ten_fwd | A very violent reentry - OTA - Spoilers for the 10th doctor's era

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A very violent reentry - OTA - Spoilers for the 10th doctor's era

"All the time we've been together, you knew I was coming here," she had said. She was right - about the library. But she was wrong, so wrong, about the Enterprise. Call it a joke of Q's. She wasn't in a laughing mood.

Professor River Song had done what she had to do. Perhaps somewhere in her mind she had always wondered if she would really do what needed to be done when it came down to it. throw herself in the way of a projectile to save him, yes. But when there was thought? When there was time for thought? She offered to give herself to save him, but hadn't she known, hadn't she always known that he wouldn't let her? That he would use the danger to her to do what he wouldn't when he had been the one at risk? She knew the Doctor. She loved the Doctor. Every form she had ever met, and the ones she only knew of as stories. She knew that to save everyone, he would give his life. Some days she didn't half wonder if he wanted to die. She didn't think she could ever love him enough to let him.

But when it was someone else taking the risk, then... ah then he would see another way clear. Another way out. Then he would come up with an impossible plan and pull it off. He did so hate to lose. So, somewhere back in the depths of her mind she wondered if she would ever have the courage not to say she was going to step between him and danger, and not to do it on instinct and emotion, but to stare death in the face and give herself to it to save him.

And now she knew. This time there was no hope for a crazy last minute plan. She knew that. And she knew he knew it. Because her journal was full. Because there was no time for another plan. For the two of them who treated space and time like a giant play yard... No. For her. For her there was no time left. So she did what she had to. She didn't say she was going to take his place, she didn't give him the chance to argue. She knocked him out, handcuffed him, and took his place. River Song worked at the controls.

But he came to too soon. He started to speak, and that... That was what he was best at. Speaking. And it was when he was speaking that he could do anything, save anyone. But not this time. She wouldn't let him, because the alternative was that he would die. And she would not let him. So she spoke. She took his death from him, and she took his trick. In the end, she learned from the Doctor in the most important ways.

The words were still on her lips. Her last words. They were meant to be her last words. "Hush now, spoilers," she had said, she still tasted the words. She closed the connection as the timer ticked down. There would be no more running. And no chance for him to stop her, to take her place. Tears fell from her eyes as the world went white.

Energy filled her, used her, passed through her. She wouldn't scream. She refused. She wouldn't do that to him. Spoilers. Her last word, the last he would hear. He carried too much pain, he hated goodbyes. But she could give him this.

But when the white faded, she wasn't dead. She felt like she should be. She wasn't in the library. She was in a hallway in a space ship she didn't know. And she was alone. No Doctor. She hadn't done it. Or rather... he had. He had saved her somehow. And he could be dead himself for it. But the pain. Oh... the pain.

She was no longer wired into the chair. She was in her space suit, hands wrapped around her journal and her sonic. She had other things with her as well, but with the pain this was all she could feel. A worn leather journal. A Sonic screwdriver. And pain.

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Oh so many replies she would have given to that if she felt better, if she could. So many she wanted to. Really, had he learned nothing of her to give her such an opening. A shame she hurt too much to take full advantage of it. "What did you do?" she rasped instead. "How are we both...." still alive? The words faded on her lips. She would not pass out now. Would not. She wanted to hold this moment and... Medbay? And he seemed surprised to see her. Thoughts were slowly catching up to her brain. Shouldn't he have known she 'd be here, if his past self had sent her?

The Doctor reaches into his jacket pocket and pulls out his sonic specs so he can give her a brief exam. And... yes. It's as he thought. But how is she alive now, then?

"I didn't do anything and I'll explain it all, but I don't think you're in a condition to retain the information right now. Come on."

As gently as he can, he takes one of her arms and wraps it over his shoulders so he can help to keep her upright.

"Medbay isn't far."

And he has every intention to be her Doctor once they get there.

His face could change, but he would always be her Doctor. She accepted the help from him, getting to her feet and leaning on him. She knew better, then to ever show weakness to the Doctor, she did. But she couldn't help that now, and he didn't seem to be pulling away from her because of it.

And besides, they were going to a Medbay, if they could lessen the pain at all, she could put on the act that she was fully better until she was on her own again. She clung to her journal, to the screwdriver, and somehow... she still managed to cling to him.

Once he pushes everyone else out of the way (because he knew more of what she had done to herself than they did), he gets her settled onto one of the beds. He then activates the buttons to perform a proper scan. He grimaces at the results.

"I wish I had access to the TARDIS, she could probably heal this quickly."

As it is, he could only put together something to lessen the pain for now.

"Twenty-Fourth century medical treatments leaves something to be desired for fifty-first century injuries."

She got onto the bed, did what he needed, stayed still until...

The sonic screwdriver dropped onto her chest as her arm lurched, as she grabbed his arm, her grip firm.

"What do you mean you don't have access to the Tardis?" she asked. He could be lacking an arm and be lacking less. The pain was making it hard to think but the Tardis... no... he had to have that. And if someone was standing between him and that Tardis, that someone would very soon be dead.

He looks down at her when her hand grabs his arm. Her grip is impressive, given her condition. He very gently pries her hand off his arm so he can continue to work.

Resting her hand back on her stomach is when he notices her sonic. He swallows thickly, too many memories surging back at once. And the ones from Darillium are far too fresh.

"I promise I'll explain everything, but lets get your pain addressed first."

He loads up a hypospray he uses his sonic to make sure everything was balanced as he wanted it and then turned back to face her with it.

"Is there any place that hurts less. I don't want this to be too painful going in."

Normally, such a thing wouldn't hurt at all, but River's current condition was far from normal.

She did her best to be firm, to be strong, because him worrying over her like this wasn't... him. And it was making her very worried for him. Otherwise she might enjoy it. If she wasn't hurt so badly, she'd certainly take advantage of it. "The sooner you do whatever it is you are planning to do, the sooner you will give me answers," was her reply. She presumed he would translate that properly. She watched him, worry for him fighting with pain in her face. The Doctor. As she had seen him last before the Library, when he seemed to know so much. When he cried. She needed answers, and she needed her head to be clear enough for her to get them.

He rolls his eyes almost playfully at her reply. He leaned in to whisper in her ear, as he pressed the hypo to her neck and injected it.

"You are such hard work older."

Then he moved away and spoke in a normal tone. "Best give it a minute to get up to it's full capacity."

That was when one of the medtechs came over and handed him another hypospray. He grimaced.

"One more. It's just an inoculation, I've already researched it, it's completely harmless to us."

He quickly injected it and then set that hypospray aside as well.

Pain or no, his words made her smile. She loved that man, and would love him until she died. apparently.. that wasn't going to be today after all. She didn't fight the injections, she trusted him. Completely and always. She trusted him when he told the truth, she trusted him when he lied. Usually she could tell the difference. Or thought she could.

She closed her eyes as the injections moved through her system. She needed to feel what they did so she could cover whatever she had to without giving away the lie. Her free hand did reach for him again, to make sure he didn't leave while her eyes were closed.

He sees her reach out and he gladly takes her hand into both of his. He has to force himself from holding on to her too tightly. He lifts her hand and pressed his lips to it. He waits another minute.

"How are your feeling? And I'm still scanning you with the sonic, so best not lie."

This is not something he's willing to pretend about. He needs to know specifics to make sure she's okay.

Her lisp curled into a hint of a smile at that as she opened her eyes. "Rule number one," she said teasingly. "And I did learn from the best, my love."

He slides the glasses off and leans in just a bit. He's admiring her, because he can.

"Is the medicine working or do you need a second dose?"

Because he needs her well before he do anything else.

It was working. Perhaps not the strongest medicine she had ever been given, but it was working. The pain was receding, her head was clearing. And it struck her that there was more going on than she realized, more at play here. Oh, where the Doctor was concerned, there was always more going on than either of them would realize. Didn't often matter which of them knew more of it, there was always plenty unknown to go around, plenty left in the universe to flummox them both. Part of what made them work so well was that they tended to cover each other's lapses. And when they were both on the same page... well then.

But she was still hurt, and she wasn't sure what answer to give. Before their last date, she would have done anything in the world to keep him from knowing that she still hurt. Because the Doctor was immortal in a way she could never be, not any more. She had seen it before with him, and knew from other sources... he couldn't watch his companions age. There was always a reason to part ways before they could get old, or weak, before he could be reminded that their mortality was so different from his. Before their date she would have kept that close, that truth around her heart like a shield of iron, like a vault in which she hid the pain. He had asked her to travel with him, once, when he was raw and hurting. And she knew then that she couldn't.

But then he was there when she was in danger, while she was off on a tear about how much he didn't love her... and... he did. And he was here now, holding her hand with both of his. And she knew now why he had been crying. And he did love her. She didn't know when... when he had begun to love her, when he had noticed it, when he had allowed it, or even why. But for the moment... for the moment she could almost believe that it was true. And she wanted to believe it. With all her heart, she wanted to believe it.

Lying was useful, when it was used properly. His last face? The one she saw when she first took the name River Song? To that face she would have lied without a second thought, because she knew what lies to tell to get the reaction she wanted. They had always been so good at manipulating each other, pulling each other's strings.

And then she met him in the Library, and he didn't know her at all, certainly didn't love her. Oh, he cared if she lived or died, of course he did, he was the Doctor. He cared about everyone, even the people who had pushed him too far. She knew he counted up every life he failed to save as a life he had ended himself. She knew the guilt he must carry.

And then... there was this face. This man before her, who was taking care of her, rather than trusting her to come to on her own. He didn't leave her here to someone else while he dashed off. Which meant one of three things... he really did love her, something much bigger than she knew was going on, or she was really really confused. And there was always the chance that more than one of those answers was true.

So if she lied and told him that she was fine, and he bought it, they could move on, and she could do her best to work around the pain and they could face whatever certain death must inevitably be stalking them. Because that was what life with the Doctor was, and she now knew, beyond a doubt, that there was one thing she would trade it for. His ability to live beyond her. She would give her life for that man. It was no longer theoretical, there was no longer a question.

And so she took a risk. She did what she never would have done before she had seen him cry, before he had given her the screwdriver. She told him the truth. Complete and exact.

"I still hurt, but I can function, and I want to know what is going on here," she told him after her longer than intended pause. She put strength into her words, so he would know that she could. She could even sit up, she was sure, though it might not be the most comfortable thing to do. Then again, running in nine inch heels wasn't the most comfortable thing to do either, and she did that. Often.

She searched his face, pushed herself up enough to close the gap between them, as if to kiss his cheek. Her lips were soft and silent as she mouthed "Unless there is a reason you need me to still seem too weak to move."

She let her head fall back to the pillow, watching his face carefully. If there was a bigger danger here, he might need her to play a part. And she was willing to do so. Willing to do whatever he needed.

Not quite willing to admit how much she wanted him to keep holding her hand and watching her like this forever.

He hates it when she pauses that long. It means she's thinking far harder about her answer than she should. Which means she's debating lying to him or not. Suddenly, so much seemed to rest upon her answer. If she lied to him now, it would set.... He sighed with relief when she told the truth. "Another dose, then."

He uses his top hand to gesture to one of the techs to refill the hypo. Now that he knew the mix was right, he didn't mind letting them do their job. But then River was sitting up and mouthing something at him.

He smirks as she fell back into the pillow, the now free hand he rests on top of her head, gently stroking her forehead with his thumb. "No need for any of that. We're in no more danger than anyone else on this ship."

The tech came over with the refilled hypo and he injected River with a second dose and tossed the tool back onto the side table.

Now he waits. He was panicking and this would give him a chance to calm down. As her pain levels lowered, her vitals seemed to be stabilising. Maybe the long-term effects from the electrocution weren't as bad as he had first feared.

No more danger than anyone else on the ship. She let that sink in and take root for a moment. There was danger here then, unsurprising, but not the immediate 'Angels coming up behind us' sort. Slow burn. Whoever had put this ship in jeopardy was giving the Doctor way too much time to think. They would come to regret that.

"What, exactly, is going on?" she asked.

Easier to focus on the danger at hand, and figure out how to handle the rest of this, whatever this was, after. She wanted to know how she was here, why she wasn't dead, why that surprised him in the least, and what he had meant about not having access to the Tardis. Well, and yes, she probably ought to find out what danger the ship was in as well.

He looks around for a stool and sees one in the corner. He gives a squeeze to River's hand and releases it before going over to get it. While he does that, he tucks his sonic specks away. He sits down and is quiet for a long moment, thinking about what to say. How much to say. He doesn't know if River would know the references or not....

He swallows thickly. "You, more than most, know about alternate and parallel universes. And I've often said that myths turn out to be true. That fictional stories on one planet are based from the reality of another..."

He takes a breath. "This is the starship Enterprise. On Earth in our universe, there's a television show called Star Trek. We've been pulled into their universe. There is an entity. Q. Very powerful. When I first got here, I thought he was comparable to this universe's idea of Time Lords. But it's worse than that. They seem to be this universe's Guardians."

And he'll stop there. Not that he thinks River can't hand the information, he knows she can. But because they hadn't yet talked about the Guardians properly. He doesn't know if she knows what they are, or the significance.

She pulled herself up into a sitting position, which wasn't the most comfortable thing ever in this space suit, but changing could come later. It occurred to her to hope that he had checked her shadow before carrying her. If not they, and everyone on this admittedly well lit ship, were quite possibly dead.

Well, even if he checked, they were dead, they'd just have warning.

"How are they like them?" she asked, leaning forward a bit. It didn't make it clear what she did or did not know about the Guardians, but then she never did like to admit ignorance on something she thought the Doctor expected her to know. Asking this way let him explain both as much as he was going to, without them stumbling over each other. There was a time to compare diaries, and a time to speak plainly. She would let him take the lead, and she would follow it. But that was always their dance, wasn't it? Following each other's lead?

He frowns when she moves. But that's the only sign of disapproval she will receive. There were some things just not worth arguing with her. He wasn't worried about the Vasta Nerada. The data core room had been well lit, besides the Doctor had made his agreement before she had come back. They gave him twenty-four hours and that time hadn't been up yet.

He nods at her question. "Like the Guardians, seem to be masters of reality and the elemental forces embodying several aspects of the universe. We sometimes called them 'Eternals' because their existence pre-dates Time Lords."

Which was saying something. "The Q Continuum, yes, the whole embodiment of them is called 'Q' as is the one who has done this, operates in the same way in this universe. They can exact judgement. This particular Q has been a trouble-maker for the Enterprise for a long time. And he's the one who brought us all here. I think he's bored and we're his entertainment."

He didn't like this next part. "He seems to be exceptionally powerful. There are three of me here now - there were four for awhile. And four TARDISes, but when the earlier me disappeared, so did his TARDIS. Two of the TARDISes are her normal boxy self. The third... she's from my future. This me. And she... is fleshy - we'll come back to that. Clearly, Q understands the power of a TARDIS, because we don't have access to her. None of us. Insert key, the key turns, but the doors won't open."

And he forces himself to stop again. Because it really is a lot to take in.

She would want to learn more about the Guardians, but that could wait. The rest of the information he gave her took priority just now. She processes everything as he speaks, and there are many points she wants to discuss in more detail, things she needs to know.

Are these Q immortal, do they know themselves if they are immortal. Can they be bluffed? Do they have a system of governance within themselves? She didn't generally work through official channels, but she could if she needed to. Had to, when she was trying for her pardon, not that she ever really needed one. But she had her own reasons, she always did. And even if they didn't have such a system, all she had to do was convince Q, this one or another, that fixing things was more entertaining than leaving things. Or at least, fixing them to her taste. Or the Doctor's.

She didn't know how that many of his Tardis could be in one place without causing a complex temporal crisis, it was possible that it wasn't this Q that locked them out. The Tardis could be protecting herself. One question to ask was did he try snapping his fingers? But probably they'd have a better chance of they simply separated the Tardises. Talk about things she never thought she'd need to pluralize. She very much wanted information on the fleshy bit. Did he wish really really hard or something? Yes, she would have to come back to that later. Because the Doctor was here with her now, not with the Tardis, and the Tardis, if it really was anthropomorphized, and that was her best guess from what he had said, would be here with her as well, wouldn't she? If the Tardis really was a woman, River was aware that would be the one woman she could never compete with. But she loved the Doctor, and as much as she might want him to herself, no one could claim the sunrise, she had learned to accept that she would have to share. She wasn't happy about it, but it was the cost of loving him. And with the Tardis? Well, the Tardis was family, she was sure she wouldn't mind sharing with her. She never resented the time her parents got to spend with him, after all.

So many questions, so many important things to touch on. So of course River smiled and said, "Well well well, three of you? I lost all track, didn't realize it was my birthday again so soon."

Yes, thank you River. Because THAT was the important bit that needed to be said first.

He raises an eyebrow. "Well, you're clearly feeling better."

He nods to himself, deciding he can continue.

"I suspect that Q isn't actually more powerful than the TARDIS, since we can't gain access to her. If he was actually more powerful, there'd be no point to locking her. The fleshy TARDIS has some of her powers, but not all of them. She has a ring that future me gave to her to protect her, but since I don't know what I did to the ring, I don't know how to get it off of her. I'd suspect she has all of her powers, if we can get her ring off."

He shrugs. "But mostly, we're stuck."

"Does she want the ring off?" she asked, arching a brow at him. If she did, there were always ways, and things that with the Tardis's permission things that River might be more wiling to do that the Doctor. "And if we can suppose he is less powerful than the Tardis, then even as things stand, there is no way he has a chance int he world, my love. What is the plan? Do you have one yet, or do I need to let you talk some more first?"

"Don't you dare."

Is the only response to the ring issue. River didn't understand, so it was for the best. But then, she's doing that thing where she supports his plan without even knowing what it is. He looks around the medbay to make sure no one is listening.

"Blow up the ship." He winces. "Well, not literally, but make Q think we have."

She grinned broadly. Ah. There he was. She laughed and reached into her suit, pulling out her squareness gun, her eyebrows raised nearly as high as the corners of her lips. This was going to be fun. "And after that, my love?" she asked, leaning close so she could speak softly, and for the pleasure of leaning close. Her eyes were dancing with amusement. This was so much better than being dead.

The Doctor hisses. "River!"

He looks around and tries to force the gun back into the pocket she drew it from. He continues in harsh whispers. But even so, he can't help a bit of teasing. It's who they are.

"If you wanted to get me to touch you, there are ways to do it that won't get you sent to the Brig!"

And then he realises he is in fact touching her. A lopsided grin appears and he leans in until his forehead is touching hers. There will be no need to share diaries. He knows when she's from and while technically still from his future, he's pretty certain they spent those twenty-four years together. Why wouldn't they? It's a safe enough assumption. So all he has to do is tell her what his timeline is.

"Q took me from about our third month on Darillium. We were enjoying linear time. And then I end up here. I saw your name on the list, but couldn't find you. I thought... I thought Q was trying to torture me."

He pauses because now that he's thinking about it, the emotion is starting to catch up with him.

"Please. I just got you back, don't do anything to separate us again."

His breathing is just a tiny bit rapid. Most probably wouldn't be able to tell, but at their close proximity, River probably can.

She smiled at his words, at his teasing. She wanted to tease back, but he went on. Third month. Oh, how she wanted to play then, wanted to tell him they had a lot of catching up to do, how much time he still owed her by that reckoning, and she wanted to find somewhere they could be together and have that time.

But life rarely gave the two of them as long and peaceful a night as Darillium. When they came together, it usually either caused, or was because of some crisis. It seemed this was much the same. She had to focus on this Q, on getting the Tardis back to the way it should be, to making things right. Or as right as they needed to be. Then, if Time allowed, they could continue their honeymoon. And that was how she chose to think of that wonderful multi-year night.

She put her hand to his face gently. "My love, how could anything as trivial s a brig ever separate us. Not even Stormcage could, not even you not knowing who I was, could." She gave him a small smile, giving him the reminders and reassurances that he seemed to need. It was odd, thinking of him needing that from her, when she had spent so long wishing it from him.

"Why would this Q be trying to torture you?" she asked. "Is he targeting you specifically then, is that why I am here? And if you were taken then, why do I not remember you vanishing? What happened in the Library, if I am here now, was it enough?" Was everyone able to get out safely? Was he?

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n today's to do list - new/more icons! ::whee::

:)

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I had so much trouble with the post, rewrote it so many times. I hope this works.

Worth the wait. Sorry this one will be so short. Once he's out of panic mode, he'll start thinking

I am loving how hard you make it to reply sometimes, lol.

I don't mean to :|

It's fine, it's part of what makes them so much fun.

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She is so going into the brig.

Not if the Doctor can help it :(

Lol.