The Doctors' final Goodbye
(Solo piece featuring the last ever incarnation of the doctor)
She had been mulling it over in her mind for weeks about going forward to this point in time. She had made a couple of stops along his time line to check if he was okay but this stop she knew was going to be the one that would shatter her. She had toyed with going sooner but then the man himself had turned up to take her out on a little trip to help him with what he said was a little problem, little was an understatement. He had only dropped her back off about an hour ago and since then she had been sitting looking at her time vortex manipulator. If she was going to do this she knew it was now or never as she would never be in a better place to handle what was about to happen.
She wasn't fully registering the coordinates as she put them in and taking a deep breath pushed the button. Arriving at her destination she looked around and recognised straight away where she was. Calderon Beta it had been the first place they had come on a proper date, it had changed a lot since then. Gone were the chip shops and people, the sea had almost completely dried up and due to there being very little water left on the planet, the chances of seeing any life forms around were slim to none. Closing her eyes she took a few deep shaky breaths until she heard that old familiar sound that always made her smile. "Okay time to do this," She said as she took another deep breath. Normally she would have stayed out of sight when she jumped forward in his timeline, but there had been a few rare occasions that he had spotted her. Once or twice she would put on some accent and pretend she had no idea who or what he was talking about. She was never sure if on those occasions he believed her but he always acted like he did, the other times she would simply vanish hoping he would just think he was seeing things. This time was different, this time she left the place she had been standing and began to make her way over to the Tardis.
She was almost upon the box when the doors opened and out he stepped. She couldn't help but smile as he stood there despite having his back to her. "Hello sweetie" Her voice was as soft as velvet as she spoke. Watching him freeze in place and stand up a little straighter her smile grew as he turned to face her and an old familiar face looked back at her.
"River?" His voice was that of an old-tiered man who couldn't believe his eyes. "It can't be. No no, I'm imagining you you're not really here" Shaking his head a little he turned to face the other way again.
Moving over to him she placed her hand softly on his shoulder. "It's really me my love" Letting her hand slide down his arm as she moved to stand in front of him her smile growing as her gaze locked on his. Her hand moving to cup his cheek she stepped up close to him. "And you are certainly you as I would recognize those eyes anywhere"
His hands reached up as she moved in front of him and he took her face in his grasp as if making sure she was there. "You shouldn't be here, you're not meant to be here," He said shaking his head.
Letting out a little laugh she moved her hands and placed them over top of his as he held her face gently. "Of my love did you really think that once you gave me that one little secret that I wasn't going to use it? Did you think that I wouldn't be here to make sure you weren't alone when this time came?" Shaking her head slightly she leaned in to place a little kiss on his lip "You sealed our fates when it comes to today the day you whispered those words"
The smile on his face as she spoke only grew as she placed a kiss on his lips. As she pulled back his gaze locked on to hers "Now what made you think I would be on my own? I promised I would never travel alone"
Letting out a little laugh she moved her hands from on top of his to rest against his chest. "Because I know my amazing yet incredibly frustrating man. I know you have a bad habit of pushing people away if you know your time in one body is up and a new one is coming." Pausing she had to take a breath to focus herself to make sure she kept her smile on her lips, not because she was happy about what was coming but because he needed her to be strong for him. "So I knew when this moment came you would have either pushed people away or turned on them to the point they would have run."
He chuckled as she was right, she knew him too well. "You can't be here. You…" His words fading
"Doctor I am not going anywhere, I am here for you through this. Now might I suggest you shut up telling me where I can and can't be and give your wife a proper hello kiss" The playful smirk upon her lips was hard to hold into place but it was worth it to hear his laugh and see his smile.
Without a moment of hesitation he pulled her head close to his their lips meeting as he gave her the hello kiss she had asked for "Hello wife" he said mumbling against her lips.
"Now that is better" Her voice was a whisper as she slipped her arms around him.
"You must be mad wanting to kiss an old man like me" His smile was brighter now as he released her face and wrapped his arms around her.
"What can I say I have a thing for ancient relics and older men. It's both why I became an archeologist and also why I married you" Placing another little kiss on his lips she pulled back a little to look in his eyes. "I'm not going to lie I like the face you chose as your last one. I personally think it's been your best face over the years."
Letting out another chuckle he nodded his head "Well like you said I sealed our fates when it came to tonight. I think I chose this face because I knew you would probably show up… well no that's a lie" Looking down briefly before looking up into the night sky "There aren't as many stars shining tonight as there were our first night here,"
Her gaze did not leave him even though she could tell he was trying to avoid looking at her. "Well, there is a simple reason for that my love. They are all in mourning as they all know the universe is about to lose the most important person ever to visit any of them" Letting out a little cough now it was her turn to move her gaze as she stared up into the night sky.
His gaze turned back to her "River..."
"How about I go inside the tardis and get us a blanket? We can sit out here and watch the few stars that are putting on a show for us" Placing a kiss on his cheek she removed her arms from around him and headed inside the tardis.
Walking slowly to get a blanket she took a few deep breaths trying her best to fight back the tears that were already threatening to show. "Stop it River. Hold it together" Grabbing the blanket she glanced over at the console. "Be ready to help me old girl when I need it" Exiting the tardis she walked over to the large open area the doctor had moved to. "Is this the spot you think we'll get the best view?" She asked gazing briefly up at the sky.
Turning his head to look at her he smiled "I think the view will be perfect here"
Looking over at him she gave him a little wink "Yes it will" Beginning to lay the blanket down she saw him struggling to bend down so she quickly moved to help him lower himself onto the blanket. "River are you sure you want to be here?"
Moving to sit beside him she locked her gaze on his "Oh sweetie I am more than sure that you are not going to get rid of me so easily as by asking me that." Laying down on her back to stare up at the sky she hoped the lack of starlight would help hide the tears in her eyes.
Laying down beside her he put an arm under her head pulling her body in close to him.
Smiling as he pulled her closer she rested her head on his shoulder and her hand on his chest. Laying in silence for what felt like hours she turned her gaze to look at him only to see his eyes fixed upon her. "You are meant to be looking up at the stars my love."
"I came here so my old eyes could see something beautiful for the last time and that is exactly what I am doing" Pausing he placed a kiss on the side of her head. "I know I never said it but…"
Her finger moving to cover his lips to shut him up she shook her head "You don't have to say anything you showed me all I needed to know"
His smile growing he moved his free hand to brush some hair from her face "My bespoke psychopath"
"All yours forever Sweetie" She smiled leaning in to place another kiss on his lip.
"I'm sorry" He whispered against her lips "I… I should have found a way to…"
After kissing him again to shut him up she lifted her head far enough to gaze into his eyes. "You have nothing to be sorry for my love nothing at all"
"Oh, I do. I did a lot of things wrong in my life, I made a lot of mistakes and lost a lot of people that I should have saved" His gaze locked on hers. "I should have found a way to save you."
"Shhhh spoilers" Letting out a little laugh she shook her head "You saved me in all the ways that counted and mattered. If you mean life-wise, I think we did enough damage to the universe trying to save each other and trying to change our fixed points, don't you? I do know one thing though"
Letting out a laugh he shook his head "You are worth burning up the universe for. I just learned that too late" Smiling up at her he looked confused "What is that?"
"I know that you were probably there with me in the end. Your eyes sometimes when you looked at me had so much sorrow in them"
His gaze shifting briefly he looked back at her. "Yes I was and you were as stubborn that day as you always were"
"Well then no more talk about guilt for not saving me when you did and you were there for me during my last moments." Laying her head back down this time on his chest so he couldn't see the tears that were fighting to escape "Tell me a story about one of your best adventures that I'm allowed to know as it won't affect my future"
"How about a fairytale about a time traveler's wife?" Letting out a little chuckle he began to cough a little.
Lifting her head to check he was okay she lowered it once more after his coughing stopped. "Let me guess it starts Once upon a time there was a madman in a box, somewhere in the middle he met and married a crazy woman who made his life frustrating and fun all at the same time"
Letting out another chuckle he kissed the side of her head "Oh you've heard about that one then"
"It sounds a little familiar"
As the two lay in silence once more she closed her eyes. She didn't want this to happen. If she could find a way to pause tonight she would have done to hell with the universe he was more important. She could hear his heartbeats slowing down as her tears began to escape.
"River" His voice was so quiet almost a whisper.
"I hate you," She said as she forced a smile on her lips as she lifted her head to look at him
"No, I don't but I should" Leaning down to place a kiss on his lips
As his eyes closed he smiled against her lips "My River" he whispered as his arm around her went limp.
Her tears flowing more freely she knew that he was gone. placing another soft kiss on his lips she laid her head back against his chest hoping to still hear something, just one more beat. After laying there for what felt like an eternity she rose onto her feet. She didn't want to leave him laid there alone for even one second but she had to for her to get the tardis. Running into the blue box and up the console she quickly placed the coordinates of where he laid the tardis blicking out and then blinking back in a few feet away she looked over at where the doctor now lay on the console floor. Putting in more coordinates she pressed for the tardis to move before stepping back over to him. Laying back down beside him she placed another kiss on his lips. "You were right about how much this was going to hurt" Her heart and soul were shattered into a million sharp pieces each one stabbing her. Moving she straightened his bowtie and made him look his best as the tardis let her know they were at their destination. Standing back up slowly she kept her gaze fixed on him. "No one is going to mess with you again my love I promise. Not this time" Moving to stand at the console she smiled softly. "I'm sorry old girl but we need to make sure he stays safe, both he and you deserve peace. As the tardis made a noise to acknowledge and agree with her she set the coordinates for the center of the sun. "I promise every time I look up I will think of you both. Good bye old girl" Kissing her fingertips she placed them on the console before engaging the engines and taking a step back to glance down at the doctor once more. "Goodbye, my love" Typing in the coordinates of her home into her time vortex manipulator she pressed the button.
Suddenly finding herself in her own living room she fell to the floor the pain and grief taking her over fully.
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