Author's Note:

Last chapter I forgot to thank everyone who reviewed as well as those who are following the story - sorry about that. Wish I had time to reply individually but this time of year there's so much to fit in. I appreciate your comments and interest and I'll try to post a little faster, especially after Christmas. Thanks :)

Chapter 5: "You look like you've seen a ghost!"

"The mind ought sometimes to be diverted that it may return to better thinking."

Phaedrus

"We're coming with you," Amy declared.

"No, you're not," the Doctor said sternly. It was after midnight – the same night of Harvey Smythe's visit – and the Doctor was about to set out for a spot of breaking and entering. With nineteen fifties technology to contend with, whatever system Smythe, Brooks, and Lane were using would be no match for his sonic screwdriver.

"This is about River, yeah?" Amy persisted. "She's our daughter. We're going."

"Yes it's about River, and yes, she is your daughter," the Doctor agreed, "but she's no longer your only child Amy. You have Anthony to think of. I won't take you back into danger. If you won't agree to stay here then I can't in good conscience go either, which means we could be leaving some earlier version of River in danger. Do you want that?"

Amy glared at him.

"He's right," Rory said gently.

"Of course I am," the Doctor declared. "Listen to your husband Amelia Williams."

"Okay, fine," Amy said abruptly, her resentment clear. "Go, but for god's sake, be careful!"

"All I'm going to do is look at whatever file they have on Melody Malone, see if I can find out who this mysterious client is," the Doctor reassured her. "Once I have that I'll be able to pay them a little visit, find out what they really want with River."

"You have our number," Rory reminded him. "Call us if you get into trouble – I can be there inside an hour. It's not quick I know, but it might still make a difference if you need backup."

"Thank you Rory," the Doctor held out his hand, shaking Rory's briskly. When he hugged Amy she sighed.

"Why does this feel like we're saying goodbye?" she complained.

"Because we are, for now," the Doctor replied. "Something isn't right here Amy … until I find out what, it's too dangerous for me to stick around, but I promise you, once I work out what's going on I will come back to visit you. I still need to meet this son of yours, teach him about English football before you completely corrupt him."

Amy chuckled, her eyes watering. "Don't you dare wait another fifteen years, you hear?"

"Loud and clear," the Doctor saluted his two friends. "Thank you Ponds. You have no idea how much you've helped." He stopped to look at them, standing together as always. He wanted to absorb that Pond-ness, to take it with him and bring it out when he most needed it. His grief over River was still strong but he felt better able to handle it now, because in a small way he had his Ponds back.

The offices of Smythe, Brookes, and Lane were located on West 34th street, a quick trip from Queens if he were going by car. The Doctor had debated leaving the TARDIS with Amy and Rory but decided that alone could lead trouble to their door. Instead he directed the time machine high overhead, landing her behind the offices moments later.

Stepping out, he glanced around quickly, judging things to be as quiet as he'd expect for after midnight in 1953. Pulling out his screwdriver, he directed the beam at the back door, smiling when milliseconds later he was rewarded with a faint click. He was in.

Office buildings at night had a certain air about them – dark, hard to identify shapes looming and skulking around the edges, and too many places for someone to hide. No matter how hard you tried to be quiet, every sound seemed amplified, including the various noises offices always made. In the dark they took on a sinister tone … danger lurking, waiting to leap out and grab you.

Ignoring all of that, the Doctor made his way through the general office area until he was at the front of the building. Scanning the tenant register he quickly found Smythe el al, three floors up. Taking the stairs, he emerged to find a stylish reception desk with a sign behind it proclaiming the three partners there to help those with investigative need.

"This way," the Doctor muttered, deciding the partner offices were to the right, for no particular reason.

"Harvey B Smythe, Senior Partner and Private Investigator," the sign on the first door read.

Smiling at his correctness, the Doctor eased the door open, stopping abruptly when he realised he wasn't the only person who'd decided to pay the office an after dark visit. Torchlight bounced off the wall, illuminating his fellow break and enter colleagues features for a moment.

Hearts pumping, the Doctor reached for the light switch and snapped it on.

"River?" his voice cracked and he swallowed, the reality of seeing her post Darillium far more emotional than he'd expected. His hands were shaking and he quickly buried them behind his back.

"Doctor?" River frowned. She directed her torch to the floor between them, enough for him to see she was wearing her Melody Malone outfit. Even without the hat sitting jauntily atop her curls it had always been one of his favourites. "Can't a girl enjoy a good bit of larceny without her husband bursting in to spoil all the fun?" her lips curved upwards as she eyed him speculatively.

"River," the Doctor said again, his thoughts all over the place. He couldn't get his bearings even though he knew he had to, and before River became suspicious.

"What's wrong?" River asked, laughing. "You look like you've seen a ghost!" She glanced behind her playfully. "You haven't, have you?"

"Ah, no, no I haven't," the Doctor finally managed some coherent speech. "How … what … why are you here?"

"I could ask you the same questions," River retorted, "but I don't think this is the place for a diary check, do you?"

"I suppose not," the Doctor conceded.

"Right, then you get what you came here for and I'll do the same," River suggested. "We can compare notes after."

"Fine," the Doctor was reluctant to shift his eyes away from her. If he did then she'd disappear, he was sure of it. Had his grief finally gotten the better of him, conjuring up so lifelike a depiction of his wife because he desperately wanted to see her again? He'd missed her so much.

"I've missed you too sweetie," River replied, as real as it got. "Down to business now though, okay. We'll catch up later." She winked and he knew what she was thinking too – most of it about snogging his socks off. For once he didn't even blush, because he'd thought she'd never tease him like this again.

Nodding, the Doctor resolved to keep his thoughts to himself. He was Gallifreyan, and in many ways so was River. It was in their nature to communicate telepathically and doing so would have been a daily occurence if not for how much they each still hid from the other.

Over the course of the two hundred years he'd spent filling River's prison sentence nights with adventure, they'd only gotten closer, more in tune. Despite the apparent evidence to the contrary, he'd never taken it further - because he didn't believe he deserved that priviledge, and because, well, he'd truly believed his life would end at Lake Silencio. It would have been cruel to take even more than he already had from River knowing he wouldn't be around to live up to the promise in truly making her his wife in every way.

They'd shared thoughts from time to time of course - in fact it had come in handy on more than one occasion - but the Doctor was usually better at keeping his thoughts to himself when he didn't want her to know them. Turning away he approached the filing cabinet in the corner, glancing back to River more than once on the way, just to make sure she was still there.

Ripping open the middle draw he found the M's, flicking through them to find one labelled "Malone, M." Taking it out he riffled through the pages, rapidly reading through the contents. It was towards the back, the sheet detailing who wanted to speak with River. Ripping it out, the Doctor folded it into a small square and tucked it into his pocket to deal with later. Reading through the rest of the file he concluded there was nothing of interest there. Tucking it back into place he closed the draw and turned to find River regarding him curiously.

"Care to share?" she asked, raising a brow as she glanced from the cabinet to him.

"I will if you do," he offered, "once we're out of here."

"Deal," River moved briskly now, listening at the door before nodding to him as she opened it swiftly.

The building was still silent and still but as one they both knew that things had changed.

"Someone's here," River whispered, shifting closer to the Doctor until her back was against his chest.

He lost himself for a moment, breathing in the scent of her hair.

"Doctor," River said impatiently in a low tone.

"Right," he blinked, willing himself to concentrate. Focusing with his heightened, Gallifreyan senses, he could hear hearts beating, oxygen shifting in and out, and smell the presence of more than one human. "Four or five at least," he murmured.

Pushing River behind him, he stepped forward, ducking low as he tried to pinpoint with better accuracy where their unexpected company was hiding.

"There," River pointed over his shoulder down the corridor they needed to head down.

"Of course, they would be right in our path," the Doctor complained in a whisper. "Why is it whenever you're involved River Song, things have a way of going pear shaped!?"

"Don't blame me," River shot back in a heated whisper. "I was doing perfectly okay until you showed up!"

The cocking of a gun halted their conversation. Eyes locked, they gazed at each other. It looked like having other means of communicating was going to come in handy once again!

"You have a weapon?" the Doctor thought at her.

River held up her blaster in reply, an amused smile gracing her lips when he looked both happy and disturbed all at the same time.

"You have to get over your aversion to my efficiency with weapons darling," she thought teasingly, "especially when we both know how hot it makes you."

"Fine, fine," his mental voice took on an overtone of embarrassment. "Now isn't the time for that River! We have several armed men waiting for us."

"I can take care of them," River reminded him.

The Doctor hesitated and then with a sigh, nodded. Her reflexes were phenomenal. Those men didn't stand a chance.

"Don't worry," she though reassuringly. "I'll stun them only."

"Thank you," the Doctor touched a hand to her shoulder before letting her go. It bothered him to watch her shift away from his protection, her weapon raised to shoulder height as she moved cautiously forward. It made no difference that he knew she'd in all likelihood survive – this wasn't where she died. Time could be rewritten – that thought was always at the back of his mind. "River, be careful," he thought forcefully.

She glanced back, throwing him a confident smile before turning back to the corridor in front of them and disappearing around the corner.

It all happened very quickly. Her weapon went off five times in quick succession before silence descended again.

"River?" he called out.

"I'm fine," she called back. "You were right – there were five of them."

"Well of course I was right," he retorted, following the sound of her voice until he was standing beside her, the still forms of five men stretched out on the floor in front of them.

"I wonder what they wanted," he said, dropping down beside the first and competently searching him. "Conner O'Brian," he read the man's identification, glancing up at River. "Ring any bells?"

"No, this one either," River said, holding up a similar ID for one of the other men.

They searched all five but found nothing to illuminate why they'd lain in wait for River and the Doctor to emerge from Smythe's office.

"This makes no sense," the Doctor frowned, thinking. "First Smythe visits Amy and Rory asking for you and now we find a second person, also after you. What are you embroiled in this time River?"

"Nothing to warrant any of this," River said firmly. "Honestly, the only reason I stopped in here was to check on Angel activity. This firm was one of the ones Grayle hired back in the thirties, when he was after anything he could get about the statues."

"We fixed the Angel problem River," the Doctor reminded her. "At high cost. You of all people should know that."

"Yes, and one survived to collect that payment," River said grimly. "Where did that one come from and what was it doing during the years between 1938 and 2012? It seemed prudent for one of us to pay attention and I knew I couldn't get you here under any circumstance. Except, here you are. I have to say Doctor, you've surprised me this time."

"I surprise myself all the time," the Doctor muttered. "It wasn't my choice to come here – didn't think I could."

"The TARDIS brought you?" River eyed him narrowly. "She wouldn't do that unless it was very important. What happened?"

"Spoilers," the Doctor said, looking away. He could pull off plenty of lies with the best of them but there was no way he'd be able to hide the grief from River. One look and she'd know everything, without him having said a word.

River watched him for a moment – he could feel her eyes on him but he refused to look up. "Shouldn't we be going?" he asked, moving towards the stairwell. They didn't talk as they made their way back to the ground floor.

The cubicles stretched out between them and the backdoor – plenty of places for more goons to hide there.

"I'll go first," River insisted, her weapon already out and ready for action.

Nodding, the Doctor stepped aside, falling in behind her with his sonic screwdriver in hand, as they moved cautiously forward. When the first man popped up from cover, River fired without hesitation, felling him with one blast. A second man popped up from the opposite side of the room but River was already shifting to take him down too.

It became a bizarre rendition of a carnival game, the one with the ducks. River was good but there were a lot of men – too many for this to be about robbery. They wanted River and the Doctor, their approach making it clear that it had to be alive. That was to the Doctor's advantage. As River fired in one direction, he'd fire the sonic screwdriver in the other, disabling weapons with flashes of green light.

When a line of men stepped forward like a last line of defence, the Doctor shook his head.

"There are too many," he told River. "We'll have to make a run for it."