River, River, please wake up! You need to wake up! Come on, open your eyes child...My thief needs you...River you don't have long, I'm not losing my daughter again! Get up!
River woke with a start, the sheets of the Doctor's bed covering the majority of her body, her head constantly throbbed and her eyes still hadn't fully settled. She scrubbed her face and took in her surroundings. The room was a right old state. Clothes and ornaments were thrown across the floor, the closet was upturned on the other side of the room. She felt the warmth of a hand on her own and looked down. Raggedy was holding her hand, his eyes were shut. "He's out cold old girl," River spotted Charlotte and Rose on the floor to the other side of the bed "They all are...what happened?" River thought to the TARDIS.
We were attacked Riv. I think it was a silence ship, but that wouldn't make sense, they were miles away...I think it was the Master. You need to tell them both, what you know, what the Master wants. I landed us somewhere safe. They'll wake up in a second, I transported them from the main control console. There were far too many sparks, it could have hurt them. You have less than three hours at most, please dear, please we need to get the plan under way now!
River nodded and sent a mental thanks to her mother. Raggedy's eyes fluttered open.
"Riv..." he coughed and ran a clumsy hand through his mop of fluffy hair. "You're awake! Oh River, I was worried dear, so worried!" River smiled softly, "Well I'm awake now!" he smiled but concern was clearly visible on his face, "How much does it hurt?" River looked away, "Not much sweetie, it's just a little annoying that's all." Charlotte and Rose stirred at thus point and both scrambled to the two on the bed, "Mummy! You're o.k. again! I was scared...I tried to be brave but..." River held her daughter close to her chest, "You are brave sweet heart, you are far braver than me." Rose took River's hand, "He was crying for you, you know. You really must mean the universe to him." River averted her gaze from the young woman, "I wouldn't say that..." she whispered. "I would!" a Scottish squeal came from under the fallen closet in the corner. They all turned, "Sweetie, how did you get under there?" The closet shook slightly, "Under where, where is everyone? Am I dead? I do hope not, this better not be what it's like after I regenerate, it boring and smells like an old closet, with perfume..." The group looked at one another pitifully, "I'm really like that now?" Raggedy whined, River nodded in empathy. Raggedy shook his head, "Gosh I'm old..." A bang came from the closet, "Ow! My leg! Oof I heard that, you old fool, get me out of here!" the Doctor barked. River, Rose and Charlotte all started sniggering. Raggedy heaved himself off the bed and swaggered over to the wardrobe, picking it up with ease. The Doctor had a red face and grumbled as Raggedy pulled him to his feet. The Doctor looked around with a childish scowl but immediately smiled when he saw River was awake and leaped onto the bed inches from her face. "Hi honey!" He cooed shyly. River touched her forehead to his, "Hello Sweetie..." she sighed, shutting her eyes. Raggedy made a small yelp and darted onto the bed behind her. "Hey, you're my wife two, what's he got that I haven't?" River looked up at him and then leant back into his arms, "Nothing dear, you're both just as amazing as each other." the Doctor moved to her side and gently touched two fingers to her neck. "All good, but you're pulse is a little high for my liking dear." River simply nodded in reply, her eyes still shut, trying desperately to block the headache that was filling her mind.
Open your eyes Riv, they both need you right now, you can sleep after all this is over.
River obeyed and stared straight into her husband's new very piercing gaze, "You know, I don't find that intimidating in the slightest, don't you?" she joked, trying to avert his concern. "Yes, but I'm worried Riv, we both are." She shot them both a dangerous look, "And being sentimental is going to get you where exactly. We need to get to the control room and find the others, the TARDIS transported you here when she was attacked. Who knows where she put the others, probably somewhere confusing, hopefully there's someone in each group who knows where they're going..." Rose looked puzzled, "How would you know that, you were unconscious when it happened!" River looked upwards, though really she could have looked anywhere, "The TARDIS told me, she and I tell each other everything..." she looked at the Doctors again, they both swallowed hard. "Just tell me it was because she was being brave that you kissed her, Tasha Lem ruined my entire life I could have had with my parents, I hope you know that!" the two men hung their heads, "We do now." Raggedy whispered sadly, then his head shot up, "But yes, it was because she was brave!" I thought of you when I kissed her, It made me stop...I feel sick at the thought of it now..." River put a hand on his cheek, he lifted his head with tears welling at his eyes, "Hush now, I just wanted to know, to lose you to her of all people, would have put an end to me..." The Doctor grabbed her wrist and planted a kiss on her palm, "How can you ever forgive me, after all I've subjected you to?" he said, nudging her hand with his nose. "Because you are the best friend I've ever had! And there's the small matter of you being the man I'm hopelessly in love with..." River laughed softly, her head hurt less now, but the pain was still there. He looked up and kissed her palm again, "How did I ever deserve you?" she laughed again and pushed herself away from her doting husbands, "I don't know you must have done something either really good or extremely wicked!" River beamed "Let's go, I need to get my TARDIS legs back!" the others followed. The Doctors both grabbed Charlotte's hands and scurried ahead, both trying to tell the small child everything about the TARDIS that wouldn't completely bamboozle the girl. Rose and River took up the rear.
"What's it really like then?" Rose asked all of a sudden. River looked across at the young woman. "Oh you mean, matrimony with a mad man!" she said, emphasising mad man. The Doctors gave no reaction, far too interested in their new daughter. Rose laughed, "You get away with things none of us would even think of saying to him!" Rose said ,linking an arm with River who smiled softly before whispering back, "Believe me when I say this, what I say in front of you is nothing compared to what he says when its only him and I alone in this old girl." the two women giggled. "It's nice to know there's another woman going through the same constant worry and frustration associated with being married to him." River tightened her arm slightly against Rose's. Rose nodded, "If the other people in this group knew just how much work it is dealing with the man's real personality, they wouldn't be nearly so eager to marry him!" Rose nudged River playfully, the two women laughed again. "Do you think they realise we're talking about them?" Rose asked.
"We could find out..." River said, raising an eyebrow suggestively. The two wives turned to each other and Rose raised equally mischievous eyebrows.
In one of the many Kitchens of the TARDIS...
"Eugh...my head...did someone hit me?" Donna thought, opening her eyes but her eyes were still fuzzy and all she could make out were some arms and legs dangling in front of her. She scrubbed her eyes and realised the legs belonged to a women and the arms, a man. She tugged the legs and they moved. "Woah!" a Scottish accent piped up, "Who touched my legs! It better not have been you Harkness, considering your arms are hanging down over this counter!" the voice that Donna recognised as Amy, continued in a squeal. "Nope, wasn't me, are we in a kitchen?" An American accent replied."That's Jack." Donna thought. "Yep, this is the kitchen I do all my soufflés in." a young woman added, Donna noticed another pair of legs dangling off a counter on the other side of the space, "That must be Clara..." Donna thought. She suddenly worked out, she appeared to be in a cubby hole under a kitchen counter. "Who, or what touched my leg then?" Amy asked again. "Well it wasn't us neither miss!" "Cockney accent...Jenny!" Donna realised, two people walked forward toward the the legs and arms in front of Donna's face. "We were collapsed next to each other against the kitchen entrance..." Donna recognised this as Vastra. "Then what is it?!" Amy sounded scared. "Me..." Donna spoke up. The arms suddenly vanished and a familiar face appeared from the top of the counter. "Donna! What are you playing at?" Jack laughed and pulled her out from the cubby hole. "Did we all black out? How are we here? Are we safe?" Donna spun round, panicked. The group all shrugged. "Do you think the others are alright?" Jenny said, putting a hand on Vastra's arm. The Silurian nodded, "I assume so, the ship probably moved us somewhere safe. Clara hadn't been listening and was instead tutting at an oven, "Too beautiful to live..." she sighed. Clara turned the group holding up a burnt looking splodge, "I swear this ship does this to me just to be mean. Not one soufflé I have made here is right!" Vastra and Jenny tried their best to comfort Clara and Amy began to pace. "Well there doesn't seem to be a sign of either Doctor, I guess I'll have to find Rory and Melody by myself..." Amy muttered and walked toward the kitchen door then turned to the group. "Well you guys coming? If I find River, she can lead us to the others by talking to the TARDIS!" the group followed on. "What can't she do?!" Jack muttered.
"She can't stand snakes, she won't move from a spot till they've all been cleared or she's burnt them all to a crisp!" Amy shouted to him from her place at the front of the group in the hall. "Snakes! Wait so she's a professor of archeology at a university, she goes on amazing adventures, shoots guns, blows stuff up and she's afraid of snakes!" Clara asked puzzled, "Yes, what of it?" Amy replied, "Indiana Jones, anyone?" Clara looked around at the group. She got blank looks from Vastra and Jenny, but Amy started to laugh. "Apparently River and the Doctor saved a young George Lucas from a boulder alien, must have left an impression. Maybe I should sing the theme song next time I see my daughter, though the face I could get from her could destroy a civilisation, it probably has," Amy laughed, "You should see the scowl my girl can pull, it makes the Doctor's scowl seem almost like a smile! To be fair to River, she is usually of a rather cheery disposition, in fact she only really shows a temper around the Doctor...and even then it's only when he's doing something incredibly ego-centric, or making up some stupid plan that has got himself or someone else into trouble...she's a good girl really!" there was a long pause before the group all laughed and walked onwards into the TARDIS.
In one of the many Libraries of the TARDIS...
"Woah...What happened?" John sprang to his feet and, meerkat-like, scurried round the desk and quickly located a very confused looking Martha, who was sprawled over a large armchair. "Where are we?" She asked breathlessly. "The TARDIS library." He answered, then noticed Mickey in a corner, under a pile of leather bound books. Martha ran to him and pulled him to his feet and a huge hug, "Let me see, Are you alright?" she said, scrutinizing over his entire body. Mickey pulled her face to his, "I'm fine! But what about everyone else?" he, Martha and John looked around for others but saw no one.
"The TARDIS must have protected us from the attack." A gentle voice spoke up from the entrance to the Library. The trio turned and saw Rory in the Archway, beside him stood Strax. "We have scouted ahead and found a corridor Rory recognises that goes back to the main console." the Sontaran barked. Rory lips twitched sideways at a sight behind them. "I think we need to clean up first..." he smirked. John and the others turned and only then noticed the utter chaos before them. Books had been flung from shelves, shelves on their sides and chairs on their backs. John looked back to Rory, "I never did that much reading, the universe must be really boring now..." Rory laughed at John's comment then started to pick up books. "Actually, I think you only read when River wasn't around, and even when she was, you two spent alot of time together in here away from us." John didn't like where this was going. "Why?" he asked suspiciously. Rory smirked again, "Because you were both trying to hide from me and Amy kissing. You acted like children!" John started to laugh, as the others also started to pick up books and shelves. "We best get to work then!" John said, and picked up a chair.