2012, May 1. Hello Sweetie :: [RIVER]

[The 11th Doctor]

Alone. It felt like he was alone a lot lately, and even though it was really his choice he didn't really feel like anyone but his Pond's today and he'd not been able to get hold of River or Amy, even dropped in on them to find the place empty. It was okay though, because he understood they had a life together and it made him a little sad to remember that he didn't have that. So he floated through time and space until something interesting caught his eye. He pulled the scanner closer as images flashed over his screen. Some sort of... crop circles.... this must be Earth but he felt like he knew... "Noooo," he said in disbelief, frowning even though there was a smile on his face, and then pushed the screen away from him, locking in the time and place before the TARDIS was lurching through time and space.

He watched the numbers roll on the screen and then held on tight as they bounced through the atmosphere of Earth. He turned on viewing and maneuvered the TARDIS over the trees and down.. and then he tied it down and ran to the doors, reading the crop-circles written in Gallifreyian.

Hello Sweetie

"River."

The Doctor's grin was automatic and he threw the doors closed before running back and throwing off the rope holding the lever, pushing it down and sending the TARDIS landing not far off, clapping his hands together as he ran off to find his stetson, Crop circles surely called for a stetson. And boots, new boots. Cowboy boots. Brown. He liked brown. He liked hats. He really didn't think about the last time she'd shot one of his head, didn't think much at all when he dressed, really, just grabbed whatever he liked. His smile was a rather childish, pleased one, and he rushed down to the doors. He hadn't seen as much of her as he would of liked, at least, not her older self, he grinned.

Pulling the doors open, he looked around and reached into his pocket for his sonic screwdriver, not grabbing it yet, just walking around and getting a good look at everything before he was off towards the field with the crop circles. He was pretty sure she wanted him here, there had been no time or date, unless. "Unless it's right here." It wasn't unusual for him to talk to himself or objects or anything that he said talked back. Cat's were nice to talk to, Dogs were a little on the loud side and got really excited sometimes. He did like fish, however. They just floated around and looked pretty, a lot of the time they were harmless. He grinned remembering Jim the Fish, reaching a fence.

He thought about climbing it, but really he didn't bother wasting time trying that and just pulled out his sonic, jumping back as he almost got himself with the wire flicking back. "Wow, that didn't go as expected." He gulped and climbed through, heading into the corn, heading for the crop circle, stepping out with a smug grin on his face.

"Hullo, River."

[River Song]

A bird was startled into flight. A familiar sound, like worn, tortured metal screaming with a side of Time and Space, filled the otherwise pastoral farmland. The nearby flock of sheep didn’t even bother to raise their wooly heads.

River’s smile only widened. Sweeter than the finest Venusian lullaby, that sound. Not that she’d admit it. Takes all the fun out of things.

“Never could remember to take the breaks off.”

And not that he ever tried to remember. She occasionally wondered why she bothered, then the Doctor would go and remind her with a little flourish and a very old, very boyish grin. Or an awkward fumble-in this case, stumbling over physics and archaic fencing, or so it seemed, and really, she couldn’t leave that man alone for two seconds.

And hadn’t she already dealt with that hat? With extreme prejudice, even? Seems like it’s time to have another talk with Herself about the concept of benevolent meddling. Someone had to save the Doctor from himself, after all. Who better than the ladies in his life?

She should make a note to speak with whichever friend had to put up with the rainbow monstrosity. Remind her that no man, or Time Lord’s, fashion sense got better with age, and it was her duty to make sure the Doctor didn’t embarrass himself in the midst of saving the world and toppling governments. More so than usual, at least.

Her own costume wouldn’t look out of place on a 51st century catwalk, or a 20th century airstrip, all loose khaki jhodpurs and tall boots and warm, earthy colors. Broad belt still in place, diary and manipulator and all her favorite toys right where they belonged, but no much battered holster-no revolver or laser or blaster. A concession. Also, the only reason she hasn’t taken a pot shot at that hat, but mostly the concession. Look, River’s playing nice today, even when playing nice tends to dissolve into violence. Or shenanigans. Sometimes both.

She didn't mind.

“Doctor.” It was practically a purr; every inch of the woman was telegraphing her good mood.

And why not? He might miss Post-It’s, and mobile phones, and specific dates by centuries, but messages on the sides of hills? Hard to overlook, even for him. He probably started it, in fact.

[The 11th Doctor]

Unable to really help himself, he was only a man after all, the Doctor's eyes flicked over her, lingering a little at her hips, almighty pleased that she didn't have any guns. He didn't like guns, even if she was smashingly brilliant with them. And he did like his bad girls. He grinned slowly and swaggered towards her, peering out from under his hat as he did so. He wasn't sure why she had contact him but he didn't mind, at all. She sounded in such a good mood too which only baffled him, then again she was a little like him and found danger glorious.

Tipping his hat back a little so he could squint a little at the blond he approached, grinning widely, boyishly. "It never gets old when you do that," the Doctor spoke as he got closer and plopped the hat onto her head, his hair sticking up in all directions as he looked around. It was awfully big wasn't it? The Doctor was impressed. He remembered the cliff, and the home box and her diving off the buildings because she knew he'd grab her, despite his complaining and threats not to.

He had started it, remembered dong that a lot in his time, she seemed to pull it off so nicely, though and he grinned a little more to himself as he slung his arm over her shoulders, pulling her close. "And a very nice one, crop-circles..." And he grinned, because he hadn't expected it, it was a nice surprise, it wasn't often people surprised him. Pond couldn't, Rory just scared him... But River... He looked down at her and grinned. It was his own fault, of course.

He didn't mind.

"Is there a reason you destroyed everyone's hard work on this corn field? Or couldn't you keep away?" he asked smugly, plucking at his bow tie a little. "Admit it, you can't get enough of me," he quipped looking mighty proud of himself, shifting excitedly on his feet before his arm was gone and he was stealing his hat back before she could hide it from him or something, putting it back on his head.

[River Song]

Hip-shot and eyebrow eloquently cocked, River didn’t miss the long look and didn’t bother to hide a lascivious glance or two of her own. The hat did put her off her game a bit, admittedly, but, then, maybe that was the point. Or worse, maybe she hadn’t actually killed it yet.

She really hoped she hadn’t found the wrong Doctor. He was so much work in the early days.

“Mm. And you never stop looking a bit ridiculous.

Is it just us, today? Leave the kids at home? How fun.”

River’s playful, almost sing-song tone let it be known, in so many words, that as much as she liked Amy and Rory, she really wouldn’t mind a duet instead of a choir and took much of the bite out of her words.

“Right, then. Have you done America, yet? The good ship Fancy? Dancing flowers on Chloris V?”

She didn’t bother to pull her diary from its place on her belt. The blue book was getting a bit tattered these days, and if she had her way, there’d be time enough to do it proper later.

Besides, there was the important matter of getting out from under The Hat to attend to. Possibly even leaving it somewhere inconspicuous. A black hole for instance.

“It is, isn’t it? Amazing what a few university students can do with the right motivation.” Technically, the right motivation, the right tools, and the right benefactor, but that’s just splitting hairs. All it really took was a few cases of Chula’s own Pan-Galactic, a smile, and a map.

A butterfly was stuttering over the heads of the grass on copper and dust colored wings, reminding River none too subtly that there was a reason for the visit. Well, besides the usual teasing and banter. Not that that wasn’t a perfectly good reason.

She was, in fact, the sort of butterfly that would send collectors into fits of joy. And well it should, since it had been extinct for over a hundred and fifty years. Her name, she’d been told, was Esen and she belonged to a young boy she’d left lying on her jacket in the sheep fold, watching clouds.

She let him pull her closer, standing hip to hip and shoulder to shoulder, just as it should be, and making her body thrum with anticipation. This was just the sort of moment she lived for. There was adventure in the air, even if she wasn’t entirely sure what sort yet.

“You know how it is, Doctor-travel the universe, poke around, dig up a few impossibilities, meet the most interesting people. Realize even nine-hundred year old geniuses get confused by 21st century Earth phones.”

River gave The Doctor a very pointed look as he fiddled with his tie. Wouldn't do to let him get too smug.

“Met someone you might be interested in, actually.”

The butterfly was gone. She suspected, if she’d been watching, she’d have seen it shift into whatever was making the corn sway.

[The 11th Doctor]

He was still young, in comparison to what she was probably hoping, but old enough. "Just us..." he said slowly, eying her up curiously. He listened as she rattled off things that had happened. "Done America, and the Fancy, was Fancy," and he made a sword fighting action with his hand. He looked amused, however, and a little disbelieving. "But dancing flowers on Chloris V... did I dance too?" he swung his hips a little bit, lips pressed together in a barely contained smile.

He thought she was joking. He always did.

The Doctor had seen the butterfly as well, tilting his head a little bit, glancing away from it when River did, meeting her eyes with a smile before he glanced back to find it gone. Huh? Hm.

"You archeologists..." he muttered, his attention obviously now on something else, him catching on to the movement of the crops, hand coming up to lift the hat slowly off of his head. "Always digging for the things that are ... right... in front of you..." he reached up and grabbed her chin, pointing her sight towards the moving stalks, letting go when he was sure she'd seen, not realizing she'd communicated with it.

"Who'd you meet?" he asked, even though they were both concentrated on the movement around them now, the Doctor pulling his sonic out and taking a step forward, ever unafraid, eyes wide and eager. What was that? He hadn't heard what River had, his thoughts too messy right now to take complete notice of everything around them. She did have that kind of appeal to him, distracting him from his tasks just a little. "Anyone I know?" he asked, glancing at her.

[River Song]

Done America, done-does he really have more than one? Gah! At least they haven’t mangled the timelines any worse than usual. So far.

“That would be telling, wouldn’t it?” Oh yes, yes he had. She owed Amy twenty dollars, and a vid disk, in fact, and it was his fault. And it was in no small part why she asked about the kids. Like she’d give up the original.

And good. He’s interested, even if he dosen't realize it yet.

“Us archaeologists-we like old things. Sometimes we even date them.” Bit of cheek. Eyebrow. Grin. Wash, rinse, repeat.

She still had to bite her tongue to keep from laughing. First rule-whenever possible, let him Figure Things Out on his own. Horses and water, and all that, and it was right there beside spoilers, hats, and licking things.

“Don’t touch her!”

The boy was faster than she’d have guessed. A blond and denim whirlwind that scooped up the beastie in the grain before anyone had moved. He was clutching a dust colored ferret to his chest and glaring.

He wouldn’t have look out of place on any contemporary London street, and that was rather the point, she supposed. She was rubbish at dating human children, ceramics were less work, even Archaic Raxacoricofallapatorian, but he looked about fifteen.

“Somehow, I don’t think so.

Doctor, meet Thom and Esen-don’t annoy her, I hate to imagine what she’d turn into. I found them looking for the council estates in Forest Hill.”

As if to prove her point, the ferret flowed into the form of a orange kitten-one moment lean and weasely the next, fluffy and hissing. Both were looking distinctly unimpressed by the glowing end of the Sonic. She'd told them both more than once that the Doctor was annoying, but harmless, but the boy seemed to be beyond overprotective of his daemon. River didn't blame him, if what he said was true.

“Three weeks ago, a young woman working at the Arecibo Observatory discovered a portion of a message claiming responsibility for the formation of the Reavers on Miranda.

Before that, a human soldier calling himself Captain Apollo wounded three civilians in an Amalthean marketplace. He still insists their service androids were ‘Cylons.’"

She didn't bother looking for clarification-River was experienced enough traveling time and space to recognize the major colonies, planets and space stations, to say nothing of the space fairing species. Those words fell into none of the above.

Besides, the look on her face was eloquent enough-she wanted answers. She was entirely sure he would, too. Everything else was just details.

---

I'm going with the belief that no one would have recognised these things in the DW 'Verse. Reavers and Miranda are from Serenity/Firefly, Apollo and Cylons from Battlestar Galactica, and the concept of daemons is from His Dark Materials. <3

Also, as far as I understand Forest Hill is not the sort of area that would have council flats, but feel free to correct me if I'm wrong. You know where I'm at if you need details for anything. -Ollie

[The 11th Doctor]

The Doctor had glanced back at her when she made the comment about dating old things, his eyebrow's quirking as he looked her over as he was weighing the idea up before he'd turned back just in time to hear the boys voice and he leaned forwards curiously to watch them appear. They weren't what he expected and he stood straight, brow crinkled up and he smiled brightly.

"Hullo, Thom. I like your name, Thom." The Doctor liked kids, and though he didn't have any of his own quite enjoyed spending time with ones that weren't his. He peered curiously at the ferret in his hands, pretty sure that was the butterfly. And he was never wrong, well hardly ever-Most of the time. Oh whatever. When the creature shifted form again, the Doctor's eyes widened and he realized that he was annoying whatever that was-Esen. Was it a name or a species? And where on Earth-well obviously not Earth- did they come from? He was grimly reminded of all the signs he'd be noticing, how everything wasn't quite right.

Tucking his sonic screwdriver into his pocket, he hand his hands clutched at his sides excitedly. "Oh this is exciting, there not obviously from this universe, or any universe I've been to," he exclaimed, walking back towards River and grabbing her face in his hands and excitedly kissing her on the mouth, pulling away and looking a little put out by what he'd just done, straightening his tie. He was meant to have kissed her cheek or forehead, like he did Pond but something had reminded him of that time that she'd kissed him and whoops? "River Song, did I ever tell you that you're brilliant? Keeps me on my toes," he told her with a cheeky look before he was swaggering back towards the kid-Thom.

"Thom and...-"

"Esen!" The boy glared at the Doctor.

The Doctor just grinned wider. "Right. Knew you could talk. Thom and Esen, I'm the Doctor and you're a long long way from home. You scared?" he asked and sat down on a big rock not far off from them.

"No! I don't get scared," Thom replied with a stubborn tilt of his chin.

"Everybody gets scared," the Doctor told him with a sad smile. "And being in a new place is always scary, but it's also fun," he told him. "Besides you seem rather comfortable here, which means it can't be too far off what you're used to," he told him, his voice slightly loud from excitement, because he really couldn't help himself. He stood back up and rubbed a hand over his face, thinking.

"Oh this isn't good, not at all," he mused, getting out his screwdriver but not using it just holding it, tapping it lightly against his head. "Think, think.... It's like everything's shrinking, liking it's compacting but that would mean an increase of dark matter, putting pressure on the whole entire... this isn't good, not at all. Think about it- slowly everything gets smaller and smaller, all these universes and multiple parallel universes, they'll be crushed in with it, other worlds leaking through to ours, stuck but if it just stopped there everything would be fine, Esen and Thom could live here, happily and comfortably. But... BUT... it doesn't stop there because what happens-"

He slapped his forehead. "How could I have been so stupid? The universe is folding in on itself-There's only one thing that means..." He looked at River, his face a little tired but excitement and fear lingered there as well.

This was serious. This wasn't just simply a Dalek invasion or having someones lifeline changed. This was about the entire Universe and the ones that surrounded it. "It's not only through space thought, it's through time as well..." he said more to himself, not even paying any attention to what was around him, heading for the TARDIS in a rush. "NO TIME FOR CHIT CHAT GOT WORK TO DO!" he hollered over his shoulder, hat back in place on his head.

[River Song]

We, River decided, need to do apocalypses (apocali? The Gallifreyan didn’t quite translate, and no other language she knew had an equivalent.) more often. Near disasters just didn’t get the same response anymore.

On the other hand, the Doctor hadn’t had to covertly point Torchwood at a sweet young Puerto Rican scientist who couldn’t stop screaming, or console a boy who seemed to think lacking a daemon was tantamount to a major, messy amputation, and no, she wasn’t a witch. No, she didn’t have a daemon, either. Yes, that was normal here. Yes, she knew someone who could fix it. Probably.

He never got his hands dirty til the adventure started, that one. Or until it beat him over the head, but it was nearly the same thing.

River was sure there were instances of more innocent slip ups that got in under the radar, and the Doctor’s babbling only confirmed it. Probably bigger ones, too, because she couldn’t be everywhere at once, only almost everywhere, and that was nothing like the same thing.

She translated his verbal diarrhea almost on autopilot, Thom looking more and more nervous-but not scared-with each word. By “dark matter” Esen was mouse shaped and hiding under the boy’s hair. By “universe folding” River was starting to catch on.

Multiverse Theory was not one of her strong suits, but physics was considered general studies by her time. Bad idea, moving through the Vortex without knowing what you were doing. Besides, couldn’t spend time in the TARDIS without picking up a few things here and there. Well, other than Halcyan Flu, and she still hasn’t entirely forgiven him for that-except that River is nearly positive he hasn’t done it yet.

He would only explain what he wanted, or remembered, to, leaving River to figure out the rest as they went. And she hated being behind. She needed get a move on, if she wanted to be there for that explanation-he'd do it whether there was anyone to hear it. Getting left behind was not in the agenda.

"Doctor, what does it mean?"

Not a 'what's happening' so much as 'what are we (emphasis on that) doing to fix it?'

[The 11th Doctor]

The Doctor had things on his mind, he hadn't meant to be rude to the child and it's--friend. But, he had bigger things to deal with if he was right about his assumptions. Not stopping until he heard River call out he turned in the doorway of the TARDIS, the key still in the lock. He pushed the door open and yelled back at her in that deep, dramatic voice he sometimes used. "I DOOOON'T KNOOOW!"

And with that he pulled the key out of the lock and went inside, leaving the door open for River because he knew her and knew she'd be wanting to come along. Even though he really had no clue where he was going. He needed to check out a few places, more than he had already. He couldn't believe he'd been so stupid! He needed more equipment before he did anything, though.

When he heard River come in, he didn't look up, his eyes fixed on the scanner. "Don't forget to close the door," he reminded her, more of a habit from telling Amy, than anything. He pinched the bridge of his nose and then sighed. "This is too big, I don't know what I'm supposed to do!" he looked upset about this fact and rubbed his hand over his face as he tried to think for a moment. Equipment, where could he get-"Ah ha!" he shouted out of the blue before imputing the destination and time coordinates before adjusted the APC (automatic power cue), which would greatly improve the stability and safety of dematerialization and landing, and pulling the dematerialize lever, the TARDIS lurching into flight with that all too familiar sound of the breaks being left on.

Jack, they needed Jack and that's where he was heading, surely Torchwood-as much as he disliked them-would have what he needed, hopefully. "You remember Jack, of course you do," he spoke as he walked around forgetting that this wasn't Pond he was talking to but River. He paused and then looked rather embarrassed about his mistake before getting back into the motion of things, waving his hand distractedly before side stepping her where he could activate the flight stabilizers as the ride started to get a little rocky. "Oh, no... you haven't have you? Well stay away from him, he's trouble," he warned, pointing a finger at her and giving her a look. "Well hopefully he's got what we need, I don't really like resorting to Torchwood but it's our only option, because this is SO BIG, other Universes being dragged into this one, that can cause black holes, amongst other things-"

He grinned at her, unable to help himself, looking childish and excited.

[River Song]

She was pleased to note that she’d been right to bring her findings to the Doctor-she wondered, occasionally if he would start to see her presence as an albatross circling his lovely ship, with trouble-more trouble than usual-in her wake. But she had, and she’d done it the right way; the man couldn’t resist a kid in distress, even if the “distress” in this case was just an over powerful case of the willies. Thom, in fact, was perfectly happy in their world, now that he’d become accustomed to it.

He’d told her that his London didn’t have near the number of green areas, and a great deal more smog. The boy had never even seen the stars before coming here. His description almost sounded like the Industrial Revolution, taking place centuries too late. Well, he’d be safe where he was now, she’d made sure of it before initiating Project Hello Sweetie (version 21.3 apple).

Because things never seemed to happen at a leisurely, comfortable pace once the Doctor got involved. And she loved it. And so did he.

River paused, momentarily ignoring the Doctor’s nattering and laying a light hand on doorjamb. Ever since Rory’s somewhat shaky, slightly unbelievable but entirely true story about the TARDIS wearing skirts and some Thing wearing the TARDIS, she never failed to greet the timeship.

“Hello, again.”

His very distracted ‘don’t forget’ was met with a huff and A Look that he probably hadn’t seen anyhow. Didn’t matter, really, because that sort of thing couldn’t escape without A Look.

“Have you two have been traveling alone again? You know you shouldn’t let him get away with that. Or those hats.”

Still, she did shut the door. There were bigger, more important battles to deal with, like making sure the Doctor didn’t crash into the 1920s.

“No, Sweetie, we haven’t done Jack yet.” She agreed, flipping a small toggle switch on the console that further stabilized the TARDIS’s flight at the cost of a bit of speed. River’s eyebrows met her hairline and did a little dance while she sort of shrugged but mostly looked very pleased, because, of course she’d heard the stories, good and bad. At great length.

And, of course she knew about Torchwood, and UNIT and LINDA and half a dozen other acronyms and organizations and government groups that drove the Doctor mad all his long life. Potential catastrophe or no, River had a feeling this would be a first/last moment to truly enjoy. Trouble always was, after all, and her answering grin was a slow blossoming thing, but no less enthusiastic.

[The 11th Doctor]

The Doctor had completely missed the way River had talked to his TARDIS. Because, if he'd seen it he probably would of smiled to see such affection being paid to his sexy. Though, he did poke his head around the center column of the console and scrunch up his brow. "Did you touch something?" he asked curiously, feeling a change in the way they were moving.

He moved around her, brushing close as he passed before he grabbed onto the console, the TARDIS jolting a little but not as bad as it usually did-thanks to River flicking the switch to further stabilize her. He also didn't like the way she'd said 'we haven't done Jack yet.' Like he would even let her. He didn't really under the possessive feel but ignored it anyway. "No, unlikely to either," he mumbled to himself and colored just a little when he heard River asking what he said.

"Nothing," he mumbled, "Not important..."

She was insistent, though. She wouldn't be River Song if she wasn't, he supposed. And he sent her a frustrated look before waving his hands in frustration, not one for lying. "I SAID NOT BLOODY LIKELY!" he yelled in that dramatic, low voice he did when he was frustrated and/or annoyed.

The TARDIS lurched, tossing him to the ground, obviously unimpressed by his language and he looked a little flustered there, laying on his back before he leaped to his feet and patted the console. "Right, I know... don't know where that came from," he muttered under his breath, adjusting his bow tie and apologizing to her, looking rather ashamed of himself and the language that had just passed his lips. he glanced at River just before the TARDIS came to a stop at it's destination.

TORCHWOOD.

Jack had better be here, the Doctor didn't really feel like actually going looking for someone, even if that someone was Captain Jack and he needed him to go any further. Clapping his hands together, the Doctor turned to face River, skipping around the console and doing a bit of a spin before he was hopping down the steps in a rather gleeful manner, a grin on his baby face.

Looking down at himself, the Doctor adjusted his hat then headed past River and down into the closet, climbing the stairs and looking for his cowboy boots-the ones specifically with the western style parade spurs- before he shoved his feet into them with a stomp, wincing when they made a clutter and the TARDIS actually let out a groan of displeasure. He was heading back out, adjusting his suspenders when he spotted a leather belt (without the buckle) that would go perfectly with his current attire and he wibbled in excitement, grabbing it and admiring the buckle, it was a letter T in the middle and he'd always liked it.The letter T meant so many things to him and so he slipped it through the belt loops of the Levis he was wearing, stopping only to wonder if they were a bit tight, because they felt rather snug around his ass and that wasn't the most pleasant feeling. But he ignored it and practically tip-toed out of the closet, stopping to look over his shoulder at his spurs, a gleeful grin on his face.

"Ta-da!" he said dramatically, feeling pretty proud of himself as he did a slow spin. He was pretty cool looking today, if he must say so himself.