Four Times Reese Wished River Hadn't Come, One Time He Wished She Had

by Haiza Tyri

River Song keeps showing up in John Reese's life, to great chaos. Here are four times he wished she hadn't and one he wished she had. A sequel to "Interlude Before The Angels" but can stand alone. Three chapters will be by guest authors.

5. Ordos, China 2010

One Time John Reese Wished River Song Had Shown Up, by Haiza Tyri

Ordos, China 2010

Just before Stanton shot him, in the infinity of nothingness between the moment he saw her gun and the moment she pulled the trigger, Reese halfway expected River to appear behind her and stop her. River had a way of doing that sort of thing. As he leaned against the wall bleeding, he remembered what she'd told him once, a couple of years ago. Well, you were wrong, River. But I could really use your help right now.

Her help never came. He stumbled away from the burning city, trying to put pressure on his wound and run at the same time. Right about now is the time when you show up with a Humvee, River, he thought faintly, finding himself lying in a field. Or a helicopter. Or a little flying saucer, even.

River never came, and he made his own way out of China and into a nightmare from which he was rescued not by a mad, beautiful British woman but by a short, awkward computer programmer who was also a bit mad.