"Doctor. Sweetie, wake up." River said as she kneeled next to her husband.
"R-River..." He sobbed "I'm sorry, River please..."
"Sweetie, wake up. WAKE UP!" She said desperately as she stroked his cheeks trying to wipe his tears. Suddenly, he screamed again. At the same moment, Amy, Rory and Clara entered the console room. Amy and Rory kneeled next to River.
"Melody, what's wrong with him?" Amy said worried.
"He's burning up." Rory said as he put a hand on the Doctor's forehead, his floppy hair splattered with swear on his forehead.
"He's having a nightmare." River explained.
"R-River, please..." the Doctor murmured on his sleep. Tears started streaming down Amy's face.
"Hello, umn, I know the situation is a bit tense, but who are you?" Clara asked River.
"She's Melody, mine and Amy's daughter but call her River Song." Rory said not looking at Clara.
"Wait, your daughter? but she's older than you-"
"Not the right moment Clara." River said.
Suddenly, the Doctor jolted awake, sobbing desperately and gasping for breath.
"Doctor, look at me are you alright?" River said.
The Doctor looked at River and his eyes widened. Then, memories started flooding back. Angel. Amy and Rory. Lizards. Running. Blood. Clara. He backed away from River, almost falling to the floor but being caught by Amy. He looked up at her and hugged her tight, sobbing on her chest.
"Shhhh, it's going to be fine Raggedy Man. It was only a nightmare, shhh." Amy said as she held him, stroking his hair.
River got up and leaned against the console. She was paralyzed. the way he looked at her, she has seen that look before: terror. He was terrified of her. 'What the hell was he dreaming about?' Amy pulled away, stroking The Doctor's cheeks and wiping his tears.
"Are you alright?" She said softly. He nodded as she put him back onto the chair. "Now, you were having a nightmare. Talk to us."
"Amelia, please, I really don't wanna talk about it." The Doctor said.
"No, you are gonna tell us why you were screaming and sobbing. You were repeating River's name over and over again. So spit it out." Clara argued.
The Doctor looked up at River, straight in the eyes. She smiled at him and he looked down quick. Her smile faded.
"Guys, please, I know you are all worried about me, but could you please leave me alone for a while?" The Doctor pleaded. They all eyed him carefully, not convinced, but then Rory spoke up.
"Fine," He said as he pulled the woman out of the room "but we are not done. Shout if you need anything."
"Yes, centurion." The Doctor said smiling as he saluted.
After making sure no one was near the console room, he sat down on the captain's chair, hugged his knees and let the tears flood down.
The group entered the kitchen. Clara went to sit in one of the chairs while Amy and Rory leaned against the cupboard. River stood on the doorway, her face full of concern and sadness. Clara noticed and spoke up.
"So… It's River, right?"
"Uh?" River said as she left her thoughts and looked down at Clara. "Yeah."
"So, I know I might not know you very well, but I know that look." she said "You are worried about him aren't you? Look we all are-" But Clara couldn't finish as River interrupted him.
"That's not it. Yes, I'm concerned, but... the look on his eyes. He was scared, he was horrified, I could see the terror on his eyes..." She said looking at her parents' worried faces. "Whatever he dreamed about, he was really properly scared."
Everyone looked down. Their beloved doctor was in trouble and they couldn't do anything but watch as he was haunted by his dreams, whatever they were.
Later that night, the Ponds were already in bed and so was Clara. River was lying on hers and her husband's bed reading a book. She needed to have a serious talk with him, him wanting it or not. She escaped her thoughts as she heard the door opening. the fragile and beautiful frame of her husband came into view and she smiled.
He smiled back as he closed the door. He walked to their wardrobe and put some pajamas on. Then he lied on bed next to her. She eyed him carefully. He was looking at the ceiling. The sound of their wooden clock ticking was the only sound that could be heard. Then The Doctor spoke up.
"River, I need to talk to you. Seriously." He said
"Oh really? I thought you wanted to do some knitting." She said sarcastically.
"River, please." He said.
"I'm only teasing you sweetie." She said. "What would you like to talk about?"
"About my nightmare." He spoke up.
River froze. She wasn't astonished though. She knew that he would always talk to her about that stuff. He trusted her completely and vice versa. His secrets were her secrets.
"Of course. You can tell me anything." She grabbed his hands, giving them a soft squeeze. She gave him a reassuring smile and he smiled back. "What's wrong with you, my love?" She said stroking his cheek. He didn't know where to start. What would he even tell her? He squeezed his eyes shut as memories of the dream came flooding back.
The Doctor closed his eyes shut. He was expecting a bullet making a hole on his skull but it never came. He opened his eyes to see river looking down sobbing really hard. The gun that was once on her hand now was on the floor.
"R-River?"
"Shut up." She said, turning around and walking away from him. "I would never be able kill you. Never."
"River-" He tried to say but she interrupted him.
"The basic fact of our relationship is that I love you more than you love me but that's fine. That is just alright."
He looked down again, feeling defeated. Not because he was on the floor bleeding, or because every part of his body hurt. He was feeling defeated for failing her, like he failed every other forsaken thing he ever cared about.
"But don't worry. You won't see me again, after all I'm dead. But you'll be happy. You've got Clara. Your impossible girl. My replacement." She said brokenly.
"W-what are y-you saying..." He was interrupted as he coughed more blood "She's just-"
"A friend?" Said River as she interrupted him. She walked to him, looking down on his eyes. "Look at me in the eye and tell me you didn't kiss Clara."
"R-River..."
"Christmas Eve, Victorian London. You remember, don't you? Right after you lost both me and my parents. You and your retirement phase. She kissed you and after all this time you didn't even bother on telling her that you were married!" She shouted at him, wiping her tears.
He looked up at her. 'Of course she knows. River always knows.'
"River, please... I'm sorry." He tried to apologize.
"No you are not. 'Cause this is your problem, Doctor. You always screw everything up and then you apologize thinking that that will make everything better. You lose someone and you just go after another poor girl's life to destroy. One after another, after another. And then you loose her. Have you ever wondered why? Why you lose everyone? Maybe the problem isn't them, or the bloody universe. Maybe the problem is you." She said coldly.
Then he woke up screaming.
He opened his eyes to meet River's, full of concern and love. River. His beloved River. And then he told her. Everything. From the dark corridor to the moment where he woke up. When he was finished, tears were streaming down her face. He wiped them away and she threw herself on his arms, hugging him tight.
"I'm sorry. You know that I would never do that to you." He hugged her back resting his chin on her shoulder.
"Of course I do. That's why they are called nightmares." He said.
"I love you so much." She said.
"I love you too." He answered. They stayed like that for a while until river broke the silence.
"Doctor?"
"Yes, River?" He answered.
"About your dreams. Umn, did you really kiss Clara?" River asked feeling a bit betrayed.
The Doctor was about to answer when everything blacked out as the time machine died.
The figure smiled as it watched the TARDIS occupants run through the dead time machine.
"Now?" It's counterpart asked.
"Now." The figure said as they aimed their next destination. The console of the ship biped as the screen said: "NEXT DESTINATION: The TARDIS."