"How long is a night on Darillium?" asked River, with tears threatening to spill from her hopeful eyes.

Finally, they had arrived here at the Singing Towers. He had cancelled more times that she could count. The Doctor was happy to whisk her away during her Stormcage nights to Asgard. They had visited Jim the Fish- what a night that was! They had seen so much together and yet every time she mentioned Darillium, he refused to even entertain the idea. The word alone was enough to strip the colour from his ageing face. This madman in a box, who had fought Daleks and Cybermen, was frightened by the thought of a planet.

The Doctor cleared his throat, bringing her pensive self back from her thoughts. He smiled gently at her and she could see that there was pain and sadness behind his ancient eyes.

"Twenty four years." He answered.

River gave a choked, dry sob. The idea of twenty-four whole years with this man who she so desperately loved was overwhelming. Twenty-four hours was closer to the answer she was expecting from The Doctor. The last Time Lord never gave his endless time so freely to people. He was far too important for that. Twenty-four years with this impossible man. Just the two of them, man and wife, together. She felt as though she was floating. Soaring, even.

"I hate you." She whispered. In that fraction of a moment, a small part of her did hate him. She hated that he had waited so long to give her these twenty-four years. In prison, she spent her days pouring through her diary. Stroking the pages trying to relive the memories she had so vividly recorded. Wishing she could turn back time and be with him. She hated that he would fly her away in the TARDIS, have wonderful adventures and then pop her right back to Stormcage afterwards without a second thought. She could not understand why, until now. Now he was giving her these years. To make up for the times that he would zip away after their nights together without a glance back to her.

"No you don't." He replied, softly.

He rested his head on her shoulder. Twenty-four years with this beautiful woman, his bespoke psychopath. Twenty-four years would never be enough for him. He felt an ache in the pit of his stomach. In twenty-four years, he would first meet her at The Library not knowing then how much River Song would mean to him. What they would become.

Trying to push the thought from his mind, he buried his face into her golden curls and breathed her in. The smell of delicate perfume, earth and gun smoke filled his nose. His River. His Melody. He never wanted to forget her scent. He let out a small moan of appreciation and it caused her to shiver beneath his touch. At that moment, the electricity between them could have powered a planet.

Delicately, he took her face into his hands and studied the masterpiece in front of him. She watched him, unblinking. River was breathtaking. There were no words to describe her. If he could dive into those emerald pools in her eyes and get lost forever, he would. They had seen two centuries yet they were so hopeful and full of life. A life that would be ending soon, he thought. He shook the idea from his mind. Her eyes fluttered shut and she exhaled shakily. The Doctor traced the thin lines around her eyes and kissed her closed lids. She had given up her regenerations to save him, her chance for a longer lifespan. Another pang of guilt hit him. Trying to distract himself he stroked her soft cheeks. They were beginning to flush and he could feel the burn of her skin against his fingertips. The Doctor's hands skated across her cheeks and he drew the outline of her lips. Without warning, she kissed his fingers and took his hands in her own. River clutched their hands to her chest. He could feel her heart beats pounding and her chest rising and falling under him. Her pupils were dilated and dark.

"River." The Doctor breathed.

The sound of her name on his lips was like a symphony. It was enough to pull her back to the ground. She wanted to be present for this. In this moment, she was the only thing that mattered to him and she knew it. It turned out that the sunset can, in fact, admire you back.

"River." He whispered again. There was a tone of longing in his voice. He wanted River Song. He wanted to put right all of the things he had put her through. All of the things he was going to put her though. The Doctor wanted her to leave this world knowing just how much he loved her, even if he hadn't known at the time.

"Doctor, I- " she began. Before she could finish, The Doctor had captured her mouth with his. She relaxed into him and wrapped her arms around his neck. He grabbed her by the waist and pulled her closer. The light from the sun was peeking through the towers, illuminating the two of them, and casting shadows on the balcony. He deepened the kiss and without breaking contact, swept River off her feet into his arms. The Doctor may have looked older than his previous generations but he was still strong enough to lift his wife with ease. Her heels slipped off her feet and fell to the ground with a clunk. Heels are for reaching high shelves anyway, he thought. After some time, they pulled apart. She beamed up at her husband and giggled.

"Why are you laughing?" his Scottish accent becoming more pronounced.

"Well, Doctor. Twenty-four years. How is a girl going to be able to do anything but that?" she replied with a wink.

"Quickly, come with me!"

She grabbed his hand and dragged him back through the restaurant towards the TARDIS. People of all species were dining on this fine Christmas evening. Some of them glanced up to see the pair dashing through towards the blue, wooden box. River and The Doctor opened the doors and stepped inside the TARDIS. River grabbed the controls and transported them to the edge of the balcony. She worked quickly with the controls and pressed buttons and pulled levers before kissing the control panel and thanking the TARDIS. The Doctor stood watching her. He would never get bored of watching his beautiful wife fly his precious ship. Well, she's not going to be doing it for much longer. The voice niggled. He shrugged it off.

"River. What have you done? We haven't moved, we haven't travelled in time." He asked quizzically.

"Well." She began, smirking. Oh so clever but he doesn't even realise, she thought to herself.

"Before we got any further," she stopped and smoothed her wild hair back. "I thought it best to put the external silencer on and project the hologramatic invisibility shield within a few metres of the TARDIS. It's not like the balcony is very private, is it?" She winked again.

"Now, where were we?" This time it was River who closed the gap between them. Her lips on The Doctor's. She was becoming more and more frantic, trying to slip her tongue into his mouth, begging for entry. Quickly, he pushed her away. The confusion and desperation on her face was evident.

"River." He swallowed. Dear Rassilon, this woman is going to kill me. He thought. Not before you kill her in The Library, said a tiny voice in the back of his subconscious. His stomach knotted again.

"Doctor. I know you. What on earth is the matter?" She questioned. "If this is about Ramone-"

"No it's not-"

"Then stop! For goodness sake, stop it! You ridiculous man. I am not thinking about what is going to happen after Darillium." How did she know? "I just want us to enjoy the twenty-four years we have. In the present." she said, her voice a touch on edge. She sighed. "If you are going to sit there with your miserable face on, feeling sorry about whatever is going to happen in the future, I will leave. I will leave right now!" she finished, her face flushed with anger.

"It's my fault," The Doctor began after a long pause. "I have messed up your whole life. From the second you were born. I'm responsible for everything bad happening in your life, Melody." He seldom used that name with her, she knew it was saved for when he was being extremely serious. He put his head in his hands.

"Doctor-" whispered River. She had touched a nerve.

"THE UNIVERSE IS NOT FAIR, RIVER. I HAVE TRIED TO FIX THINGS. I KNOW I HAVE BURNED PLANETS AND WORLDS, YES. I HAVE TRIED TO MEND THAT. WHEN I AM GRANTED ONE SLITHER OF HAPPINESS IT IS RIPPED AWAY. ALWAYS. IS IT A PUNISHMENT?!" He cried and before he knew it, tears rolled down his cheeks and landed on his new suit.

It was her turn to show him now. River kissed The Doctor's forehead and carefully wiped away his tears. She sat them both down on the cool balcony floor and pulled him close to her. The Time Lord placed his head in the crook of her neck and she stroked his hair and rocked him quietly. They sat for a while like this. Finally, River broke the silence.

"Doctor. You have done some terrible things. That's not something I can lie to you about. But you have done more wonderful things. Countless wonderful things. You have saved planets, whole civilisations and universes. All of time and space owes you a great debt. However, if you think being angry at the universe is going to help fix what is already going to happen, you are foolish. I accepted our love for what it was a long time ago." She kissed his cheek.

"Please can you give us these years without continually beating yourself up over the inevitable?" River asked, voice steady.

He had to try. For her. For his River.

"Yes, sweetie. I will try." He swallowed.

"That's my line." River said smiling, squeezing The Doctor's hand, reassuringly. "Come here, sweetie." She continued.

Without hesitation, she pushed him onto his back and kissed him. It was a kiss with a promise. A promise of forgiveness, always and completely. As the towers sang, the couple made more promises to each other. Promises with their bodies, hearts and souls- promises that for twenty-four years they would devote themselves entirely to each other, without question, without guilt.

And they lived.