To Die Without Dying

Disclaimer: Doctor Who isn't mine. I am making no money off of this in any way, shape, or form. I am using characters and events in the Doctor Who Universe strictly for emotional satisfaction.

Summary: The Doctor finds a way to save River Song.

Chapter 1: Changed, But Not Rewritten

The Doctor smiled at Amy and Rory as they sat down for Christmas dinner. As they ate, Amy and Rory exchanged glances, then looked at him.

"It was brilliant, you know. Using the Teselecta to imitate yourself and have it 'die' in your place."

"I know, right? I died without dying. Preserved the letter of the history books, if not the spirit." As the Doctor said this, his expression changed, first to thoughtful, then to his 'I-have-an-absolutely-brilliant-idea-that-I'm-going-to-do-without-telling-you-what-it-is' face. He had it through the rest of the Dinner, and neither of them could get him to talk.

They met for Christmas Dinner a few more times, the Doctor sometimes bringing River, but never telling them when he'd be bringing her along, so they got into the habit of setting two extra places. When they asked why he never told them when, he laughed it off, said that it was because usually, he didn't know until just before he arrived.

There was one time, however, when the Doctor did tell them that the next year, they'd really need to set two. He didn't tell them how he knew for certain, because he didn't want to explain things just yet.

He left, got in the TARDIS, and set the coordinates. First, a couple of stops to pick up some vital equipment, then onward to his real destination. What he was about to do, crossing his own timeline, was dangerous, but he was doing it for her, for River Song. It was the least he could do, since she'd broken the universe for him once.

When he arrived silently, he quickly moved through the corridors of the library. He hid behind a wall when he reached his destination.

"I told you to go!" he heard his past self tell River.

"Lux can manage without me." River said. "But you can't." The Eleventh Doctor rubbed his jaw as she punched his past self out.

River Song turned to get to work, and that was when Eleven made his move.

Events proceeded as they had the last time.

Only it wasn't River Song who died in that chair.

"You CLONED me?" she yelled at the Eleventh Doctor upon waking up from the unconscious state the Doctor had put her in.

"Yeah. I did. I saved you, because of a promise I made your folks once, a promise I had no intention of turning into a lie." The Doctor said.

"Where'd you get the idea?" she asked. "Do I even want to know?"

"From my head."

"What?"

"When you killed me, it was the Teselecta, but everyone thought it was me, so history proceeded as it should. Now, when you died, it was a clone, but anyone who looks in the history books will still think it was you."

"I knew there was a reason I fell in love with you." she said, then kissed him.

When the Doctor showed up with River at the Pond residence, he explained everything, because now he felt it was a moot point that River had died in his place, because she hadn't and he'd saved her.

While Amy and Rory understood, they both still felt the need to hit something over it.

The Doctor found out firsthand that River didn't just get her strength from being part-Time Lady.