Author's Notes: This was written for the Hell in High Heels ficathon for the spoiler_song community on LiveJournal. The original prompt was "Doctor/River, River takes the Doctor to a memorial ceremony for him, proving that it's not just in the alternate timeline that people the universe over care about him. (It doesn't need to be the focus of the fic- I'd love to see them talking afterward. No explicit sex, please, though fade-to-black is fine.)"

"Memorial"

The place looked familiar to the Doctor, but he really couldn't quite place it. London, he thought. Not just London. Was it He blinked, then hurried to catch River.

"We can't be here," he hissed in her ear.

"Why not?"

"Because."

"Because?"

"Because we can't. Let's go." He tugged on her arm, and she jerked it from him.

"We're not going anywhere but right there." River strode up the hill toward the small gathering of people atop a hill. In the middle of them, a telescope stood and an old man faced the small crowd.

"You don't understand."

"Don't take me for an idiot. I accessed the data from the TARDIS files." River finally stopped, but moved so he couldn't get away without shoving her aside. "When we were in the alternate timeline, when I sent out that call for help, one of the strongest signals and most vocal assurances of assistance came from this spot in Chiswick. From Wilfred Mott."

The Doctor squeezed his eyes shut and looked away.

"Do you know what he's doing, Doctor?" River waved at Wilfred and the other faces she recognized from the TARDIS files. Sarah Jane and Luke Smith. Martha Jones and Mickey Smith. "They all knew you were regenerating when you left them that last time. They're holding a memorial service for that version of yourself. It's been a year their time since you regenerated."

"I failed them." His voice was so quiet, almost a whisper, and her heart ached. "I failed them, River. All of them, but especially him." His eyes met hers, unshed tears glimmering in them. "Wilfred I took Donna's memories from her. He remembers what she was like before I did that to her."

"He understands. And, he still loves and grieves for you. They all do. You didn't mess up their lives, my love." She cupped his face in her hands, touched that for her - and only for her - he allowed the tears to slowly roll down his cheeks. "I told you that I wouldn't allow you to die without seeing how much you are truly loved. And just because that timeline doesn't exist doesn't mean they still don't love you as much as I do." She leaned in, pressing her lips gently to his. His hands flailed a bit, but then found their places on her back, eagerly returning the kiss and forgetting where they were.

Up the hill, the members small memorial gathering watched with interest.

"Is that ?" Martha asked.

"Yes," Sarah Jane replied. "I've seen him in his eleventh regeneration."

"That's good," Wilfred said with a huge grin. "He needs a good woman. Glad he finally found one. C'mon, Sylvia made us a cake. We'll save a piece for them."