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"I'm not; you're just too good at reading me," he replied, giving in and releasing a long, exhausted yawn.

He leaned into her touch—actually, he leaned into her entirely at her touch. In the last while of their reunion, he couldn't stand any distance between them.

However, it was her caress that reminded him of the bandages strapped around him. He wondered if they needed changing and, more importantly, what damage lay beneath them. Interestingly, there was no pain, but he was curious nonetheless.

"I'll sleep when Elly comes," he teased, "That way, I don't have to hear her giving out to me."

spoilersandguns

Ah, so he was absolutely exhausted. And, considering she didn’t remember falling asleep in his lap – or moving to the couch at all, for that matter, uncertain of where reality and dreaming changed – him carrying her wouldn’t have helped. She only had to hope he didn’t hurt himself – any more than he may have already been, anyway.

“You and I both know she won’t allow that,” she hummed, giving him a small smile. Honestly, she had a feeling that Elly would give out to both of them – Theta for coming back out of nowhere, and River for good measure (since she’d already had to withstand the one for letting him get hurt when it happened). “But I’d like to see you try.”

She sighed softly, biting her lip. “Before she gets here, will you let me check your bandages? I have a kit in my desk. I just… I want to make sure you’re okay and not hurting yourself more. Please?”

#daftoldwarrior

spoilersandguns reblogged

rebeltwelve

Oh, the smile. If it took her being right in a dangerous scenario to be happy, even briefly, then he’d happily be wrong. Just this once. It took him a moment to realize a small smile had crept upon his lips before he dropped the look and returned to his poker face.

No time for sentimentality; River may be smiling, but she certainly looked worse than before. A slight redness began to take over the whites of her eyes, meaning the poison was spreading fast.

“I’ll go first,” he started, shifting closer and glancing around to ensure they were alone before revealing what he had learned. “Our bartender friend was very helpful.”

“Turns out, I either have another doppelgänger or someone is pretending to be me or your husband. Luckily for us, that person is also the leader of the thieves’ guild, the very people who are after the knife.” He ended his sentence with a small point to her bag.

Surely, she couldn’t top that information. His turn to grin.

spoilersandguns

River only barely bit down on snidely replying ‘your bartender friend’, but knowing that they had an incredibly inflexible and very rapidly approaching time limit coming their way helped her resist. It was more beneficial for both of them if she focused on what the bartender said instead, she could always use any leftover time between when this finished and she returned to her ship to give him grief.

She hummed softly as she thought, glancing at their surroundings to ensure his arrival hadn’t attracted any unwanted attention. Good, it seemed no one who had previously been after them had tracked them just yet.

“Why impersonate either of you, though? Me, I’d understand, considering, well, half of my reputation. Not so much yours.” After all, she was the time-travelling archaeologist, thievery kind of just came with the position – depending on which time period one was examining her from. But Theta or the Doctor? They’d be more appropriate for battlefields – physical or political ones, at the very least. She’d seen enough of her own, too, sure, but regardless this sort of realm was more hers than his by far.

“I suppose we’ll just have to ask them when we find them. Which, by the way, see those three stalls over there?” She nodded toward three relatively busy stalls across the way. “Watch them for a minute. You’ll notice the outer two are near constantly being stolen from, but the middle and any customers at it are left untouched. Building it’s propped up against also doesn’t show up on any maps past or present. My bet is that the entry to their headquarters is hidden inside.”

Sure, his information gathering skills were impressive – but she wasn’t going to let him win that easily.

#daftoldwarrior

spoilersandguns

@daftoldwarrior Theta found solace in the gentle embrace he shared with River. Amidst the quiet, an incessantly buzzing mobile phone punctuated the tranquillity. His attention was so deeply absorbed by the enigmatic presence of his wife that he scarcely noticed her deft hand swiftly snatching the phone from his grip. “Hey—” he began, only to quickly swallow his retort and lapse into silence. He recognized his current standing, knowing it wasn’t the time for remarks, especially since the phone belonged to River. A thought stirred within him, though. Where was his own phone? It wasn’t nestled within his pocket when he awoke, a realization that aligned with his sudden change of clothing. Yet, his sonic device and sweets found their way into his new pockets; why not the phone? It should have been easy to retrieve from his jacket pocket, the same pocket where it had always been. But then he paused —a memory of looking down at his chest, the aftermath of a gunshot’s impact. His torso didn’t stay intact after that assault, so why would his phone?

The cadence of River’s voice snapped his wandering thoughts back to the present. “Well, the human part of you seemed in need of some rest, so I thought I’d let you sleep a while,” he responded, leaning slightly to steal a glance at Elly’s messages. He harboured a curiosity for River’s reaction. Theta’s gaze flickered towards River as she dismissed Elly’s request for a selfie, an almost imperceptible sigh of relief escaping him. Elly would undoubtedly have held onto it for potential blackmail.

64.media.tumblr.com

As the phone settled on the couch beside them, its insistent buzzing continuing with new messages from Elly, Theta shook his head ever so slightly. “She’ll be here soon, you know,” he mused, turning his attention fully back to River. “I didn’t know how long has passed. For me it’s barely been a week, or that’s what it felt like. I don’t really know what happened. I just knew I needed to get back here to see you, Elly, and Lex and check where the…” Theta’s words trailed off as a whisper in the back of his mind grew louder. Find the key. “River you remember that artefact, the toy thing. Do you have it?”

River couldn’t help but give him a look at his “human” comment. She hadn’t been partially human since he and Lex brought her back from the Library – and he knew it very well, better than anyone.

To be honest, his disappearance would have probably been a lot easier had she still had her hybrid timelord and human body, and not just the one – she wouldn’t have remembered every single detail of that day so vividly, wouldn’t have had nightmares about the blood and watching him fall.

Wouldn’t remember his being shot and falling before her eyes like she was there, over and over again, the image keeping her from rest and sleep for so very long until her body threatened collapse. And most certainly wouldn’t remember her failure to find him, and every attempt she had made doing so.

She hummed softly as he spoke, taking in every detail of his face, praying that the sight of him before her, that the solid feel of his hand in her own, would drive all of those visions away – assuming this wasn’t another exhaustion induced dream that could form into a nightmare at any time.

But, it hadn’t changed yet, so she’d take it while she could.

Unless…. This was where it was going to change, her smile forming into a frown as she looked away from him and toward her storage closet where the damned thing was held. If this all was real, and he really was back to her, then there was no way in hell she was going to let him know where it was. When Elly got there, River would let her explain, and River could use the distraction to get rid of – or at least hide – it.

“I remember it, but I don’t have it,” she lied, looking back to him. “I lost it in the scuffle when I left you. It could be anywhere in the vortex at this point.” She sighed softly. “We can worry about it later. For now, you should focus on resting before Elly bombards you with questions.”

#daftoldwarrior

spoilersandguns reblogged

rebeltwelve

Theta drained the glass with expert’s ease as he strolled over towards the counter of the bar again. He couldn’t help but notice the bartender’s unease as Theta lowered the glass and waited for a top up.

A few moments had drifted by whilst the bartender served a customer before swiftly approaching Theta again. It was there he noted that the bartender failed to call anyone else but Theta ‘sir’.

“Okay, I have questions - so pull us both a drink.”

—

Theta wanted to be quick, he knew the clock was ticking for River but his chat with the bartender turned to be extremely informative. Theta had a doppelgänger, either someone claiming his or the Doctor’s identity and had claimed the leading role within a local thief’s guild. Interestingly the same guild that have been trying to get their hands on the knife. Something he could certainly use to his advantage.

As he exited the pub, he contemplated on their next steps. He just needed to find River and come up with a plan- wait. He glanced up and down the streets trying to spot her, hoping her hair might be a useful pointer yet she was no where to be seen.

Mild panic settling in, he began to run through the crowds checking every nook and cranny on the way. It wasn’t until he spotted her in the corner of his eye in a narrow alley when he skidded to a stop and spun around the attempt to calmly approach her.

“There you are, when you said outside I assumed you meant by the door not hiding out in an alley.”

spoilersandguns

While Theta was busy with his information gathering, River continued to monitor the crowds, intermittently checking on her med device – both to monitor the acceleration of her condition and to try to blend in as someone waiting for a meeting or a trade. There were a handful of other people acting in a similar manner, so she wasn’t too concerned with sticking out.

Though, if he took too much longer, she’d ditch him and follow the few leads she’d already seen while he was gone. It’d be risky, going in without backup of any kind when her condition was deteriorating, but if he wasn’t going to give her much of a choice…

River was in the middle of using her datapad to search up potential underground paths from the marketplace when she noticed someone approaching, only relaxing slightly when she recognized who it was, focusing back on her device.

“It would be rather obvious and suspicious to anyone following or tracking us if I was just lingering outside a pub, don’t you think? I figured you’d be capable enough to find me if you wanted to.” She glanced up at him with a grin, “And it looks like I was right.”

Sighing, she put the device back in her bag, crossing her arms. “So, find anything interesting, or would you like me to go first?”

#daftoldwarrior

spoilersandguns reblogged

daftoldwarrior-a

spoilersandguns:

Having only taken a step before he called her name, River stopped, cursing herself as she did so. If he was anything like the Doctor of this universe, if she didn’t get away from him and soon, he wasn’t going to drop it until she did what he wanted. The problem was, even though she didn’t have the energy to argue as intensely as usual and knew that his request wasn’t unreasonable, River didn’t want him to touch her.

No, it wasn’t that exactly. It was that the need to hide any damage that she could from the Doctor was so ingrained, that River didn’t want him to see this latest injury – regardless of if he was her Doctor or not.

Before she could interrupt and stop his arguments, the bartender came once more, River’s eyes moving between the two of them. The bartender recognized Theta, but the inverse wasn’t true – and he didn’t recognize her. So a future version of himself came back to give him first aid equipment for her, and ensured that he wouldn’t get affected by the poison – at least as much as he possibly could. Normally, she’d wonder why, but at this point, she found she didn’t have the time to care.

But that still didn’t mean she had to accept his help, dropping her injured hand to her side and looking between the two of them and the door. He was too close – even with the bartender momentarily distracting him, she wouldn’t get out quick enough.

And unfortunately, his attention was back on her all too soon, River huffing. “Yes, but if you’re anything like this universe’s version, you’ll find a way to get it the one spot that hasn’t dried on you anyway.”

She looked away from him. “If you listened to me, you’d know that once it’s dried it’s inert – and judging by the feel of the cloth, it’s mostly dry anyway. You didn’t even know what the knife or the poison on it was until I told you, so listen to me now when I tell you it’d be pointless.” She took a deep breath. “Besides, if those men who attacked us or their associates are in here, then this is the worst place to stop and let our guards down so you can perform unnecessary first aid. We need to be going.”

With that, she began to walk away from him, hoping he’d actually listen and carry on with this investigation before she felt any worse.

Theta gazed at her with a mix of incredulity and astonishment, taken aback by her level of stubbornness. He couldn’t help but feel that her anger from their earlier exchange was the probable cause of her attitude. If she persisted in refusing his help, then he was left with no choice but to hold on and wait to help when circumstances rendered her incapacitated. With a somewhat irritated expression, he gathered all the materials, neatly placing them within a ziplock bag. He deftly removed the excess air, folded the bag meticulously, and slipped it into his pocket.

He deliberately took his time in trailing after her, his irritation at her unyielding attitude festering within him. He took a sharp glance confirmed the bottle’s location at the edge of the table. He swiftly extended his hand, retrieving the bottle and returning to the task of finishing his pint. As he followed River, he continued to drink, the straw producing an obnoxious slurping sound that seemed to mirror his annoyance. When the contents were drained, he set the empty glass at the bar’s end, his gaze remaining fixed on River.

“Well, if you want to know. Our bartender friend might have all the information that we need,” Theta stated, head nodding towards the man visibly attempting to mask his distress.

spoilersandguns

Oh, he was determined to get on her nerves, the sound of his slurping doing nothing to help her growing headache, the temptation to deck him becoming ever larger. But, she’d already done that once when he hadn’t deserved it (yet), so she supposed he’d get a pass this time. Though, not if he kept it up. There was only so long she could handle it, especially with the bar’s environment becoming ever hotter and stuffier.

Nails digging into her palms at his words, she spun on her heel, closing the distance between them as she glared up at him.

“Fine. Then you can go question your friendand find me outside when you’re done. I highly doubt you need me holding your hand for something so simple.”

Turning back around, she glanced over her shoulder. “You can investigate your way, so let me investigate mine.” with that, she strode out of the bar, walking past a few buildings before finding a relatively empty alleyway and turning down it. It took only a moment to verify no one was watching her and Theta wasn’t following her before she allowed herself to relax a bit.

Leaning heavily against the alley wall, River shut her eyes, trying to control her breathing to calm herself down. Being irritated wasn’t going to help her feel any better, nor would it help her get to the bottom of this. The fake station air was helping, but not nearly as well as she expected – not a good sign.

Reaching into her bag, she felt for her med scanner, doing a quick self-scan and frowning at the results. The reaction was developing far sooner than she estimated – at least an hour sooner – and her window for getting this resolved and getting back to her ship had diminished greatly. She’d be extremely lucky if they figured this out before she passed out.

Stashing the device, she began to watch the crowds once more. A station this big had maybe one or two criminal groups, and the traffic was too dense for them not to at least have pickpockets on duty. She just needed one to mess up as they inevitably would, then track them back to their headquarters – or for the idiot in the bar to show back up with whatever intel he was so determined he’d get.

#daftoldwarrior #i cant seem to get the post to trim =.=

spoilersandguns reblogged

xiidoctor

@spoilersandguns continued from here

A small smile crossed his face when River reached over to him. He knew she didn't agree and it took the entirety of his willpower to not leave the man alone in the storm to die. But he wasn't an executor, he was the Doctor and his Hippocratic Oath was to help the universe and all those in it.

However, he could sacrifice a minute of time to thank his wife, his husband duties far superseded his Doctor duties. Luckily she was already tugging him close. Standing tall for a moment he leans closer to plan a kiss onto her forehead.

"I promise," he replied, hoping whatever they deal with in the storm doesn't sour the mood later on.

spoilersandguns

She wanted to tell him the truth about the man outside. All it would take is her telling him what he’d done, even in very wide implications, and she knew he’d likely leave him to his fate. But, he was also notoriously an over-thinker, so if he considered why it bothered her so much for even a moment, there was no way he’d let the subject go.

And that was something she couldn't allow, even with this face.

Besides, once the Doctor was done with his attempt and dropped him off wherever the hell it was, she could always take care of him later without the Doctor knowing. It wouldn't be the first time she slipped away for a short time.

She gave him a soft smile and a hum at his promise. “I’ll hold you to it.”

River glanced outside. “Well, I suppose you better let him in and get this over with.”

#xiidoctor

spoilersandguns reblogged

xiidoctor

spoilersandguns asked:

"Well if he doesn't, meh. I won't be too bummed about him dying."

xiidoctor answered:

starter list I made the shame my friend while playing BG3

"River!" he scolded lightly, although a part of him agreed. He hated that part of himself and tried to ignore it. Leaving people to die was against the purpose of why he chose his name, something he had forgotten over the years. In fact, he knew he was being hypocritical in this moment; the Doctor knew he was no angel himself.

But yes, the idiot left out in the blizzard wasn't a good man, but death was permanent, and there was a chance of redemption for nearly everyone. For his own conscience, it was worth trying.

"We should go back..." he said with a sigh, glancing back through the storm. "They still have the key you know."

spoilersandguns

Crossing her arms and huffing heavily at his chastising, River cast her attention explicitly away from her husband or the direction of the man in the snow. She was certain they both knew this wasn’t about the key – she could probably pick it with her eyes closed – but it was his only way to get her to agree at all.

However, unlike her husband, River also knew exactly what the man freezing his arse off in the snow had done and would undoubtedly do again, given the chance. While she was by no means a saint, she limited her thievery to artefacts or objects of interest that no one would miss, not children to be sold off to the highest bidder. Those type of people were incapable of change, and she was certain the Doctor would come to the same conclusion eventually.

But she also knew that he wouldn’t forgive himself if he didn’t at least offer the chance.

So, she sighed, moving in front of him and gently adjusting his coat.

“Fine. But you’re warming me up once we’re done.”

#xiidoctor

spoilersandguns reblogged

daftoldwarrior-a

daftoldwarrior:

Theta swiftly scanned through the newspaper’s contents, quickly absorbing the essence of the universe’s current state, at least within the realm of this publication. The weight of the passing year settled upon him like a heavy shroud, each revelation further cementing the reality of his absence. As the gravity of the situation bore down on him, his attention was drawn to the subtle vibration of a phone, its telltale buzz resonating from River’s pocket.

With the dexterity that his current regeneration granted him, Theta delicately placed the newspaper aside on the floor. His fingers deftly maneuvered to retrieve River’s phone, a device that could potentially hold both answers and connections he so desperately sought. It was a more pragmatic approach than the musings the old fashioned news report.

In a twist of fate, the first message that caught Theta’s eye was from none other than his daughter, Elly. The message, a sequence of emojis portraying wine glasses, a dancing woman in an elegant red dress, and a question mark, spoke volumes in its brevity. Despite the tangled emotions coursing through him about his involuntary separation from his family, a hint of warmth crept into his heart at the realization of the connection that had formed between his wife and daughter. Perhaps they weren’t entirely alone during his absence.

Opening the message, Theta scrolled back through the conversation. It became evident that most of the exchange had been one-sided, with Elly’s tenacity ensuring that River remained in touch with her family. It was a bittersweet, in a way.

With River resting beside him, Theta saw an opportunity to reach out to his daughter. However, the challenge of crafting the right message weighed on him. A simple declaration like “Hi Elly, guess what? Not dead!” felt wrong on many levels, especially considering the situation and the fact that he was using River’s phone to communicate.

“Hey Pebbles,” he began, his fingers tapping out each letter as he formed his message. “It’s your old man. I never understood why you always insisted on sending mini comics instead of actual text messages. I’m just checking in on River, it would be nice to see you again. I’m at her office. Your Da. ”

He hit send, a swirl of uncertainty enveloping him. Theta had a mental countdown of potential reactions, each varying from immediate disbelief to complete silence. However, he should have anticipated the straightforward and slightly exasperated response that awaited him.

“Are you fucking kidding me? If this is River’s twisted idea of a joke, you’ve definitely crossed into full-blown psychopath territory. Give me ten minutes, and either her ass or Da’s is gonna get kicked.”

Theta couldn’t help but sigh, his gaze shifting to River’s slumbering form. Knowing that her rest was about to be rudely interrupted, he braced himself for the impending whirlwind that was his daughter.

“It’s me, Pebbles. River’s sleeping,” he typed, his fingers moving swiftly over the keys. His eyebrows raised at the following message, delivered with a straightforward assertiveness.

“Prove it.”

Theta had to fight back his eyeroll as his fingers dancing across the phone’s screen.

“How?”

“Ever hear of a selfie?”

“You’re kidding.”

“I swear to Gallifrey, Da/River, you’ve got eight minutes before I’m there. Dead serious.”

“How how I even do that?” he mused aloud, his thoughts momentarily diverted as River’s gentle touch brushed across his chest. His attention refocused, his heart skipped a beat as he met her teary gaze.

“I came back,” he assured her, his voice carrying the weight of his promise. “But be warned, Elly is six minutes away.” He held up her phone, displaying the barrage of unread messages that only seemed to escalate in urgency.

The seconds ticked away, the impending storm drawing nearer, but in that moment, his attention remained solely on the woman before him, lowing the phone so he could brush a finger across her cheek.

About to inform him that one doesn’t just come back from the dead, not without a backup and most certainly not from the way he passed, River’s thoughts were interrupted by the fact that he had her phone and was apparently texting Elly with it. And now said phone was buzzing nonstop, a long chain of messages waiting to be read.

While she was beyond happy that her husband had returned to her, this had to be taken care of first.

Giving Theta a soft smile and leaning into his touch, River gently took the phone from his hand, deciding that the pile of messages could be read later.

“You should have woken me, my love. You know how useless you are with these things.”

Pausing for only a moment to figure out how to prevent Elly from absolutely demolishing her office or any part of the campus in the very limited time she had, she huffed softly before beginning to type. While taking a selfie would prove that he was with her and this wasn’t a cruel joke, River knew she looked like an absolute mess and she really didn’t want Elly having that photo for blackmail later.

“He’s actually here. No you’re not getting a selfie. We won’t move from these coordinates until you arrive. Come see for yourself.” She paused for a second, trying to think of a way to convince her that she was sincere. While there was a level of trust between the two women, something like this easily exceeded that. “If I’m lying, you can do more than kick my ass and I won’t stop you.”

Sighing softly, she set her phone aside, moving to take his hand in her own. “I won't ask you to explain it just yet, because I know Elly will make you explain again anyway, but you have been gone a long time, sweetie, things aren’t quite the same as when you left.” Giving his hand a gentle squeeze, she smiled. “But I want you to know that I did very much miss you, and I’m beyond glad that you’re back and very thankful to whoever made this possible.”

#daftoldwarrior

spoilersandguns

whole-armies-turn-and-run asked:

"I wasn't expecting to see you here. Not like this... What sort of trouble have you been getting yourself into?"

Carefully untangling the silver diadem from her curls, River huffed at her husband, glancing over him as she worked to loosen the knots caused by their hasty escape. It wasn’t the worst tangle her hair had ever been it, but they had certainly wrapped themselves around the metal quite thoroughly, taking longer to undo than she’d like in the situation.

“Apparently the local regents don’t much approve of people impersonating their long-lost royalty.” Finally unravelling the last of it, River set the crown into his hands as she sighed, trying to smooth out the mess her hair had become. “But when there’s a secret treasure that only the royal line is supposed to know about and have access to, sometimes one has to do things that are a bit questionable.”

Giving up, River crossed her arms, watching the man before her, looking for any of the typical clues to guess where exactly he was. “Not that you can judge, considering your escapades with your own royals. Speaking of that…”

She smiled brightly, removing her diary from a concealed pocket. “Shall we compare notes?”

#wholearmiesturnandrun #not sure where exactly in their timeline but here lol

spoilersandguns reblogged

daftoldwarrior-a

daftoldwarrior:

Theta held River close, feeling the weight of her tears against his shirt as she silently cried. The soft sound of her stifling her pain only caused him to hold her closer. He wished he could take away her suffering, make everything better, but he knew that healing from whatever pain he had caused her would take time and care.

Gently, he rocked her in his arms as he carried her to the couch, trying to make her as comfortable as possible. He settled down with her cradled against him, her cheek resting on his shoulder, her legs across his lap. It felt so familiar and yet so surreal. They had done this many times, but in different circumstances and with a vastly different mood.

Her response to his teasing offer brought a small smile to his lips. “It’s alright, you have my permission to stay asleep a little longer,” he whispered, recognising the exhaustion in her eyes the moment he saw her today.

As he continued to hold her, he could feel her fatigue. She was fighting to stay awake, but her body and mind were yearning for rest. Yet, her last words before she succumbed to sleep pained him greatly.

“Nothing to forgive, Sweetie,” he reassured her softly, brushing a loose curl from her forehead as he reached over to tuck the coat back around her properly. He held her a little tighter, treasuring this moment of closeness. Was it their wedding, the reunion at the Library, or perhaps something else?

Did his family know he was alive? How long exactly has it been for them? River has said anniversary but it could mean several things. Their wedding, the reunion at the Library, even their birthdays.

Taking great care not to wake her, Theta extended his arm toward the floor where a discarded newspaper lay. His fingers fumbled for a moment, finally managing to grasp the corner of the paper and slide it into his hand. He adjusted it to rest against the arm of the couch, hoping it was a recent publication and not some ancient artifact.

Glancing at the date, his heart sank. It was exactly one year later. The weight of the realization hit him hard – he had been gone for an entire year. A wave of conflicting emotions washed over him – relief that he was back, confusion about what had happened during his absence, and worry for how this had affected River and his family.

He needed to make River believe him and see his family soon.

For the first time in months, River slept soundly, warmly wrapped in his coat and persuaded to remain asleep with the soft sound of his heartbeats. While the nightmares that had kept her awake through the night had abated several months before, River still had difficulty sleeping.

How could she not, considering she had returned to living in her cold, lonely flat instead of the warm home she and Theta had made together after her return from the Library. Even though it had once been a place of comfort, something consistent in her marriage to the Doctor, it had become mostly abandoned since Theta rescued her. Not only that, but it was quiet, the sound of Theta breathing next to her gone. But it was still less painful to stay in than their home, even if her quality of sleep took damage from it.

However, though her mind believed Theta to be dead, and that this was only a dream, her body was able to finally relax and partially recover with the familiarities present. It wouldn’t be enough to fully undo all of the damage her sleepless nights had done over the previous year, but it was a start.

It was close to two hours before River slowly began to wake up, disoriented from her unexpected position. She remembered sitting at her desk working on… something probably important… before someone had come in. Her mind was still slow from the unexpected deep sleep, and it was taking her longer than she’d like to remember.

That was when she heard it, the distinctive sound of a double heartbeat that wasn’t her own, and it all came crashing back to her.

She pulled away from the sound quickly, breathing heavily as she stared at the man sitting beneath her. It wasn’t possible, he was very much dead, she had seen it firsthand and so many times in her dreams since. But she knew that she was awake at the moment, that distinct difference between being awake and asleep so very clear in that moment.

But she had to confirm it for sure. Her hand shaking, she moved to lay it on his chest, hesitating only a moment before finally placing it there. If this was a dream, she wouldn’t feel anything or it would feel wrong.

Below her fingers was the very distinct feeling of his heartbeats, and she could see just a bit of bandage wrapping showing from beneath his shirt.

Fighting back tears, she swallowed roughly. “How? How can you be here?”

#daftoldwarrior

spoilersandguns reblogged

daftoldwarrior-a

daftoldwarrior:

“Pity I don’t have my uniform anymore then,” Theta replied, glancing at River briefly while attempting to maintain a poker face. “But the captain title will do.”

Theta refocused on the radar, ever vigilant in case Aria or a few members of the Blue Suns might change their minds about letting him leave. He understood why Aria didn’t bother him. He considered himself to be an idiot, but not foolish enough to break the single rule of Omega: don’t fuck with Aria (unless she lets you buy her a drink). Moreover, he knew she preferred his presence, as he kept the mercs occupied dealing with him instead of plotting against her.

Yet, as the colossal mass effect fields took hold of his ship, the vessel was propelled across the galaxy, as if released from a giant slingshot. The experience was seamless, thanks to the amazing effects of the mass effect technology, causing little discomfort within the ship.

As the blue light of space travel enveloped the ship, Theta sighed with relief and unbuckled his belt from the chair.

“I think she handled it just fine,” he replied, stretching and turning to observe the rest of his ship. Usually during his downtime, he continued his research and maintained his small armoury.

“Now we’ll have to see if she can handle you.”

As they travelled through the mass effect field, River was prepared to quickly check all radars and fire as needed once they exited the other side. One could never tell just where an ambush would come from, and existing from the relays were some of the most vulnerable a ship could be. Sure, it could be a bit disorienting not paying attention while travelling through one, but she preferred that over being shot at and spaced.

But it seemed luck was with them, for there were no such surprises, River carefully extracting her omnitool from his ships systems, leaving herself a carefully secured back door, just in case she needed faster access the next time. Theta probably wouldn’t be too happy if he knew she did that, but he didn’t exactly seem to be technologically savvy enough to ever figure it out – and she’d almost certainly be long gone by the time he did.

Glancing up at him, she gave him as innocent a smile she could manage. “Now what kind of guest would I be if I trashed the place of my ever so hospitable host?” Stretching, she soon undid her own chair harnesses, grabbing their food and strutting off toward his small kitchen. “Besides, I don’t think you’d like my cleaning methods.”

She nodded toward the food. “I’ll put this away for now. I’ll be in my quarters if you need anything. Otherwise, I suppose I’ll see you about suppertime.”

#daftoldwarrior #au: mass effect

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Theta found himself descending slowly to his knees, keeping eye contact with River as he placed a comforting hand on her upper arm. Her pain and frustration tore at him, and he wished he could find the right words to ease her suffering. He wanted to tell her that he was here now, but he wasn’t sure if words would be enough to convince her in her current state of mind.

As he watched her tugging at the jacket, memories flooded his mind – memories of the many times they had shared together. He recalled finding her asleep at her desk, or in his own office, or the time she shivered ever so slightly during a blizzard on one of their adventures. How he longed for things to be that way again, but he knew that for now, it was just a distant wish.

Before he could respond, she moved toward him, sliding her arms around his shoulders, seeking comfort in his embrace. He could feel her trembling, her breath hitching as she clung to him. She felt smaller than usual, and it made his hearts ache even more.

His arms instinctively wrapped around her, holding her close as he whispered softly into her ear, “I’m here, River. I’m not leaving you, not now, not ever.”

He gently rubbed her back, trying to offer some semblance of comfort, but he quickly realized that leaning over a desk chair wasn’t very comfortable for either of them. With that thought, he carefully scooped her up into his arms, ignoring the strain and discomfort from his healing wounds beneath his shirt. He carried her over to the nearby couch, where he could hold her more comfortably.

“I can pinch you if you don’t believe me,” he said with a small, teasing smile, trying to lighten the heavy atmosphere even just a little.

He settled down on the couch, with River still cradled in his arms, her face buried against his shoulder. He let her have her moment, not rushing her, not asking her to let go of her emotions. Instead, he focused on being there for her, providing the support and comfort she needed.

Her breath caught at his reassurances, the tears she had been so desperately trying to keep at bay finally freely falling onto his shirt as she silently cried and gripped the back of his shirt tightly. While part of her knew that her mind’s version of Theta was only trying to be reassuring and help her calm down, part of her couldn’t let go of the knowledge that this was just a dream and made the whole experience sting all the more. He had already left her – though not by his choice – so his promises otherwise only further cemented that he was gone.

Still, she tried to convince herself to just enjoy his presence while she still could – there was no telling when she’d have this chance again, especially when it had been so long since the last.

Having finally convinced herself it was okay to relax, River nearly panicked as it felt like he was moving away when he shifted. It was too soon for the dream to be over; she wasn’t ready to lose him again this quickly. But when it became apparent that he was only readjusting in order to pick her up and move to the sofa, her heartrate and breathing slowly calmed back down.

Readjusting to a position so similar to how they used to relax together, River slid her arms from his neck, shifting to rest her cheek against his shoulder, her legs across his lap. She still wasn’t brave enough to look up at his face, afraid she’d see or notice something that didn’t exist in real life and cement it even further as a dream, but she could at least relax in his embrace.

The tiniest of smiles formed on her lips at his offer, followed by a light hum. “No, I think I’d rather not wake up just yet, if that’s alright with you.” To be honest, if never waking up kept him with her, she’d choose that option, not that she’d tell Theta that – in whatever form he took.

Exhaustion was beginning to settle in, a mixture of her general lack of sleep and the upset from seeing him show up in her doorway. Despite her struggles, she slowly began to drift, shifting a hand to grip onto his shirt in a last-ditch effort to keep him with her.

As she finally fell asleep, she murmured what she was certain was the final thing she’d get to say to him. “Forgive me, my love, for failing you. Won’t… forgive myself.”

#daftoldwarrior

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Theta stood there, watching River’s reaction with a mix of confusion and concern. A whole week had passed since he last saw her, or so he thought. But something was off. Her disbelief, her pain – they seemed too intense for just a week of separation. He couldn’t ignore the fact that this was different from any previous times she gave him the silent treatment. There was a weight in her eyes, a heaviness in her demeanour that he couldn’t quite comprehend.

Wait, what if it hadn’t been a week? What if it had been longer? The thought sent a shiver down his spine. He tried to recall the events leading up to this moment, but his memories were hazy, fragmented. He had been injured, he remembered nearly dying. But he couldn’t shake the nagging doubt that he might have actually died, and somehow, against all odds, he was brought back.

No, if he did die, he wouldn’t be standing here now. He must have been saved from the brink of death, but the question remained – how long had he been lying unconscious, unable to wake up? How long did it take for his injuries to heal? Did she not know what had happened to him during this whole time?

As he gazed into River’s eyes, a dreadful realization began to dawn on him. It couldn’t have been just a week. His heart sank as he considered the possibility that it had been much longer – a year, perhaps more. But how was that even possible? The last thing he remembered was being on a dangerous mission, and then… darkness.

Images flashed through his mind – strange alien beings tending to him, their medical technology far beyond anything he had ever encountered. They had kept him alive, but why? And why had he only been aware for a few moments during the entire year? The memories were blurry, like fragments of a fading dream. The only memory that was consistent was on a young man trying to talk to him as he slipped back into unconsciousness. But now wasn’t the time to ponder on that. His wife was there, and she needed him, even if she was pushing him away.

“It is me, River,” he repeated, his voice soft and earnest, “I’ve come back, but…” His words faltered, unsure of how to continue. He wanted to comfort her, to hold her close, but he could sense that she needed space. Instead, he decided to act, taking off his jacket and gently draping it over her shoulders, a small attempt to offer her comfort.

“It’s going to be okay, okay?”

Her nails dug into her palms at his words. Why did her mind have to torture her with the things she most wanted to hear, things she knew she’d never hear again. It had been a year since she saw him die, why couldn’t her mind just come to terms with it and let him go.

But no, instead he was moving closer and setting a coat upon her shoulders – one she knew she had stolen countless times before. Sometimes truly for warmth, but most of the time to tease him. And the gesture was so familiar, it hurt.

River released a small noise of frustration, finally turning to glare up at him with tear-filled eyes. “It’s not going to be okay. It can’t ever be okay because you’re gone and you’re not coming back. There was no back up, no alternate plan like you had for the Library, we had nothing ready for that possibility.”

Annoyed with herself, she rubbed the tears from her eyes. So much for ignoring him to urge him to go away. If this was all a dream, she might as well finally vent the frustrations she couldn’t to Elly or Clara.

“I failed you and let you die and the worst part was that I couldn’t even give you a proper funeral because I couldn't find you and still can’t.”

Trembling, she pulled his jacket from slipping from her shoulders. It smelled like him, so vividly that it surprised her. She was surprised that her dream was able to conjure it, even after this long, when it had been so long since she had been anywhere with a hint of it.

It was becoming too much for her and, if this was her brain’s way of helping her come to terms with the fact that he was gone and seemed to have no intention of releasing her anytime soon, then she might as well take what she could get.

Shifting from her seat, she moved to him, sliding her arms over his shoulders and holding him close, her face buried against his shoulder.

“I’m sorry. I thought I was past this, hoping for you to come back. I know you’re gone, but just let me have a few more minutes before I wake up.”

#daftoldwarrior

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Theta froze momentarily as River snapped at him. Confusion and concern mingled within him. He couldn’t fathom why she didn’t recognize him. He was right there, standing in front of her, and he knew his appearance wasn’t drastically different. Something must have happened during his absence to cause this reaction.

His hearts sank as he saw the anger and pain in her eyes. His playful remark had clearly backfired, but he couldn’t understand why it affected her so deeply. Questions swirled in his mind, wondering what he had missed during his time away. Surely it wasn’t that long?

Taking a step back, he raised his hands slightly, trying to convey that he meant no harm. “River,” he began, his voice soft and steady, “It’s me, Theta.”

He desperately wanted to close the distance between them, to reach out and comfort her, but he could sense her agitation and decided to give her some space. Still, he couldn’t help but be worried about her well-being and what could have caused this dramatic change in her behavior.

“It’s Theta,” he repeated, hoping that saying his name might trigger something, a memory or recognition. “I’m here, River. I’ve come back. Please, tell me what happened.”

He felt a mix of emotions - concern for her, frustration at the situation, and a yearning to understand what had transpired in his absence. The weight of not knowing weighed heavily on him, and he wished he could take away her pain, whatever it might be.

Theta took a deep breath, trying to remain calm and patient, despite the turmoil inside him. He knew that whatever had happened, he needed to be there for her, to support her in any way he could. Perhaps distance was a part of the problem. With that thought he stepped into her office and towards her desk.

“Please, just talk to me. Tell me what’s going on,” he urged gently, hoping that his words would break through whatever barrier had formed between them.

Her eyes cinched shut, River tried to make sense of the situation. It wasn’t physically possible for Theta to be here – he had to be dead. Sure, they never found his body, but they had found her coat soaked with his blood in the place where she had watched the light leave his eyes and were able to verify it as his. On top of that, despite their attempts looking for him – as little information as they had to work with – no other signs showed up months and months later. At some point, they had no choice but to accept the terrible truth.

Of course, that didn’t stop the nightmares. Well, the dreams themselves didn’t qualify, nights upon nights of various visions of him returning, coming back like nothing happened or with varying levels of injuries, all things that were reparable. She had begun to consider them nightmares, as she would always only just be able to believe that he had come back and was alright before something would give it away and she would wake up and feel so much worse.

It had been a month since her last one, she had thought she was finally past it. But since he was still here calling her name and trying to capture her attention despite her warnings, so apparently not.

After all, this couldn’t be anything but one of those dreams again. She couldn’t let herself fall into the comfort of it, not if she wanted to be any level of functional when she woke up. It would hurt less to resist it than go with it and have it all ripped away from her later. Why couldn’t her mind just let her sleep?

But no, she could hear him approaching instead, and was determined to ignore him. Perhaps that was the only chance of her waking up to escape this anytime soon.

She shook her head fervently at his request. Once or twice before refusing to interact with him had driven the dream to conclude sooner, perhaps she’d be just as lucky this time.

#daftoldwarrior

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Theta stood at the door of River’s office, a whirlwind of emotions sweeping through him as he tried to make sense of her unexpected reaction. Confusion gripped his thoughts, as he had anticipated a warmer welcome from his wife. For him, it had only been a few days since they last saw each other, and he couldn’t help but feel hurt by her distant demeanor.

It took him a moment to note her tired appearance, as if she had endured a tremendous ordeal during his absence. It has only been a week right? Then again, if he saw River in a similar strate he wouldn’t be able to rest with worry either. The guilt weighed heavily on him, knowing that he had inadvertently caused her pain by being away.

Then, a fleeting thought crossed his mind - perhaps she hadn’t recognized him in that quick glance. He hadn’t exactly called in advance, after all. Maybe she had mistaken him for a student or someone else. That made more sense to him.

Trying to mask his worry with a lighthearted tone, he took a deep breath and decided to lighten the mood, “Thought I got an ‘open door policy’?” he quipped, hoping to evoke a smile from her.

Struggling to stay as calm as she could to not break down in front of a complete stranger, River tried to control her breathing. If she could get her breathing and heart rate down, she could talk to this stranger properly. They were just a student that missed an announcement, it happened occasionally, they didn’t deserve her ire or to see her in anything less than a professional state.

But it was so difficult when he looked and sounded exactly like Theta – and showed up on the anniversary of his death. It was like fate was taunting her once again, as it had so many times in her life, and she wasn’t sure she could handle it.

But then he just had to say something that was so like Theta and so presumptive, that her tolerance and control dissipated, her blood running cold with anger. This was a prank. Some stupid thoughtless prank someone set up knowing that her and Theta were together and that he had been gone for the last year – she hadn’t had the heart to tell the school administration the truth. They probably thought they assumed the worst, and had no idea of the real cause.

River stood, slamming her hands on her desk and glaring at the person before her. “Get out. I don’t know who you are, who you planned this with, or how you managed to get that good of a disguise, and I don’t care. I don’t have the patience for this, least of all today, so get out before I do something I’ll regret.”

Drained and breathing heavily, River slowly calmed and, with the calm, came a complete lack of energy. She slowly sank back into her chair, shutting her eyes and resting her head in her hands, unable to look at the person before her any longer. Her voice was quiet as she spoke.

“Please, just… leave me alone.”

#daftoldwarrior

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Theta couldn’t help but suppress a smile at River’s remark about her ship being sexier. He wasn’t one to ignore the truth, and though he remained silent, he silently acknowledged the euphemism she presented. However, her whispered comment about usurping captains caused a small eye roll before he refocused on the ship’s startup procedure.

With a practiced hand, Theta flicked a series of switches on and off in a particular order until the rest of the dashboard lit up—a security measure he personally installed. While it may not be the high-tech systems that assassins dealt with, Theta’s conflicts typically involved straightforward encounters with brutes and other forms of mercenaries. None had much of grey matter between their ears.

“Hmm, yeah, you’re in a weapon seat. It’s a small ship, though, so don’t expect heavy firepower. Evasive maneuvers tend to be more of my style,” Theta replied casually.

He fought hard to ignore the subtle jab at his captain title. It was a technicality, and more importantly, it was true. The ship belonged to him, and therefore he was the captain. Simple navy command structures. However, he knew better than to expect an assassin like River to follow any sort of chain of command.

Despite the ship’s unassuming appearance, it gracefully disembarked from the docks of Omega. Theta’s years in the navy had granted him remarkable training in flying various types of star crafts. He adjusted the ship’s trajectory, carefully navigating around a few asteroids as they departed from Omega. The feeling of being in control of his ship once again brought a sense of familiarity and comfort.

As they smoothly sailed through the space between asteroids, Theta kept a watchful eye on the radar, staying cautious. He knew the type of people who would hide their ships behind these celestial rocks, waiting for an easy target to pass by. Vigilance was a necessary trait in such situations.

One of the benefits of Omega was its close proximity to the mass effect relay. In only a few minutes, they approached the colossal structure.

“Buckle in, captain’s orders,” Theta said, punching in the codes to connect with the Tasale mass relay.

Humming softly at his answer, River entered a few more commands on his ship’s console before moving back to working off of her omni-tool. While his consoles weren’t archaic by any means, she was far more used to interfacing with systems this way and, in the case of any emergencies, she could react far more quickly.

With only a few moments pause, she had his weapons systems up and running, a small radar on her display watching for any enemies or asteroids he wouldn’t dodge in time. If he was right about his limited firepower, it wasn’t going to be much, but it could be enough to buy them some time.

But it seemed her preparation was premature, as they were able to navigate away from Omega with nothing more than an approval to leave. Apparently neither of them had pissed off Aria so bad that she intended to keep them there for amusement. Either that, or it was better for her that they were gone.

Releasing a small sigh of relief, River sat back in her chair a bit, still monitoring her tool but with not nearly as much fervor as before. They were close enough to the relay now that, even if something managed to surprise them, they could probably escape before any significant damage happened.

Rolling her eyes at his order, River stretched before settling back into her seat and doing as he requested. “Well, only because I never can resist a man in uniform.” Which he very much wasn’t, but if they were going to keep up with this captain thing, she wasn’t going to give up first. “And you did ask so very nicely.”

She tapped a few keys on her tool. ‘Your shields and engine look stable, so as long as there’s no welcoming party waiting for us on the other end, should probably be fine.” River gave him a mischievous grin. “Sure your ship can handle it?”

#daftoldwarrior #au: mass effect

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Theta slowly pushed the door of the TARDIS open, his hand clutching his chest as he leaned against the doorframe, revealing the familiar interior. Nothing had changed since he last stood there with River, but there was one exception. A small sticky note caught his eye, resting on top of the main lever. His steps were labored from lack of use, and he wondered how long he had been lying down – perhaps a week? With curiosity piqued, he lifted the note and was surprised to see Gallifreyan script in a handwriting style he could not recognize.

“Find the key.”

Intrigued and a little puzzled, Theta took a moment to process the message. He couldn’t recall anyone on Gallifrey who would write in such a way. The message was clear, but he didn’t understand why it was written or how the writer had entered his TARDIS undetected.

Suddenly, as if the TARDIS was under foreign instructions, the door slammed shut, and the lever moved of its own accord, initiating the dematerialization process. Theta stumbled into the console unit, cursing from the impact, and his hearts pounded in his chest.

“What are you doing?!” he exclaimed, as if pleading with his beloved time machine for an explanation.

But the TARDIS didn’t respond, leaving Theta to wonder about the strange series of events. He steadied himself against the console, trying to gain some semblance of control, but it was futile. The TARDIS had taken charge, and as he had learned from countless adventures, resisting her will was often futile. He had no choice but to ride along and see where she was taking him.

As the TARDIS soared through the vortex, Theta’s mind raced with questions. Who had left the note? What did “the key” refer to? Was this related to the artefact he had been searching for, or was it something entirely different? Surely not, that artefact was just some stupid toy. And why was the TARDIS doing this? Where was she taking him?

As the dematerialization process completed, the TARDIS materialized somewhere very familiar to Theta – his own office at Luna University.

“Good girl,” he muttered affectionately, realizing that all she had done was take him home, or at least very close to it. He understood now that she must have been lonely without him, eagerly awaiting his return. “I’ll find River, and then we’ll be back on track, okay?”

The lights inside the TARDIS dimmed and brightened again with a cheerful response, as if she understood his words. Theta smiled and patted his ship fondly before stepping out and attempting to locate his wife. Her office was only down the corridor, and from glancing at the time on the clock on his desk – not noticing the build-up of dust – he figured she should be around by now.

However, it took him several attempts to locate her office. Either she had moved, or he had hit his head harder than he thought and got confused. Regardless, he finally entered the right room with a sigh of relief, using one hand to hold himself upright against the door frame as he spoke to her.

“Finally found you. Have you moved offices recently?“ he asked, his voice carrying a mix of exhaustion and amusement at the situation.

@spoilersandguns

Sighing heavily, River rubbed her temples with her fingers, staring at the pile of notes before her. She was utterly exhausted, having not slept properly in days, and, for the first time in years was seriously considering skipping one of her lessons and sending out a last-minute notice to her students. It would be a bit unfair to them when she put such a high importance on their own attendance, but would they really be learning anything with her thoughts so distracted as they were now?

How could she not be? Yet another month had passed since Theta’s passing and, at least as far as anyone outside their family was concerned, things moved on. Theta’s classes were being led by someone who only barely understood the topic and, had she not used very anachronistic security methods, his office almost certainly would have been cleaned out by now.

Not that she could convince herself to go in it. It was all too stark a reminder that he was gone and wasn’t coming back. Even if she could, she’d start restricting her own access – anything to keep some semblance of him alive, just like she did for their home and her office and found a new place to live and work instead. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been in there – Elly was probably the last one, and that was to pick up a few mementos.

Glancing down to her side, she slid the bottom desk drawer open, a small book carefully nestled atop a pile of papers. Without thinking, River slowly reached for it, her fingers just barely grazing the cover before she pulled back like she was shocked, slamming the drawer shut with more force than necessary.

If she read back on their adventures and allowed herself to reminisce, she’d be accepting he was gone, and her heart wasn’t ready for that yet. Elly was helping her slowly come to terms with it, but she wasn’t nearly there yet.

Her eyes moved to the storage closet nearby, a storage closet that held that damned object. Had she not been distracted with figuring out its secrets, maybe she could have gone with Theta and given him the backup he needed against all those goons. But no, she hadn’t been, and Theta had lost his life and the only thing she could bring back was it.

Couldn’t even recover his body when they returned later. The only sign that he had fallen there at all was her bloodied jacket, one that Lex verified was covered in his blood, but no other sign than that. Nothing to work from for recovery – or closure.

The sound of her door opening pulled her from her reverie, looking up and expecting to see a student.

Her breath caught when the person before her looked like Theta. But that was utterly impossible. He was dead, she had seen the light leave his eyes with her own. This person must just have the, unfortunate for her, luck to look like the man she loved and desperately missed.

Fighting back tears and keeping a tremble from her voice, River cleared her throat. “I provided an updated syllabus and contact information at the beginning of the term after I moved offices. You must have missed class that day, I see.”

River lowered her gaze to her papers. She couldn't handle looking at this lookalike anymore. “And, like it would tell you, I don’t have any office hours today and won’t have any until next week, you’ll have to come back then. Please, shut the door behind you.”

#daftoldwarrior