Disclaimer – The Doctor and River do not belong to me, unfortunately...

River was not entirely sure what caused her to awaken one calm, still night. The Doctor's arms warmed her bare form as he held her, lovingly and protectively. Her hearts beat softly, calmly, but within her mind, there was the faintest of stirs. She and the Doctor were somewhat linear this time, so neither was unfamiliar with the gentle presence of the other Time Lord's mind, wishing to connect. It was somewhat unusual, however, to feel such a prodding while her husband was fast asleep.

She looked over at him beside her; his closed, but stirring eyes hinted that he was dreaming. River regarded him for several more moments until, at last, her curiosity overcame her. Tentatively, she settled back onto the mattress and slipped her arms over him, softly touching his forehead with her own. In a sudden flash, she was whisked into the warmth of her husband's mind.

In a matter of seconds, River found herself within his dream, apparently taking place in the control room of the TARDIS, but not one she was particularly familiar with. The room was lit with a deep blue and tall, coral structures lined along the edges of the circular room. At first, she nearly thought she was alone, but then a figure crouching down on the other side of the console caught her eye.

"Sweetie?" She called softly, stepping around to come closer.

He lifted his head at her voice and she let out a small gasp. This was not her Doctor, but another…an earlier version. She had seen this face in her diary and in photographs, but never once in the flesh… Well, she reasoned, this was merely a dream of his, so technically, she still hadn't. His hair was far from the floppy mess she had grown to adore; instead, it was cropped close to his head and was somewhat darker in color. Gone was the awkward, boyish face. Before her was a hardened man, despite the current smile on his lips. There was no bow tie and no tweed, just…leather.

"'ello there!" His northern accent caused a momentary start, but she soon remembered the details she had read about this form, his ninth.

River couldn't stop a small smile from forming as he grinned at her, his features impossibly alight. "Hello, sweetie," she spoke smoothly. "Care to explain why you're dreaming as…" She trailed off, unsure of how to word her question.

"Wha', don't tell me you've never dreamt as one of your past bodies before."

"Quite honestly, dear, I haven't." She stepped closer to him, lightly fondling the leather on his arm before looking up to meet his eyes. "So you remember, then? You're dreaming you're back in this body, but you still have the memories you made after?"

"Of course," the Doctor affirmed. That smile was quickly growing on her—it engulfed his entire face, allowing his eyes to shine at her. "Just 'cause I look like this doesn't mean I'm not still me. Dreams can't take away memories, River."

"Well, thank goodness for that."

He watched as she settled her head on his shoulder, her eyes lost for a moment. Reaching up to bury his hand in her mass of curls, he spoke gently, "So, popping in on a dream, then? This wasn't a very exciting one, I'm afraid. If I were you, I'd have picked last night's—A planet filled with nothing but bananas… Bananas are—"

She jumped to finish for him, smirking, "Cool, yes, I know."

He smirked nearly as devilishly in return. "Gotcha there. I was going to say 'good.' Bananas are good."

River stared up at him, realizing just got little she knew about this version of him. Her eyes danced with determination to find out. "How often do you dream as your other selves?"

"Ah, every once in a while I slip back. Not too often recently, but you caught me at a rare time."

"As I seem to recall, you called me. I distinctly felt you. I don't just burst into your dreams every night, sweetie."

He grinned again. "Well, especially not after the last couple of nights…Didn't think your mind had the energy."

She giggled and lightly slapped his arm. He gently pulled her down to the TARDIS floor; even in a dream, her soft humming presence was there. The Doctor drew his wife closer and she settled again onto his chest, inhaling the distinct scent of leather, but beneath it all, she smelled him, the heady smell of time itself.

When his voice reached her, just on the verge of a whisper, she drew in a breath. "I thought I would never hear this again."

She lifted her head to meet his eyes, warmth within the blue depths. He pressed a hand over her left heart, then moved it again to settle over her right.

"I thought it had burned with my people, River…But now there's you. I might not say it much, what with that recent bow tie-loving body of mine, but I want you to know. I'd run across the entire universe and back for you."

River's eyes grew moist; she kissed him firmly. "Oh honey…I've always known that."

"Maybe we should do this more often…showin' up in different bodies when we share dreams."

She laughed without pause at that particular notion. "Oh dear…Can you imagine if I showed up in my last body while you're revisiting the innocence of your youth? Maybe your third self. That would cause quite a stir, I'm sure."

"Actually, I think we'd get along quite well as those two..."

River's brow furrowed. "You think so?"

The Doctor smiled mischievously. "Well, there's only one way to find out. Want to give it a go?"

She laughed softly, tracing his chin with her forefinger. "Not tonight, dear. Let's just be as we are."

Cuddling into him, it wasn't long before they both slipped from the dream. When she opened her eyes, the features of his eleventh body were before her. She smiled lightly, running her fingers through his floppy hair. He stirred a bit, leaning into her touch. As his own eyes opened, she looked down at him with a smirk.

"Good morning, sweetie."