Shorter chapter this time, but I think you'll understand why.

Again, Doctor Who is not mine.

BOOK I: Fixing the Doctor's Mistake

CHAPTER 5: The Doctor's Wife

After Rose left, the Doctor was beside himself with worry. He took the Ponds home, just in case something happened that rewrote their history. Just before dematerializating, however, he was confronted by an irate River Song. There was no cheerful greeting of "Hello, Sweetie!" this time, just anger. The Doctor knew then that he was in big trouble!

"What have you done?!" She cried. "I suddenly have new memories that are trying to replace my old ones! And I don't like the new memories one bit. This has you written all over it!"

"So, has much changed, then?" He asked, hesitantly.

"Oh, nothing much, just the most important part of my life, the happiest day of my life has been completely undone!" She was actually near tears.

The happiest day of her life. Well, it was likely that that was something that he didn't experience yet, but for her, it was undone. He could only surmise that she no longer knew his name. He wondered what that meant for his past self in the Library. No new memories had surfaced yet, but it made sense that River would be affected before he was, if his suspicions as to how River learned his name were correct. That must mean that something changed, but what?

"Are you even listening to me?" River demanded.

"Yes, sorry. Was just lost in thought."

"Then what did you do?!"

For the first time since Rose left, he was actually glad that he dropped her off at an unknown point and trusted her to make the changes to the timeline, because he could honestly say this: "I haven't done anything, River, not really, anyway. Someone from my past stumbled upon my present recently, and all I did was drop her off and send her on her way."

"Would this mysterious someone be Rose Tyler by chance?" She asked, accusingly. "And did you, I don't know, give her information about her future that ends up rewriting our timelines?"

"Uh...spoilers? And what do you mean by our timelines? Yours shouldn't have been affected."

"You forget, Sweetie, that my timeline runs in an opposite direction of yours. My past is your future and vice versa. You have no idea how Rose has ruined my life!" She really was crying now. "She has cost me the one good thing that had ever happened in my life! She had cost me the man I love! The man I had originally married!"

There it was, then. His suspicions were confirmed. It didn't take a genius to figure it all out. She had known his name, his real name. That is something that is only imparted to a bonded mate: a wide. Of course, if Rose was still around, Rose would be his wife. Now River had lost her husband. Whatever Rose did, or is doing, it worked!

But River was heartbroken. Well, this is a wrinkle he'd never anticipated. He'd always just assumed that if he indeed married River, that it would have merely been a business like transaction, something done for the sole purpose of saving the universe. And maybe in the original timeline, it was just that for him. But it was obvious that it was more than that for her. Well, this is a fine pickle. He'd better tread lightly, here, because whatever he tells her now could effect what happens when they cross paths for the first/last time in the Library.

He decided that a kind, but gentle, straight forward approach was the best. "River, I can't tell you how because of spoilers, but I've figured out what it is you're trying to say. I know that you're referring to our marriage, as in you and I," Her startled gasp further confirmed his suspicions. He took her in his arms. "I cannot promise you that I will marry you, because, obviously that has been undone somehow. But I can promise you this: I will always care about you. I will always care for you. Send me a message via psychic paper, and I will always answer the call." He prayed that that was true. He had had no idea what changes were made to his past/her future, because the new memories had not yet arrived.

"That's not good enough for me, but I guess it's gonna have to be," she said, sadly before blowing him a kiss and using her vortex manipulator to vanish.

That vortex manipulator gave him an idea. He did something that he thought he'd never do. He made a phone call. "Hey, Jack, it's me! You know, the Doctor?...Yes. I know it's been a long time...Well, I've been busy!...Yes, I've changed again. I wear a bow tie now. Bow ties are cool!...Well, what do you know anyway?! Well, the reason for my call is, there's someone I'd like you to meet..."

Much to her chagrin, Rose did not arrive on 21st century Earth. She seemed to be on another planet entirely. She trusted the TARDIS, however, and hoped that she'd figure out what she was doing here, soon, preferably before she died getting caught in the middle of what appeared to be a planet wide civil war!

The Sontarans defeated, the Doctor and Donna prepared to take Martha home. Suddenly, the TARDIS started shaking and moving of her own accord.

"Doctor, what's going on?" Martha cried. "I demand you take me home, right now!"

"I can't! Something's wrong with the TARDIS! It's like she's possessed!" He exclaimed.

"Where we going, then Space Man?!" Donna demanded.

"I don't know, but my old hand sure is excited about it!" The hand that he'd lost on Christmas Day when he fought the Sycorax was bubbling excitedly in its strange canister.

When they landed, they found themselves on a strange planet. The Doctor had no idea why the TARDIS had suddenly brought them here, but he they were about to find out!