I do not own Doctor Who.

This fic was written for Shannon because she was my beta...and I am sorry for any mistakes there are. I was incredibly sick while writing the majority of this. I hope you like it okay bye (:


River did not sleep peacefully.

Her dreams were confused and muddled and several times she woke covered in sweat and breathing heavily like she'd been running for hours.

Each time she woke, he was there with a glass of water and a strong, comforting embrace.

It seemed like an eternity before the TARDIS sun came up.

The Doctor watched her sleep from the chair in the corner. All night he had thought about her. He listed out every possible situation he could think of in his head. Nothing made sense. One thought kept pulling at his mind. When they were at the Library, River had said the last time she'd seen him was the Singing Towers. But if that was true, how could the two of them be here now? He'd always assumed she'd left for the Library soon after their trip, but hadn't she said it had been three months since then?

River stirred and he moved to her side, brushing a stray curl from her cheek. A smile crept across her face as she saw him. Sitting up, she yawned and stretched.

"How are you felling?" the Doctor asked, worried. She still didn't have a healthy pallor and he could feel her shaking slightly.

"Better." she said, smiling. "Could do with some food, though." she added, licking her dry lips.

She swung her legs over the side of the bed and started toward the kitchen before the Doctor even had time to process what she had said. Quickly, he ran after her.

He found her at the table, toast in one hand, a bite missing, and a cup of tea in the other hand. She grinned as he snuck a bite of her food and planted a kiss on her lips.

"I have to go back to school today, my love. I have a lecture and extra office hours." she stated, leaving no room for him to argue before continuing. "I can't let my students down. Plus, mum and dad are taking me to lunch this afternoon. Mum will be furious if I'm not there."

"Well I can drop you off, but first I need answers. I thought all night about why the TARDIS would do what she did. We had to have been out for at least five hours. What's the point of that?"

"Hmmm?" River asked, taking a sip of tea, knowing he was about to tell her.

"The point of it is that she needed to do something while we were unconscious."

"But why not just ask us to do it or do it with us conscious?"

He began pacing, thinking her question through thoroughly.

"I don't know. Maybe it was something she knew we'd refuse to do."

River swept the crumbs from her toast into her hand and brushed them into the waste basket. "Alright. Suppose it was. What exactly would we refuse to do? Aren't we usually quite willing to do what she says?"

"That's what I've been trying to figure out! It's maddeningly ridiculous!"

She came up behind him and wrapped her arms around his torso. "Sweetie, as adorable as you are when you're thinking...I'm sort of in a hurry. Can't I just try and ask her again?"

He hung his head. He loved to solve problems. But River had to be to school soon and he knew he couldn't stop her from being on time.

"Yeah." he said, obviously crushed.

She sighed. "I'll make you a deal. I'll go get ready and you go to the console room. If you've thought of something before I'm ready, we'll talk some more. Deal?"

The Doctor's face lit up and he nodded excitedly. Off he raced toward the console, leaving River standing in place, laughing at his childish behavior.

"Oh, that impossible man." she whispered fondly as she headed off to change into her work clothes.

Returning to the console a few minutes later, River found the Doctor sitting on the couch, looking frustrated.

"Sweetie? Did you think of-"

She didn't even finish before he shook his head, disheveled.

River sat next to him and took his hand.

"It's alright. You tried your best." she comforted.

After a minute, he sighed and stood up, pulling her to her feet as he did so.

"Alright. Ask away, my love." he said, bowing with a hand flourish to present to her the console.

River laughed and placed one hand on the smooth surface between the keyboard and a row of gray buttons.

The smile stayed as she shut her eyes.

Suddenly, it dropped and her eyes shot open.

"What? What is it?" he asked, noting the dramatic change and expecting the worst.

She shook her head to quiet him and shut her eyes again, listening to the TARDIS.

The Doctor fidgeted nervously. Something was most definitely wrong.

After what seemed like an eternity, she suddenly stumbled back, breathing heavily with a frightened look on her face. It was almost as if the console had burned her hand.

"River?"

She looked at him, wide eyed and took a step backward.

"River what happened?"

She swallowed and forced a smile.

"She's just been up to her old tricks again, my love. Nothing to worry about."

Quickly she began to send the TARDIS to the university.

"Don't you lie to me, River Song." the Doctor said firmly.

She laughed it off.

"Everything is fine, dear. Come on! I'm going to be late if we don't hurry."