Cowboys and Aliens

[River Song]

River had been doing her usual traveling. Her usual archeology antics. Sometimes these occasions were alone, sometimes, not so much. This was one of those times apparently as she had taken notice to a certain blue box residenting in a location (in the state of Montana U.S.A. no less) that was very much out of place for the time and location (say like on a dingy downtown street corner in a mid size city, or at least what a Montanan would call a city anyway), unless of course one was erecting a mock version that was just a normal police box and not a real TARDIS. But she could tell her husbands box from anywhere. It was not as worn as it could have been, but neither did it look totally pristine. It also gave off a distinct energy that River came to call a TARDIS aura. It would often leave her skin tingling like when one got goosebumps from a song. Yet there it was, standing in the city of the the falls, Great Falls. The biggest thing the half pint city was best known for was it's classic feel, its modern cowboys, its country cuisine, and of course its history and art. And that, was exactly what she was there for...art. Historical art at that. But that could wait, her hubby was there and she wasn't going to miss him for the world.

A small smile crept along her face. Who'd have thought, her and her husband ending up in the same no name nowhere state in the U.S. at the same time. That was like dropping a pin in pool and hoping it lands next to another pin. It was unlikely, but not totally impossible. Feeling confident in herself that she'd found the TARDIS she strolled right up to it. Her eyes gave it a once over. "Hello there, funny seeing you again."

She petted the TARDIS's outer shell. Through her fingers she could feel a very distinct thrum. The TARDIS never forgets. She gave a wide grin, her eyes squinting at how wide her smile was. But then she just let her smile fade into more a more casual demeanor as she prepared to knock on the TARDIS door. Strong, but gentle all at the same time, she gave a few knocks at the door, and then waited anticipating for it to open to reveal her current faced husband, the one with the swooshed over one eye haired man.

[The Eleventh Doctor]

The TARDIS had been in America for a while and the entire time, The Doctor refused to exit. His time machine had sent him there. Why? It wasn't because it was where he wanted to go, but because it was where the old girl thought he needed to go. Not because someone needed him, but because he needed someone. Someone in particular, though he did not want to admit it or even believe it. The Doctor just wanted to believe he needed to be alone, the thought of having anyone around unnerved him when he just wanted to be left alone. He wandered around the console, shaking his head as the old girl spoke to him through the noises the machine typically emitted.

"Yes, yes I know I've not been in the best of moods, old girl. I recently watched my best friends get killed, I'm hardly going to be my usual self. But you don't need to try and cheer me up by taking me to see some people when I'd much rather be left on my own..." He trailed off as he heard the knocking on the door, letting out a breath. "...whoever it is, my point will still stand, you know!"

The Doctor realised where he was and decided to reach under the console and take out his infamous stetson, which he put on quite quickly. He then walked to the door and pulled it open, his prior saddened and almost angered expression softening when he saw who was standing there. He couldn't help but smile slightly though he hated the fact that the TARDIS was right about what he needed, once again. He just stood still for a moment, in silence, as he stared at his wife. After a while, he finally found his voice after clearing his throat.

"...River?"

[River Song]

"Hello sweetie." she stated warmly with a smile, clearly happy to see her husband being there and not off gallivanting. Though there was a part of her conflicted by it too, considering the fact, since she knew her husband was notorious for not being home. So when he was, that had to be serious. But either way, she was going to make it a good thing rather than a bad.

Seeing her husbands hat, she let her head tilt in a "really" sort of stare. She wasn't really a fan of him with a hat of any sort. The stetson was not as bad as the fez, but it was still a hat. However, she was proud of being able to remove any hat from his head. Fez's were cool, stetsons were cool, yeah only in his cute little mind. She knew that her husband had a very child like nature about him, something actually that she was quite fond of to be honest.

"I still will never understand your obsession with hats." she teased, then let herself gently come close to him. She could tell just through his eyes, he'd been in a bad place. He couldn't lie to her with those eyes, not ever. She put a hand against his cheek, running but a finger through his hair as if to reassure him she was there and cared. Losing herself only for but a moment in his gaze, that amazing strong yet so kind and gentle face, she then pulled herself from her revere and leaned in to give him a small, yet brief kiss of affection, before side sliding her way into the TARDIS.

Her back to him she said, "I was hoping to see you."

[The Eleventh Doctor]

The Doctor let out an almost frustrated breath. He was not looking forward to have to apologise to the TARDIS for having a go and admitting that she was right in taking him here but it was something he would have to do and he would have to deal with it when the time came. Most likely, he would deal with this after he had spoken to his wife. He wasn't sure how long they would spend together but he had hoped it would be a while. Mostly because it was River and he loved her but it was also slightly because that meant putting off his apology to his time machine.

"Hi honey...aha, hats are cool! You know I love my hats and don't lie, you absolutely love them too. Not wearing them, maybe not even seeing me wear them as much but I know you love the fact that I wear them because it gives you something to tease me about. Haha, yes! That's partly why I'm thinking of branching out with the hats and getting many, many more."

He laughed when stating this, giving a playful little tap to her nose and of course, he had kissed her in return to when she had done so to him. He leaned his back against the wall of the TARDIS and looked around the room, the orange glow of the machine pulsating as she observed the two. The place seeming to warm up a little.

"Oh was you now? That's nice." He had said this with a little chuckle. He was trying to be his childish self, he really was but the recent events pained him heavily and he struggled. While his lips curled into his playful attitude, his foggy eyes told a whole other story on what his mood really was.

[River Song]

Dear lords her husbands obsessions were going to drive her bonkers. If it's not bow ties, its fez's. If it's not fez's its something else. The man was a right hoarder, but luckily with the room to do it. It made her want to slap his fez of his head half the time and half the time want to kiss his goofy stupid face. Oh did she miss him.

"Yes." she stated, then turned her face first then the rest of herself back towards him and away from the console. The look on her face was a very honest one. It was warm, but concerned about her husband. There was so much weight in those eyes of his she could tell. So much burden he seemed to have to carry. River could understand why though, she had her own burdens. She just never thought over burdening her husband with her own problems or feelings. After all, there was a part of her that wasn't even sure how, or if her feelings would be as important as others or his own. She didn't want to be selfish.

"I came across something you might find interesting." she continued, a small twinkle of trouble making crossing her eyes and a smirk on her lips. "How do you feel about historical art? Cowboy art to be specific."

She really hoped cluing in on the words historical and art would be enough for him, but maybe adding in cowboys would help. The one thing she did know was that The Doctor couldn't turn down a good adventure.

"What do ya say, up your alley?" she taunted.

[The Eleventh Doctor]

"Ooh cowboy stuff, I like where you're going with that! But you know I can't go without wearing this hat so...haha, yes! You're basically stuck with me in it. Ain't all, either. I had something specially made...actually, a few things, and I think the would actually be pretty perfect for this occasion. All this cowboy and art stuff, it's hard not to get the idea of...badges! You know, like sheriff badges, with the star shape! Shapes and all of that doodly woodly stuff, that's art, isn't it? Course, you don't have to wear it but I figured it might be a neat idea to have them made..."

While he was saying all of this, The Doctor had turned his back to scramble under the console. To be quite honest, he found the badges he was talking about half way through his rambling, he only kept going so he'd have a reason to hide his face. It got to the point that he knew that should she have seen his face at that moment, River could tell that he hadn't quite gotten over what had happened and that he was hurting, still. Faking an excited "Ah!", he moved an arm up, acting as if he was reaching for the badges, when he was really just wiping his face to rid himself of the tears that almost paraded down his cheeks. He turned around with a grin and held up the badges, just pulling off a goofy smile. One of the badges said 'Sheriff Doctor' while the other said 'Sheriff Song'.

"Let's look at some art, eh dear?"