"What was that?"

"End of the universe? Can't be sure. But what I do know is... Time is rewriting... Changing... All around us. In every time... In every space, every parallel, every star that ever was... Or will be"

River watched his expression carefully. The Doctor was a difficult man to read. An engagement meant nothing. They'd always remain a mystery to one another from now until they died.

Unless they saw the other die first.

With his head in his hand the Doctor sighed, his fringe flopped messily over his fingers.

"Time is changing... Okay... But what does that mean for us?"

"I don't know..."

"What about me? Doctor... I changed my timeline... I..."

"I don't know," he snapped looking up, "But there it is," he waved a hand flippantly towards the Tardis door, "And there's nothing we can do about it"

He hadn't read from the diary, whatever the result of him reading from it was, it had been prevented now. He folded his arms and looked across to his blonde curly haired lover. He shook his head sadly at her. He had no idea what to do.

The Time Lord was about to turn to face the controls when the Tardis lurched roughly to one side, then the other. The Doctor's legs couldn't keep up with the violent turbulence. He fell unsteadily against a rail struggling to stay at the very least, upright. His eyes darted about, unable to see what had happened to River. The Tardis spun even more out of control. Falling through the vortex at a dangerous pace.

"River!" the Doctor cried out, "River!"

Without warning the Tardis doors flew open. Like a vacuum everything began to be pulled from the Tardis and out into the Vortex.

He saw her. Clinging for dear life to the doorframe of the Tardis,

"River!" he yelled, "Dont let go! Don't let go!"

"Doctor!" River's petrified scream was barely audible over the destruction going on around them. Her fingers were sweaty. Slipping. She could barely think. She could barely hold on.

It couldn't be the end. It couldn't.

Her fingers slipped.

"River!" the Doctor yelled. He released the rail he was holding. The immense force dragged him easily through the air to the open doorway. One door closed sharply, catching him unexpectedly.

He could see her, see her body falling through the vortex. He leaned far out aiming with his screwdriver the best he could. She vanished in a flash.

The other door snapped shut leaving him weak at the knees. A lump caught him hard in the throat. He staggered backwards further inside the Tardis.

She was gone.

With a shaking hand he pointed at the console, docking the Tardis with a weak press of the Sonic.

The Doctor fell heavily to his knees, shaking his head, unable to speak. He stared ahead blankly, His Screwdriver clattered to the floor beside him.

"River..." he murmured sadly.

How long he sat staring at the console he'll never know. Time seemed to have stopped around him. No sound reached his ears. He paid no attention to the Tardis as it flew disobediently once more on an unplanned journey.

People had more often than not left his life very unexpectedly. Rose was a prime example. There were few instances however, which had the Doctor screaming, and squirming, and dying inside. This was one of those moments and as he clung desperately to the console's edge a hole was forming inside of him, as big as the Time Vortex itself.

River was everything. Whether he liked it or not. His past, present and future. No one knew him better. No one. Not even himself.

A single tear escaped down his cheek.

It splashed against the glass floor. In that single tear the Doctor saw the whole of reality. Time and space in every dimension. He could find her. They could find her. She was a big event.

"And big events pull you in," he whispered realising that the Tardis had once more landed.

"Earth. 51st century. And a bit..." he looked around the non idyllic, dirty, run down street of terrace houses, "Basic" he finished, "Back to basics" he mumbled as he pulled the Tardis door shut behind him, "Cool"

It reminded him of how London had looked during World War Two. He winced slightly, suddenly feeling very uncomfortable in his new attire. He tugged at his bow tie; his fingers explored each of the folds as he began to make his way down the cobbles of the seemingly deserted street.

Humans. Always so nostalgic, they never really wanted to break free from their known way of life. Give them a crisis and what did they do? They went straight back to rationing and bomb shelters. Probably even shared with the families next door. Played board games or jumping jacks. He had to admire them really. Humans, survivors.

They'd outlived the Time Lords; they must be doing something right.

The Doctor sighed. He'd forgotten what it was like to be lonely. He wondered how he'd ever coped without River. How in the universe would he survive without her now?

He was suddenly aware of how loud his boots were on the cobbles. That's when he felt them, eyes upon him. Lots of eyes, watching, waiting... for his next move. The Doctor's eyes moved slowly up and down the rows, seeing everything. The flicker of curtains, the rustle of nets.

Shrugging and pulling his jacket closer around him, he continued on. Whatever had pulled the Tardis here was important. It was only a matter of time until he found it.

And he would find it.