A/N - I loved writing this chapter because I got to plant clues for further stories in this series. This is is why I love River! Let me know if you have any theories about what I'm planning. I'd love to hear them!

The Doctor, Elise, and Amy were walking through a museum and the Doctor kept commenting on the exhibits. "Wrong. Wrong. Bit right, mostly wrong. I love museums!"

"Yeah, great. Can we go to a planet now? Big space ship? Churchill's bunker? You promised me a planet next", Amy told him.

"Amy, this isn't any old asteroid. It's the Delerium Archive, the final resting place of the headless monks. The biggest museum ever. Besides, it's good for Elise. Very educational".

"You've got a time machine. What do you need museums for? And how is she supposed to learn when you're not explaining anything to her?"

Sometimes it felt like Amy and the Doctor were two parents with vastly different parenting styles. Elise still didn't know how to use her sonic screwdriver.

The Doctor went back to commenting on the exhibits. "Wrong. Very wrong. Ooo, one of mine. Also one of mine".

"Oh, I see. It's how you keep score".

The Doctor stopped at a glass case with a box in it.

"Oh great, an old box", Amy said.

The Doctor picked Elise up and set her on his hip as he explained what it was. "It's from one of the old starliners. A Home Box".

"What's a Home Box?"

"Like a black box on a plane, except it homes. Anything happens to the ship, the Home Box flies home with all the flight data".

"So?"

"The writing, the graffiti. Old High Gallifreyan. The lost language of the Time Lords. There were days, there were many days, these words could burn stars and raise up empires, and topple gods".

"What does it say?"

"Hello, sweetie". The Doctor set Elise down and smashed the glass, grabbing the home box.

Alarms went off as the three ran for the TARDIS.

The Doctor plugged the box into the console and pulled the monitor around.

"Why are we doing this?" Amy asked.

"Because someone on a spaceship twelve thousand years ago is trying to attract my attention. Let's see if we can get the security playback working", the Doctor told her.

A video popped up and a woman with curly hair stood there. She winked at the security camera as a man walked up.

"The party's over, Doctor Song yet still you're on board", the man said.

"Sorry, Alistair. I needed to see what was in your vault. Do you all know what's down there? Any of you? Because I'll tell you something. This ship won't reach its destination".

"Wait till she runs. Don't make it look like an execution".

"Triple seven five slash three four nine by ten. Zero twelve slash acorn. Oh, and I could do with an air corridor".

"What was that? What did she say?" Amy asked.

"Coordinates", the Doctor said, typing them in.

"Like I said on the dance floor, you might want to find something to hang on to", Doctor Song said.

The TARDIS made her usual wheezing noise and the Doctor ran to the doors. He threw them open just in time for the woman to land on top of him.

"Doctor?" Amy asked.

"River?" the Doctor asked the woman.

They stood up.

"Follow that ship", River told him.

The two of them ran to the console.

"Elise!" River exclaimed with a smile on her face. River picked her up and set her on her hip as she pressed buttons and flipped levers with one hand.

Elise wondered who this woman was and why she was holding her, but she liked it. Something about River felt familiar.

"They've gone into warp drive. We're losing them. Stay close", River told the Doctor.

"I'm trying".

"Use the stabilizers".

"There aren't any stabilizers!"

"The blue switches".

"Oh, the blue ones don't do anything, they're just...blue".

"Yes, they're blue. Look, they're the blue stabilizers". She reached over and pressed them and the TARDIS stopped shaking. "See?" River said.

"Yeah. Well, it's just boring now, isn't it? They're boring-ers. They're blue boring-ers", the Doctor said pressing them repeatedly.

River rolled her eyes. "Lord help us if she gets your attitude".

"Oh no, you are not turning my daughter against me".

"Your daughter? Don't listen to him, sweetie".

Elise liked this River woman. She set her head on River's shoulder and grabbed a hold of her blonde hair. River smiled and kissed Elise's forehead.

"Doctor, how come she can fly the TARDIS?" Amy asked.

The Doctor scoffed. "You call that flying the TARDIS? Ha!"

River set Elise down and started typing on the keyboard wired into the console. "Okay. I've mapped the probability vectors, done a fold-back on the temporal isometry, charted the ship to its destination, and parked us right alongside".

"Parked us? We haven't landed".

"Of course we've landed. I just landed her".

"But, it didn't make the noise".

"What noise?"

"You know, the..." The Doctor imitated the TARDIS' signature wheezing sound and River looked at him.

"It's not supposed to make that noise. You leave the brakes on".

Elise giggled.

"Honestly, even Elise is a better driver than you in the future. God knows how", River told him, "Of course, she leaves the brakes on too".

"Yeah, well, it's a brilliant noise. I love that noise and when do I teach her to drive the TARDIS?"

"Who says you're the one who teaches her?"

"Come along, Pond, Elise. Let's have a look".

"No, wait. Environment checks".

"Oh yes, sorry. Quite right. Environment checks".

The Doctor ran to the TARDIS door and looked out. "Nice out".

River read off the monitor. "We're somewhere in the Garn Belt. There's an atmosphere. Early indications suggest that..."

"We're on Alfava Metraxis, the seventh planet of the Dundra System. Oxygen rich atmosphere, all toxins in the soft band, eleven hour day and chances of rain later", the Doctor finished.

"He thinks he's so hot when he does that", River told Amy.

"How come you can fly the TARDIS?"

"Oh, I had lessons from the very best".

The Doctor joined them on the platform. "Well, yeah".

"It's a shame you were busy that day. Right then, why did they land here?"

"They didn't land".

"Sorry?"

"You should've checked the Home Box. It crashed", the Doctor said following her to the door. River left the TARDIS and the Doctor ran back up to the console.

Surely they weren't just going to leave River there by herself?

Amy joined him on the platform. "Explain! Who is that and how did she do that museum thing?"

"It's a long story and I don't know most of it. Off we go".

"What are you doing?"

"Leaving. She's got where she wants to go, let's go where we want to go".

"Are you basically running away?"

"Yep".

"Why?"

"Because she's the future. Mine and Elise's future".

Elise was confused. How was River her future? She'd never seen River before.

"Can you run away from that?" Amy asked him.

"I can run away from anything I like. Time is not the boss of me".

"Hang on, is that a planet out there?"

"Yes, of course it's a planet".

"You promised me a planet. Five minutes?"

The Doctor sighed and relented. "Okay, five minutes".

"Yes!"

"But that's all, because I'm telling you now, that woman is not dragging me into anything!"

Elise moved to follow Amy, but the Doctor grabbed her arm. "Just a moment", he said. He left the platform and came back with a harness. He set Elise in the harness and then hoisted her onto his back.

The harness was exactly like a baby carrier, except she could move her arms and legs.

He fastened the straps. "There we go. Safe and sound".

Her little arms wrapped around his neck and played with his bowtie.

The two of them left the TARDIS.

Amy turned around and groaned.

"What?" the Doctor asked.

"You can't just carry her everywhere on your back like a baby koala".

"Do you have a better idea?"

"She's going to get spoiled, Doctor. They need to learn to be independent".

"How else am I supposed to keep up with her? Amy, without me she has nothing. I can't lose her".

Amy sighed. "Fine".

"What caused it to crash? Not me", River said looking at the smoldering remains of the spaceship.

"Nah, the airlock would've sealed seconds after you blew it. According to the Home Box, the warp engines had a phase shift. No survivors", the Doctor told her.

"A phase shift would have to be sabotage. I did warn them".

"About what?"

"Well, at least the building was empty. Aplan temple. Unoccupied for centuries".

"Aren't you going to introduce us?" Amy asked the Doctor.

"Amy Pond, Professor River Song".

River turned to them and gasped. "Ah, I'm going to be a Professor someday, am I? How exciting! Spoilers!"

"Yeah, but who is she and how did she do that?" Amy asked, "She just left you a note in a museum".

"Two things always guaranteed to show up in a museum. The Home Box of category four starliner and sooner or later, him. It's how he keeps score", River told her.

"I know".

"It's hilarious, isn't it?"

The Doctor let out a fake chuckle and walked up to the two women. "I'm nobody's taxi service. I'm not going to be there to catch you every time you feel like jumping out of a space ship", the Doctor told River.

"And you are so wrong".

The Doctor started to walk off when River added, "There's one survivor. There's a thing in the belly of that ship that can't ever die. Now he's listening". River held her communicator up to her ear as Amy joined the Doctor and Elise. "You lot in orbit yet? Yeah, I saw it land. I'm at the crash site. Try and home in on my signal". River turned back to them.

"Doctor, can you sonic me? I need to boost the signal so we can use it as a beacon".

The Doctor pointed his screwdriver at her and River curtseyed in thanks.

"Ooo, Doctor, you soniced her", Amy teased.

"We have a minute. Shall we?" River asked. She pulled out a notebook that looked like the TARDIS and flipped through it. "Where are we up to? Have we done the Bone Meadows?"

"What's the book?" Amy asked.

"Stay away from it", the Doctor told her.

"What is it though?"

"Her diary".

"Our diary", River corrected him.

"Her past, my future. Time travel. We keep meeting in the wrong order".

"Oh honey, we're not the only ones". River winked at Elise, who looked at her with a confused frown.

Four dust tornadoes appeared and turned into four soldiers.

"You promised me an army, Doctor Song", the leader said.

"No, I promised you the equivalent of an army. This is the Doctor and his daughter Elise. You'll have to forgive her though, she's a bit young. Hasn't grown into herself yet", River told him.

"Father Octavian, Sir".

The Doctor saluted him.

"Bishop, second class. Twenty clerics at my command. The troops are already in the drop ship and landing shortly. Doctor Song was helping us with a covert investigation. Has Doctor Song explained what we're dealing with?"

"Doctor, what do you know of the Weeping Angels?" River asked him.

His head snapped to the side.

This was bad. Very bad.