After a few minutes she turned everything off downstairs and went to bed. The door to the guest room was firmly closed. She almost knocked on it, but at the last moment decided not to.

When she awoke the Doctor's side of the bed was undisturbed. It wasn't completely unusual for him to stay out all night. He would get involved in some new project and lost track of the time. The message light on her tablet was flashing.

Singing Towers tonight?

She smiled. After 24 years on Darillium he was finally going to take her to see them. She should feel excited.

So why instead of excitement did she feel dread?

They reached the top of the cliff and looked down into the valley below. In the center stood two impossibly tall pillars. The light brown stone had small specks of crystal that made them sparkle in the moonlight. River stepped to the edge.

"They're beautiful."

"Just wait."

He spread a blanket on the ground. Soon a gentle wind picked up, making her shiver. She quickly forgot about the chill because the towers had begun to sing.

"How?" she breathed after a few minutes of listening to the haunting sound.

"Do you really want to know? It might ruin it."

She laughed. "You know I hate not knowing things."

"Caves. The wind passes through the cave system and harmonise the cave's crystal layer." His voice sounded strange and she looked at him.

He was staring out at the towers, but in the dim light she could see that he had tears on his face. She reached over and lightly touched a fingertip to one. He jumped at the contact.

"I didn't know you could be so moved by nature still. Now I know why you resisted coming here. Don't worry, your secret is safe." It was a foolish lie, but she knew he wouldn't tell her what was really wrong.

"River, tomorrow is sunrise."

"Ah, I see. Our little vacation is over. Well, we always knew we would have to get back to our regular lives." She didn't add the question she desperately wanted to ask: they'd see each other again, right?

He pulled a box out of his jacket and she opened it. Inside was a sonic screwdriver. "For you."

Her heart began to race. "You're giving me a sonic? You never give these to anyone."

"You're not just anyone." He took it out and did some scan on her. "It's brand new and from now on it will only work for you."

She took the sonic and stared at him for a long moment. He had shut down, and she knew it was more than having to leave Darillium.

"Doctor?"

"Yes, River?"

She turned away and fought the urge to cry. "Spoilers?"

"Spoilers."

They spent the night in the TARDIS. It seemed to River that the Doctor wanted to memorise everything about her. She definitely didn't mind, but after what happened at the Towers she just couldn't give herself over to it completely. A tiny part of her was worried...no, knew, that this was probably the last time she would be with her husband this way.

When they got back to the house in the morning Jack was in the kitchen helping himself to the food. He smirked at them when they walked in the back door. The Doctor hurried upstairs to begin packing.

"Good date?" Jack asked with a smirk.

"No," River told him honestly.

"What happened?"

"Never mind." She didn't want to tell him. She didn't want to discuss it because then the theories that were forming in her mind would be addressed. They might become fully formed and she wasn't sure that she could take it.

"All right. Do you want to finish your story?" Jack asked carefully.

"What's left to say?"

"Obviously you two got past your initial disagreement. So why aren't there any little Doctors or Rivers running around?"

o.O.o

River paced back and forth as she waited for the Doctor to get home. He was due back any minute.

Due. Just the word made River shiver.

The door opened and he entered the living room and gave her a big grin. "River! Guess what I did? You know that store in town? The-"

"Sweetie? We need to talk. Now."

He placed his jacket on the coat rack and turned to her. "What is it?"

River opened her mouth, closed it, and took a deep breath. "I think… Well, Doctor, I think I might be pregnant."

He slowly approached her. "Are you sure?"

She shook her head. Her heart was pounding in her chest and her legs felt weak. The vague nausea that had been occurring off and on grew stronger. "I have some symptoms."

"I see. A baby's a good thing, though, right?" He smiled and placed his hand on her abdomen. "A Time Tot. There hasn't been one of those in a very long time."

She pushed his hand away. "No, a baby is not a good thing! Doctor, this is very bad."

Sitting down on the sofa, she curled up. He sat next to her. "Why?"

He actually sounded hurt, and she couldn't understand why. Didn't he understand the danger? "I was kidnapped before I was even born because I was the child of your best friends. They took me and turned me into an assassin. A psychopath! Kovarian is still out there. What do you think she would do to a child of ours?"

Just the thought of the monster of her childhood taking their baby and doing the things to it that had been done to her made her sick.

It also filled her with a fierce protectiveness that scared her.

"River, listen to me. You know what I'm capable of. What do you think I would do if someone tried to hurt my child?"

She stared into his eyes and saw the truth.

He would lay waste to the universe.

"I know, Sweetie. That's part of why it can't happen. You can't… I won't let you become that. No, Doctor, I can't have a baby. I won't."

He got up and she could tell that he was upset. It wasn't anger. Instead, it was a kind of melancholy that she rarely saw.

"Well then, I guess you'd better scan yourself to find out."

She picked up her scanner from the table. "I was waiting for you. I thought it was something we should do together."

He nodded and she scanned herself. Relief overwhelmed her. "Negative."

He hung his head and scratched the back of his head. " Good."

"I'm sorry, Doctor," she told him honestly. It wasn't fair that their attempt at a normal life couldn't have that most basic aspect.

o.O.o

"Oh."

"Yeah."

"I'm sorry."

"Why? I'd be a horrid mother anyway."

"Bullshit."

River didn't want to argue. Instead she made some breakfast and sat down with her tablet.

Jack ate for a few moments before interrupting her. "What's that?"

"A job. Strackman Lux wants me to lead an expedition to the Library."

"The Library?" His tone was a little off, as though he were worried.

"Yes. Why?"

"I always wanted to go. Can I join you?"

River raised her eyebrows. "You want to go on an archaeological expedition to a library?"

Jack's shrug was a little too casual as he took his last bite of pastry. "Why not?"

"Why not what?" the Doctor asked coming into the kitchen. He was carrying a small bag that she knew was bigger on the inside.

"Jack wants to accompany me on my expedition." The Doctor was with her when she had checked her messages and knew all about it.

"Well, why not?" the Doctor asked.

"It's ridiculous. He's not even an archaeologist!" she protested.

"So? Wouldn't it be nice to have your best friend with you though? Besides, he's-" the Doctor waved his hand vaguely. "-the way he is. He knows history."

Jack crossed his arms and nodded, a victory smile on his face. "See?"

River sighed, too tired and overwhelmed to argue. "Fine. You can come with me."