A/N: Last chapter! Thank you to everyone who reviewed, favorited, etc., and my amazing beta Anita, whose alternate identity is rattyjol on LiveJournal, where she also writes fics, and yes, that was a shameless plug. If I owned the copyright, it wouldn't be fanfiction. Read, enjoy, and, as always, please review! They make me happy!

^('.')^

Chapter Seven

"We'll dive straight into a frontal assault," Tam declared. They were flying in tight circles, high above the ground. "We go in with guns, and Myfanwy stays outside to guard our back."

"Me first," River added. She squinted down at the slight shimmer of air that revealed the Sontarans' cloaked ship. They'd nearly flown past it at first, but Tam had seen it when they climbed to avoid a drone.

"Okay, you know where the door is."

River nodded. The least-shielded point on a Sontaran battleship was always the door, so the entrance should be just under that shimmer. "Ready?" She set her pistol to 'stun', in case they found the Doctor before the shooting stopped. He got ever so cross.

"Ready." Tam clicked the safety off her double-barreled shotgun and leaned forward. Myfanwy flung herself into a sharp dive.

It was exhilarating to fall so fast, almost as good as Vortex travel without a capsule. Behind her, Tam was laughing again.

Suddenly a huge metal sphere appeared and rocketed past them, tumbling Myfanwy sideways in a cloud of exhaust. She landed clumsily, and River leapt down, gun ready.

"Simon!" Tam called happily, sliding off the pteranodon and running towards a handsome young man standing not three yards away. Next to him was the Doctor, shaking his finger at the departing Sontaran ship.

"And don't come back––oh, hello, River." He broke off his tirade and turned toward her. Between them, Tam gave a small gasp and crumpled.

"River!" the young man cried, rushing forward.

The Doctor got there first, kneeling beside the fallen girl and carefully turning her face-up. "Don't worry, Simon, I'm sure she's okay." He pulled the sonic screwdriver out of his pocket and gave her a quick scan, checking the readings with a practiced flip of the wrist. "She's a psychic?"

"Level C at least," River chimed in, stowing her gun in its belt. It wouldn't be needed now. "I don't know what a Level C is doing here, but she's not lost."

The Doctor cocked an eyebrow. "Curious."

Simon was still looming anxiously. "Is she all right? She doesn't normally faint."

"No, no, she's fine," the Doctor waved him off. "Meet River, by the way. The other River. River Song. River, this is Simon."

"Hello," she said politely, still watching the Doctor and Tam. So was Simon.

The Doctor tucked the sonic back in his pocket and leaned close to Tam's face, gently bumping foreheads. "Hello, River. Sorry if I came on a bit strong there."

Tam opened her eyes calmly, as if waking from a particularly satisfactory nap. "Doctor. You're bigger on the inside." Her tone was of one of pleasant surprise, like finding a forgotten but fresh chocolate hiding under the sofa.

"Stay out of there, you." He jumped to his feet, then offered her a hand up. "It's too busy."

"I'm sorry," she said meekly, going to stand beside Simon.

There was a shriek of strained metal and a small jetcar dropped out of the sky, nearly crushing Myfanwy. She screamed back and jumped into the air.

"Bye, Myfanwy!" called Tam, waving. "Say 'bye' to Jack for me!"

The pteranodon screeched once and wheeled around, flying back towards the mattress.

"Gwai gwai long duh dong, what is going on here?" A tall man in a dusty collared shirt and spurred boots jumped off the jetcar. "What was that?"

"I think that was a pterodactyl, sir." commented the woman who followed him down. River noted that she had a very nice carbine, carried with the casual experience of a soldier.

"I did not sign up for pterodactyls," warned the man jokingly.

River raised an expectant eyebrow, but Tam didn't launch into an explanation of pteranodon genealogy. Instead she sidled over to River and whispered in her ear. "Ancient history bothers him. Sometimes it's best to just let him have his way."

"Like a toddler?" River murmured back.

Tam stifled a giggle. "Only a little."

Meanwhile, the Doctor had run over to greet the new arrivals. "Mal!" he shouted joyfully, pausing on the brink of a hug.

The man held out a wary hand. "Do I know you?"

The Doctor shook his hand energetically. "Oh, right, new face, sorry. I'm the Doctor. We met, remember? In a bar on New Canaan. I was wearing a brown coat, and there was a... thing, but I helped Kaylee fix the engine and we got away."

"Doctor," the man replied, respectful but no less wary. "So you really do change your face."

"Whole body, actually," the Doctor clarified. He half-skipped sideways and seized the woman's hand. "And the lovely Zoe! How's Wash? Still juggling geese?"

Behind River, Tam gave a small squeak. The Doctor swiveled to look at her, surprised, then back at Zoe. "Oh, I'm so sorry. I didn't realize..." He trailed off.

Zoe extricated her hand from his grip, still deadpan. "It's been a while."

There was an awkward silence, then something clicked in River's brain. "Oh, you're Malcolm Reynolds!" She shook Mal's surprised hand. "Sorry, Captain Reynolds. Hero of the Unification War!"

"What?" Mal grabbed his hand back. "Doctor, you travel with crazy folk now?" He glanced at Tam, and amended, "not that a little crazy is so bad."

Tam grinned.

"No, no, sorry," the Doctor gesticulated randomly. "River, we're still pre-Reformation. Nobody likes them yet. Simon hasn't even been back to Sihnon, much less elected––"

"What?" Simon, and Mal demanded simultaneously.

River smiled at the Doctor's strained expression. "Time travel," she explained.

Tam nodded knowingly, but the other humans still looked flummoxed. "The Doctor and River Song are from our future," added the girl. "We're history to them. But we can't ask about it, or we could change what's supposed to happen."

"Exactly," said the Doctor, pleased as if he'd just explained it himself. "No questions."

Mal and Zoe glanced at each other in exasperation.

"I'd say he's the same guy," said he.

"Yep," she replied neutrally. "If that's settled, we should probably be getting back to Kaylee and Jayne. Who knows what else he's broke by now."

Mal nodded, and hoisted himself back onto the jetcar. "Doc, River––"

Simon, Tam, and the Doctor all started forward.

" 'Course you can have a ride, too, Doctor," Mal added. "And Ms. Song."

The Doctor glanced at River. "We'll walk," she answered for the two of them.

Mal nodded. "Be seeing you, then."

"Good-bye, River Song!" hollered Tam, waving. "Good-bye, Doctor!" The jetcar roared to life and rose off the ground, but River could still hear the girl calling. "Don't worry, he'll come back!"

"What?" the Doctor shouted after her. River would never tell him, but he was cute when he was confused.

The jetcar was still within hearing, but Tam's only reply was to lean over Mal's shoulder and honk the horn four times.

"Who do you think she was talking about?" asked River.

"I'm not sure," replied the Doctor. He looked like he didn't know whether to be very pleased or extremely worried.

River sighed. Classic Rule One, but she wouldn't push it now. Instead, she offered him an arm, crooked at a right angle. "Shall we start walking, then? It's only a couple miles."

He snaked his arm around hers until it was her hand on his elbow, like a proper Victorian lady. "By all means, Miss Song."

They smiled at each other and started walking after the jetcar. There was always time to spare.

...

"By the way, Doctor, do we have a mattress in the Tardis?" He really was adorable when he was nonplussed.