Spinning Time

by kirvanessa

Due to the orphanage's closed, Arthur Jonas will live in another orphanage at Sheffield for a year until his mother come to pick him. But that plan changes as the Doctor picks him up and let him travel alongside, for brand new adventures that Arthur always desire for. However, what the boy doesn't know... his life isn't going to be same forever.

7. The Husbands of River Song

Arthur knows something's been bothering inside the Doctor's head. He doesn't know what that is, and the Doctor clearly is not helping the case as he seems unable to remember much about the problem too. The blonde boy tried to dig up that problem by mentioning Delaney, Claudia, and Clara. But his action might backfire, as the Doctor looks solemn by the mention of those three, like reopening some deep wound.

When he asked what happened to them, he never answered his question, just simply dodging away while giving some lectures about Tardis, time, space, planet, some tech, and more, like a professor explaining to some students like Arthur experienced in the orphanage. Other kids found those as boring, but Arthur didn't mind. In fact, he quite enjoyed it. For him, learning new stuff is amazing to know. Sadly' that's one of many reasons he got bullied and barely ever speaks much. But ever since starting this strange yet amazing adventure, he feels at ease whenever the Doctor explains scientific stuff.

Still, that doesn't stop the boy from looking at the Doctor's concern and trouble. He knows it's not his place to know. The Doctor is his nanny, his caregiver. It doesn't feel right to probe someone's past, especially with his case jumping around his timeline while trying to keep up things beyond his reasoning. Yet, Arthur can't help himself. He's worried about the Doctor and how he might help him.

Just as Arthur finished his homeworks regarding Einstein-Rosen Bridge, speed of light, and some deep level of understanding of the Big Bang, the boy heard a knock.

The Doctor, who's fixing the console, frowning upon that. "Stay here," he ordered the blonde boy as an antler just magically appears on the top of his head and he opens the door. Arthur had to stop smiling, knowing that this is the fourth time it happened. "Is there anything on my head?" He asked someone outside.

"Er, well, yes," a man replied.

"Describe it."

"Well, you've sort of got antlers."

"Antlers?"

"Yes, antlers."

"Antlers!" The Doctor muttered in disbelief, closed the door, and yelled to the Tardis. "You are a time-space machine. You're a vehicle! I've never asked you to cheer me up with hologramatic antlers!"

"She just wants to help," Arthur offered, hiding his face using some thick books that he borrowed from The Library before they arrived in Mendorax Dellora. They made some quick trips a few weeks ago. One of those is visiting The Library, the biggest library in the entire galaxy. The Doctor thought some books from that place might help Arthur to understand his situation by jumping around. Arthur did agree on that notion, despite his initial confusion on the Doctor's solemn and sad face the older man never claimed to be true.

"Don't encourage her," the Doctor grumbled.

Arthur smiles while looking above. The Tardis acts caring to him, like a close family. He never understands why, though, but he doesn't mind at all.

The Tardis just hums in annoyance but sounds agree to pull off the antlers. "Thank you!" The Doctor thanked before returning outside. "Can I help you?"

"Yes. Are you the surgeon?"

"Close enough. Why?"

"Well, you know."

"I don't know."

"There's a medical emergency."

"Will there be singing?" The Doctor demanded. For some reason, the Doctor seems to hate Christmas. Or annoying by Christmas. Arthur never understood why, honestly.

"No."

"Fine, then," he looks at Arthur. "Don't wander off. As soon as you finish your homework, go to bed."

"I know," Arthur nods and writes down his homeworks, still sitting while drinking a hot chocolate he made for the young boy.

The Doctor nods and closes the Tardis.

▪︎▪︎▪︎

Not long later, the boy heard some conversations outside the Tardis, making him stop writing his homeworks.

"We'll just have to steal it," a woman's voice speaked.

"...From the ninth dimension. Sorry, what?" The Doctor's voice asked

"The hopper is really close. We would be out of here in less than 10 minutes," another man added.

"I need time travel. I need this Tardis," the woman insisted.

"I'm sorry. The word steal. Somebody said steal," the Doctor corrected.

"Yes. We're going to steal this box. Hush, you wouldn't understand."

"You can't."

"Why can't I?"

"You can't just steal a Ta... a box," the Doctor quickly replied.

"Why not?"

"Look, it says Police."

"I have a key."

Arthur starts to hear the door's unlock.

"Okay. This, er, damsel person. He sounds, he sounds pretty dangerous. Ish," the Doctor excused.

"It's a time machine. I can take it, do whatever I want for as long as I like and pop it back a second later. He'll never know it was gone," the woman informed.

"Yes, he will."

"How?"

"He'll just know."

"Well, he's never noticed before."

"Maybe he'll notice now."

Then Arthur hears her laughs. "I'll see you on Temple Beach. I've already picked out your swimwear."

"Okay, but be careful," the other man begged.

"Absolutely not. You, with me. Bring the head," the woman said and went inside the Tardis. The moment she looks at him, her eyes sparkle like stars Arthur always sees in the sky. "Sunshine!" She cried, immediately hugging the confused boy for a long period and letting him go. She examines his face carefully and kisses his forehead like some nanny often did at the orphanage to Arthur before he falls asleep. "Oh, look at you. You're so young!"

Arthur frowns. "You... you know I'm still new?"

Surprisingly, she chuckles, holding his cheeks softly. "Oh, River Song always knows, my dear. I don't spend much time with this version of you. I'm always meet your future self." She pulls something from her jacket, something Arthur recognizes. "And I have this."

"Same diary," Arthur breathed, surprised that she's holding a diary just like his own.

And then, from the door, the Doctor's get inside, looking so...bewildered. "Oh. My. God!" He cried. "Oh, it's bigger!"

"Well, yes," River replied, holding Arthur as they're stepping down the stairs and heading into the console.

"On the inside..."

"We need to concentrate."

"Than it is..."

"I know where you're going with this, but I need you to calm down."

"On the outside!"

"You've certainly grasped the essentials."

"My entire understanding of physical space has been transformed! Three-dimensional Euclidean geometry has been torn up, thrown in the air and snogged to death! My grasp of the universal constants of physical reality has been changed... forever," he blurted, like he's just entering the Tardis for the first time, which makes Arthur's forehead furrows. "Sorry. I've always wanted to see that done properly."

"Eh..."

"He's just a normal surgeon, Sunshine. Don't mind him," River murmured beside him before stepping downstairs, opening a roundel to reveal a drinks cabinet. "Would you like a drink? Aldebaran brandy. Help yourself," she glances at Arthur. "Oh, yes. This is Arthur Jonas. His nanny is the Damsel and he's terrible with that job. He is always jumping in different times and places, like Henry from The Time Traveler's Wife, so don't force him to explain things he doesn't understand yet."

"But he's..." Arthur cannot finish it as he heard a beeping sound.

"What's that noise?"

The Doctor checks the bag he's carrying. "It seems to have powered down, conserving batteries. It's an in-built life-support system. I'm not sure what powers it, but..."

"I really don't care," River interjected. "What's that noise?"

"A beacon?" Arthur guessed.

"Possibly," the Doctor denoted.

"So the rest of him is coming?" River concluded.

"He must be very cross. He's lost his... precious thing," the Doctor finished, not wanting to say head in front of a child.

River nods. "Time we were off, then," she said, setting the time engines, which briefly shook, not moving.

"You're doing it wrong," the Doctor told her.

"I am certainly not. I taught Sunny to control the Tardis before."

The Doctor rolls his eyes while Arthur frowns. "You never taught me," he told River.

River winks. "In the future," she simply said.

"You probably want to press that button," the Doctor suggested.

"Why? That evacuates the waste tank on deck seven."

"Does it?"

River huffs. "What is wrong with you?"

"Better avoid deck seven then," the Doctor mumbled.

"Something's interfering with the engines, which is technically not possible."

"Maybe."

"How would you know?"

"Because he's..."

"Maybe the engines are interfering with themselves," the Doctor quickly replied, not wanting Arthur to spoil his identity to River. Yet. "Wild theory, but what if this machine had certain safeguards. For instance, maybe it can't take off when a life form registers as being both inside and outside at the same time?"

"Head and body," River realized, making Arthur flinch by that sudden words and thought of that.

"Which would mean, and again, I'm just, I'm just wildly theorising here, that's the door would not engage properly," the Doctor finished.

"Of course. It can't seal the real-time envelope."

"So that's why the Tardis can't take off," Arthur nods, understanding the concept.

"You're very quick," River mused.

"Yes," the Doctor agreed. "For a Doctor."

"Yes!" River beamed and looked away.

Arthur tugs his pants. "What's going on?" He quietly asked. "Why doesn't she know who you are? And why won't you let me tell her?"

The Doctor sighs. Oh, this is gonna be a wild day. "It's complicated, Sunny. Trust me," he said. "Sorry about this," he added before taking a head from the bag, making Arthur jump a little. "It's signalling. We have to assume the body is homing in on this."

"So, how do we stop it?" River asked.

"Well, we could chop its..."

"Don't finish it or you will regret it," River warned, glancing at Arthur for a second. "So, summing up. It's coming, we can't take off, we can't seal the doors."

"Yep."

"Why don't we just... well, throws it away?" Arthur proposed, not really understand why would they went such trouble with a head. But then, the man's eyes opens, and the blonde boy yelps in utter shock. "IT'S ALIVE!?"

"Do not fire if you value your lives," he warned, looking annoyed with Arthur's scream.

"Why, what are you going to do?" The Doctor asked.

"Kill me, and my body will burn."

"Burn what?"

"This world!" He glances at Arthur. "Start with that boy!"

Arthur gulps. As if a living head turns out to be alive, the head also threat to kill him as well.

River growls, takes the head from the Doctor and puts it on the console. "Suppose we believe you. How?"

"My body contains a split quantum actualiser."

"A perpetually stabilised black hole," the Doctor informed. "That's your power source."

River frowns. "What sort of medical school did you go to?"

"A really good one for doctors."

"More than a power source. If necessary, a bomb," the head added.

Arthur gulps again and starts sweating. A bomb... he's currently inside a moving bomb. Sure, he had dealt with strange creatures before, but this is something else. He doesn't know what to do with actual bomb!

"So you could wipe out this solar system," the Doctor concluded.

"It wouldn't be the first," the head stated.

"It would be your last," River added.

"A fitting end for the glory of Hydroflax."

"You're going to pay for his therapy session," the Doctor looks at River, who seems unhappy with Arthur's situation. "So, why haven't you threatened this before?"

"A king does not endanger his people for no reason," Hydroflax retorted.

"You're endangering them now."

"I'm cross."

"So do I."

Arthur startled as he hears a banging from outside. "Doctor Song, are you there? I have a message for you."

"Ramone! Get in here!" River replied, heading to the door, before the door get open with force and Arthur finds a man's head, Ramone he guess, is on a large, red cyborg body.

"You're going to die!" Ramone cried as It stomps inside and grabs River's neck, lifting her off the floor.

"Kill her!" Hydroflax ordered.

"No!" Arthur and Ramone yelled.

"Put her down!" The Doctor insisted.

"Kill her now!" The head repeated.

"Death initiating," the cyborg's body stated.

"I'm so sorry," Ramone cried.

"Let her go!" Arthur shouted, intend to do something, anything, to stop River from getting killed.

But before he can, the Doctor grabs his hand as they dodge past the Cyborg and closes the Tardis doors. Soon, the Tardis shakes so much, Arthur might vomit with the turbulence. Luckily, that's also what makes River free.

"I'm sorry!" Ramone shouted.

"Stop them! Stop them!" The head ordered.

"Where are we going?" The Doctor asked as the cyborg moves forward to River.

"Get the hell out!" River shouted.

"Stop them!" Hydroflax keeps yelling.

"Death initiating."

"You set the coordinates. Where for?" The Doctor demanded.

"Just get the damn head!" River snapped.

"Kill them! Destroy them!" Hydroflax insisted.

Arthur run to grabs it. "Shut the hell up!" He barked, unable to handle the head, kept insisting on killing them before proceeding to smash it against the console three times, knocking him out, and throwing it at the Doctor.

"Here," River said, throwing the bag to the Doctor as he put her head inside. "With me, Sunny," she added, holding Arthur's hand as they run out of the Tardis, while also holding the Doctor's hand, into some sort of storage room.

"Where are we?" The Doctor demanded.

"This way, come on."

"What about the box? Stop holding my hand, people don't do that to me. Only some people can."

"Hush now."

"Don't hush me. I'm not a hushing person," he looks at Arthur. "And we'll have a proper discussion with your swearing after this, young man."

Arthur winced, knowing very well that it would happen. But he simply stays silent and opens the door, and finds himself inside a fancy reception area.

"We are currently cruising at warp factor 12. Traversing the fourth galaxy of our 7 galaxy cruise. Next is the Andromeda galaxy. Supernova approaching now to starboard," a computer's voice announced.

Arthur spots a big display on one wall that says, 'Harmony & Redemption 07:08:32:17. You are here - Super Nova Gamma Eridani.'

A servant with blue scales and catfish-humanoid appearance walks to them. "Ah, Doctor Song. Your table is ready."

"Flemming!" River called. "How are the twins?"

"Still digesting their mother, thank you for asking."

"I'm sure it was a lovely ceremony."

"Oh, there were tears. And just a hint of screaming."

They both laugh, which Arthur finds that as nothing funny at all.

"Er, Flemming, I wonder, could you deadlock seal the baggage hold for me?" River asked.

"It's a little irregular. The other passengers might want access."

"Do you remember that time I was transporting dragon eggs?"

Flemming thinks for a moment. "Consider it done," he said, pressing some buttons. "Is these gentlemans here for dinner?"

"Yes, they are," the Doctor confirmed.

"Excellent! I'll have the chef prepare them immediately."

"No, you won't."

"Er, they will in fact be joining me to eat," River clarified, holding Arthur's closer.

"I was about to suggest that force-feeding might be required," Flemming mentioned, alluding to Arthur, but the boy knows that's not what he meant. "This way. Oh, may I take your bag?"

"Oh, no, no, no, no. That's fine, thanks."

"Sorry. It was my stomach. I have an irritable bowel," the Doctor added, since the head's starts to yell from the bag.

"My revenge will be merciless! I will rip you open and devour you!"

"It's having a day."

"You cannot escape!"

Flemming nods, looks uncertain. "This way."

"Your actions will not go unpunished!"

"I don't suppose you mind if I freshen up," River offered, squirts a spray at her head, and golden energy pins up her hair, then transforms her clothes into a beautiful dress. "Not bad for two hundred, eh?"

Arthur gaped. Sure, he knows the Doctor's age is waaay older than him. But to find someone else, already living for 200 years? "That's impressive... and awesome," he admitted.

"I have an augmented lifespan. Long story," River smiles as they enter the restaurant.

▪︎▪︎▪︎

The three of them are sitting on a fine table. Arthur looks around curiously, as he never spends so much time outside the orphanage, so naturally, a high-quality restaurant like this is very, very new to him. The Doctor, the one with floppy hair and bowtie, did bring him into a nice cafe, but it's a simple one without anything's fancy at all.

The boy quietly listens to their conversation. It seems River intends to sell the diamond inside the head, to someone else, which the Doctor seems unhappy for.

"Why are you frowning?" River asked, reading her diary that Arthur saw before.

"How did you know?" The Doctor asked.

"It's audible."

"It is," Arthur vouched, giggling with the Doctor's frowning at him and River's amusement at his laugh.

The Doctor sighs. "Deadlock seals can be broken."

"By geniuses. Hydroflax has a brain the size of a pea and it's currently under the table," River responded. "He's gone back to sleep, I think."

"You married him, though."

"Really?" Arthur inquired, curious.

"I told you, I married the diamond," River repeated.

"How?" The Doctor asked.

"I posed as his nurse. Took me a week."

"To fall in love?"

"It's the easiest lie you can tell a man. They'll automatically believe any story they're the hero of."

"River, there's er... there's something I should probably tell you," the Doctor began, but get interrupted by a waitress.

"Doctor Song, your guest has docked. He should be with you in a very few minutes," she informed.

"Thank you. Whenever he's ready," River replied.

"Of course."

"What's the book?" The Doctor gestures at River's diary.

"Oh, it's my diary. Arthur also owns one. One should always have something sensational to read on a spaceship."

"Is it sad?"

"Why would a diary be sad?"

"Because you look sad," Arthur replied, holding his cup of chocolate that he ordered.

River smiles softly. "It's nearly full, sunshine."

"I don't understand."

"The man who gave us this diary was the sort of man who'd know exactly how long a diary you were going to need. And I supposed," she looks at Arthur with sadness, "it applies to you as well. I think, for the longest time we met, he knows when our adventures will reach the end."

Arthur looks at the Doctor with consideration. So, does that mean there will be time when he stops traveling with the Doctor? Does that mean he also will stop jumping into his timeline? If that's the case... Arthur wonders, what will happen to him? In the future?

"He sounds awful," the Doctor commented, looking so ashamed.

"I suppose he is," River sighs and puts her diary back in her clutch purse. "Especially when he was younger. He used to treat Arthur horribly. Of course, he tried to make it up later. I'm grateful for that, but that doesn't amend those terrible times with Arthur."

The Doctor looks away from River and Arthur as well, like he's not particularly fond of what River said. "Not somebody special then?" He asked.

"No. But terribly useful every now and then."

Arthur tries to think of that information River gave. So the Doctor used to treat him not nicely? A younger one, in fact. Does that mean he might act horrible to the young Doctor in the future? Maybe he will say something wrong that annoys him? Or will he make a huge mistake that the Doctor will never forgive him for? He hopes that's not the case. He couldn't bear the thought of him being a jerk in the future.

But River also said he tried to make it up later. And the Doctor looks so guilty when River mentions that. So naturally, he shouldn't be concerned much about that, right? After all, he treats Arthur kindly. The bowtie one, the grumpy one, and the blonde girl. Those three act protective to him. So in hindsight, he just needs to be prepared with the Doctor's younger selves when the time comes.

"So, who is this buyer?" The Doctor questioned.

"No idea, he just responded to the advert."

A bald man with a diagonal scar running around his face stepping closer, looking at them. "Which of you is Song?"

"Who wants to know?" The Doctor shrugged.

"I am Scratch."

"Don't need your name," River retorted. "Are you empowered to purchase?"

"I represent the Shoal of the Winter Harmony," Scratch shared.

"Don't care. Don't want to know. I'll need immediate payment. Can you do that?"

"And could you either sit down or fetch us the wine list or something?" The Doctor insisted. "And also some hot chocolate for the boy?"

Scratch simply sits down, between River and the Doctor, and in front of Arthur. "You have the diamond?"

"Of course I have the diamond. Show me the money."

Scratch runs his finger along his scar before pulling his head open with squelching sounds. Arthur quickly covers his mouth in disgust.

"Just a thought, you probably shouldn't do that in a restaurant," the Doctor suggested and gives Arthur some peppermint candy that the blonde gladly takes. After this is over, he's definitely going to take Arthur into a therapy session and force River to pay the bill for traumatizing him for today's trip.

Scratch removes a metal globe from the grey thing and places it in the napkin River holds out, thin strands of gunk still attached to it. He closes up his head again. "Once instructed, this will transfer the necessary funds to whatever account you choose."

"Thank you," River accepted.

The diamond."

River puts the bag on the table. "You're going to have to dig for it a bit, but somehow I don't think that's going to be a problem for you."

Scratch stands, his eyes sparkled with anger. "Is this a deception?"

"No. The diamond is in there. This is a public place, there won't be any tricks."

"This is not a public place."

Arthur gasps as all customers turn around, revealing that they all have the same scar as Scratch.

"Block booking. That's clever," the Doctor admitted.

"You needn't have bothered. I've brought what you want. Please do assume that I have also taken precautions, and don't do anything that might make me cross and kill you. I won't hesitant for doing that with a child now," River dared, her eyes clearly showing that she's not kidding.

Scratch observes her. "Statement accepted. The diamond is here?"

"The payment, then," River remarked, hands the globe to Scratch, who opens it and taps various illuminated buttons.

"100 billion credits, as we agreed," He confirmed, handing the globe back to River, who also taps buttons. "This accesses all the banks in the galaxy."

"Thank you. Here you go, then. You may need to use a spoon or knitting needle or something."

"Be it known, we do not do this for ourselves."

"I really don't care," she simply said, but Arthur and the Doctor know immediately that she wants to leave this place quickly.

"We do it in honour of our distant and loving King, who once visited our world in blood and joy."

"Well, isn't that lovely?" River wondered and slowly unzipped the bag.

"We honour thee, we prostrate ourselves in your name... Hydroflax."

"Hydroflax!" All of them chanted, except Arthur, the Doctor, and River.

"For love of thee, we do this thing today. Hydroflax."

All of them keep chanting that name as River quickly zips up the bag.

"Give it. Give us the treasure," Scratch insisted before frowns. "What is wrong?"

"Nothing!" Arthur quickly replied.

"Er... well, er... awkward," the Doctor mumbled.

"Why do you delay?" Scratch asked. "We have paid, we will receive."

The Doctor stands, takes the bag. "Yes, you will. Of... by jingo, you will, yes, of course. But obviously, we have to, you know, er, check some..."

"Things," River added.

"Things. There are things that have to be checked before I get it to you. If we don't check the thing, then the, the..."

"We will receive!" Scratch affirmed.

"Yes, you will receive, and here it is. Now, on its way, over this small distance."

"We will receive!"

He gives Scratch the bag. "Here you go. And you can have the bag as well."

"You know, it's been... lovely, but er, we don't want to intrude on this special moment, so why don't we just leave you with the new baby...?" River proposed.

"You will remain," Scratch insisted.

"Is that strictly necessary?"

"I do not like surprises."

The Doctor quickly grabs Arthur to his side. "Well, it's going to be a funny old day."

"Holy crap," Arthur murmured as Scratch starts to unzip the bag.

"You know what? I just can't stand idly by and let this continue." The Doctor proceeds to snatches back the bag and stands on a chair. "Death has been done this day! Noble blood has been spilled, and our tears will surely follow. The sky shall crack, the ground shall heave, and even the rocks and the stones shall weep their rage. Behold! The head of Hydroflax!" He declared and showed them the head, making all customers hissing. "Rest now, sweet prince. Walk amongst us nevermore. Shall we start the bidding at two hundred billion? I'm sorry, Professor Song, but we really couldn't keep this treasure from the truly devout."

"Oh, my apologies to the truly devout," River replied.

"And shall we find out who is the most truly devout?"

"This is heresy!" Scratch hissed.

"200 over there," River gestures at a bewildered man at the back.

"250 million by the sweet trolley," the Doctor pointed at a random woman.

"300 from there!" Arthur alludes to a man beside the random woman.

"Silence!" Scratch snapped. "This is not our way."

"Well, it doesn't say much for your king if you can't put a price on his head. Let us see what the king himself has to say," the Doctor shrugged and jabs a knife into the head's left ear. Hydroflax wakes up and screams. The diners all prostrate themselves.

"Quick!" River grabs the Doctor's and Arthur's hand and they head for the door.

Flemming walks in. "Professor Song! Has the food disappointed you?"

Arthur steps back with the cyborg stomps in, and all diners scream and flee. River pulls them out of the way, but they are grabbed by security men wearing black berets.

"At last, I am whole again. Come to me, my body," Hydroflax commanded as the body stomps forward then stops, scans Hydroflax's head. "Well? Put me back."

"Scan in progress."

"You don't need to scan me, just put me back."

"Tissue deterioration now irreversible."

"Well, what are you going to do about that?"

"Additional, the projectile inside your brain continues to move. Prognosis, death in 7 minutes."

"Well, I refuse. King Hydroflax does not accept death."

"Orders requested."

"Whatever I need to survive, do it. Now."

"Orders accepted. You need a new head."

"No! No. Not a new head!"

"Orders implementing."

"No. No!"

Arthur quickly closes his eyes, not wanting to see the scene itself. When he slowly opens his eyes, he can only see some dust and a diamond. He makes a mental note to never, ever, use a robot's body in his lifetime.

"I don't suppose you could fetch that over for me, could you?" River asked.

"As I was saying, your Majesty. Well, your remaining Majesty," Flemming noted and snatches River's diary before doing so with Arthur's backpack. "If it's a new head you're after, this is the guide to the very best."

"Don't touch that. Give that back to me."

"The diary of River Song. The ultimate guide to the Time Lord known as the Doctor and the mysterious explorer known as Arthur Jonas."

"Don't you dare touch that!" River snapped, trying to get those back.

"Long live the King," he mocked.

▪︎▪︎▪︎

Flemming's walking around whilst reading River's diary and Arthur's diary that he takes from his backpack, despite the boy's protest to not touching his stuff. "The Pandorica Opens. Ooh, that sounds exciting. And goodness me, a picnic at Asgard. Some people really know how to celebrate a birthday party, don't they?"

"You should know I have a significant history of escaping," River warned.

"And what a wild amazing this child has! Stenza? A talking Snowman? Race in Desolation? Amazing achievements for a boy," Flemming mused, checking Arthur's diary and River's. "The Crash of the Byzantium. Didn't they make a movie of that?"

"Stop reading it!" Arthur yelled. He can't let this man spread more information about the future of the Doctor and the future of his as well.

"Oh, Jim the Fish!" He laughs. "Well, we all know Jim the Fish."

"And the longer you spend reading my diary, the longer I'm going to kill you," River added.

"And you've just been to Manhattan, Professor Song. What planet is that? Oh, and apparently, according to the boy's diary, Manhattan is also the reason the Doctor never travels again. Such a shame."

Arthur narrows his eyes at the Doctor, who closes his eyes at the mention of Manhattan. He doesn't know what truly happen at Manhattan, but it clearly affecting the Doctor so much, he never want to travel again. Does whatever happen at Manhattan also affecting River as well? Like Delaney and Claudia before?

"So do, please, keep going," River dared.

"This is irrelevant," the cyborg insisted.

"If I may intrude, your Majesty," Scratch interjected. "The Doctor is a legendary being of remarkable power and an infinite number of faces. His head, I assure you, would be your crowning achievement."

Flemming taps on the Cyborg's armour to get its attention back. "Besides which, many of us on this ship would be happy to see his career cut off, as it were, at the neck."

"Proceed faster, or your head will be taken!"

"I would give my head with gladness," Scratch added.

"Ugh," Arthur winced.

"This woman is the known consort of the Doctor. And this child is a very important child to the Doctor," Flemming informed. "Though, no one knows for sure why."

"Confirmation required. Uploading," the cyborg noted as a head rises out of the Cyborg's body, shaking and blinking in the light. "Is River Song the consort of the Time Lord known as the Doctor? And is Arthur Jonas is an important child to the Doctor?"

"Huh? I think so, yeah. Here, can I stay up for a bit? It's really very whiffy down there," he begged, which clearly failed as his head got lowered. "Oh! Oh, it's awful!"

"So, where is the Doctor now?" Flemming asked.

"I haven't the faintest idea," River replied without problem.

"Is that credible?"

"It's true."

"You're the woman he loves."

"No, I'm not."

"She's lying."

"The Doctor does not and has never loved me. I'm not lying. He only cares for Arthur, and Arthur only. But who am I to judge him?" She laughs bitterly. "He might also have lost his love for Arthur. Probably blaming him for Manhattan, like he always did in the past."

The cyborg scans River. "Confirmed. The life form is not lying."

Arthur looks at the Doctor, who looks completely heartbroken.

"Impossible. This is a trick," Flemming argued.

"No, it isn't," River claimed.

Arthur can't take this any longer. "River, there's..."

"My information is correct. You are the woman who loves the Doctor," Flemming continued, not hearing Arthur just speaking.

"Yes, I am. I've never denied it," River agreed. "But whoever said he loved me back? He's the Doctor. He doesn't go around falling in love with people. And if you think he's anything that small or that ordinary, then you haven't the first idea of what you're dealing with."

"Your Majesty, I assure you, she is the perfect bait. When this woman and this boy are in danger, the Doctor will always come."

"Oh, you are a moron. No, he won't."

"He's probably already here."

"No, he isn't. Of course he isn't!"

"Actually, River..." Arthur called, but got ignored again.

"Possibly on this ship," Flemming added.

"Well, go on, scan it then. Go on, why don't you?" River challenged him.

"River," the Doctor warned her.

"Two hearts, stupid clothes, you can't miss him."

"River..."

"Go on, scan the whole parsec! He's not here. God knows where he is right now, but I promise you, he's doing whatever the hell he wants and not giving a damn about me! And I'm just fine with that. As long as he still cares for Arthur but never cares for me, I'm okay with that."

"River..."

"But that's not gonna happen, because he never will. Especially with..." she takes a deep breath, as if trying to stop herself from crying. "When you love the Doctor, it's like loving the stars themselves. You don't expect a sunset to admire you back. And if I happen to find myself in danger, let me tell you, the Doctor is not stupid enough, or sentimental enough, and he is certainly not in love enough to find himself standing in it with me!"

She meets the Doctor's eyes. He smiles sadly at her, gripping Arthur's hand much tighter. River takes some breaths and soon, realization hits her.

"Hello, sweetie," he greeted her.

River's eyes lock between the Doctor and Arthur before looks away. "You are so doing those roots."

"What, the roots of the sunset?"

"Don't you dare."

"I'll have to check with the stars themselves."

"Oh, shut up," River hissed. "I was just keeping them talking till it kicks off."

"What is this conversation? Explain."

"You keep out of this."

"We need to get to work," the Doctor told her.

"Okay, what have you got?" River asked.

"Four exits. Two concealed, one in the ceiling."

"There's also one in the floor."

"No, I don't like it."

"Too close to the engine ducts?"

"Might harm Sunny."

"I can take cover for him."

"Don't do that," Arthur pleaded River, not wanting River to get hurt.

"Excuse me, what are you talking about?" Flemming demanded.

"Hush. Mummy, Daddy, and Baby Boy are busy," River hushed him as a clock chimes. "There we are. 2 o'clock. Here we go."

"Cease this conversation."

"Darling, sunshine, in the event of a sudden meteor strike on the lower starboard decks, where would you say is the safest place to stand?"

"Meteor strikes?" Flemming confused.

"Exactly here, I should think," the Doctor answered.

"Do you know what that isn't? A coincidence."

Arthur hears some rumble from outside. "Whoa," he reacted. "Our escape plan?"

"It's cheaper than a taxi," River shrugged with a wink.

"What meteor strike?" Scratch lilted.

"Alert. Meteor storm imminent," a computer voice warned.

"That meteor strike," River clarified.

"How could you know?" Flemming demanded.

"I'm an archaeologist from the future. I dug you up."

The entire place suddenly shaken away.

"See you in 400 years," River leered as the floor below them cracks away and they drop below. Arthur quickly takes his backpack and River's diary from the floor. "I had this book. History's Finest Exploding Restaurants. The best food for free. Skip the coffee."

"What do you think, by the way?" The Doctor asked.

"Of what?"

"My new body."

"Oh, I'll let you know. I've only seen the face. How have you got a new one, by the way? Aren't there rules? Does Arthur know?"

"A thing happened. And of course he knows in the future."

"I bet it probably did."

"Starboard decks compromised. Please abandon ship."

Another explosion sends something down. Arthur picks it up and realizes that he's holding a white diamond. He holds it tighter.

"We need to get this ship stabilised. Where's the bridge?" The Doctor asked.

"This way," River gestures.

As the computer keeps warning around, the cyborg suddenly falls down.

"What about that?" Arthur wondered, pointing the cyborg

"I'll take the robot, you drive," the Doctor told River.

"Okay. Arthur, with me."

"Oh, don't stop for strangers."

"Look who's talking," she muttered as she and Arthur left the bridge. As they arrive, River quickly uses her sonic trowel on the ship's systems. Not long after, the Doctor runs in.

"Surface impact in 2 minutes."

"Where's everyone else?" He asked.

"They ran," Arthur replied, standing beside River.

"We need to get the navcom back online. And re-route the thrusters."

"I'm trying," River insisted as a console sparks and the computer keeps warning them to go away. Arthur quickly sits on an available chair as the ship shaking more.

"So, King Hydroflax?" The Doctor asked, helping River.

"Oh, how many times? I married the diamond."

"So you say."

River faces him. "Elizabeth the First."

"Ramone," he replied.

"Marilyn Monroe."

"Stephen Fry."

"Cleopatra!"

"Same thing," he shrugged and sat in the command seat.

River looks out of the forward windows. "Hang on a minute. I recognise that planet."

"What is it?" Arthur asked, trying not to puke or losing his conscious.

"That's Darillium!"

"Never heard of it," Arthur confessed.

"Always good to know where we're going. Could you concentrate on your work, please?" The Doctor insisted.

"You know, the Singing Towers," River added, looking back-and-forth between him and Arthur.

"Yes, I'll be sure to give them a wave as we zoom past."

"You always say you're going to take me and Arthur there for dinner and then you always cancel at the last minute."

"I'd quite like to cancel this time too, if at all possible," the Doctor said as another explosion happened. He uses his nice sonic screwdriver on a console.

"What are you doing? That's the internal teleport," River recognized.

"Yes. I can use the power cell to boost the thrusters," he responded, uncoils blue neon cables and holds one out to River and Arthur.

"Really? How?" River asked.

"Hold this, quickly."

"Why?" Arthur wondered.

"Sorry, River, Sunny. Crashing spaceships, that's my job," the Doctor stated as both he and River teleported away into the Tardis.

"No, you don't!" River disagreed. "Stay here, Arthur!" She insisted as she sets the Tardis back. And then, from the center, the Doctor materialized inside. River wastes no time to get out and the Doctor does so behind her, leaving Arthur alone.

Then, after 5 minutes passes, both of them return back to the Tardis, closing the door behind.

"What..?"

He cannot finish his question as an explosion from outside sends them flying across the console room, knocking Arthur for good.

▪︎▪︎▪︎

Arthur slowly wakes up from his sleep. He finds River still not awake, just lying on the floor in the Tardis.

"River?" He called, shaking her body.

Soon she wakes up. "Sunshine?" She replied, slowly stands up.

Both of them go outside, finding them inside a fancy restaurant with some wealthy guests coming and going around. A receptionist approaches them. "Professor Song? Mister Jonas? The Doctor is waiting for you two on the balcony."

"Oh. Excellent," River beamed.

"This way, Ma'am, Sir."

"Do we have a good table?"

"The finest in all the galaxy, Ma'am."

"Ah. Er, one moment," River cut in, uses her spray again. This time, she also uses it on Arthur, changing his clothes into a mini suit. After that, she and Arthur walk around the corner, finding the cyborg's body with Ramone's head.

"Ramone?" River called.

"Professor Song. Mister Jonas. The Doctor will be with you in a moment," Ramone gestures.

"Are you okay?" Arthur kindly asked, remembering what happened last time they dealt with him and the cyborg.

"I'm fine. Don't worry. They pulled us from the wreckage. Fixed us up. I've been working here ever since. The nasty part's all gone. Got deleted in the merger."

"What about Nardole?"

"Oh, Merry Christmas, Ma'am. Yeah, good to see you again," Nardole replied from inside.

"Merry Christmas, Nardole!"

"Merry Christmas!" Arthur said.

"Sorry I'm off duty. I'm just having some me time."

"Isn't that... a bit of trouble to do?"

"Afraid so, Sir."

"So, Ramone... you have a metal body now," River teased.

"Down, girl," a voice speaked. Both River and Arthur turn around, finding the Doctor's behind, already changing his attire into a black suit and tie that resembles Arthur's while also carrying two gift.

"Now that, my dear, is a suit."

"Happy Christmas," he said, giving each of them a gift.

"Really? I don't think you've ever given me a present before," River recalled and opened her gift. "Oh, it's a sonic screwdriver! How lovely!"

Arthur quickly opens his present, looks so interest. "Oh!" He muttered, finding a ukulele on his hand. "How do you know I want this?"

"I'm just guessing," the Doctor answered, which gives River a roll on her eyes, knowing very well why he gives Arthur that as his Christmas gift. "When I saw the sonic trowel, I thought it was just embarrassing, but, look," he takes the sonic screwdriver and scans River.

"Oh, thank you," River kisses him on both cheeks while Arthur just hugs his legs.

"You look, er, amazing," he complimented her.

"Doctor, you have no idea whether I look amazing or not," River commented, to which Arthur giggled in response.

"Well, you've moved your hair about, haven't you?"

"Well done. It's very sweet of you to try."

"So what do you think? The Singing Towers."

Arthur and River gaze at the pillars with the sun setting behind them. "Amazing," he muttered, having never witnessed it before.

"Oh... the music. Listen to it," River agreed, holding the child's hand, before frowning when turns around. "Are you crying?"

Arthur turns back, and indeed, he can see tears start to fall from the Doctor's eyes. "No. Just the wind," he responded.

"Nothing's ever just the wind."

"No? It blows through the cave system and harmonises with the crystal layer."

"Why are you sad?" Arthur asked.

"I'm not the who should answer that, Sunny," he said, gesturing at River.

River sighs. "I told you, my diary's nearly full. I worry."

"Please don't," the Doctor assured her.

"But how can't I?" River tighter her grips on Arthur's hand. "There are stories about the three of us, you know."

Arthur glances at River and the Doctor. "Really?"

"I look them up sometimes."

"Shouldn't you do that?"

"True, but I can't help myself," River admitted to him. "Some of them suggest that... the very last night we three spent together is at the Singing Towers of Darillium. But... this is also the beginning for Sunny's journey." She stares at the Doctor. "That wouldn't be true... would it?"

The Doctor doesn't look at River, simply looking at the front. "Spoilers."

"Oh. Well, that would explain why you kept cancelling coming here. Do you remember that time..."

"River, stop."

"When there were two of you with Arthur..."

"Don't."

"Because I want you to know that if this is the last night, I expect you to find a way round it," she finished, looking so hopeless and sad.

"Not everything can be avoided," the Doctor responded, patting Arthur's head, not really concerned with the boy's confusion and concern. This isn't something he can understand now. But he will in the future, when he knows himself much better. "Not forever."

"But you're you. There's always a loophole. You wait until the last minute and then you spring it on me or Arthur."

"Every night is the last night for something. Every Christmas... is the last Christmas."

"But you will," River insisted. "You'll wait until I've given up hope. All will be lost, and you'll do that smug little smile and then you'll save the day. You always do."

"No, I don't. Not always. Times end, River, because they have to. Because there's no such thing as happy ever after. It's just a lie we tell ourselves because the truth is so hard to be accept."

"No, Doctor, you're wrong. Happy ever after doesn't mean forever. It just means time... a little time. But that's not the sort of thing you could ever understand, is it? Between the three of us, you'll never understand that... until it's too late."

The Doctor looks away, trying not to think of what happened to River and Arthur, not wanting to think how right River is, how much regret he will have for both of them. The pain will be too much to hold. "What do you think of the towers?" He asked instead.

"I think they're lovely," Arthur confessed, still not understanding much of what's happening between them, other than that these two married couples won't see each other again, and it kills them so much.

"I love them," River agreed. "Very much."

"Then why are you ignoring them?" The man asked.

"One's ignoring me and another doesn't know about me. But then... you can't expect a monolith to love you back."

"No, you can't. They've been there for millions of years, through storms and floods and wars and... time. Nobody really understands where the music comes from. It's probably something to do with the precise positions, the distance between both towers. Even the locals aren't sure. All anyone will ever tell you is that when the wind stands fair and the night is perfect... when you least expect it... but always... when you need it the most... there is a song."

"So... assuming tonight is all we have left," River started.

"I didn't say that."

"How long... is a night on Darillium?"

The Doctor looks at his wife. "24 years."

River gasps, happy and sad at the same time. "I hate you."

"No, you don't," he countered as they looked into each other's eyes, holding the young blonde boy, cherishing this small moment together, knowing very well they can't always be together like this.