Today was the day that he'd been dreading for years: the day that the Doctor sent Professor River Song to meet her destiny in the Library. He'd done exactly what she'd told his younger self he'd done. After spending a few bittersweet hours with her on Darillium, he'd brought her back to her cozy little house, given her his cleverly modified sonic screwdriver, and kissed her goodbye before returning to the TARDIS without a word of warning.
He'd barely made it inside before the TARDIS felt him slide down her doors into a crumpled heap on the floor. For countless hours he remained where he'd collapsed, sobbing his hearts out. She longed to wrap her arms around him and hold him close as he cried for their River, but there was only so much she could do. So the TARDIS did what she could: she dimmed the lights and hummed gently as she took her thief where he needed to go.
/
Completely and thoroughly drained the Doctor finally dragged himself into his shower, which was thankfully closer than usual, and opened the valves full blast. Staggering under the assault, he started laughing hysterically when he realized he was still wearing his new suit. It was totally ruined. GOOD! He'd only worn it because she'd said he'd worn it. He should have worn his trusty tweed and bow tie, with a fez for good measure. Would that have made a difference? Saved her?
"Time can be rewritten."
"Not those times. Not one line. Don't you dare!"
"Damn you, River!" he exploded, stumbling out of the shower. "Why didn't you let me save you? I'm the Doctor; I save people. That's what I do. Save people. But you tied my hands. So I did the only thing I could think of. I gave you my screwdriver."
Angrily, he peeled off his sopping wet clothing. Kicking the sodden heap, he spat, "I'm going back. To hell with spoilers. I've got to warn her."
After dressing quickly in his more customary attire, the Doctor nearly tumbled down the stairs in his haste to get to the console. With careful precision he set the coordinates to take him back to River just minutes after his earlier self departed. Faster than he expected, the TARDIS landed silently.
"Hey?" he said halfheartedly in protest about the brakes being off as he headed for the door. "I'm not trying to surprise her. At this hour she might shoot first."
The TARDIS opened the door before the Doctor could reach it. He stopped short in the doorway, unable to believe his eyes.
"What?" he exclaimed, perplexed by his current location. Shutting the door, the Doctor swiveled back to the interior. "What do you think you're doing? This is no time for games. I need to get to River." Returning to the console, he punched in the coordinates again and engaged the engines. Nothing. "Come on, Sexy, take me where I need to go. Please, River needs us."
In answer, the TARDIS threw open the door.
"No! What's wrong with you?" the Doctor demanded. "She's not here. She hasn't been here in a long long time. Don't you understand? River is going to die if you don't take me to her." Nothing.
They were at Demons Run! Scratching his cheek in agitation, the Doctor paced between the door and the console. What would make the TARDIS bring him back to Demons Run just hours after the final battle? Was it to remind him of how pathetic his efforts to save Baby Melody had been? Sexy might not speak, but she could be quite eloquent at times. No, it had to be something else.
What did Demons Run have that he couldn't find elsewhere? It was a military base. Weapons? No. Research lab? Baby Melody had been Madam Kovarian's research subject here because Amelia and Rory Pond conceiving her on the TARDIS in the midst of a time vortex made her part Timelord. Was there a clue to saving River in the research? He'd discovered that day that River was actually Baby Melody all grown up. But there was no reason to come here. He'd transferred all that data to the TARDIS hoping it would help him find Melody. That day, Madam Kovarian had gotten clean away, escaping with the real Baby Melody by once again fooling him with a flesh duplicate. Only that day at Demons Run, the flesh duplicate was one of Mel-
"Noo, noo!" he whispered in shocked understanding. Without another word, the Doctor bolted through the open door. "Yes, oh yes." He clapped his hands. It was all here: Kovarian's state-of-the-art equipment and vat of flesh.
"Sexy, you're brilliant, absolutely brilliant!"