A/N: In case you're interested, this chapter (the second part of it, anyway) was written FIRST, several weeks ago, when inspiration hit; and then grafted into this story when I realized how well it would fit. Funny how the muse works...

A note to my habitual readers: my life is about to get much busier in a couple of weeks, thanks to starting some new classes, so I won't have nearly as much time for writing fanfiction as I do now. Installments will therefore be coming much more slowly - but they will keep coming, I promise. Not only will I finish this story, but there are still three more in the works to come. So please bear with me; your patience is appreciated.

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Unexpected Visitors

Not long before, and a very long way into his future...

Jenny staggered as she and River came out of their Time Jump in the middle of a large greenhouse. She'd been traveling with the archeologist/adventurer for several months now, but that was still hard to get used to. Almost as jarring as the sudden discovery, the night before, that they shared someone in common: the Doctor. The last of the Time Lords, Jenny's clone-DNA-donor "father", River's... what? She wouldn't specify, exactly, and just smiled mysteriously.

River had discovered some time before a time and a place she knew the Doctor stayed at frequently, so this morning, after wrapping up their business, she'd popped the two of them directly there. Looking swiftly around, the greenhouse appeared momentarily empty, and the both took a moment to take in the surroundings. "Well, at least we know he's here somewhere," River commented, pointing out the familiar blue police box tucked away in one corner.

About thirty feet on a side, the greenhouse was the typical glass-enclosed room, filled with rows of workbenches covered in all sorts of plants in all shapes and hues, many of them flowering at the moment. The air was a heady mix of exotic perfumes and the smell of rich, dark soil, with zones of cool mist alternating with drier spots. Looking out the windows, they could see the room was attached to one side of a large, rambling house that looked, from the outside, like a hide-and-seeker's paradise. To the other side was a pleasant yard, then a large outside garden encircled by a stone wall, beyond which a grove of mixed trees – no two alike – sprawled down the hillside to the valley below. Away across the lavender treetops could be seen the roofs and chimneys of a large town.

"Hello, my dears!" came a masculine voice behind them. They turned to see a young man walking through the door from the house with an empty basket dangling from one hand. His grey eyes danced with welcome under the unruly mop of tightly-curled black hair, matching his friendly smile. "What brings you back so soon, eh?" He stopped and gave Jenny a peck on the cheek in passing, then one on River's as well, to her everlasting surprise.

He walked on a few steps to a nearby workbench and set the basket down before the silence behind him sunk in, and he turned back to see both women staring at him, Jenny in utter confusion, and River in bemusement. "Eh? What is it? Jenny? Oh, no, are we out of synch again? That always seems to throw you off..."

River laughed. "Yes, we must be out of synch. As always. Doctor, this is the first time Jenny's met you since after she was born."

"Oh, good grief! No wonder you're staring like that. But no... wait... this isn't right. Ah-hah! That's what you meant! River, your gadget..." he motioned to her arm, and she brought up her wrist with the Vortex Manipulator automatically. The Doctor tilted his head back and closed his eyes, reeling off a very long string of numbers and designations from memory, and she punched them in. When he was finished, she read them back to check, and he nodded and smiled. "That's the exact space-time coordinates of our actual reunion – a very long time ago, for me. The one you said I sent you to. Don't worry, my dear," he said to Jenny. "That's the time and the face you're looking for, and I promise you I will be properly gobsmacked at your return from the dead." He smiled again, and waved vaguely. "Off you go..."

River shook her head, smiling at his absent-minded-professor act, and returned to Jenny's side, preparing to take her hand again and punch them out. Before she could do so, though, the Doctor broke in again, speaking in a thoughtful voice.

"River... you told me something once, also a very long time ago. – Have we done the Pandorica yet?" She nodded. "Good. Do you remember what you told me at the end, just before you left?" That time, she shook her head, confused. "You told me that the next time we met, I would find out who you really are, and that everything would change. And it certainly did..." His eyes had drifted sideways, in memory, but he brought them back to meet River's, significantly. "Back atcha," he said, enunciating clearly.

Her eyebrows arched almost to her hairline at this promise of imminent revelation from the ever-secretive Time Lord. When he saw she understood, he swept a contented glance around the greenhouse and grounds. "You know," he said musingly, "I think I'll stay here for a while. It's been a very long time since I had a garden to tend. I may even try growing some English peas." Returning his gaze to the women, he saw she again understood the implicit invitation. One of the comfortable – albeit very frequently decidedly UNcomfortable – things about River was how well she read him.

He waved again, smiling his mysterious smile, and repeated, "Off you go."

Returning the smile, River took the hand of a still-befuddled Jenny and pointed a finger to punch the button on her Manipulator. "Goodbye, sweetie."

^..^

A few minutes later, a few centuries younger, and eighty thousand years in the past...

River smiled broadly at the 'properly gobsmacked', much younger version of the Doctor, sauntering closer to study this new face of his, one she'd never seen before. Ignoring everyone else on the breezeway, who'd all come running at the redhead's yell – what did Jenny call her? Donna? –she reached a hand to touch the hair at his temple. Well, this is a handsome face. But you're still my Doctor. I can see it in your eyes.

"River..." he whispered, then spluttered to a stop, not at all sure what to say. The last time he'd seen her – which was also the first time – he'd watched her die. Nine hundred years of wibbley-wobbley timey-wimey didn't always prepare you for these kinds of situations. Not to mention his hyper-awareness of Rose at his back. Blimey was all he could think of.

Her hand faltered at his shocked expression and she pulled it back. "What is it? You do know who I am, don't you?" Before he could formulate an answer, she suddenly focused in on the blonde woman standing very close behind him and staring at her with an unreadable expression. River pulled her habitual mask on and smiled at the blonde, holding her hand out boldly as she always did. "River Song. Archeologist."

The blonde didn't smile back. "Rose Tyler Smith." Nor did she reach for River's hand – not that it would have mattered. At the name, River gasped and went very still, her eyes growing round as saucers, and her hand slowly sank down. Jenny glanced confusedly back and forth between them, while everyone else around them seemed to be holding their breath.

"Rose? You're Rose?" A deep breath. "Oh my god."

The Doctor stepped between them suddenly, manic in his concern. "OK, just stop right there, both of you. Listen very closely. If you haven't learned the concept of spoilers yet, then do it right now – that goes for ALL of you," he added, looking around at everyone on the porch. "River," he turned to her, "listen. I've only met you one time before now. Think about it – has there ever been a time where you ran into me, but I honestly had no idea at all who you were?" She shook her head. "Then that hasn't happened to you yet. Rose..." he swung back to the other side, "I know I told you about that time. Don't say a word. No spoilers. Donna, you either."

He looked closely at both women, seeing in their eyes that they understood what he was saying: don't tell River about her death. He had, indeed, told Rose every detail of that previous meeting in the Library, and Donna had been there to witness it herself, of course.

Back to River. "So all the times we've met before in your past – "

That was as far as he got, as she held up her hand. "Yeah, I know, sweetie. Doctor. I do know about spoilers. I won't say anything, I promise."

Both women returned to their staring at each other. Rose raised her chin. "So you know who I am? Doctor... shut up." The Doctor, who had opened his mouth to shush her again, exasperated, snapped it shut with an audible pop, raising his eyebrows at her.

River glanced at him, her own brows flaring in amused surprise at his tameness. She looked swiftly back to Rose, respect tinging the surprise, and then her gaze softened as she answered, slowly. "Yes... more or less. Your name comes up.. and the conversation stops. Always. The silence that speaks louder than words." She turned it back on the other woman. "You know who I am?"

Rose nodded. "I know you're in his future, apparently very much so." She surprised River (and everyone else) again, then, by giving her a thoughtful smile. "And I'm OK with that. Because no matter what happens, I know he's going to outlive me by centuries, but I don't ever want him to be alone. He should always have someone there to care for him."

Before River could relax, though, Rose's expression sharpened, her eyes narrowing slightly. "But right now.. this Doctor, this time period? This is still my life." She held her left hand up beside her face, palm in, showing River her wedding ring. "And he's mine. So hands off, sister."

River immediately raised both her hands in surrender, quickly and conspicuously taking a side step away from the Doctor, and smiled. "You got it. Him."

Rose nodded, and smiled back, one wolf to another. "Good. Glad we understand each other." She turned slightly and put her arm around the young man beside her, pulling him forward a pace. "This is our son, Davey."

If River was surprised before, she was floored now. Her jaw dropped for a moment, then she swallowed hard, tentatively holding out her hand again. "Davey? Nice to meet you. I'm River Song, in case you didn't catch it before."

Davey was a hell of a lot less at ease than the others, facing the woman who, from the gist of things, was going to take his mother's place eventually in his father's life. He didn't understand how Mum could be so casual. And who the hell is that blonde girl, and why did she call Dad 'Dad'? Nevertheless, he was too well trained to be rude, so he shook River's hand. "Hello."

Suddenly a highly-amused snort drew everyone's attention to one side of the porch, and both newcomer's jaws dropped at the sight of a duplicate of the Doctor standing before them – albeit one who looked slightly older. The first Doctor's face twisted with exasperation. "What in the world are you smirking at?"

"I was just thinking about Mickey," came the reply.

"Mickey? I think we've got enough people here now, thanks."

Rose shot her husband an amused glance, and turned back to Mike. "What about Mickey?"

Speaking directly to her, Mike replied. "You remember the night you first met Sarah Jane?" She nodded. "Mickey called it 'every man's worst nightmare: the missus and the ex'." Mike's grin grew huge, and he laughed heartily. "He'd be loving this!"