A/N: Sorry for the wait, guys! I was super excited to write this chapter, for obvious reasons. And I just wanted to say that the 50th anniversary special was crazy. I mean, it was insane! Anyway, enjoy! :) Let me know what you think!

24: Ring- circular piece of jewelry; a band, usually made of precious metal and often engraved or mounted with gemstones, worn as an ornament, especially around a finger

They were married now; for real, for both of them. It was important that he let her know that he realized this fact. And so, it was with these thoughts in mind that the Doctor set out on a very special errand, leaving his wife behind and nervously promising her of a surprise when he returned.

While he may not have known exactly what he was doing, he did know where he was going, and he realized upon arriving there that his task wasn't quite so hard after all. He simply had to keep River in mind while looking at table upon table, window upon window of precious items. With these kinds of things one has to know what fits, what goes well with the other person. The Doctor knew River far past well enough to know what the perfect choice would be.

In the end, he left the small yet invaluable store with a small bag, no bigger than any other, containing nothing but a yet smaller bag and its contents. He set off for home.

"Doctor, where are we going?"

"I told you, it's a surprise!"

River smiled as her husband pulled her along behind him through the TARDIS. She had been sitting in the kitchen with some tea when he'd come rushing through the door, the biggest smile plastered on his face, telling her of some surprise he'd prepared just for her. She barely had time to think before they were out the front door.

The couple looked around. They were in the woods somewhere at dusk, and it was snowing. In fact, 'snowing' is an understatement. It must have been snowing there for quite a while, as there were at least two feet of it covering everything in sight, the soft white kind that transforms everything into a winter wonderland. There were trees all around, and the Doctor ducked and pulled forward as a good amount of snow fell from a branch with a crack. Safely out of the way so as not to get his bow tie wet, he grabbed River's hand and started marching.

"Come on, dear, we're not there quite yet," he announced in his normal cheery voice. It was a little cheerier than normal, an observation that did not get past River Song.

"You still haven't told me where we're going!"

"It would ruin the surprise, River! You don't want that, do you?"

She sighed.

They walked for two or three minutes, the Doctor stopping a few times to move a tree branch or to taste the snow for absolutely no apparent reason other than him being his odd self. Finally, just as they were both beginning to get a tiny bit cold, they reached a clearing.

"It's beautiful," River said as she turned slowly in a circle to admire the snow-covered everything. There was no answer.

She turned back around and stopped suddenly. The Doctor wasn't there. No, not quite, anyway- looking down, she found him kneeling on one knee, gazing up at her as he took both her hands in his. She stared.

"River Song. Melody Pond. The woman who married me. You are beautiful, always. My beautiful River!" The snow was resting on his hair. "We're married, River. I love you. And… well, I want you to be able to have something for that. Something to show it."

Out of his jacket pocket he pulled a black velvet box, never once taking his eyes off of his wife.

"Sweetie…"

"Shh, River. Just listen," he whispered. "Now I know you won't be able to wear this all the time; it would give too much away, what with spoilers and such. But I want you to have it anyway, and as soon as you know I'm your Doctor, you can wear it when I'm around. Just make sure that this has already happened for me first."

He opened the box then, causing the eyes of an unusually quiet River to widen. A dainty silver ring was resting there, a diamond in its center. It was gorgeous. The band was inlaid with small diamonds, and it had the look of two bands that were weaving around each other. With shimmering square-cut diamond on top, it was none too dull. In fact, it was the shiniest thing around, appearing to light up the little clearing as the sun finally sank below the horizon and the sky darkened.

"It's beautiful," she exclaimed.

"It's an engagement ring. Or, in our case, more of a wedding ring. Or both…" He stopped to think, but pulled himself back to the present before he could be too lost in his thoughts. He gave her a small smile. "It's for you. Will you, River Song, be my lovely wife? Again?"

River smiled back at him, letting out a laugh because they were already married. "For the past and the present, for the future and for always. Yes."

The Doctor slipped the ring around her finger, then stood up to kiss her. And as she wrapped her hands around his neck, she had to admit that she quite liked the feeling of a ring there.