WOOT~ Here's today's second installment, and the last chapter of 2012! I really ope you enjoy this one! I'd like to point out that I've never written ANY Doctor Who stuff before this fic - more of a warning as I don't know that I stayed true to Matt's Doctor throughout, especially in the next chapter... So yeah, sorry if it gets a little OOC.

Anyways, enough preamble! Enjoy and review~

Chapter 15: Run

As River turned and ran, the Doctor was taken by surprise. He allowed a small smile to flick across his face as he raced after her - at least the Schism hadn't sent her mad. That at least was a good thing.

He hurtled down the stone steps, narrowly avoiding two Sisters as he went. "Sorry!" He yelled back to them over his shoulder - he didn't think they heard, but it was the thought that counted anyway.

He chased River, passing the TARDIS at high speed. Jack picked his head out of the door as the Doctor ran by - but before he could say a word the Doctor yelled "Not now Jack!" Jack pulled his best sulking face and slipped back inside the time machine. The Doctor's side began to ache beneath the bandage as his gash re-opened. Sharp needles of pain shot up from the wound as he ran after her.

River ran on blindly, putting as much space between herself and the Schism as possible. The Doctor increased his speed, hurtling after his wife across the familiar landscape. He had run this route once before, when he was eight years old. And he had been chased too.

The memory of being eight flooded his mind as he hurtled after River. He could remember clearly the fear that filled his veins as he ran, red robes flapping slightly. He could remember also the commotion behind him as two fully-fledged Time Lords chased after him. Their cloaks of red silk had snapped in the wake of their passing, and their golden headpieces had hardly slowed them.

Snapping back to the present, he caught River's arm and forced them both to a stop. He held tight as she pulled at him, trying to get away. She whirled to face him, tears streaking through down her cheeks and leaving wet tracks in the dust that had been thrown up by her sprint. Her eyes were wild and wide - terrified.

The Doctor's hearts sagged with sadness as he took in his wife - the normally bright, amazing woman whose smile could make his soul leap and his stomach tie itself into knots stood before him; weakened and broken, terrified. And he had done this. A tear grew in one eye.

River looked at him and slowly her four-beat pulse slowed to normal - well, normal for when she was in contact with her husband. She took a shaky breath. Focussing on him, she noticed the nagging voice had stopped. A small, choked sound escaped her throat and her legs gave out beneath her. She sat gasping on the ground, tears flooding her vision.

The Doctor sat down on the rocks with her and pulled her into a gentle, reassuring hug. She sobbed into his shoulder, unable to stop herself. There was a childlike air as she clutched his shoulder and cried. He stroked her hair softly, muttering reassuringly into her ear. He was panting slightly as she cried; he may be good at running, but a full-fledged sprint after someone with Time Lord stamina was a bit much for him at this age.

Eventually River pulled away, wiping her eyes. "Sorry," she said, sniffing derisively. "I... I don't know what came over me." She was embarrassed - River Song NEVER cried. But the Doctor just smiled softly and leant forward, kissing her forehead. "It's fine River. The Schism... It's something else. Don't be embarrassed!"

Together they got to their feet and headed back across the rocky landscape to the TARDIS.

Jack was pacing again when they finally returned. He grinned brightly when they came into the TARDIS. "Finally!" He exclaimed. "You took your time!"

Jack hopped down and extended his had to River. "Captain Jack Harkness. Nice to meet you." The Doctor rolled his eyes.

"Jack," he said warningly, "I'd appreciate you not flirting with my wife thank you." Jack nodded an backed off. He wasn't in a mood to argue at the moment.

"Right then," the Doctor strode across to the chair by his console, where Eyphah sat slouched. "What are we going to do about her?"

Jack stood silently. He hadn't told the Doctor about his suspicions about Eyphah, and wasn't sure what they should do about the little non-human. River broke the silence, but didn't answer the Doctor's question.

"Sweetie," she said softly, "You're bleeding..." The Doctor glanced down at his side. He had taken his jacket off at the door, allowing his bandage to show. Sure enough, what had been pale pink before was now red. Red and decidedly painful.

At least his body wasn't trying to shut down this time.

The Doctor stood gently, mindful of his injury. "I'm fine," he told River calmly, giving her a smile. "Nothing time can't heal." He looked back at the ginger orphan. "Although..." He added, "I'm not sure time can fix whatever is wrong with her."

River came to his side and observed the unconscious child thoughtfully. "I don't get it, she seemed so pleasant before..." She watched as the Doctor leant forward, hissing as the movement stretched his side. Gently, he picked up the watch from around Eyphah's neck and slipped the chain over her head.

Standing, he held it out to River. She took it from him, confused, then gasped as the cold metal touched her skin.

"The singing..." She cried. The Doctor nodded. "It's stopped." He said simply. Jack stood by looking on. He didn't understand. "What do you mean? What singing has stopped? Doctor, what is going on?"

The Doctor turned to the ex-Time Agent. "Eyphah opened this pocket watch." He passed it to Jack, who examined it carefully. "Design consistent with 72nd century Midnight, metal used is Rexoclastine from Jex-3-Minor. Has a smear of blood on it here." He pointed at a patch of red smudged across one side of the watch. "Nothing particularly special according to my analysis; what of it?"

The Doctor looked Jack in the eye and explained. "Before it was opened, the watch sang- Hang on, blood?" He took the watch back. "Ah..." Glancing at Eyphah he saw the blood stain on her trousers. He touched the stain with a finger and examined it. "My blood. Joy."

Jack interrupted. "The watch, Doctor. You said it sang. What do you mean?" The Doctor looked over at him scornfully. "I mean what I said. The watch sang. Psychically, it was emitting an unending song, never repeating, yet always there."

River clarified for Jack, who still looked confused. "The watch featured an internal circuit which was transmitting a melody along a psychic wavelength."

"But that's not all," the Doctor crossed around to the other side of the console, leaning on a bannister as he twirled the watch in his hands. "You see Jack," he continued, "it wasn't any old song. The watch was playing a Gallifreyan Ballad, specifically one known as-" he said something unintelligible in Gallifreyan.

"So what?" Jack was still not getting it. "She has a watch that plays a tune that happens to match an old Gallifreyan song. What's the significance of her opening it?"

The TARDIS suddenly began to chime wildly, buzzing as alarms went off. "What's happening?" Harkness shouted as River flicked switches and toggle levers, glancing at some levels on a screen. "I don't know... Now why are you doing that old girl?" She groaned at the time machine.

"What's she doing?" The Doctor shouted over the cacophony, twisting several dials and bashing a button thrice. The noises stopped, almost reluctantly.

"She's running a scan on Eyphah," River explained. "I don't know why though..." They all glanced at the unconscious subject, who remained blissfully unaware of the attention.

Jack cleared his throat uncomfortably. "I might know why," he began quietly. "When I was chasing Eyphah, the TARDIS refused to help out at first. The girl ran so fast for so long, it was inhuman. That's when she - the TARDIS that is - finally helped me. When I voiced my opinion that no human should be able to run like Eyphah did." There was an uncertain pause as this news sunk in.

The Doctor's voice echoed around the room. "So you're telling me," he said, "that this little girl, the girl who I picked up off of Earth and who presumably poisoned myself and River - You're telling me that she's not human?"

Jack merely nodded. "Yep."