The Eve of War [for bowtimeandspace]

[songofsong]

When the Doctor planned to take River to the Calming Planet of Skabaros, he probably didn't anticipate landing on the eve of the Three Day War of Skabaros. It went down in universal history as one of the quickest wars ever to both start and end, so much so that within a matter of hours, the pleasant and peaceful fountains of the Everlasting Gardens

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[bowtimeandspace]

It was Skabaros, it was war, and the Doctor was like a kid at Christmas. He always was at times like this. To deny it would have been to lie.

He crouched down behind the bushes, peering over the top and scanning the area in front of him with his screwdriver.

"River it's not often you get to see things like this. Oh this is Christmas! Look, see, archaeologist, this is the real thing, forget about books and bits of old debris. This is it. Right in the heart of it. You could at least look interested!"

[songofsong]

"What are you talking about?" she hissed back at him, throwing him a frustrated look. "This is war, this is people dying - and we're trapped in the heart of it! The TARDIS is more than a mile away, how are we going to get back unnoticed

[bowtimeandspace]

"No idea!" the Doctor said back at her, quite obviously relishing the fact he hadn't the faintest clue how he was going to get them out of it. He would though, of course he would. Just sometimes, though, he enjoyed this sort of thing a little too much.

It was strange though, because usually River seemed to agree. She seemed to relish the excitement along with him. But not today.

"What's got into you?" he asked, turning his head back to her. "Fixed points can be hard tn get into. Times like this? River we're standing in history! History! Look at it, breathe it in. It's in the very air. Savour it, River. Because then it'll be gone. And you're too busy over there moping to even notice."

[songofsong]

"Doctor," she said through gritted teeth. "We need to get back to the TARDIS this instant. Not sat here enjoying this bloody spectacle! Now come o - !" Her words were drowned out by the blast of a shell landing in the garden. For a moment, all she could see, hear and taste was blinding white. Her senses were gone to the explosion and she tucked herself low in the undergrowth, her arms covering her head protectively.