Chapter 4

River lay beside her husband, legs brushing against his and fingers of one hand holding firmly onto his sleeve. Her other hand was laid on his chest, just over his right heart. Its steady thumping lulled her into a comforted slumber until she was half asleep, breathing in the smell of his hair in front of her face.

When he began stirring, body shifting and quiet breathing turning to sleepy mutterings, so River awoke as well. She leaned on her arm and watched his eyebrows crease as he came to, and broke out into a wide smile as his eyelids slipped open to reveal his blue irises.

"Sleep well, Sweetie?"

The Doctor smiled softly, and instantly began pushing himself up, rather weakly. River could tell he was a bit confused and definitely uncomfortable with waking up on the TARDIS floor. His mouth twitched down into a frown as he sat up, relying too much on River's aid for the simple motion.

"What happened?" he asked.

River pursed her lips. "What do you last remember?"

The Doctor closed his eyes and then nodded. "Nevermind. I think I got the gist." He crossed his legs together in front of him. "Targaths. Then a poison gas. A lot of lying down. Nasty medicine."

River smiled. "Yep, that about sums it up."

She shifted awkwardly. "Er, Doctor, about the Targaths…"

His eyes darkened. "I know."

"It's not like you.

"I know."

They fell silent. Then, the Doctor took River's hand in his. "They sent this video to the TARDIS. Of you. In that chair. They were hurting you. I...I guess I got carried away."

River nodded, but didn't look at him. "And then you ran into a room with poisonous gas. Did you know it was poisonous?"

The Doctor didn't respond immediately. Rover watched him chew his lip. She quirked an eyebrow and he finally relented.

"Yes. I knew."

"But you came anyway. You...saved me."

The Doctor shrugged. "Well, then you saved me. I was just returning the favor. In reverse."

River grinned. "We do a lot of things in reverse, don't we?"

"I wish it didn't have to be that way."

River leaned in toward him. His eyes were brighter now, his color mostly returned. "We have twenty four years now. In the right order. Together."

The Doctor's eyes flitted over River's lips and to the curls on her shoulders. "Yes. We do."

They shared a kiss, right there on the TARDIS floor. As their lips parted, they looked into each other's eyes. River held his face gently in her hands.

"Don't risk your life like that ever again."

"Yes ma'am."

"You sentimental idiot," she muttered.

The Doctor replied, "Don't get captured by alien hating humans again, eh?"

River kissed his cheek and wrapped her arms around him in a sideways hug. "I'll try not to make a habit of it."

The Doctor returned the hug for a moment before his eyes shot open.

"River...the Targaths are probably destroying that planet right now."

River groaned into his neck. "Don't say what I think you're going to say."

"River, we have to go save the pudding brain humans."

River pulled away, keeping a hand on his chest. She shook her head. "I hate how good you are sometimes."

He flashed one quick lopsided smile before they both jumped to their feet and hurried to the Console. River grabbed the red lever.

"Right, how are we going to beat them this time?"

The Doctor peeked around the Time Rotor. "Same as last time? Or should we try something new."

River raised a brow. "Do you even have to ask?"

The Doctor snapped and danced around the controls. "New it is. I have just the plan."

"Is it going to get us into trouble?"

"Probably."

They met eyes. "Brilliant," River said.

They both pulled down their respective levers at the same time before the TARDIS wheezed in her takeoff.