NOTE: This is just a little FYI to let you know that I never do sex scenes, so no matter how friendly or frisky my characters may get with one another they will always get interrupted by something before things go any further than what you'd see on most TV programs, even if that just means the end of a chapter of what have you. So as far as that goes this story is 100% safe. Violence and angst? Not so safe, but you should already know that!
Also this is another River chapter so be prepare for time jumpy stuff! Giggle. Also anything that seems out of place time stream wise...that's all a clue as to what's 'really going on'. Enjoy!
Chapter Six
"What could you possibly want with this old thing, Doctor?"
River held up the palm sized dull metal disk set with rounded blood red stones and inscribed with lines and circles. As far as River knew the disk was strictly ceremonial in nature and only important to a small group of insect like beings that worshiped solar winds. Standing in the dimly lit and empty showroom of the vast alien museum River studied the disk.
"Breaking and entering?" A gruff voice demanded from behind.
River gasped sharply, she had sworn that she had tranquilized all of the guards on patrol in this part of the museum. Prepared to think fast River slipped the disk she had stolen into the satchel she had slung over her shoulder as she turned around in one fluid motion. With her hand in the satchel she found the grip of her gun that held tranquilizing rounds, but before she drew the weapon she recognized the intruder that had snuck up on her.
"Doctor!" River exclaimed in surprise.
"Twelve thousand consecutive life sentences aren't enough?" The Doctor asked with a raised eye brow of mock disapproval. "You need to tack on a few more years for petty theft?"
"What are you doing here?" River demanded.
"I went to visit you at Stormcage Prison and much to my surprise you weren't there."
"Well whose fault is that?"
"Are you suggesting it's mine?"
River paused and looked the Doctor over for a moment. He was wearing his Vortex Manipulator so that told her that he should be further along in him Time Stream than Abydos where he had asked her to come and steal the disk. At the same time he looked so much younger than when she had seen him on Abydos. Confused River decided to play it safe and just not mention anything until they figured out where they were to avoid any potentially dangerous spoilers or paradoxes.
"River?" The Doctor asked when she didn't answer.
"Isn't everything your fault?" River teased.
"Good point." He smiled. "I was going to take you to the fire geysers on Bula Karva for an unforgettable date, but I think a night in the museum has a certain romantic charm to it as well. What do you think? Lady's choice."
"Wait, you hunted me down out of all of space and time to ask me out on a date?"
"Don't I always?"
"How did you know I'd be here?" River asked, fishing to see if he knew about Abydos.
"River, I can always find you if I try. You leave ripples in time the way a boulder leaves ripples in water when dropped into a pond."
River had the distinct feeling she had just been lied to considering how difficult a time the Doctor usual had in the past finding her without gigantic signs, like the coordinates she had carved out into the Universe's oldest cliff face. However, it was clear that the Doctor was no longer interested in talking. In fact she was surprised by how uninterested he was in her reason for being in the closed museum. Far from being curious about her criminal activities he stepped up and carded his hands into her hair before engaging her in a lengthy kiss.
"Let's go find something wonderfully historical to make love on." The Doctor smiled deviously.
"That sounds more like something I would say." River pointed out.
"They have the Andromeda Galaxy Emperor's bedroom set on display in the west wing."
"You're serious, aren't you?"
"Of course."
"What about the guards?"
"I took care of all that already. We won't be disturbed tonight. So...what do you say?"
The Doctor took a few steps back and held his hand out for River to take. Although feeling a little unsettled about everything River couldn't resist the lupine grin that spread across the Doctor's lips as he waited for her to make up her mind. River smiled as well and took his hand and allowed him to lead her through the museum.
As they passed by the various displays River couldn't help but notice that the Doctor wasn't doing his usual score keeping with the various artifacts. He didn't seem interested in any of the objects on display at all, however several times he pulled them both to a stop to admire her and engage in some light play. Stopping again the Doctor pressed River against a large glass display case that held the jewel encrusted body armour of a long dead king that had four arms and a chest nearly five feet broad. The Doctor gently took River's ear between his teeth as he ran his hands down her sides.
"Doctor, you've always been a hopeless romantic, but lately you have been down right...amourous."
"Do you mind?" The Doctor asked as he continued to explore her curves.
"Not really."
"Good, you'd break both my hearts if you asked me to stop."
River chuckled and assured the Doctor that she didn't mind the attention by reaching up and undoing his bow tie so that she could get at the top button beneath. Pulling her away from the display case the Doctor ended up with his hand in the back pocket of River's jeans. He pulled out a torn piece of paper that was there.
"What's this?" The Doctor asked as he pulled away enough to bring the paper between them.
"That's nothing." River said dismissivly as she tried to take it back.
"This is my handwriting." The Doctor noted as he read the note. "Time coordinates, this is a schedule, now that's interesting."
"It's nothi..."
River was cut off as a sudden searing pain lashed though her. The Doctor reacted quickly and caught her before she could fall. He eased her to the the cold marble floor and stroked her hair as she trembled from the continued wracking pains. Frightened she reached up and gripped the lapel of the Doctor's jacket as he bent over her.
"It's okay, River, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I must make a mistake in the future. Just hold on, it will be over soon."
"Wha...what's happening?" River whimpered.
"It's going to be okay. A piece of your past is being rewritten. I must end up taking a younger version of you with me on an adventure due to one of these coordinates I just learned. For an average person that wouldn't be so terrible, but you are so far from average."
"No, you can't..." River panted "you can't cross our Time Streams like that..."
"'Can't' and 'shouldn't' are two totally different concepts, River."
"Why are you doing this?" River gasped and then screamed as she was overwhelmed by the change in her once fixed past.
"Hush, just breathe. Hopefully the new memory is a pleasant one."
"Gem..." River weld her eyes shut against the flood of new memories. "Gemina, I've been to Gemina now, but I...I didn't know anything about the disk at the time. How..."
"It's beautiful, isn't? Was the TARDIS there?" The Doctor asked eagerly. "No, wait, don't tell me. Spoilers."
River couldn't have answered the question even if she had wanted to. Having her Time Stream suddenly shifted to involve a whole new journey, which also meant having the original events of that day deleted had left her reeling. As the pain receded she pushed away from the Doctor. She only got to her hands and knees before being violently sick.
"I need to be more careful." The Doctor sighed. "That was a lot harder on you that I would have thought."
"Don't do that...don't take me with you." River said as she caught her breath. "Please."
"It's too late now. Now that I've seen this, I know that I will." The Doctor helped River to her feet. "That's the danger of spoilers."
"Doctor...why are you crossing your own Time Stream?"
"Isn't it obvious?"
"No."
"To be with you."
"I love you and I love being with you, but you can't do that, you *know* you can't do that."
"Of course I can."
"No, Sweetie, you have to stop. This is the sort of thing that traveling alone does to you, and it is also the kind of thing that can lead to putting a hole in the Universe."
"I'm not going to put a hole in anything. I have everything under control."
"The fact that we are even having this conversation is grounds for me to be revealing your nam..."
"How *dare* you threaten me!"
River yelped in surprise as the Doctor suddenly lashed out at her. She brought her arm up to defend herself and he snatched her wrist. With a violent jerk he broke the delicate bones. River cried out in pain and tried to pull away from him. The Doctor shoved her back with all his strength into a marble statue of an Arcurian. After slamming into the unyielding stone River dropped to her knees as she felt her ribs crack with the force of being thrown back. Cradling her broken wrist against her chest she looked up at the Doctor in shock.
"I'm sorry." The Doctor said with genuine sympathy. "Let me fix it."
"Stay away from me!"
"Don't be like that."
"Who are you?"
"It's complicated."
River cowered as the Doctor approached with his hand glowing gold with regeneration energy. Under his shirt his chest on the left side was also turning a brilliant gold. He took her wrist in his hand and healed the damage he had done before seeking out her ribs and easing the pain. River fought against him as he forced her into a kiss. When he brought his hand up to her temple the pleasant healing sensation turned to an icy pain as he reached into her memory.
"I'm truly sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you."
Taking a deep breath River was a little confused to find herself laying on her back on an extraordinarily soft surface. The last thing she clearly remembered was the Doctor getting frisky with her against a large glass case that held a suit of glittering armour. Feeling a gentle touch at her brow River turned her head to the side and smiled. The Doctor was laying next to her on his side stroking her face softly. He smiled as he looked at her with concern.
"Are you alright, River?"
"What happened?"
"That glass case we leaned against had a security system that we set off. Some sort of electric burst. You got the brunt of it I'm afraid. I carried you here. How are you feeling?"
"Just fine."
"Good."
River looked around at the vast expanse of the Andromeda Galaxy Emperor's bed. The Emperor had been fifteen feet tall and nearly as wide. River stretched out and the Doctor took the opportunity to rub her exposed stomach. Being ticklish River squealed and curled up around his hand to protect her soft underbelly. River retaliated by reaching back and tickling up under the Doctor's arm. The Doctor laughed and a playful war ensued on the battlefield of the Emperor sized bed.
Once she was breathless with laughter from the merciless attacks River decided that it was time to take control of the situation. The Doctor didn't put up much of a struggle when River rolled him over on his back and sat on hips. However when River took his wrists and pinned them down above his head the Doctor's whole countenance changed in a heartbeat. Gasping sharply his whole body tensed as his eyes completely lost their focus. River instantly released his wrists as he began to thrash, but he acted as though they were tethered to the spot.
"Doctor?"
Unresponsive to her voice the Doctor weld his eyes shut and wailed at the top of his lungs as tears streaked down his temples from the corners of his eyes. His chest heaved as he laboured for breath between his cries. Shocked by the sudden change River wasn't sure what to do.
"Doctor?!" River put her hands on either side of his face. "Doctor look at me. What's wrong?!"
"I...I can't...I can't breathe!" The Doctor cried in sheer panic. "I can't breathe!"
"You can breathe, just calm down."
"No, no..." The Doctor whimpered. "Take them out, please! I can't stand it any longer! Please! Take them out!"
"Take what out? I don't understand!"
The Doctor was in no shape to explain further as he convulsed. River jerked her hand away from his chest when she realized that it was starting to glow under his shirt. Terrified that he was about to go into regeneration for some unknown reason River just did her best to calm him as he continued to seize. Tears stung River's eyes as the Doctor cried out again, this time his voice held a tone of heart breaking despair rather than pain or fear.
"Doctor, I'm right here." River tried to sound calm but she was nearly as panicked as he was.
This time when River placed her hand against the Doctor's cheek he responded. Opening his eyes he looked up at her desperately. He sat bolt up right and wrapped his arms around her and held on as though at any moment someone was going to try and forcibly separate them. Burying his face against her chest he broke down into a bitter weeping. Still shaken herself River wrapped her arms around him and gently rocked him while she rubbed between his shoulder blades. River felt terribly helpless as he cried unconsolably in her arms. She hadn't even really believed that he was capable of such an emotional release, the most she'd ever seen him display was a silent tear or two.
"It's okay, I'm here, my Love."
"River, please," the Doctor whimpered as he controled his tears "please, take the daggers out of my chest...I can't live like this anymore."
"Daggers?"
"One in each heart. I need you to pull them out, I can't do it myself."
"There's nothing there, Sweetie."
"There is, I can feel them...it's agony." The Doctor insisted in misery. "Please, help me..."
"Doctor, just look, there are no blades. Look."
"I can't. I can't look, I can't bare to see them...I can't..."
"Trust me."
Shaking violently in her arms the Doctor shook his head like a stubborn child and began to cry again. Confused River allowed him to release his emotions through the tears until he began to calm once again. Once he seemed to regaining some self control River put her hands on his shoulder and leaned him back to put some space between them. His chest was no longer glowing, but he was now slick with sweat. He kept his eyes closed and even went so far as to turn his face away to make sure he didn't accidentally catch a glimpse of the imaginary blades.
"It's okay, there are no blades," River assured "I'm going to prove it."
River unbuttoned the Doctor's shirt, she knit her brow when she caught sight of the deep purple spiral patterns etched over his heart but she had large problems to deal with at the moment. She put her hands on his chest and ran then gently against his skin to show to him that there was nothing protruding from the area. It took a while but the Doctor began to visibly relax. Eventually he calmed to the point where he could open his eyes. Shaking with renewed fear he slowly looked down. When he saw that there was nothing there he reached up and took River's hands in his own. He brought her hands up to his lips and kissed them.
"Thank you."
"Doctor...what was that all about?"
"The Minyans."
"What did they do to you?"
"They tore me apart...and I'm still missing some of the pieces."