SMOKE AND MIRRORS
Authors Note: I personally dislike writing forward notes before a chapter, as I think it gets in the way of my readers plunging right into the story. But in this case, an explanation is in order. I resubmitted this due to issues with downloads, Google docs and openoffice (can't use libreoffice on my computer.) Sorry for any inconvenience, and thanks for taking the time out of your day (or night) to read my work, it's deeply appreciated.*****SpinsterWhovian. Smoke and Mirrors- Hours later in the TARDIS, River Song paused and stared across the console at the Doctor. He was engrossed with fiddling with some bit of the TARDIS which has accidentally fallen off. "Are you ever going to tell them?" River asked. "Tell who what?" The Doctor muttered, hunched over the controls, busy sonicking something. "Oooh, I love it when you use bad grammar." River replied cheekily. "The Oncoming Storm messing up his English." She smiled as she imagined the Doctor's frown. Then, River grew more serious. "Amy and Rory. They should know the truth, Doctor." "I don't know, River." The Doctor sighed. Still hunched over, he leaned his palms against the console. "They're not seasoned time travelers...at least, not yet. I don't know if their minds could handle all of the...complexities involved. You know, all of that wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey stuff." "But I think you know there is more to this whole situation, then any of us can guess, Doctor. Even you." River told him gravely, moving a little closer to him. "You could have died, never to regenerate again." Standing up against the console, the Doctor's face glowed greenish blue from the reflection of the time rotor. It wheezed like an old man, as it rose and fell with the regularity of a grandfather's clock pendulum. The Doctor watched its motion for a moment, before he answered her. "Everything dies, River." The Doctor said quietly, sadly. "Well, except maybe for Captain Jack. Every time I regenerate, I die a little. It's not the dying that's hard. It's the living. The going on with your life, with the knowledge always there, that nearly all those things that made you what you are—your home, your family, the very world which shaped you and enriched you with its experiences, is gone forever. Vanished from all of time and space, never to return. Except, perhaps, in your memories. For me, River, there are some things far worse than dying." Then, as if sensing that his mood was going somewhere it didn't want it to go, the Doctor looked up and grinned at River Song. "Still, it's not all bad. I mean, look at me! Eleventh regeneration, and here I am, young and fit." He thumped his chest hard, which caused him to wince and cough. "Better to die active and happy, than old and gimpy and wearing adult nappies." "Well, you'd better not ask me to change them, Doctor." River replied, wrinkling her nose. "I'm rubbish around babies. I had to change a baby nappie once, don't think I'd fancy something bigger in there." "You're not getting any younger yourself, you know." The Doctor said, straightening up and checking the readings on his sonic screwdriver. He was glad for any change of topic. "You should settle down, River, get yourself a home, a family of your own, stop traipsing around with vagabond Time Lord traveler." "Oh no, I don't think so." River laughed. "I've had too many adventures to become some old housefrau, Doctor. I'm an adventure all unto myself! I'm too much like you, I suppose." She stood beside him, looked up into his face. "Why did you agree to allow that auton double to take over your TARDIS? You risked this ship, the universe, even alternate universes, to capture your double. You were playing a little too close to the edge this time, I think. The fall would've killed us all." The Doctor suddenly looked very uncomfortable. He didn't like being reminded of something he was trying not to think too hard about. "I suppose, like Lord Cardigan ordering the Light Brigade to charge the Russian cannons, I thought it was a really good idea, at the time." The Doctor sniffed. He frowned when a flashing light suddenly appeared virtually under his nose, and bent down to have a closer look. "Would you mind going over there and re-setting the astronomic inlet port valve, River? It's on the opposite side of the console, to your right." "Yes, I know where it is, Doctor." She answered tersely, and hurried over to the bit of machinery giving the trouble. River paused and looked up at the Doctor. "You never did find out who is behind all of this." "No," the Doctor nodded, "but I'm sure he's not finished with me yet. I only have to bide my time, and he'll rear his ugly little meglamanical head once again." He gave her a puzzled look. "Are you oing to adjust that valve or not?" Then, sonicking the console again, the Doctor added, "Everything happens, sooner or later. I can wait." "Yes Doctor," River whispered to herself, jiggling the faulty valve switch, "and while you're killing time waiting, time may be waiting to kill you." THE END.
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