The Doctor carried River to the second level of the TARDIS console room. The old girl welcomed her child home with a soothing hum. The atmosphere seemed to shift, making it a little easier for River to breath. She would forever be grateful.

The Doctor placed his wife down gently on a burgundy leather lounge near one of the big chalkboards. From there, she could see the whole of the room. Her eyes took in the new look. Just like the new face on the old man, she liked it.

The air smelled of leather, chalk and time. Surrounded by ancient books of all kinds, it was the perfect environment for solving the mysteries of the universe - Except this mystery. She feared he would be too late to solve this particular one.

He was pacing again. Back and forth in front of the large chalkboard. A mix of symbols, both of Earth and of Galifrey covered the dusty black surface. He'd gone old school again, and it was good. He had apparently needed to be reminded of his great age and the wisdom that comes with it. His time with a fresh face had been fun, (especially for her), but forgetting had cost him greatly. River was happy for him. Perhaps now he would be able to settle within himself and see what others saw in him.

Or not, she thought with an internal smile. He was, after all, the most stubborn man in the universe.

"Did something out of the ordinary happen preceding the Doctor Moon's disappearance," he asked without missing a step.

River took in as much air as her constricted lungs could manage. She had to close her eyes against the pain before answering.

"Glitches in the virtual world started appearing," she explained quietly. Too quietly apparently because she suddenly felt the Doctor's presence next to her as he knelt beside the lounge to listen. "Like a doorway where the grid was visible," River continued.

"Doorways," he mused.

"As if someone was letting themselves in," River said.

"Or something... But why," the Doctor whispered.

River's right heart suddenly seized. She cried out and arched her back as the extreme pain filled her chest. The Doctor placed his hands on her shoulders, holding her down as he bowed his head to put his ear to her chest. The right heart had stopped beating completely.

"River!"

She was in a cloud of agony and his voice was very far away.

"Professor River Song, open you eyes," he shouted.

"I can't," she cried.

"You can, and you will. Look at me, River!"

Her eyes flew open and she was looking into the depths of the Time Lord's soul. He was in agony and completely terrified. He was also angry and focused. A dangerous combination, indeed. There was no telling what lengths he would go to when he was in that mood.

Their faces were inches apart. She could feel his warm breath on her face as he spoke. River was trying very hard to memorize every detail about her husband. Dying was making it quite a chore.

"You. Will. Not. Die," he ordered, "not now. Not ever, if I have anything to do with it."

River actually smiled.

"Please, Doctor, don't make this any harder than it is. The other heart will fail soon," she begged him. "There's nothing you can do."

"There is always something I can do."

"You're right," River replied, "give us a kiss goodbye, my love."

She reached up and touched his face softly. The lines there were deep with worry. She slid here hand into his wonderful gray curls, just above his ear. This was going to be so very hard for him. River only wished she could ease his sorrow. Her left heart took up an irregular beat as it too began to deteriorate. River's hand shook with the pain of it.

"Please, Doctor, please. I'm afraid."

An agonized cry slipped passed the Doctor's lips and he immediately closed the gap between their two mouths. He kissed River deeply, trying hard to pour his soul into hers, to give her his strength, his love. She sagged away from him and their lips parted. When he looked down, to his surprise, her mouth was glowing with regenerative energy. His desperation and sadness must have triggered the healing energy to release. Suddenly, he knew exactly what he could do to save River.

Both of her hearts had stopped now. CAL's infection had caused the computer to assembled the hearts incorrectly. The Doctor knew what must be done. He put his right palm down on River's breathless chest. With tears in his eyes, he looked down at the TARDIS console.

"I may need a little help, old girl," he said and suddenly bent down to capture River's lifeless lips again. He relaxed into the kiss and allowed the golden light of regeneration to flow from him. His right hand sent the healing energy straight into her hearts. Needing more to restart the organs, his left hand shot out toward the soul of his amazing blue box.

The TARDIS suddenly jumped into action. She whirred and purred and slipped into the time vortex. A stream of energy flew from the console, making a powerful connection with her thief's outstretched hand. That energy combined with the Doctor's own, and flowed into River.

He had no idea if he was using up his brand new regeneration cycle, he didn't care. All that mattered was that River's hearts start beating again. It was the only desire in his world at that moment.

River suddenly gasped into his open mouth. He breathed back, filling her lungs and sharing his air. After all of the centuries, the memories, the adventures and the most intimate of moments that they had experienced, this one event held the Time Lord and his Lady closer together than they had ever been before.

It wasn't until the Doctor felt River's fingers fist the curls at the base of his skull, causing gooseflesh to flush across his skin, all the way down to his toes, that he knew it was done.

The Doctor's connection to the TARDIS abruptly fell away. His connection to River did not. Her other hand held the lapels of his coat firmly within her strong grip. She was warm again and kissing him with a fierceness that made his body burn. The Doctor wrapped his arms around his wife, lifting her up until they were pressed firmly together in an intense embrace. He lost himself in her energizing touch. The pounding of her twin heart beats, pumping anew, filled his ears.

His soul was complete, his universe was in order, and the rebel Time Lord had never felt more alive.