Who: River & Thirteen What: River coming back home. When: After the Ancient Vallo plot. I've been painfully slow. Where: Their apartment. Ratings/Warnings: Low/None. Status: Complete!
As much as she didn't mind a little adventure, and she had missed the thrill of time travel, travel in general, River had once again grown accustomed to spending her evenings with her wife. She'd come to see linear time as a gift.
After a shower and a change of clothes, tired and aching, she sought out the Doctor. She hadn't slept much while in Ancient Vallo. The nightmares were worse when she was alone, her sleep more restless. Not to mention her ribs ached and the cut on her arm seemed to start bleeding again any time she hit or stretched it wrong.
The lingering tension in her shoulders immediately eased when she saw her wife, and she smiled. It was good to be home.
"Hello, Sweetie."
The Doctor smiled at the sight of River. She knew her wife could handle herself, but she’d still been worried the entire time River was gone. Especially when she found out that River had been injured.
“How are you feeling?” She asked as she walked over to River. She knew River had the same penchant for downplaying things that the Doctor herself did, but she asked anyway.
It was not hard to spot the cut on River’s arm and the Doctor grabs her hand to get a better look at it. “We should get you to the clinic.”
Reaching up with her free hand to run her fingers through the Doctor’s hair, River shook her head. “It’s fine.” For what it was worth, it did look much better than it had the first few days.
“And I’m feeling much better now.” She carefully leaned in to kiss her. “Just be mindful of the ribs. Something of a disagreement with a…giant snake?”
The Doctor furrowed her brow, not looking away from the nasty gash on River’s arm. “You know I’m not just called The Doctor because I like to sound important.” She leaned in closer to the wound, inspecting it, her grip delicate on River’s hand.
“You need stitches. And probably an x-ray of your ribs.” She sighed and returned her wife’s kiss.
“I mean it. Either you let me take you to the clinic, or I use my regeneration energy.” If she had the TARDIS, she would have the equipment to tend to River herself, but the phone box had yet to show up.
That got River’s immediate and full attention, her feelings on the matter very clearly showing in her expression. “Absolutely not.”
She may have once given all her own regeneration energy to the Doctor, but that had been a special case. There hadn’t been any other way. She wasn’t worth the Doctor wasting hers, especially not for something as minor as this, not when she might need it herself someday.
“Have you always been this much of a worrier?” she asked, gently stroking her hair again, “Or did that come with this face?”
“Honestly? I can’t remember.” The Doctor had lived too long, gone through too many faces to keep track of everything. She was certain some versions of her were a little more surly and not as outwardly caring. But she’d always worried about River. She just wasn’t often vocal about it.
“How about I wrap your arm and you rest for the night? We can go to the clinic tomorrow.” She wasn’t going to budge on that, but she could tell how worn out River was.
The Doctor's last two faces each had their moments, River well knew. But there was more understanding since she’d gotten acquainted with her wife, more consideration. Or maybe she was the one who was different. Maybe they both were.
River still wasn’t terribly happy about that plan, but it was the best compromise she was going to get. “If you insist.”
She kissed the Doctor's forehead, softening her words.
“I really am all right, my love.” For better or worse, she’d been taught to ignore her pain young. And right now, what she most wanted was just to be with her wife.
The Doctor was happy that River at least agreed, even if it was reluctantly. She wound her arms around her wife and pulled her closer.
“I’m glad you came back to me in one piece,” she spoke quietly. Even though the Doctor had been away from River for decades, she’d easily slipped right back into the new level of comfort they had established. They were closer than they’d ever been, more honest with each other than they’d ever been. Admitting her worries was, at least, a little bit easier.
After a good few moments, the Doctor slowly withdrew from the hug and took both of River’s hands in hers.
“Now tell me all about Ancient Vallo. You’re so lucky you got to go.”
River carefully returned the embrace, smiling at the Doctor’s admission. It had taken such a long time for them to reach this point in their relationship. “So am I, Sweetie.”
She wasn’t unaware of how differently things could have gone.
“Oh, darling, I wish you could have been there. You would have loved it. I’m sure you would have been right in the middle of it all.” As if she hadn’t gotten involved in any of it. “Tried to sort out the locals.”
A smile spread across the Doctor’s face as she listened to River. Her wife wasn’t telling her anything she didn’t already know, but she was delighted to hear about it from River. Her eyes were alight with wonder as she listened to River.
“Did you do any exploring? See any landmarks? Anything that’s still here today?”
“You know, I didn’t. A few waypoints. I’m not sure I would have trusted them.” River slid her fingers through her wife’s and led her to the sofa. “But there was a beautiful temple in what passed for their city.”
The Doctor sat down with River on the couch. “If only there was a way to go back there. To easily travel between then and now.” She looks wistful for a moment, longing to be able to travel again, then she looks at River and smiles.
“Tell me about the temple?”
Carefully, mindful of her still-tender ribs, River curled up next to her. Sometimes home was a person, and here, with the Doctor, was hers. Settling against her wife's side, she could allow herself to rest.
"There were several temples, actually. Ancient in design, but not ancient yet. A couple of them were a bit high fantasy for my taste. There was a palace, too, but I couldn't get near it." She didn't bother to hide her disappointment. Then she smiled, and her tone became faintly teasing. "And you should be very proud of me, Sweetie. I didn't take a thing that wasn't given to me."
The Doctor looked at River with surprise. “You really didn’t nick anything? I guess there is a first time for everything.” She smirked and carefully wrapped her arms around River, not wanting to further hurt her ribs.
“I wish you took pictures at least,” she added. “Although I suspect you had a lot going on while you were there. Sorting out locals.”
"Next time they send me on an adventure without you," she promised, "but you know, there is a better way I can share it with you."
She lightly smacked her with the back of her hand. "And I'm perfectly capable of not stealing, thank you. I did bring back an empty box that was…less empty once we returned. It had a little horse statue in it. Not of any use or value, as far as I can tell, but a fun souvenir in exchange for the bruised ribs."
“It was empty before you returned?” The Doctor furrowed her brow in interest and carefully took the box from her wife. She looked first at the box, which wasn’t particularly interesting, and then opened it to look at its contents. She took a few moments to study the rusted, tarnished sculpture before looking up at River once more.
“Is this a relic from ancient Vallo?”
River handed over the box easily, then resettled against her wife's side. "It was."
She studied the statue in the Doctor's hands for a moment before answering. "I suppose it is. It was given to me as a reward. The box, that is. The horse only appeared after we returned to present Vallo."
Reaching up to brush her thumb over the sculpture, she shook her head. "It's funny. I never thought much of magic before we came here."
“Never believed in magic myself. I still have a hard time wrapping my head around it.” Normally, she would try to think of a scientific explanation, but she had let that go. She knew by now that it was fruitless, that the mysterious ways of Vallo defied scientific explanations.
“You know, this is the perfect gift for you to have gotten.”
Turning her head to kiss the Doctor's shoulder, River smiled. She might have laughed if she weren't acutely aware that it would cause a fresh wave of pain. "And people think I'm the stubborn one."
River was learning to accept many things since her return to living, since Vallo, things she wasn't sure she would have before her time in The Library. But things were different now.
"Is it? It is gorgeous, isn't it?" She glanced up at her. "I chose archaeology for all the wrong reasons, you know, but I didn't dislike it."
“Even if I think archeologists are quaint and laughable, you did have quite the knack for it. Do have.” The Doctor smiled warmly at River, thinking nothing of the insult that preceded her compliment. “It’s nice you actually got a souvenir you didn’t have to nick.” She handed the horse back to River.
The Doctor sat back, observed River, wondered what could be going through her wife’s head. She could ask her, could read her thoughts even, but she did neither. The Doctor spent decades of her life trapped, running the same routine every day, trying desperately not to waste away in prison. It wasn’t until she was reunited with River that she fully realized that’s what she’d damned her wife to the day she first met River. She’d apologized so long ago, the first time they’d reunited on this strange island, but she still felt the weight of her decision hang between them.
“You should get some rest. Don’t forget I’m taking you to the clinic, kicking and screaming if I have to.”
"Of course I do." River's answer was automatic, with a tone that suggested she'd be offended if anyone suggested otherwise, but she smiled as she took the horse back and returned it to the box. "One I earned, even."
Setting the box aside, she reached for her wife's hand. "Yes, dear. I haven't forgotten." She squeezed the hand in hers. "You know I don't sleep as well without you. Come to bed?"
The Doctor only smiled and got up from the couch to walk with River to the bedroom. She never slept much, not like humans did, but she was more than happy to make sure River was able to. Especially with those injuries. She needed all the rest she could get.
River didn't sleep as much as most humans, but far more than the Doctor. She knew her wife was indulging her, as she often had on Darillium. Stopping her just short of the bed, River gently pulled her close, pressing their foreheads together. "I love you. And I'm glad to be home again."