This one-shot was cut from the DW/F crossover series I am thinking of writing.
The Doctor opens his eyes to a curious face looking into his, eyes of warm chocolate espresso fighting to be present behind heavy lids.
He jumps and bangs against the floor.
"Oi! Where am I then?"
She smiles and her body teeters over, falls onto the metal by him and the picture is complete.
"TARDIS."
"Then why are you here?"
"She talks to me, we speak the same language. She let me in."
He frowns as he blinks heavy eyes and wonder how long he's been out for the pain to be gone.
Well and all, he should be a new man by now.
"No."
He blinks and resurfaces from his thoughts at her whisper.
"Private thoughts, don't want to feel you in there again, hm?"
She looks away. "Can't help it."
"Try."
"You're going to feel me anyway."
The slip of a thing unsettles him, something he doesn't know much of.
"Well, so long as you're here...want to go on an adventure with me?"
"Yes."
He stops. He's never had such easy compliance, no pitch to sell her-she wanted to escape.
"What are you running from?"
"You have the answer."
He scowls, "I don't have patience for your crazy games, I am not a nice man-do not try me."
She bites her lip and closes her eyes. "So impatient. Don't waste the precious time asking questions we don't want answered."
He rolls to his back and props on his hands, looks to see his ship's door is secured.
"Were you surprised?"
She smiles and he supposes that's another question he doesn't want answered.
"Well if I can't ask you questions can you ask me some?"
She nods once and tries to sit up. He steadies her and she leans against him. She looks up into his eyes and whispers, "What are you going to show me?"
"I could show you new worlds, monsters, things to make you shiver and things to make you cry. But I don't want that for you." His words are surprisingly tender and he tilts his head. He grins, "I want to show you impossible things."
She nods, gazes at him with wide eyes. "Nothing will ever be the same again."
He purses his lips and squares up to her. "Who are you?"
She falls back against the metal and sighs as the Doctor looks at her startled. She grins to the ceiling, "River. Witch, albatross, assassin, reader."
"So you're from...?"
"No. From Osiris, under Alliance control. They made me a reader. One of a kind."
"Oh, Alliance, right. What else did they do to you, hm?"
She stays quiet and he sighs, "Oh, come now River," he says her name carefully. "Does it have to be so secret with you?"
"Who needs secrets?"
"You, apparently."
River sits up and stares at him. She shakes her head and looks away. "We both have our secrets. Penny for your thought? Copper for a kiss? But you've done all that before."
His eyes narrow and he leans closer. "You are working my nerves River and you are giving me the feeling that you are not aware of who I am."
"Liar."
He ignores her. "I'm just a Time Lord, doesn't matter, right?" She tilts her head as if amused by him and he scoffs. "I'm the Lord of Time," he enunciates carefully, "get a little perspective in that pretty little head of yours!"
"Hold on a minute, pretty?"
The Doctor sighs and drops his head, "Perspective..." he grumbles.
She grins at him and sing songs, "You think I'm pretty!"
"I said you had a pretty little head."
"Same difference."
"Seems so."
River pauses her gloating and her brow furrows. "Did you just agree with me?"
The Doctor's face is grim, "Worse than that." She tilts her head and her eyes ask her questions, allowing him to pick the ones he wants to hear, and hear he does as if she's speaking the words into his ear but she's too far away for that. "I called you pretty."
River's giggle makes him smile and she decides she likes him when the sharp anger is not burning his walls and making even her mind warm and bitter like ash.