She tilted her head to stare at him, sleep the farthest thing from her mind. "You..." she reached up, cupped his cheek with her hand. He nuzzled into it like a cat. "Say it again?" she breathed.
He looked into her eyes and spoke in a clear, strong voice. "I love you. All of you. Every you. Through all of time and in every incarnation, every one of me loves every one of you. No matter your appearance. No matter your age. This Time Lord loves you with fierce passion, clear understanding, warm hearts, and a cool head. Everything I am loves you through all of time and space." He repeated his declaration in the language of his people, encompassing all of the things that only that language could express, «Bad Wolf, I love you.»
Her hand flew to her mouth, and though tears welled, they did not spill. "Oh my god," she whispered, voice tremulous. "I-I hoped. But I never expected..."
He smiled, and her heart about stopped. "I assure you, it's the truth."
"I believe you!" she hastened to assure him. "It's just...wow. Epic."
He threw his head back and laughed; she smiled helplessly at him. She loved this man so much.
When he finally stopped, she took a deep breath. It was her turn. "Doctor. I love you. I don't know when it started, perhaps I always have. You took a small minded shop girl and showed her the universe. You showed me that I could do more, be more. Even when I had only one life, I still chose you over all the rest. I don't know what is to come. Trouble and adventures and wonder, I'm sure. And lots of running. But I don't care. I'll go to Stormcage. I'll wait it out. Because I still have you, and the knowledge that you love me." She laced her fingers with his. "Everyone of me loves everyone of you." She stretched up, he leaned down; they met in the middle, sealing their vows with a kiss.
It was slow and leisurely, an exploration of new ground as they learned each other. He flicked his tongue against her lips and she opened willingly for him. She shifted up to deepen the kiss and he groaned against her as she drug her body against his. He cradled her head in the palm of one hand, tilting it just right. Her hands fisted in the remnants of his shirt, shoving it aside to get to skin. She stroked him lightly and he returned the favor, sliding one hand down and under the hem of her shirt. She sighed into his mouth and he hummed in response.
She pulled back to breathe, and he took advantage, peppering her face with tiny, adoring kisses.
"Doctor," she said, unwilling that he should stop but needing to speak anyway. "Doctor."
"Hmm?" He arched up just enough to lightly bite the side of her neck and she let out a helpless whimper.
"Doctor, are we..."
He stopped and looked at her, face flushed pleasantly. "I'd like to."
She looked at him seriously. "You really want to? Not just for once." She couldn't keep the thread of hope out of her voice.
He smiled at her, pulling her down for a kiss, "yes."
ooOO00OOoo
They spent a year together, and crammed a lifetime of love into it. Each of them knew that this honeymoon period could not last. That she would eventually have to go out there and start living the things he remembered. But for now, they had each other.
They lay on their bed. She, stretched out on her stomach and still warm from their lovemaking. He was lounging next to her, drawing patterns and words with the tip of one finger on the soft skin of her back. Every once and a while, he would lean in and kiss her, as if reveling in the ability to do so. She could sympathize with the emotion.
She told the Doctor about meeting the Face of Boe. About the things Jack taught her in their conversations that would frequently stretch into the night.
"Ah!" the Doctor said with an air of someone who was finally managing to grasp the full picture. "I always wondered how you knew some of those things. Some of them I'd obviously taught you - I'll do that now - but others...well. I should have known they'd come from him."
"He's where I got the blueprint for my vortex manipulator."
"Hmm. A little more elegant than his, though. You made modifications?" The Doctor stretched out for the screwdriver he'd left on a nearby table and she followed the motion with her eyes appreciatively. He buzzed the sonic over the vortex manipulator when she passed it over. "Very nice," he said, studying the readings.
"Well, it's no TARDIS. But it lets me travel."
ooOO00OOoo
"No. Absolutely not. I refuse. You cannot convince me that Slephol replacing Stephan on 'All My Loves' was a good thing. Stephan was hands down my favorite character. I didn't even want to watch 'All My Loves' once they'd killed him."
"Ah, but they didn't kill him."
"He fell towards the Event Horizon! With no chance of escape!"
"I assure you: Stephan is still alive."
"Well, that just makes it worse then. Still alive, but not around."
"He comes back."
"Ha!"
"He does! On a white horse, even."
"Oh, now you're just making things up."
ooOO00OOoo
River danced backwards away from the Doctor down the corridor in a skimpy thong and nothing else. In her hand was the bowtie she'd stolen.
"You'll never catch me!" she taunted.
The Doctor watched the way her movements made things...bounce. "Who says I want to?"
ooOO00OOoo
She howled with mirth, tears streaming down her face as she clutched her sides, rolling around on the bed. Across the room, the Doctor stood with his hands on his hips, flush with pride in nothing but a bowtie.
Finally, once she was able to breathe, she caved. "All right! I admit it. I'm a big fan of bow ties. They certainly have advantages."
"Of course! My fashion sense is flawless."
She just laughed, sat up, and motioned him closer. "Well," she said, placing a hand on his naked thigh, bowtie at eye level. "I certainly couldn't do this with a regular tie." Then she leaned in, grabbed the correct bit of ribbon with her teeth, and pulled.
ooOO00OOoo
He brought her to the butterfly room.
"I...had no idea. Have you ever showed this to anyone?" His arms were around her waist and she draped hers over his, leaning back into him as she gripped the backs of his hands.
"Never intentionally," he said, kissing her temple. "A few people found it by wandering."
"But, why not share it?"
"It's...too personal. Like - Gallifrey, in a way. Beautiful on the outside but hiding a dark secret."
She considered his words, then tilted her head back and kissed him delicately on the jaw, images of butterflies feasting on corpses in the forefront of her mind.
ooOO00OOoo
He explained the mechanics behind the bridge to Pete's World to her. Told her exactly what he'd done to build it. She was awed, humbled, grateful.
Until he told her what it was made of.
"What?" she laughed. "You built me a bridge of diamonds!"
He did his best to frown, he'd known she'd react like this. But he found it exceedingly difficult to even feign anger with her for anything, living in such intense intimacy as they were. He thought he'd loved her before they'd shut the world away. But as the weeks passed and they spent more time together, he discovered parts of her he'd never known. And they only made him love her more.
"I could take you there," he offered, after a time. "To Pete's World, I mean. You could see them all again. Tony was just about to go to college, last time I was over there."
She quieted, traced empty designs on the blanket she was lying on. "You still see them?"
"I do. Go back for all major holidays. Stretch it out, of course. Been, oh, fifty or so years since I've seen them. It'll be about two months for them. Benefits of a time machine."
She leaned into him and he slung an arm over her waist, even as she kept her head lowered. "It's - good. To know that they're doing allright. I miss them, but..." she closed her eyes, made sure she wasn't facing him when she continued. "I think I should wait until the circle is closed. Something has to end it, yeah? For you, it was finding out who River Song was. But for me... I'm afraid - " she cut off, unable to voice her fear.
He held her close, and never mentioned it again.
ooOO00OOoo
They lived and loved for a time, but eventually she had to go.
They stood hand in hand in the doorway to the outside world, striving to hide their sadness from each other.
"I'm sorry, River." He ran the backs of his fingers against her cheek.
"It's alright," she said softly, her eyes bright with unshed tears. "Just more of the same, yeah? Fighting for our future."
"Just remember that you aren't fighting alone."
She reached up and pulled his head down for one final kiss before turning and exiting the TARDIS.
Jack Harkness, younger than she'd ever seen him, waited for her in her living room. He stood from her couch and took his hat off as men emerged from the entryway to her right and the bedroom to her left, bearing weapons aimed at her. "River Song?" he asked politely, as if they were at a dinner party and not in her apartment with armed guards on either side.
"Yes?" she said calmly, understanding that this Jack had yet to meet Rose Tyler. In fact, he still probably worked for the Time Agency. He didn't grate along her nerves like his older self. "And who might you be?"
"Devin Weylan, ma'am," he reached up and pulled a badge from his jacket, the same one adorning the protective armor worn by the guards. "Captain of the third squadron, search and acquisition."
"Oh?" she raised her eyebrows.
"Yes ma'am. I'm here on behalf of the Time Agency to arrest you for the murder of the Doctor. Will you come quietly?"
River looked over her shoulder at the large blue box sitting in the doorway to her kitchen, then back at the man who would - one day far in his future - be one of her best friends. She burst out laughing.
Devin Weylan frowned at her. "This is no laughing matter, ma'am. I assure you that I am quite serious."
She smiled kindly. "Oh, I know. Do you have a date and location for the trial? Universal co-ordinates, please."
"Well, ma'am. These things take time..."
"Yes, love. And you work for the Time Agency." she paused. "I can give you a time and location, should you prefer. Say, six months?"
Devin looked flustered, unsure as to how to handle the conundrum that was River Song.
Then, from through the door, the Doctor's muffled voice could be heard. "No, no. I got it!" He opened the door and stuck his head out, all of the guns instantly training on him. "There's no need. I got it." He glanced up and saw Devin, pointedly ignoring all the rest. "Oh, hello! Here to arrest her, are you? Poor man." Then he looked down at River. "I know when it is. 13.482/pine/N71.12. I'll see you there."
"All right, Sweetie."
He gave her a lingering kiss then waved to Devin and shut the door. River's expression was positively dreamy as the TARDIS took off and her apartment was filled with the sound of the universe. Behind her, Devin cleared his throat awkwardly.
"Was that really who I think it was?"
She turned around and gave him her most charming smile. "What do you think?"
"Does he know you kill him?"
"Oh, yes!"
"Then, why..."
She winked. "Spoilers."