Hello again! I'm sorry - I got a bit behind with posting. I'm writing Chapter 21 right now... Anyway, I'm posting two chapters right now, and probably another tomorrow. That should bring us roughly up to date. And we have longer chapters again... I dunno how...
Anyway, Enjoy!

Chapter 17: In The Wake

Jack walked around the console behind River, watching as she efficiently set the TARDIS on route to Jideofor. Once she was satisfied with her input, she turned to face Jack. The Doctor had vanished within the TARDIS, walking off down the maze of corridors quietly in order to think a little while earlier, so it was just the two of them.

"What was she?" Jack asked tentatively, still confused by this turn of events. "She never answered that question..."

River sighed. "On some level," she said, "Eyphah is - was - human. Beyond that..." She shrugged. "I don't know. I'm sorry Jack, I'm as stumped as you."

River touched his shoulder lightly, then walked off. Navigating the TARDIS with ease, she went in search of her husband, leaving Jack alone with the console, listening to the hum of life within the ship as he mulled over his thoughts.

Several long corridors, three lefts, six doors, seven rights and five sets of stairs later, River found the Doctor right where she had expected to find him.

He had gone to his room to mull things over, not trusting his emotions in front of Jack. River found him sitting on the edge of his bed, staring up at the ceiling. The top of the room was a giant window into space, projected by the TARDIS for him. At the moment, the view was panning across the constellation of Ursa Minor.

River sat next to him, placing one arm around his shoulders. "Hello Sweetie." She said softly, pulling him towards her gently. He leant towards her touch, allowing himself to relax slightly in her presence. He rested his head on her shoulder.

"River..." He muttered her name quietly under his breath. "What are we going to do?" He asked her, voice still low. Not for the first time, River saw her husband was at a loss. She stroked his hair gently as she thought.

Was it really that surprising that he was handling this badly? After all, it was not every day that you discovered that your teenaged, overwhelmingly human passenger was actually a member of an unknown species and seemed set on killing you. Well, actually, in the Doctor's life it almost was everyday. But what had truly thrown him was the Gallifreyan.

Aside from the Time Lords and the Sisters of Infinity, no-one in the universe could understand the language - excluding River herself. It was far too complex for most life forms to attempt to understand, and even then, overlapping two sets of co-ordinates was an impressive feat. Eyphah was definitely a bit of a curve ball, it would seem.

"I don't know, sweetie. All we can do is follow her hint and go to Jideofor. Maybe things will make more sense once we get there." River replied honestly, her voice calm. The Doctor stiffened.

Gently, so as not to unsettle his wife, he sat up. He took in the sight of her before him for a second. The light of the galaxies and stars shining through his ceiling illuminated River's flamboyant hair and cast her entire being in a very flattering manner.

"River," He spoke slowly, tentatively. He took her hand in his and stroked the back of it gently. Sighing softly, he raised his gaze to meet hers. There was great depth in his eyes as he let his usual barriers fall down. River looked into those great, sad orbs and saw his age staring out at her - the tales of journeys, adventures and loss shone out at her as she gazed into those dark, ancient eyes.

"River, I wasn't talking about that. You know what I mean..." His voice was so quiet that it was a wonder she heard him at all. Yet hear him she did, and understand him she did all the more clearly. Now it was she who sought comfort, leaning into him as tears prickled in the backs of her eyes.

"I... I don't know about that either." She whispered, praying her voice didn't warble as much as she feared it might. She shifted slightly against him, coming into contact with his bandage.

Jerking back, River glanced up at his face. The Doctor winced slightly, but smiled down at her. "Definitely on the mend," he said. "Shouldn't take more than a few hours for me to recover fully now."

The room around them began to glow a pale blue, and they heard the sound of the TARDIS' brakes screeching as she began to land. River raised an eyebrow at her husband, who smirked and waggled the sonic. "I left you in the control room. I knew you'd turn them off, so long ago I fixed this up to put them back on remotely. Sorry love."

River smiled as he stood, going to the door. "Yet you still refuse to get the old girl to give it a setting for wood..." The Doctor paused in the doorway, looking back at her as she began to follow him. A grin splashed across his face as he left the room without another word.

River smirked slightly then shot after him, following him back to where they'd left Jack.