A/N: Happy New Year, everyone! : )
30: Expedition- a journey or excursion undertaken for a specific purpose
"Doctor, come here and look at this," River called from the hole she was standing in. They were at an archeology dig and the Doctor had wanted to come along. She had complied easily enough, even though she knew he didn't necessarily love archeology.
"What is it, dear?" he asked, walking up from the group of rocks he was digging near.
"Look at this," she repeated, gingerly holding a small teacup in her palm.
"By the looks of it it's from the Tudor England era." He picked it up and touched it to his tongue before licking his lips and contemplating what he'd tasted. "Hmm… 1559, to be exact."
"You cannot know that by licking it!"
"Can too!"
"Oh, really? Because research has shown us that this site is from the rule of the Plantagenets, who ruled in the era before the Tudor's had control of the country."
"Your research is wrong, then."
River gaped. "It is not! Come here!" The nearest archeology student, a young man of about twenty, came forward from his work a few feet off. "Tell our helper here that research has proved that this site is from the Plantagenet era."
"It is, sir," he said, looking nervously between the couple.
"Well, I'm telling you, your research is wrong."
"No it is not."
The Doctor looked at her for a second, head tilted, jaw working, and eyebrows knit, before he grabbed her hand and pulled her to the TARDIS determinedly. He would prove to her that he was right. She was dragged behind him protesting.
The TARDIS doors closed and the Doctor started working the controls.
River stood leaning against the railing. "Sweetie, I have to get back to my work."
"And you will. But not before I prove to you that that teacup- and most of what is at that dig- is from Tudor England."
"But it's not."
"You don't trust my intuition?"
She laughed. "What intuition? The one that got us trapped on a planet of war gods yesterday?"
"That was different and you know it! And besides, even intuitions can be wrong sometimes."
There was a jolt and the TARDIS arrived at its destination.
"Come, my dear. To 1559 we go."
She took his arm as he led her out of their ship and into the middle of a large castle room. In the middle sat a woman with a small teacup frozen in her hand.
"Who are you?" she asked.
"No worries, we come in peace," the Doctor announced. He swaggered calmly over to the woman and casually plucked the teacup out of her hand.
"See for yourself, sweetheart," he said to River, who walked up behind him. "Same one from the excavation."
River looked pointedly at the woman, obviously a high up dignitary. "And what year is this?"
"1559. Now, I beg you'll leave me be before I call for help on the terms of some intruders."
"No need for that. We'll be going now." The Doctor took River's hand again and they went back to the blue box, the woman watching awestruck all the while.
"You see that?" the Doctor said as he steered the TARDIS back to the archeological site. "Tudor England."
"Well…" she responded. He gave a smug grin.
"I believe you owe me something?"
"Yes- thank you for helping me with the dig."
"No, River. You know full well what I want from you right now."
She wanted so badly to just wipe that grin off his face. "A kiss?"
"Well, yes. But that's what I want all the time. I'm talking about what I want right this minute."
"I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about."
"Come on, I'm waiting. 'I'm sorry, Doctor.'"
She sighed. "I suppose, if I must..."
Just then there was a knock on the front doors. 'Saved by the bell,' in a way. "Professor?"
"Yes, Jimmy?" River asked as she and the Doctor exited the TARDIS and rejoined the other archeologists and students-in-training.
"We rechecked the data we'd earlier collected and it could be possible, ma'am, that, uh… that the stuff we've found could be from Tudor England. It's not definite yet, we'd need to do a lot more tests, but it could be possible."
"No, no more tests need to be done. These artifacts are definitely from Tudor England. Go and tell the others, please."
Jimmy went off to follow his professor's orders while River went back to work dusting off. The Doctor studied her for a while before walking up to her with a smirk.
"I never got my apology."
And she glared.