"Some of these look like the ones Zhe has in her gallery," Gabby remarked by a marble statue in the middle of a museum.

"Who?" Amy stood next to her but as much as she studied the statue she didn't see anything fascinating about it like Gabby. To be fair, she didn't find this museum captivating at all.

Gabby chuckled. "Zhe is my art mentor. She's an alien with four arms and four eyes. Oh, and her artwork can sort of come to life by singing all these math equations."

It was understandable that Amy's eyes had bugged out. "What!?"

"And my artwork sort of does the same. I can use the block Matrix power inside me to create a statue like that—" Gabby jerked a thumb at the stone statue, "—by singing the right math equations. I actually made one of Renata and I'm currently working on my second one. It'll be of my friend Donna."

"WHAT?"

Hearing Amy's loud yell, Renata moved over to make sure they were alright. "What are you doing to Amy?" she immediately asked Gabby when she saw her smirking.

"Nothing, just telling her about the Block Matrix thing inside me, and you," Gabby's gesture towards Renata earned another wide-eyed stare from Amy.

"Okay, seriously, what?"

"Oh you're having way too much fun with this," Renata shook her head at Gabby. "Go find the Doctor and tell him it's time to go. This museum is kind of creepy."

Gabby looked around the museum and had to agree with Renata. It didn't have any people and it was full of antiques that she swore some had to be haunted. She had no idea why the Doctor brought them there in the first place.

"What was she talking about?" Amy asked Renata once Gabby rushed to find the Doctor. "It's an actual story, right?"

"'Fraid not. Last year, on Gabby's first trip, she and I were both infected with an alien energy that ultimately changed us both." Renata offered her kindest smile to the girl, knowing it was a lot to handle when every day practically gave her something new to learn.

"What...I'm sounding like a broken record, huh?" Amy brought a hand up to her head to scratch it.

"It's alright. It's a lot to handle," Renata assured her and gently brought her hand down from her head. "But if you have questions, we're always here to answer them."

"Well, I mean, if you don't mind...what kind of energy are we talking about? Cos I haven't seen it."

Renata brought her left hand up and allowed Amy to see the golden wisps of energy at her fingertips. Amy was immediately awed at the sight.

"Can Gabby do that?"

"Sometimes, like me. It's...still a work in progress," Renata lowered her hand with a sigh.

If it had been up to her, she would've made it so that Gabby didn't have to deal with extra alien abilities. But the truth was, both of them now had mutated DNA. Gabby no longer registered as a full human and the Time Vortex inside Renata was no longer the ordinary ounce of Time Vortex every Time Lord would carry in their bodies.

She was the Vortex Butterfly and she would have to face that sooner or later even though she had no idea what it meant. Gabby seemed relatively fine with the change, with her 'Cosmic Butterfly' title. Renata had no idea how the girl did it. The Doctor had tried to get them both to start training to use that energy, even if it was only to control when it came out and when it didn't. Renata was, naturally, more shy and reserved about it but Gabby was all for practicing.

"You guys just get weirder and weirder," Amy concluded with a firm nod of her head. Renata laughed lightly at her, having to give her that point.

"Doctor, c'mon!" they heard Gabby's whining from a distance. She was doing what Renata asked and was following the Doctor around some displays on pedestals. "Doctor! Listen to me!"

The Time Lord was doing no such thing. He was going from one display to another, pointing at each with something to say. "Wrong! Wrong! Bit right, mostly wrong. I love museums!"

"Since when?" Gabby groaned.

Renata started walking towards them, prompting Amy to do the same. "Doctor, I think they've had their fill of museums for today."

"Yeah, you promised me an alien planet!" Amy was quick to remind them in case ideas for their next trip started coming up. "Big space ship, Churchill's bunker...? C'mon!"

The Doctor only paused to correct her about their whereabouts. "Amy, this isn't any old asteroid. It's the Delerium Archive, final resting place of the headless monks, the biggest museum ever."

"You've got a time machine, what do you need museums for?"

"Wait for it," Renata crossed her arms and watched the Doctor continue on with the displays like a maze.

"Wrong! Very wrong! Oooh—" he pressed his nose to one glass display, "—one of mine. Also one of mine."

"Oh, I see. It's how you keep score…" Amy glanced at Renata to see if she'd guessed right...and she had.

Renata was pinching the bridge of her nose. "Mhm." After a month of traveling together with his last incarnation, the Doctor had brought her to another museum to do the same exact thing. He was only a little more jumpier than this current incarnation, but everything else was the same.

"That's just plain conceitedness," Gabby followed the Doctor to another display and sighed when he stopped to yet again press his nose to it. "Doctor, you're not putting yourself under a very good light here."

But the Doctor had stopped playing altogether. He was really studying the ancient box sitting inside. There was strange symbols engraved into it.

"Doctor, what is it?" Renata sensed his uneasiness and walked up beside him.

"It's from one of the old starliners. A Home Box."

"What's a Home Box?" asked Amy.

"Like a black box on a plane, except it homes. Anything happens to the ship, the Home Box flies home, with all the flight data."

"So what's the deal with this one?" Gabby inquired. She noticed the way Renata's face paled to the point someone would think she's sick. She didn't even want to consider Renata getting a cold after everything she'd been through in her last incarnation. "Ren?"

"The writing, the graffiti - it's Old High Gallifreyan," Renata whispered, almost feeling a surge of rage come forwards when she realized yet another implication. "The lost language of the Time Lords."

"There were days, there were many days, these words could burn stars and raise up empires, and topple Gods…" the Doctor straightened up, looking more irritated than intrigued now.

"What does it say?" Amy checked the symbols herself but all she saw were a bunch of swirling lines forming circles.

"Hello, sweetie."

And now Gabby understood completely.

"What?" Amy laughed. "Who would say that?"

"You can't," Gabby was already warning the pair. "Leave her. Just...let's just go!"

"Leave who?" Amy looked at her, her nose scrunched in confusion.

"She left it here for a reason," Renata bit her lower lip. She had no desire to see that woman but what if it was a call for help and they didn't answer it so she died? She couldn't carry that on her conscience.

"Renée?" the Doctor reached for her hand, squeezing it comfortingly. "What are—"

Before Renata changed her mind, she shot a fire of golden energy at the display and shattered the glass. The alarms blared instantly but no one moved, they were all too stunned.

"Well, don't just stand there! Let's go!" Renata exclaimed, urging them to start moving.

The Doctor sprang into action and swiped the box from the pedestal. They ran as fast as they could to the TARDIS, barely avoiding the guards coming after them.

"I cannot believe you did that!" Gabby caught her breath by the railings while the Time Lords went straight up to the console.

"Seriously!" Amy agreed only a few feet behind her. "Why are we doing this?"

"Out of obligatory reasons," Renata muttered as she and the Doctor worked hard to get the home box hooked up to the console. "And I will only give her points for creativity. Nothing else."

"Give her no points!" Gabby shouted. "Give her nothing!"

"Who!?" Amy shouted just as loud as Gabby had. She was getting real tired of this little game.

Eventually, they got the security playback working on the monitor. The group watched the monitor play a grainy, black and white footage of River Song winking at them. It quickly switched to another moment where she was facing off three men, two of them armed.

'The party's over, Doctor Song…yet still you're on board.'

'Sorry, Alistair. I needed to see what was in your vault. Do you all know what's down there? Any of you? Because I'll tell you something. This ship won't reach its destination.'

'Wait till she runs. Don't make it look like an execution.'

'Triple-seven, five, slash, three, four, nine by ten. Zero, twelve, slash, acorn. Oh, and I could do with an air corridor.'

Gabby scoffed at the woman. "Oh, would you like a coffee and magazine to go with that too?"

Amy's eyebrows raised together. She felt a lot of animosity from Gabby and that was a plain first. Actually, up until now, Amy was sure that Gabby had always been friendly to everyone. Who was this woman who earned the opposite?

"We have to do it," Renata sighed as she glanced at the Doctor. "We can't let her die."

The Doctor begrudgingly agreed with her. "No, we can't."

They followed River's coordinates to get them at the right spot before she would be thrown out of whatever ship she was on. The Doctor then hurried towards the doors to open them up. He flung them open just as River was caught in space and pulled her right inside. The force of things threw them to the ground with River landing on top of him.

"Doctor?" Renata called almost as soon as she saw their position. She pursed her lips together and forced her hands to stay on the console. She couldn't get upset, nothing was happening, though she swore she saw a River shoot her a little smirk when the Doctor untangled himself from her.

"Follow that ship!" River ordered as she rushed towards the console.

"What's happening to it?" Renata barely got to ask when River pushed her aside to work the controls.

"It's crashing, what else!?" River snapped without looking like she even noticed. Her face only mildly scrunched as if asking Renata if she was really wondering that.

Renata closed her mouth and stay put. Gabby gaped silently at the Time Lady. If somebody yelled at her in her own ship, she would have something to say about it. But Renata wasn't that confrontational.

The Doctor hurried over to help. He motioned for Renata to come to his side and help but she shook her head. Why put herself into a situation? It wasn't worth it.

"They've gone into warp drive, we're losing them! Stay close!" River told him, ordered him.

"I'm trying!" he snapped.

"Use the stabilisers!"

"There aren't any stabilisers!"

"The blue switches!"

"The blue ones don't do anything, they're just...blue!"

"Actually…" Renata cut into the argument, shooting the Doctor an apologetic smile, "They are stabilizers dear." She reached over to the stabilizers River talked about and flicked them on.

"Of course I knew that but...they're boring-ers," the Doctor huffed and crossed his arms. "They're blue boring-ers! This is meant to be an exciting ship!"

Renata smiled at him. "It is. But we should really see what we're chasing. Where are we landing, actually?" She glanced at the woman who was still working hard at the console. She was choosing to ignore how well she seemed to know the console for...feelings.

River flatly ignored the Time Lady as she moved over to the monitor. "OK. I've mapped the probability vectors, done a fold-back on the temporal isometry, charted the ship to its destination, and parked us right along side."

"Parked us?" the Doctor frowned at her. "We haven't landed."

"Of course we've landed. I just landed her."

"But it didn't make the noise."

"What noise?"

"You know, the…" the Doctor resorted to actually imitating the wheezing of the TARDIS, making Renata laugh. He grinned at her. "See? Renée knows what I'm talking about?"

River's face turned sour as she briefly glanced at Renata. "Mhm. It's not supposed to make that noise. You leave the brakes on."

"Yeah, well, it's a brilliant noise. I love that noise," the Doctor huffed and grabbed Renata's hand. "Let's go have a look Ren! Gabbs!"

"Oh, so on it!" Gabby rushed after them. "C'mon Amy!"

"Doctor, while I'm curious, we should really check the—"

"Environment checks!" River called, cutting Renata off at the right moment, almost like she planned it…

"Oh, yes, sorry! Quite right. Environment checks," the Doctor let go of Renata's hand to poke his head out the door. He was slapped by a force of wind but he wouldn't admit to it. "Nice out!"

"Stop being ridiculous," Renata chuckled as she tried pulling him back inside.

"We're somewhere in the Garn Belt," River was reading off the monitor, "There's an atmosphere. Early indications suggest…"

"We're on Alfava Metraxis, the seventh planet of the Dundra System," the Doctor cut her without noticing, "Oxygen-rich atmosphere, toxins in the soft band, 11-hour day, and…" He stuck his head out the door one more time just to make sure he would finish correctly, "...chances of rain later."

"Oh stop being a show off," Renata rolled her eyes as she finally pulled him back inside.

"Show off and right," he smirked proudly. He liked showing off to her, showing her that he was still as smart as the day they met and possibly more.

"Stop," Renata couldn't help her giggle. She hardly ever giggled which was why the Doctor beamed even brighter.

"Okay, how come you can fly the TARDIS?" Amy walked back to the console where River was silently picking up her shoes from the ground.

"Oh, I had lessons…" the woman answered rather begrudgingly, like she was forced to do it. "The only reason I would thank Gabby for anything in my life."

Gabby flinched at the revelation that she was responsible for teaching River how to drive the console. "Me? I would never!" There was no power alive that would make her ever want to teach River Song how to drive the TARDIS.

"You did," River said, smiling triumphantly on her way to the doors. "So why did they land here?"

"They didn't land," the Doctor called to her. "You should've checked the Home Box - it crashed."

Gabby watched River go out the door and quickly dashed to close them behind her. She turned around with a glare. "I don't like her!"

Amy scoffed. "You don't say?"

Gabby rolled her eyes. "I have every right to be."

"Gabriella, are you alright?" Renata got the faint idea that there was more to Gabby's increased hatred towards River. Sure, the River they met in the Library hadn't been the nicest but it didn't exactly constitute the hatred Gabby clearly felt for the woman. It almost seemed like Gabby and her had already…

"I'm fine, peachy! Let's go!" Gabby stalked back to the console. "Doctor!"

"Mhm!" the Doctor agreed fairly quickly, leaving Renata to wonder if he knew what was going on with Gabby.

"Explain! Who is that and how did she do that museum thing?" Amy followed the two around the console, expecting a full fledged answer.

"It's a long story and I don't know most of it," the Doctor shrugged, about to take off. "Off we go!"

"What are you doing?"

"Leaving. She's got where she wants to go, let's go where we want to go!"

"Oh! We could go to Space Florida! Renata would like that," Gabby said and once again the Doctor agreed fairly quickly.

"Are you basically running away?" Amy cocked her head to the side.

"Yep," the Doctor reached for Renata who was staying just a bit too far away from them.

"Why?"

"Cos she's rude!" Gabby snapped. "And a bi—"

"Gabriella," Renata settled a sharp look at the girl. "Is there something I'm missing?"

"She's from the future and she's not nice," Gabby said for Amy's benefit then looked to Renata. "And...no…"

"Wait, is that an alien planet out there?" Amy turned for the doors, suddenly getting the idea that it was.

"Yes, of course it's a planet," the Doctor answered her and Renata noticed the way that he and Gabby were actively avoiding her looks.

Amy's eyes dazzled with excitement. "You promised me a planet. Five minutes?"

"Of course Amy," Renata gave the girl a nod. Amy squealed and hurried for the doors. "But it's all we're giving you and then you choose another place!" Amy didn't really hear that last part but it didn't matter, Renata wanted a moment alone with the Doctor and Gabby anyways. "Alright you two," she folded her arms, "What is going on here? I'm missing something and don't deny it."

"It doesn't really matter," Gabby shrugged.

"Completely doesn't," agreed the Doctor.

Renata's gaze sharpened with the seconds that ticked by. "I'm not stupid so don't treat me as if I were. Now I am the first to agree that River Song isn't particularly a kind woman—"

Gabby snorted. "That doesn't cut it! Ren, she was so mean to you the last time you saw her! You told me she said all these things about you keeping your identity a secret from the Doctor!"

"Which was all true. I can't exactly get mad at her for that," Renata glanced at the Doctor and studied his strange silence. She took a good look at his face and saw remnants of...guilt? Was that guilt? Why would he be guilty? "It wasn't the best way I would've done it but...I did do it. I guess I should thank her for that—"

"No you will not!" Gabby wagged her finger. "You don't have to thank her for anything! You don't owe her crap!"

"Gabriella, stop," Renata's voice hardened suddenly.

Gabby stopped but she looked at the Doctor, much like Renata. "Tell her."

"Tell me what?" Renata waited for the Doctor to speak but he was diverting his gaze from her. "Doctor?"

"We, uh...we...sort of ran into River again after the Library," he spoke quietly that Renata did a double-take at Gabby to make sure she heard right.

"It was while you were sick," Gabby elaborated. "You were staying with Zhe and...and we bumped into her. Sucked us into this whole event."

"O...kay," Renata felt her air thin just a tiny bit at the idea of River alone with the Doctor and Gabby. "Well, what's so bad about that?"

"She was, first of all, plain rude to me," Gabby started listing off her fingers. "All snaps and no kind words. And she couldn't keep her hands off this guy!" She gestured to the Doctor who quickly snapped his head up.

If it was up to him, he would've never told Renata about the unfortunate meeting with River. He and Gabby were following a lead on a potential cure for Renata's condition and on the way, River had found them. She was ecstatic to find him, Gabby no so much, and even more so when she found out Renata wasn't around them.

That was the first time Gabby felt her blood actually boil. They had explained to River what Renata's condition was and instead of offering to help them - or at least give a simple 'I'm sorry' - she started going on about her own issues and how it would be marvelous if the Doctor could help her. She was on the hunt for a jewel that she was being paid to find.

Despite their judgement, they decided to help River. That's where Gabby's first desire to ever throw a punch at someone was born. River hadn't missed any opportunity to touch the Doctor. She would grab his hand - she actually ran hand in hand with him - then touch his chest. At one point, she touched his hair too. She didn't miss any opportunity. And she kept trying to show off. It was sickening. Gabby would've held more respect for the woman if she hadn't constantly tried to put Renata down while Renata wasn't there. Who did that!?

"Oh," Renata swallowed hard. Her insides were churning at the idea of River spending a whole day with her doctor and Gabriella. "Well...I mean…Doctor, you and I weren't together so...whatever you and her did at that point—"

"Nothing!" the Doctor was quick to say. Any sort of rumors going on he would stop right there and then. "Nothing happened! I helped her find her jewel and then I sent her on her way!"

"Where she then tried to kiss your cheek, and that's only because I warned her I'd punch her if she tried kissing you," Gabby muttered, much to the Doctor's dismay.

"You're not helping," he shot her a glare to shut up. Gabby raised her hands in defence. She was only speaking the truth.

"Doctor, it's fine," Renata sighed. She would rather not think about that day.

"No, because you're thinking things that aren't true! It's the reason why I didn't tell you about it. Plus, it just wasn't important. I was focused on finding your cure and nothing else." He thought it was such an irritating day anyways. River gave him a headache with all her future talks. And Gabby was right, there was far too much touching on River's side.

"It's fine," Renata insisted, putting on her best smile for the two. "Gabriella, I appreciate you thinking you need to defend me but I don't need it. I'm a big girl, I can handle myself."

Gabby would've liked to point out that Renata was very passive aggressive. River had already taken multiple shots in these past ten minutes and Renata had taken it with silence. She got the feeling it was why River even took the shots in the first place. It was much easier to see how her comments affected Renata.

"Let's go make sure that Amy's okay," Renata gestured for Gabby to start heading towards the doors. "And be nice, Gabriella. Whatever River may be doing, let's not forget what she did in her future. She saved all of us. We have to give her credit where it's due."

Gabby rolled her eyes and muttered something under her breath. It sounded a lot like 'it's not an excuse'. She made a show of letting the doors slam behind her to prove where she stood.

"C'mon," Renata grabbed the Doctor's hand to follow after Gabby. She led him down the steps of the console then for the doors.

Suddenly, the Doctor pulled her back. Her body did a quick turn before she felt the Doctor's lips land on hers. His hands cupped her face as he kissed her as loving and ardent as he could...and he could. Renata felt her legs lose their balance a few seconds into their kiss. She had to wrap her arms around his neck to keep her standing. Once that was settled, she let herself get lost in their kiss.

The Doctor was in complete control. He moved their lips in a slow dance, finding the just the right way to part Renata's lips and slip his tongue through. Delightful. She tasted of cinnamon from their breakfast, sweet like her. His fingers trickled down to her jaw once he began to, slowly, pull away from her.

"W-wow…" Renata sucked in breath once she gathered her bearings and even then she still needed to hang onto the Doctor. "That was...that was different." And completely acceptable for any future reference. The idea left her blushing like mad.

The Doctor smiled proudly. He licked his lips and resisted the urge to kiss her again. Actually, he had to put away the idea of letting everyone stay outside while he kissed Renata senseless. "I want you to remember this kiss whenever you get even the slightest idea about me and River," he touched her cheek with gentle fingers.

"Oh Doctor," Renata looked away but the Doctor wouldn't let her brush away her obvious feelings.

"Gala, I want you to remember that I love you. You have no idea how much I love you, actually. That kiss was only a quarter of what I feel for you."

Renata smiled softly at him. "I love you too. My Theta…"

The Doctor nuzzled his nose against her cheek and felt her body's light rumbles from her chuckle. "I think I'm going to take you out on a date today."

"But we agreed—"

"One day won't harm anyone," he pressed a small kiss to her cheek. "You, me, a date. Somewhere fantastic!"

Renata felt her hearts skip in delight as she wondered where this date would take place. "Okay, let's do it," she said. That's all she wanted in the end, wasn't it? The complete freedom to do whatever they wanted together.

"Just you wait!" the Doctor grabbed her hand and led them for the doors. Five minutes was up anyways!

~ 0 ~

River was busy on a handheld device when the Time lords emerged from the TARDIS. The ship they followed crashed on the very top of a large and old stone structure, resembling a cliff. It was no pretty crash as most of the pieces of the ship had scattered around the beach around them.

"What caused it to crash? Not me," River joked with a light laugh.

"Nah, the airlock would've sealed seconds after you blew it," the Doctor informed her and the others in the process. "According to the Home Box, the warp engines had a phase-shift. No survivors."

"A phase-shift would have to be sabotage. I did warn them."

"About what?"

"Well, at least the building was empty. Aplan temple. Unoccupied for centuries."

"Aren't you going to introduce us?" Amy whispered to the Doctor after waiting a decent amount of time. She would've asked Gabby earlier but the girl made her feelings towards River very clear, and fast.

The Doctor, whatever his feelings were, had sighed and gestured towards River. "Amy Pond, Professor River Song."

"Oooh, I'm going to be a Professor some day, am I?" River stopped to sarcastically gape. She laughed when the Doctor winced. That clearly hadn't been done on purpose. "How exciting! Spoilers!"

"Yeah, but who is she and how did she do that?" Amy asked once River was back to work on her scanner. "She just left you a note in a museum!"

"Two things always guaranteed to show up in a museum: The Home Box of category four starliner and, sooner or later, him. It's how he keeps score," River rolled her eyes playfully.

And how would she know that? Renata didn't even want to think about the possible reasons.

Amy only laughed alongside River, both agreeing how ridiculous it was of the Doctor.

The Doctor scowled at both of them. "I'm nobody's taxi service! I'm not gonna be there to catch you every time you feel like jumping out of a space ship."

"And you are so wrong," River was happy to clarify as she threw smug looks towards Renata and Gabby. She wanted them - no, she needed them - to understand that this was a simple truth. Whenever she called, they would come.

"Well of course, because Renata and the Doctor would never let someone die. They're good people," Gabby folded her arms over her chest, meeting River's glare with her own. "A concept that unfortunately not everybody gets."

"Gabriella," Renata whispered, making Gabby desist in her glaring competition but not without a huff.

Passive aggressive!

"There's one survivor," River went back to the crashed ship. "There's a thing in the belly of that ship that can't ever die. Now he's listening!" River shook her head at the Doctor then spoke into her device. "You lot in orbit yet? Yeah, I saw it land. I'm at the crash site. Try and home in on my signal." She raised her device into the air and waited for a few minutes. When nothing happened, she turned to the group. "Doctor, can you sonic me? I need to boost the signal so we can use it as a beacon."

The Doctor pulled out his sonic and used it on her, much to her delight as she gave a mock curtsy in return.

"Ooh, Doctor! You soniced her!" Amy teased beside him.

"I do that all the time," he muttered and reached for Renata's hand. She wasn't saying anything and she was doing a really good job at hiding her true discomfort, but at this point the Doctor knew her very well.

"We have a minute. Shall we?" River returned to them with a familiar TARDIS-blue diary in her hands. "Where were we up to? Have we done the Bone Meadows?"

"What's the book?" Amy eyed the diary with natural curiosity.

"Stay away from it," warned Gabby. "She might try to hit you with it!"

River's eyebrows raised with the same curiosity that Amy had for her diary. "Have you just done the Silva gem hunt?"

"Months ago," Gabby responded.

"Ah, years ago," River said with a laugh. "That was fun, wasn't it?"

Amy was sure that if it was possible, steam would be coming out of Gabby's ears right now. Even Renata was looking between the two women, once again feeling like she was missing something.

'River tried smacking Gabby with the diary in that last trip we met her,' the Doctor filled in the blanks for Renata. Gabby was bound to mention it anyways. And a few seconds later, Gabby did.

Renata immediately looked at him with widened eyes. 'She tried doing what!?' A fierce anger started in the pit of her stomach. She could handle River not liking her but she would never allow someone to hurt Gabby.

'It was an argument that spiraled and Gabby tried pulling River away and so she...tried hitting her with the book. Like a swat, really.' The Doctor hated to even remember the moment. It was one of those moments where he truly wished Renata had been there to put an end to such a childish argument.

"O...kay…" Amy scratched the top of her head. She couldn't really picture River doing that but then again she was also conscious that she didn't know River. She didn't know what the woman was like.

She had gotten the gist of what kind of person Gabby was and it made it harder to picture her having an argument with River that would end up like that. She was honestly so confused why there was such an intense hatred between them. The Doctor and Renata didn't seem that way. Granted they looked weary if Amy would describe it, but not hatred.

"It's our diary, Amy," River answered her question in the end seeing as neither the Doctor nor Renata would admit to it.

"Our…?" Amy followed River's gaze to the Time Lords.

"We don't meet in the right order," Renata explained to the girl. "Seems like her past is our future." And just what kind of future she would prefer not to think about.

Four columns of swirling dust shot down from the sky and left four soldiers in desert camouflage uniforms. One of the soldiers came up to River and he didn't look one bit pleased.

"You promised me an army, Doctor Song!"

"No. I promised you the equivalent of an army," River raised a finger at him then proceeded to point at the Doctor behind her. "This is the Doctor."

The Doctor gave a half-hearted salute. He didn't want to be rude...yet.

"Gabby!" Gabby raised a hand in the air, taking charge as she knew that River had no plans of introducing them to the armed soldiers. "Amy!" She pointed at the ginger who waved nervously. "And Renata!" She gestured towards the Time Lady. "The Vortex Butterfly? You might have heard of her."

"Gabriella," the Time Lady hissed for her to be quiet. Gabby, however, didn't see what was so wrong about letting people know who she was. She would concede with River that the Doctor was worth the equivalent of an army but Renata was also there. She just needed a little more practice.

And it seemed like Gabby's addition did make a difference because the soldier was now staring at Renata in a new light. Renata couldn't tell what it was but he almost seemed...awed? Why would he be awed by her?

"Father Octavian, sir. Bishop, second class," he introduced himself to her and the Doctor. "20 clerics at my command. The troops are already in the drop ship and landing shortly. Doctor Song was helping us with a covert investigation. Has Doctor Song explained what we're dealing with?"

"Not precisely," Renata said and looked at River who, unsurprisingly, had her eyes on the Doctor.

"Doctor, what do you know of the Weeping Angels?"

Well, that pretty much ended the five minute rule they imposed on Amy.

~ 0 ~

The day had turned into evening and by that time, a transport ship had arrived to the sight. The soldiers set up their camp to prepare for what was coming next.

Octavian led the group down the campsite, explaining their current situation. "The Angel, as far as we know, is still trapped in the ship. Our mission is to get inside and neutralise it. We can't get through up top, we'd be too close to the drives. According to this—" he briefly showed them another handheld device, "—behind the cliff face, there's a network of catacombs leading right up to the temple. We can blow through the base of the cliffs, get into the entrance chamber, then make our way up."

"Oh, good…" the Doctor breathed out. That was a lot to take in and the fact it was the Weeping Angels had him a little more on edge. Last time he faced them, they'd gotten him before he could even literally blink.

'Although it was the reason I bumped into Renata again after 1914.' The Doctor smiled lightly at that reminder. After 1914, he honestly thought he'd never see Renata again and then BAM! There she was living her life as a human doing all the humany-wumany things they do like grocery shopping.

"So there's like actual catacombs down there?" Gabby's question brought the Doctor back to the present. He winced after realizing he'd let himself get distracted when Octavian was explaining the entire situation to him. Whoops.

"Yes," Octavian nodded, eyeing her when she shuddered.

"I've seen the documentaries about the catacombs under Paris. Those are freaky!" Gabby looked to Amy and saw her shrugging. She didn't really know what a Weeping Angel really was anyways.

"Well, uh, this one has a Weeping Angels. I think it's worse."

"Yes, we do get the idea, trust us," Renata sighed. "It's not the first time we-" she gestured between herself and the Doctor, "-encounter them."

"Father Octavian?" a young soldier came for Octavian.

"Excuse me, ma'am, sir," Octavian then said to Renata and the Doctor.

The Doctor waved him off as he left. With a sigh, Renata turned to the equipment the soldiers had already set up. They weren't leaving anytime soon, that was clear. If a Weeping Angel was truly stuck inside the ship, they needed to get it out before it hurt someone.

"Oh, I didn't know you had a sonic," Amy remarked as soon as she saw Renata taking out her sonic to use on the equipment. It was similar to the Doctor's except it was thinner and colored golden and white with a blue light on the top when it turned on. Had she not been paying attention? Amy winced. That was a possibility. She was very aware that most of her attention had skipped over Renata (and Gabby for that matter) to land solely on the Doctor.

"Yes, I do," Renata chuckled at her curious eyes. "The Doctor made it for me last year."

"Oh, that's...that's nice," Amy silently looked at the Time Lords as they exchanged sweet smiles. She tried not to frown and when she felt herself losing the battle, she looked away...and still talked to cut the moment. "So, uh, what exactly is a Weeping Angel?"

Instead of answering her question, the Doctor looked up from the equipment to give her AND and Gabby the same sharp stare. "Now that's interesting...You're still here. Which part of 'Wait in the TARDIS till I tell you it's safe' was so confusing?"

Gabby scrunched her face. "Ooh, are you all Mr Grumpy Face today? You still do that even in a new body?"

"He'll do that in all of his incarnations, Gabby," Renata put a hand on the Doctor's arm, trying to ease him up for the girls. "They're only curious, Doctor. It's natural."

He sighed but did agree. It was better to answer and appease their curiosity and hopefully be enough to ward them off to the TARDIS for the duration of this little excavation. "A Weeping Angel, is the deadliest, most powerful, most malevolent life form evolution has ever produced, and one is trapped inside that wreckage and we're—" he pointed at Renata then at himself, "—supposed to climb in with two screwdrivers and a torch — and assuming we survive the radiation, and the whole ship doesn't blow up in our faces — do something clever which I haven't actually thought of yet. That's our day, that's what we're up to. Any questions?"

Gabby had none. That was a pretty stressful day alright.

Amy had one, however. She may have not been paying attention again. "Is River Song your wife?" The moment the question left her mouth, Renata's sonic clanged on the table after dropping it. "Cos she's someone from your future, and the way she talks to you, I've never seen anyone do that. She's kinda like, you know, 'Heel, boy!' She's Mrs Doctor from the future, isn't she? Is she gonna be your wife one day?"

The Doctor shook his fervently at her while Renata preferred to take up her sonic from the table. Gabby was throwing Amy a near-like murderous glare for such a stupid question.

"No, Amy. And we don't know her so please be careful," the Doctor sighed. He tried reaching for Renata's hand but she was purposely scanning more equipment, keeping her hands very busy and away from him.

Gala, you can't let Amy's question and oh-so-wrong assumption put a strife between us.

I'm not doing anything, I'm only scanning.

The Doctor almost rolled his eyes at her flat tone. "Renée"

"Doctor?" River called to him from a transport. "Doctor!"

"Oops! Her indoors!" Amy continued to tease, much to the Doctor's dismay.

"Stop it," the Doctor actually hissed at her, startling her into silence. He turned to Renata and had quite a struggle taking one of her hands.

"She called you," she muttered.

"I don't give a damn," he returned. "We go together to any place. Always."

She didn't show anger nor annoyance, but rolling her eyes expressed where she was at. Still, she at least let him take her away.

In the end, the entire group and Octavian met River inside the transport. She had pulled up a grainy black and white footage of a Weeping Angel. It was covering its stone eyes from the camera.

"What do you think? It's from the security cameras in the Byzantium vault. I ripped it when I was on board," River explained as she controlled the video with a remote. "Sorry about the quality. It's four seconds. I've put it on loop."

"Yeah, that's an Angel alright," the Doctor glared at the screen. "Hands covering its face."

"You've encountered the Angels before?" Octavian glanced at him then at Renata.

"He did," Renata was the one to answer. "And then he brought me into it. Story of my life."

The Doctor grinned at her. At least she was talking again. That was a good sign. "It was a long time ago on Earth. But those were scavengers, barely surviving."

"It's just a statue," Amy said after trying to find its menacing parts. But it really did look like a statue.

Gabby was rather perplexed by it too but she knew better than to ignore what Renata and the Doctor said about alien creatures. If they said the Weeping Angels were dangerous then they were.

"It's a statue when you see it," River clarified for Amy.

"Where did it come from?" asked the Doctor.

"Oh, pulled from the ruins of Razbahan, end of last century. It's been in private hands ever since, dormant all that time."

"There's a difference between dormant and patient…"

For all they knew, the Angel was just waiting for the right time to strike.

"What's that mean, it's a statue when you see it?" Amy asked.

"Amy, the Weeping Angels can only move if they're unseen. No, it's not legend, it's a quantum lock. In the sight of any living creature, the Angels literally cease to exist. They're just stone. The ultimate defense mechanism," Renata answered just as River was about to. The Time Lady hadn't noticed, she only wanted to clarify, but it still earned her a sharpened glare from River.

"What, being a stone?" Amy almost laughed until Renata added.

"Being a stone...until you turn your back."

Amy had the good sense to gulp.

~ 0 ~

"The hyperdrive would've split on impact. The whole ship will be flooded with radiation, cracked electrons, gravity storms, deadly to almost any living thing…" the Doctor was saying as he led the group out of the transport.

"Deadly to an Angel?" Octavian asked.

"Unfortunately not," Renata apologetically smiled at him. "It's more like, um...dinner to an Angel. And the longer we leave it, the stronger it will grow."

"Who built that temple? Are they still around?" the Doctor thought to ask, though River was already looking up that information on her handheld device.

"The Aplans. The indigenous life-form. They died out 400 years ago."

"200 years later, the planet was terraformed. Currently there are six billion human colonists," Octavian added.

The Doctor smiled, close to laughing. "You lot, you're everywhere! Like rabbits! I'll never get done saving you."

"I am NOT not a rabbit," Gabby set her hands on her hips. "I am...actually, according to my DNA results...I don't know what I am."

The Doctor rubbed his hand over her arm, though as concerned as he was about her new biology he was still smiling out of amusement. She truly didn't look the least bit bothered by the fact she was no longer a pure human. She was making jokes! If she was making jokes, then he should be able to let go of some of that concern right?

"Ma'am, Sir, if there is a clear and present danger to the local population…" Octavian trailed off when he saw Renata once again smiling apologetically towards him.

"There really is," she said.

"Bad as it gets. Bishop, lock and load!" the Doctor added without the same prudence as Renata. Not surprising.

Octavian got the message though so he got into action. "Verger, how are we doing with those explosives?" He called to a nearby soldier then motioned for River to follow. "Dr Song, with me."

"Two minutes. Sweetie, I need you," River said on her way. The Doctor threw her a scrunched-face look. What was her obsession with that word?

"That's another thing she does," Gabby groaned and rolled her eyes. "She does half these things on purpose, you know."

"Gabriella it's fine," Renata waved it off even though it most certainly was not fine. River seemed pretty comfortable with her sweet names, she had also been in the Library.

"It's not and you know it," Gabby shook her head. "Stop being so passive aggressive, will you?"

"Gabby why don't you and Amy go wait inside the transport," the Doctor's question came out more as an order rather than a suggestion. "You'd be safer in there anyways…"

"You know I'm right!" Gabby exclaimed even as the Doctor ushered her and Amy into the transport. "Ren is so passive aggressive. You need to take charge here—"

"Yes, yes, now go!" the Doctor may have shoved her inside a bit too hard. He winced when he heard her yelp after bumping into Amy. "Sorry!" he called then turned for Renata. "She really is trying to help, you know."

"Hm, I can see that through her snaps. It's a bit amusing," Renata said quietly, her lips trying to quirk into a smile even when she knew it was rude.

"I am sorry I didn't tell you about meeting the other version of River," the Doctor came up to her and had to rip her sonic from her hand so she would face him.

"You didn't have to tell me anything. You did nothing wrong back there. You were free…"

"Doesn't matter, I was in love with you, still am…" he grinned, "So in love…"

Renata playfully rolled her eyes at him. Her skin went into a series of chills when he nuzzled his nose against her cheek. She would love that if he kept doing it, and he would.

"...do you think I'm passive aggressive?" The Doctor froze as soon as the question was asked. Renata sighed and stepped away from him. "I am, aren't I?"

The Doctor didn't want to blatantly answer with the 'yes' because it would inevitably hurt her feelings. So how could he word it perfectly? "Renée…"

"I can't help it," she actually pouted at him, a true testament to how out of place she felt at the moment.

"It's okay, it's okay!" the Doctor exclaimed and struggled to tug her up to him. "Ren, c'mon…" Renata weakly fought him off until she was against his chest. "Don't go all pouty on me."

"Pouty?" Renata made a face that ultimately turned into another pout. "I do not pout!"

The Doctor laughed lightly. "I'm Mr. Grumpy Face and you're Ms. Pouty Face!"

"That is not a good comparison!" Renata tried to act angry but her own laugh was giving her away.

"It's not...Ms. Pouty Face?"

"Doctor!"

He grinned with her more cheerful face. That's what he wanted to see, not that bottling up face. She was so used to doing that, to keeping her feelings away, and he really wanted it to stop. She had no reason to do that anymore. If she was bothered, if she was upset, then he wanted her to feel like she could come to him and tell him all about it. It would take a while, he knew, but he wouldn't give up.

River glared at the pair from her spot. Didn't she call for the Doctor!? Did he just forget that they were in the middle of a situation? A situation with a Weeping Angel!? Of course he did because Renata was once again being dramatic — over what, River didn't know nor cared for — and wrapping him around her finger. River despised that little knack Renata had for stopping an entire situation to suck everyone into her problems. Everyone always stopped to make sure she was okay, that she wasn't upset, and then Renata would do the same to everyone else. She played the role of a 'mother' to the very brim as if she actually was a mother.

All lies and manipulation.

~0~

"Looks like you're about to explode," Amy remarked about Gabby after a few minutes of just watching the girl grumble in her chair.

"You don't get it, Amy." Gabby got up from her chair and walked away Amy towards the huge screen with the Angel. "I've only met River twice and it was enough to know how mean she is. And how much she hates Renata and I."

In the beginning, Gabby actually felt bad that someone hated her that much. She couldn't understand why River would hate her like that. For a moment, Gabby thought the whole experience in the Library was just so chaotic that maybe she was imagining things. After all, she had been sucked into the virtual world with Donna. She didn't spend so much time with River. Maybe her mind was all fuzzy.

But then she met River again and realized that she hadn't been imagining. River seized the opportunity to spend time with the Doctor the moment she knew the opportunity was up in the air. More than that, Gabby saw the clear delight River took when she learned where Renata was, why she wasn't with them. That was what sickened Gabby. It forged the hatred that bubbled inside her today. How could anyone be happy that another person was fighting for their life?

Yes, Gabby would concede that technically there was nothing wrong with River trying to catch the Doctor's eye back then because he technically wasn't with Renata but the man had made it clear that he loved Renata. He wanted to find her a cure so that he could bring her back to the TARDIS and continue traveling together. He tried to avoid River's advances by changing topics, the conversation...but she wouldn't stop. Gabby knew she had no claim on the two Time Lords - they could do whatever they wanted - but at the same time she felt like it was her responsibility to keep them together.

At that time, Renata wasn't even in a position to argue with anyone. She was fighting a deadly advancing illness. She was near bedridden towards the end. And the Doctor's head was all jumbled up. Between finding the cure and clearing up his thoughts about Renata, he wasn't at his best. Gabby knew that Donna was the one the Doctor would always talk to about everything and now that she was gone, Gabby felt like she needed to step up. She had to be like Donna and ward off any potential danger to the Time Lords' growing relationship. It's what Donna would've wanted too.

So she put herself between River and the Doctor whenever he made it clear that he didn't want what River was doing. If Gabby saw that the Doctor was alright with River's advances, that he would let it happen, she would've kept back. But he didn't. He loved Renata. And sooner or later, River had to get the message. So, Gabby vowed from that last trip that she would ward off River Song at least until Renata found her footing and stood up for herself.

"She seems alright," Amy went on, oblivious to all the thoughts inside Gabby's head. She noticed the Angel on the screen was...changed? Was that right? "Definitely knows what she's doing."

Gabby snorted lightly. "You got that right. She knows she's making Ren miserable."

Amy cocked her head to the side. The Angel did seem like it changed. Her eyes widened. "The hands are different," she whispered. "Gabby? Wasn't the Angel covering its face?"

"Hm?" Gabby set her thoughts aside to see the screen. "I think so…" If she remembered correctly, the Angel had been covering its eyes. So why wasn't it anymore?

~0~

River begrudgingly handed over a book to the Doctor. She was certain she only called for the Doctor, not Renata, and yet here she was as well. "I found this. Definitive work on the Angels. Well, the only one. Written by a madman, it's barely readable, but I've marked a few passages."

Renata watched the Doctor zoom through the pages. She would ask him if he really read the mark's River left behind if she didn't already know him. He was fast but when it counted he caught things.

"Not bad, bit slow in the middle, didn't you hate his girlfriend?" the Doctor asked dismissively until something snapped in his mind. "No, hang on, wait, wait!"

Renata rolled her eyes when he sniffed the book. "You never know what could be on that book. Now it'll be in your nose."

The Doctor winced. That was a good point. He brushed his fingers under his nose just to check if there was something crawling inside. "Nope! All clear!" He grinned.

Renata shook her head at him. There was a small laugh trying to slip out from his antics.

Amy popped her head out of the transport. "Dr. Song? Did you have more than one clip of the Angel?"

River shook her head. "No, just the four seconds."

Amy frowned and returned into the transport. Renata curiously watched after the girl. "Why would she ask something like that?"

"People are allowed to ask questions you know," River muttered not so quietly.

Renata sighed with annoyance. "It's just an odd question, wouldn't you assume? Why would she ask that suddenly?"

"Maybe she's confused," River folded her arms, staring at Renata as if an unspoken competition had just begun.

Renata wasn't interested in playing. She was more concerned with Amy. "Something's wrong."

"Do you want to go check on them?" the Doctor asked as he presumed the answer. He felt the same thing - something was wrong - only his concern went to the book in his hand.

"Mhm," Renata smiled lightly. He knew her so well. He nodded her to go on and check on their companions. No matter what incarnation she was in, she would always be a Mother Hen.

River rolled her eyes at them and turned away to busy herself with whatever was on the table. Once again, Renata was being dramatic and the Doctor was falling for it.

"Hey Ren!" Gabby was the one to come out of the transport now. "I'm pretty sure…"

Renata was already heading for them. "Something's not right, I know. Stay out there please."

Gabby snorted. "Not with that woman out there."

Renata pulled the girl down the transport way and ushered her along. "Wasn't an option! Amy, you too! Get out of there!"

Amy was still staring at the screen and Renata had to commend her for her entire focus on it. "It's wrong," she told Renata. "The Angel is looking at us now. It's hands are on its side!"

"Hm," Renata moved up to the screen. Her eyes went down to the date stamped on the bottom. It was still currently 'looping' between the four minutes River had showed them earlier.

Neither she nor Amy noticed the door closing and locking.

Outside, Gabby had joined the Doctor who was still going over the book River handed him. Gabby would give River credit where it was due because all she'd been doing since Renata left was just staring at the Doctor. She looked like she was trying to figure him out which, ironically, was what Gabby wanted to do with River.

"Oh, it's so strange when you go all baby-face," River remarked at one point. "How early is this for you?"

"Very early," the Doctor said distractedly as he flipped to the next page of the book.

"So...you don't know who I am yet?"

"How do you know who we are?" the Doctor thought of a better question. He lowered the book to meet River's gaze. "Renata and I just regenerated a couple months ago. And the last time we—" he pointed at himself then Gabby, "—saw you, I had a different face."

"I've got pictures of all your faces…" River answered, her voice shifting into a harder one. "You never show up in the right order though. I need the spotter's guide."

"Pictures…" the Doctor breathed in when it started to hit him. "Why aren't there pictures?"

~ 0 ~

"How's it doing that?" Amy was gawking at the screen that was adamant to stay on. Renata had grabbed the remote to turn it off but each time she did that, it kept turning back on.

"I have never met such a stubborn screen," Renata mumbled. "You're a recording you're not supposed to move!"

Amy threw the Time Lady a bemused glance. "Did you just huff at the screen?"

Renata blinked. "...no, shut up!"

Amy rolled her eyes. "Mature."

"Alright," Renata let the remote drop to the table. "Let's just unplug the thing and go ask Dr. Song about this questionable loop."

Amy shrugged and followed Renata to the power source. Renata unplugged the power but instead of getting a calm reaction, she heard Amy gasp.

The Angel's face was glaring at the camera now.

"Well!" Renata straightened on her feet fast. "Amy, out, now!"

Amy didn't need to be told twice. She ran for the door only to find it locked. "It's not opening!"

Renata hurried to see for herself and was mighty disappointed to see Amy was right. "Oh, you've got to be kidding me!"

"Ren, it's moved again!" Amy gasped after seeing the Angel now glaring at them with its mouth wide open.

~ 0 ~

"This whole book - it's a warning, about the Weeping Angels. So why no pictures?" the Doctor turned his head to the side as he once again flipped through the pages of the Angel book. "Why not show us what to look out for?"

"There was a bit about images…" River said, attempting to take the book from him but he spun away.

"Yes! Hang on...'That which holds the image of an angel becomes itself an angel.'"

"What does that mean?" frowned Gabby.

A moment later, they heard Amy scream from the transport.

A/N:

Get ready folks, this one's going to be a doozy!

I think I might try this spoiler thing again. Spoilers for the next chapter go as follow: Future guesses for the title of the Doctor's wife are made and Renata's first bowling attempt is vividly remembered by the Doctor ;) (Do with that what you want!)

P.S As always, I have a tumblr account dedicated to my fanfic works! It's a place where anyone can comment about a story or even just talk to me! I often drop aesthetic work belonging to my stories too! Feel free to check it out, my URL is "saiilorstars"

For the Reviews:

SaLaX: So sorry! Last time I updated I think I mentioned that I was offered a chance to go back to school and I accepted it so I'm doing full time work and school. My schedule's all over the place xD

Guest: Lmao maybe a cat fight between Gabby and River since Renata doesn't really do well with arguing, as seen up above ;).

savethemadscientist: Oh Gabby's definitely right about that. It's so funny writing them like that when I made them go through some angsty hell in the previous story.

The Time Lord Oracle: Trust me, the banter will never stop xD. That'll transcend through incarnations! About their powers, we'll see! It's still a growing ability!

the. apple. seed: Thank you so much! It's sweet getting to write about their moments that weren't all that terrible xD