort of creamy white. There was a kitchen and living room on the ground floor, and three bedrooms on the first floor. There was a garden out back, with a couple of apple trees and rose bushes. It was beautiful. We had dinner in the kitchen. Nothing special, but given River's cooking, I was thankful it wasn't burnt or cold as ice. We talked a lot. River told me all about her life her. She was the one mostly speaking, but I didn't mind. I liked hearing her talk. I told her about the adventures I had after her. There really weren't that many. I used to so sad, so lonely.

I finally asked her after dinner, while I was doing the dishes and she stood by me drinking tea, the question that had been killing me all day. "River, are you married?" She raised an eyebrow "last I checked, I was your wife. Did we get a divorce?" Of course she meant it as a joke, but I still felt insecure. "No." I said "I mean to someone here. Someone not me." She probably sensed the tension in my voice, because she kept down her tea "Doctor, of course not. I knew you'd come eventually, and how could I love someone else? Sure, I had a couple affairs, but I figured you wouldn't mind." She laughed, and kissed me. A good, passionate kiss, without anyone to interrupt, and this time, we took it upstairs to the bedroom.