I'm back! So now updates should be a little more regular. The suggestion for this song comes from a friend of mine whom I am trying to convert into an AFI addict like myself. They're just so addictive!
Disclaimer: I own only the writing, not the show or the song.
Song: Okay, I Feel Better Now (AFI). Suggested by: 'Phoebe Cloud'
For the first time in a very long while, the Doctor found himself just standing against the console, stationary. This didn't happen very often at all, but the fact was, he hadn't been traveling with anyone lately. He hadn't had to visit far off planets simply to impress someone as he usually did.
It was silly. After all he had a TARDIS. He could travel wherever he wanted to, whenever he wanted to. Yet he still managed to succumb to boredom. Sighing, the Doctor slumped further onto the console, accidentally pressing a button or two as he did so.
However, he only realized his mistake once the sound of the brakes alerted him to the fact that they had landed somewhere. A quick glance at the monitor told him that he had landed in Stormcage.
Now he stood up straight, adjusting his bowtie. Even though he hadn't exactly intended to land here, he now realized that this was exactly where he needed to go. Sexy always knew. After all, he hadn't seen River in far too long. In his excitement, he didn't even bother to check the time or date, on which he had landed, simply plucked his tweed, ran a hand through his floppy brown hair, and pushed open the doors.
As usual, River was sitting on her cot, flipping through the pages of her diary. She wasn't writing this time, though, which told him that he hadn't visited recently.
"Hi, honey. I'm home," he called casually as he leaned against the bars of her cell.
She looked up for a brief moment before returning to her diary, trying to hide the excitement that was forcing its way onto her face. "And what sort of time do you call this?"
Now the Doctor pulled the sonic out of his pocket and began to fiddle with it, flipping it in the air and catching it again. "Truthfully, I was getting lonely so I just thought I'd drop by and say hello."
"You mean you came here by accident," River remarked, smirking at him over her book.
The Doctor's jaw fell. "How did you . . . Oh, fine! Yes, it was an accident. But are you coming or not?"
She nodded towards his screwdriver. "You'll have to unlock the cell first, Sweetie."
He smiled as he rolled his eyes, sonicking the lock nonetheless. As soon as he did so, she was in his arms before he even had time to put his screwdriver away. Yes, it had definitely been too long. So now he pressed his lips to hers and pulled her back until they were in the TARDIS, safe from any guards that might be patrolling the prison.
Once inside, the Doctor reluctantly pulled away. "So where are we for you?"
He could see a small shadow pass through her eyes, but whatever it was it was gone as quickly as it had come. "Just after Lake Silencio for the first time."
Now he understood. "How are you?" he asked gently, placing a hand on her shoulder.
She smiled. "I'm fine." Oh, she was a good liar. He knew she was. But after all he had been through with her, he was now an expert at separating fact from fiction. He could tell that no matter what she said, she was absolutely, definitely not fine.
But he didn't call her out. He looked into her eyes for a few more seconds, waiting to see if she would reveal the truth, but it didn't come. So instead, the Doctor took to his usual orbit around the console as he punched in the coordinates for their next destination.
As soon as they landed, River rushed to open the doors. It astonished the Doctor to think of how new all of this still was for her. She threw open the doors with the enthusiasm of a small child opening a Christmas present.
But it was what she saw that took her breath away. Here it was night. They had landed on a grassy plateau at the top of a mountain that overlooked miles of rolling hills below it, a small stream winding its way over the landscape. But the most marvelous thing was the sky. It was lit up with millions of stars shining from various points in the universe, all somehow visible at the top of this grassy mountain. The sky alone gave the impression that this was not earth.
River was so preoccupied by taking in the scenery that she didn't even notice when the Doctor came up behind her and draped his arm over her shoulders. Silently, they walked to the edge of the mountain and lay down in the long grass as a cool breeze rustled through their hair.
For the longest time, they just lay there. Neither of them said anything, only looked out at the brightly twinkling stars above them. Finally, the Doctor decided to sneak a glance at River, if for no other reason than to know that she was okay.
Once he did, though, he noticed how the light of the stars reflected off a long streak that ran down her cheeks. As the Doctor reached out to touch her face, he found that these streaks were wet, leading a trail from her eyes.
"River, what's wrong?" he asked, even though he was sure that he already knew.
"Nothing." She was so stubborn. Even when he could see her crying or feel the tears, she would tell him that everything was fine, pretend as if her heart wasn't breaking.
Normally, he found her stubbornness to be rather entertaining, so he wouldn't say anything. However, it was different now. Now she was crying, and that was something that he just couldn't take. After all, River Song rarely cried.
So now he reached over to wrap his arms around her, pulling her close to him. She buried her head in his chest, still reluctant to allow him to see her cry. Yes, she knew that she hadn't actually killed him. She knew that she had only shot a robot, but that didn't change the fact that she had seen him die, regardless of if it was actually him or not. The experience had just been a little too real, and that's what scared her most of all.
The Doctor knew this. He always knew. He had seen the look on her face as she shot him, and he also knew that she wasn't that good of an actress. The pain she had felt had been real, and that was something that he had never had a chance to apologize for.
So now he leaned down to whisper in her ear the words he had never been able to say. "River, I know you're hurt, and I know how it feels. You don't have to pretend around me. In my timeline, I've seen you cry many times. This isn't the first. Spoilers." He gave a short laugh at this. "But the point is I'm not dead. I know it looked that way, but I'm still here, and I don't plan on leaving. In fact, I'm not going anywhere."
Hesitantly, River maneuvered her head so that she was looking up at him. "It just looked so real." Her words were mouthed, quieter than a whisper.
He returned her comment with a sad smile. "Looks can be deceiving."
Please take a second or two to leave a review and tell me what you think. Song ideas are also greatly appreciated. Just as a side note, I think this is the first time I actually used a lyric or two in the actual story. Did anyone catch which ones?
