A/N: Okay, go ahead and yell. I've been a terrible, terrible person. It has been three months. Three months! I have valid excuses (starting school, working fulltime, exhaustion, illness…) but, really, I am very sorry. I promise to be a better updater. I really appreciate everyone who expressed interest in this story by reading, reviewing, alerting, or favoriting this! It really made me smile. Anyways, enough chitchat. Onto the story! This one is in two parts so I can update more often… Hopefully… Anyways enjoy and, again, sorry for the wait.

Timing: Sometime when Sarah Jane traveled with the fourth Doctor. And, for River, this is when she's attending university.

Sarah Jane Smith

River Song, doctoral candidate, stood before the cave, a determined glint in her eyes. She was going to find fossils to prove that both sentient inhabitants of this planet had evolved from the same creatures. She was completely alone due to the fact that her lab partner had contracted the local flu, putting him out of commission for the rest of their trip. But, River Song had her mother's temper and her father's never-give-up attitude so she had hoisted her bag onto her shoulder and headed to the caves on her own.

The caves were located in a treacherous mountain range that split the whole surface of the planet in half. The Goracks lived on the western side while the Saladons lived to the east. The Goracks were green creatures that walked on two legs with the heads of something almost snake-like while the Saladons were blue and scaly with more humanoid faces. Needless to say, River stood out like a neon sign on either side. She entered the first cave, which had, supposedly, once been used as a tunnel for trade between the two sides. Now, however, neither side wanted anything to do with the other so the mountains were essentially abandoned. So, when she heard voices, she was naturally curious.

She ventured silently into the dark cave, her eyes adjusting easily to the lack of light. The voices, one male, one female, echoed through the empty hallways, making River unable to understand what they were discussing. She turned a corner and almost ran straight into a man that was all hair, teeth, and scarf. She jumped back, astonished and a little intimidated by the man. "Hello there," he said, his rich voice pleasant. "Would you like a Jelly Baby?" he asked, offering a white bag to her.

"Um, hello," River managed as she took in the man's eager grin and floppy hat, automatically refusing the offer of a treat ("Never take candy from strangers!" a young Amelia had instructed firmly once when River had taken a gummy candy from a very scary woman dressed in a leather dress). There was something familiar about him that she just couldn't put her finger on. Her gaze slid over to the young brunette that stood behind him, taking in the girl's delicate features and pretty blue eyes. The girl looked dwarfed next to the man wearing the scarf as he bent slightly to avoid scraping his head on the pointed ceiling.

"Hello," the girl, who was no older than 24, said with an apologetic smile. "Sorry if he scared you."

"I'm the Doctor," the man introduced eagerly. "And this is Sarah Jane."

Belatedly, River realized that she should introduce herself, a little surprised by his name. "River," her new name slipped past her lips automatically now. "Doctor who?"

"It's just the Doctor," he waved off her question. "Are you here all by yourself?" he inquired, concern in his large blue eyes.

"Oh yes. I'm studying for my doctoral exam. I'm writing my thesis on how the Goracks and Seladons evolved from the same ancestors," River eagerly spouted.

"So you're a scientist!" He looked absolutely delighted.

"I'm an archeologist," she corrected. The man almost pouted, and, like that, River knew exactly who she was speaking to.

"Now, don't be rude, Doctor," the girl swatted the Doctor gently on the arm. "Sorry about him. So, what does studying have to do with looking at caves?"

"Oh, I'm hoping to find some relics or fossils or anything, really, to solidify my thesis. Right now it's all conjecture."

"That sounds much more interesting than just wandering. We should help her, Doctor!" Sarah Jane seemed to have caught on to River's enthusiasm.

"Archeology? I point and laugh at archeologists!"

River smothered a grin; she could imagine her Doctor saying the same thing. It was a wonder that she hadn't recognized him earlier! "What are you, a time traveler?" she asked smoothly.

"As a matter of fact, I am!" he retorted.

"Oh yes, this was most certainly her Doctor. "No need to show off," Sarah Jane scolded crossly. River was beginning to like Sarah Jane very much. "What sort of things are you looking for?"

"Well, you see, these mountains were once used as cemeteries, libraries, and roads. After a disagreement that no one remembers, they cut off all ties to the other side and have been diverging from each other ever since. Of course, no one has been to these caves in years because many believe that they're haunted."

"Nonsense!" the Doctor exclaimed, his eyes taking in the walls of the cave in interest.

"Well, I think it's fascinating," Sarah Jane countered. "Where are you from, River? If you don't mind me asking."

"Oh, I suppose Earth. Though I wasn't born there. And you?"

"Earth as well," Sarah Jane grinned, obviously pleased to meet another terrestrial. "The Doctor here was born quite far away."

"As was I. When are you from, Sarah Jane?"

"Well, currently the 70's. 1970," she clarified.

River smiled broadly. "What an interesting decade. Just wait until the 80's!" They shared another smile before River got back to business. "We should get started if we want to be finished by dark."

"Of course," Sarah agreed. "Why are you here by yourself anyways? Isn't it dangerous?"

"Oh, my lab partner is sick. Not that that will stop me! Any suggestions on where we should start, Doctor?"

"I wouldn't want to spoil your fun. I'll be by the TARDIS when you're done playing explorer, Sarah," he said offhandedly as he strolled off. Sarah Jane rolled her eyes at him and River laughed softly.

"Sorry about him. Sometimes he's quite rude," Sarah apologized as soon as he was out of earshot. "You would think that, old as he is, he would have picked up a few manners here and there!"

Oh yes, River was going to love Sarah Jane. "I know the type. How did you end up traveling with him?" the blonde asked as she led the way through the very dark cave.

"It was sort of an accident. I snuck onto his ship." Sarah yelped in pain as she ran into a large stone. "I don't know how you can see in here! It's pitch dark."

"I suppose I just have good eyes," River replied as she pulled a light out of her pocket. She flicked it on and the cave filled with light.

Sarah Jane took the opportunity to really look at the strange blonde she had been so quick to trust. River wore a black tank top with curve-hugging jeans topped off with a large, loose khaki jacket with various pockets. She wore sturdy black boots and her wild curls were held away from her face in a sort of complex knot. Sarah Jane struggled to place the blonde's age, finally settling on older than her but younger than thirty. Or somewhere thereabouts.

A low rumble had both women stopping in their tracks, both waiting for some sort of sign. The moment passed and Sarah laughed a little nervously. River offered a smile in return and headed deeper into the cave. A few more minutes passed in silence before a low, steady rumble filled the caves followed by a small, rapidly increasing vibration of the ground beneath their feet. "Run!" River shouted as she reached behind her and grabbed Sarah Jane by the hand, leading the way through the dark, treacherous corridors easily despite the fact that the flashlight had fallen to the ground when they had begun their retreat.

Chunks of ceiling began to fall just as Sarah Jane could make out a light source ahead of them. River navigated them with an inhuman precision as they dodged boulders on the ground and the large pieces of rock that were collapsing around them. After what seemed like forever, they burst out and into the fresh air, both gasping for breath as River tugged them further away from the cave.

After a few moments of panting in silence, River dropped her head into her hands and began to laugh quietly. Sarah Jane looked at the blonde and asked, quite crossly, "How will we find the Doctor now?"

"The caves are generally connected to each other; we should be able to find him easily if he stays still."

"That'll be the day!" Sarah lamented before joining River in relieved laughter. "I'll never find him!"

River nudged her gently, her laughter dying down. "He'll turn up. Probably scolding you for getting lost, too."

"That does sound like him. At least we're together."

"Exactly. I'll make sure we're safe. After all, I've studied these mountains extensively."

"River… there isn't anything… well, dangerous that lives in these mountains, right?"

"They have the equivalent of a bear, if that's what you're asking. But, that's what this is for," River answered as she pulled a small pistol from her pocket. "This will stun anything we run in to long enough for us to get very far away."

Sarah Jane sighed. "I do hope that the Doctor sticks close to the TARDIS instead of wandering off to meddle in something."

"Well, come along, Sarah Jane. We don't want to still be lost when night falls." River began picking her way along the side of the mountain, very thankful that she had worn sensible shoes. Sarah Jane was only a few steps behind, cursing her lovely yet impractical shoes, making River smile. "So, what is it that you do for a living?" she queried as she turned to help the petite brunette up an especially large rock.

"I'm an investigative journalist," Sarah replied as River pulled her up onto the ledge. "And I travel with the Doctor. He keeps trying to get me home for a visit, but he keeps missing. Today he was trying to land us on some sort of resort planet where we could take a vacation. Course, he lands us in an abandoned cave in the middle of nowhere, fifty years late, and in the wrong solar system."

River laughed loudly at that; even regenerations later he would still get lost. "So, why didn't the two of you just leave?"

This made Sarah Jane roll her eyes to a degree that she had to admit was quite impressive. "Because he can't stand the thought of simply leaving. He has to go out and explore. No matter how dangerous or boring or stupid the situation is. And, if I try to convince him otherwise, he mopes and complains and refuses to dematerialize until I finally relent and let him explore."

River sat on a medium sized boulder, noticing that her companion was slightly out of breath. Sarah sat next to her, gratefully taking the proffered water. The air was currently cool but the sun was very warm and, River knew, when the star dipped behind the mountains, the area would become freezing cold and neither woman was dressed for it. "So he whines until he gets his way? Sounds like a spoiled child."

"Oh, he most definitely is," the brunette agreed. "And, if he's ever wrong and I'm right, he'll mope for days before impressing me with his brilliance and then he'll insult humans and then go back to being a bit eccentric."

"Why does he wear that silly scarf?"

Sarah Jane merely snorted at the question. "He thinks scarves are very practical. He thinks scarves are—"

"Cool?" River suggested, earning a strange look from Sarah Jane. "Ah, right. Neat? Hip? Stylish," she settled on that word, forgetting the dialect barrier.

"Yes, he thinks he looks very stylish in his layers. I swear, he wears two shirts, a waistcoat, a cravat, a jumper, and a coat. Plus his scarf! It's a wonder that he doesn't roast."

"Maybe they're made of a special material. Anyways, we should get moving. It'll be dark in a few hours." River led the way again as they clambered over rocks, following something that vaguely resembled an ancient trail, moving further and further away from where they had come. Nearly an hour passed with no conversation, saving comments on dangers, when they finally arrived at the mouth of a cave.

Sarah Jane looked worriedly at the rapidly disappearing sun. "Does it get cold at night?"

"Yes. The temperature will drop at least fifteen degrees… I had planned on just scouting out the tunnels today and returning tomorrow with all my supplies…"

"Maybe we should find a place to settle down in the caves and build a fire for warmth," Sarah suggested, eyeing the vegetation that grew sparsely around them.

"I've got something in my bag that we can use as a sort of fireplace. You're right, though; it doesn't look like we'll be finding out way out tonight and it'll be much safer to travel in the morning when we're refreshed," the blonde agreed as they entered the cave. The walls, which caught the last rays of sun, were reflective and richly purple and were absolutely breathtaking. The light bounced around the cave, refracting against the crystalline rocks.

"This looks as though someone intentionally made this," River muttered, awed. "Looks like some sort of temple," she remarked as she gently ran a finger over something that resembled an altar.

"It looks abandoned," Sarah Jane agreed, her voice equally soft as she gently placed her hand on the smooth wall. There were delicate carvings on the walls that were filled with dust, making them stand out against the otherwise flawless pieces. "Can you read this?"

River stared at the etched rock, examining the swirls and loops, trying to focus on them. They shifted in and out of focus, allowing her to catch a word here and there thanks to the TARDIS who was, very kindly, translating for her. Unfortunately, the writing was very, very old and she struggled to read any of it. "Not really," she admitted as she ran her fingers along a word. "I can read a few, but it's mostly just nonsense to me."

Sarah Jane fought a yawn as she moved a little further into the cave; the next turn revealed normal, dull rocks that made her feel much more at ease than the purple rock. She spotted what looked like a comfy nook and moved towards it, eager to pull off her shoes. She sat in the tucked away corner and moved a few stones to make the floor a little smoother before she pulled off her two-inch tall boots. She wriggled her stockinged feet and let out a sigh of contentment. She leaned back against the curved wall of the cave and let her eyelids flutter closed. She was suddenly very, very tired and River would be back in no time. They were going to make a fire and probably talk for a while… Oh, here's River, she thought tiredly as she heard footsteps approaching. She frowned a little before she slipped into sleep. That sounds like two people…

A/N: See? I haven't forgotten about this. I've got a couple more planned and several that are partially written… I'm having a lot of trouble with Jo and Three… Anyways, the next half of Sarah Jane and River's adventure should be up by the end of the week. Thanks for reading and feel free to drop any suggestions for companions/Doctors/situations you'd like to see!