If I may, I would like to send you the quote "Penny in the air - Penny drops." which wasn't on the list. ("It's mine.....-ish." is also such a good one and so fitting for her btw so feel free to pick that instead). I just think it'd be interesting to pick a Mels quote and interpret it for older River, Idk. If you prefer the list, I would most like to see you do something with either “I hate good wizards in fairy tales; they always turn out to be him” or "Why would a diary be sad?"
Hope you are having a beautiful day, love!
Elle! I am so so embarrassed this took so long to post. I swear I'd written an entire fic months ago but it's disappeared from my docs and I couldn't remember exactly where else I'd placed it so then I made another one. But honestly, I love this version better. Will post the entire fic on ao3 later!! I hope you love it. I tweaked it about here and there to include all the quotes you mentioned.
Tears welled up in his eyes as he gently ran his hand over the cover, his fingers tracing the familiar lines of the intricate illustrations. “Why would a diary be sad?” he murmured softly, speaking to no one in particular.
From the corner of the room, a quiet voice responded, breaking the stillness: “Penny in the air…”
The Doctor blinked, suddenly aware that he wasn’t alone with Kate and Christofer. His attention had been so entirely consumed by the book that he had failed to notice the presence of another figure in the room. He looked up, his eyes widening slightly as his mind tried to process the situation.
“Who—how did you come by this, Kate?” he asked, his voice distant, almost as though he wasn’t fully present in the conversation, still too immersed in the emotions the book had stirred within him.
Before Kate could respond, another voice cut through the air—one that was achingly familiar. “It’s mine... ish.”
The Doctor’s entire world stopped. His hearts pounded in his chest as he turned toward the voice. His brilliant, ever-working mind felt like it had hit a wall, halting as it struggled to comprehend what his eyes were seeing.
She was sitting on the sofa, watching him with a soft smile. The Doctor's breath hitched in his throat as he took in her appearance. She looked older—far older than he had ever seen her. There were streaks of grey in her hair, and laugh lines framed her eyes, adding a new kind of beauty to her features.
River.
His mind stuttered. Beautiful, it whispered. Beautiful, even now.
