She's Only Just Beginning

Part VI

The Doctor remained true to his word and returned to River only two weeks after finding her in the library. He continued to show up around her, usually on campus and always when she was alone. They would talk for hours, though a good amount of that could be more accurately described as verbal sparring. He would answer her personal questions as honestly as was possible without revealing too much foreknowledge. She would tell him about her studies, but skillfully skirt anything having to do with her past.

The Doctor had come and gone five time (spending the night on her bedroom floor each stay) before the topic of River’s nightmares was broached again. He was hesitant to push her before she was ready, and River was not the sort to trust easily. It took a great deal of concerned courage for The Doctor to bring himself to raise the subject with River. He was considerably nervous about asking her, but he knew she had hardly been sleeping, and the exhaustion was wearing her down. He had always known River to be vivacious and sparkling, and it was painful for him to see her so diminished by the severe fatigue. It was getting to the point that he feared she may never become the River Song he married unless she were able to move on from the nightmares that haunted her nightly.

Five in the afternoon found The Doctor in River’s kitchen and River just returning from her day of classes. She let herself in, hung up her coat and dropped her bag by the door, unaware that The Doctor was “home.” However, the appearance of solitude was shattered shortly; a moment after she walked through the door, The Doctor popped around the corner, grinning madly. River stopped dead in her tracks at the sight that met her: The Doctor in his usual shirt, pants, and bow tie, his jacket replaced by a pale pink, excessively frilly apron that River was sure she didn’t own. Perched on his head was a tall white chef hat, which he swept off in a grand bow. For a long minute, River could only stare.

“Sweetie,” she began slowly, “what are you wearing?” she asked with what she saw as an impressive show of patience. Through her exasperated amusement, River felt the familiar sense of gratification at using that particular endearment for The Doctor. After he had told her that only River Song gets to call him that, each time she did use that name for him without, rebuke, felt like his acceptance of her as “his River.” As for The Doctor himself, he felt hopeful upon hearing her question his attire rather than his unexpected presence in her home.

“I got them from the TARDIS. What do you think?” he prompted brightly, twirling around with a flourish to show off his cooking garb. Instead of lying to appease his ego or being honest and dashing his rather endearing excitement, River chose to smile.

“Come on through, come, come,” he went on, ushering her into the kitchen. “I’m making you dinner,” he announced proudly.

“You? Cooking? I fear for my kitchen,” River returned smoothly, slipping easily into their standard form of communication, which consisted of teasing banter, evasive answers, and sly innuendoes. The Doctor scowled at her with mock vexation.

“Oi! Rude!” he cried indignantly. River’s resolve crumbled -- she through her head back and roared with laughter.

“I’m sorry, Sweetie,” she managed through her hysterics, gasping for breath. “But I can’t take you seriously in that!” She wiped away tears of mirth, snorting fondly as she gazed at The Doctor. He harrumphed with no real annoyance; seeing River laugh with such abandon was the most marvelous thing he could imagine.

It was some time before River could calm herself down enough to hear anything The Doctor said, so he patiently waited her out. He flitted around the kitchen, pulling out spices, chopping vegetables, peering in the oven and generally making a great show of  cooking, all to the sounds of River’s hearty amusement. Eventually, he was able to convince her to go put her things away and clean up for dinner. As soon as she had disappeared into her bedroom, The Doctor hurried back to the TARDIS (which was parked in the living room) and retrieved the dinner he’d had the Ponds help him make.