Unbending the chaos

[xx_doctorwho_xx]

Who: The Doctor, River Tam
What: River is feeling off
When: After River requests to see him here
Where: The Library with a candlestick
Status: closed

Comments

[brainpanned]

She was worried about him, more than usual. He'd not been the same Doctor he was when he left. He seemed...older, almost -- more age and exhaustion heaped on his thin shoulders.

There were several reasons she'd called him. For starters, she missed him terribly. Secondly was the matter of Delirium (capitalized for emphasis.)

River loved the girl that wasn't a girl. But around her, things had a tendency to unravel, and she was beginning to find the input of the outside world remarkably overwhelming. Which is why she smiled at the Doctor's presence, pride in every line of her.

"You did!" She set down the book in her hands and put her arms around the Doctor's waist when he came close.

[xx_doctorwho_xx]

The Doctor held River close, kissing the top of her head. "How's my River?" he asked softly, leaning back to look at her. "Aside from almost a year older?" He grinned and tapped the side of his head. "No peeking at your present," he warned, tugging gently on a strand of her hair.

[brainpanned]

"Time's the tendency to do that. Getting older." River shrugged in a gesture of how futile it was, but her thoughts did little to hide the bubbling excitement of getting older. Tugging the Doctor by the hand, she sat them down at her table, watching him expectantly, as if she didn't want to say what she needed to.

[xx_doctorwho_xx]

The Doctor reached across the table, squeezing River's hand. "How are your doors, River? You said in your journal that you're too elastic. I know your pathways are a little different now, but if you're ready, we can start straightening them out a little."

He wasn't sure if her mind had recovered completely from Schuldich or not, and he didn't want to rush her, or hurt her.