A/N: So I made some notes about how I wanted to end Girl in the Fireplace, then completely forgot to use them and posted something different. I was encouraged to write and post this anyway, and since not much changed, it only took me about ten minutes. A lot of this is the same, just the final conversation between Reinette and the Wolf changed, really. But I liked it so much, I wanted you to see it anyways.
Alternate: Live Your Life
As soon as the droids collapsed, the Wolf took off, leaving the shocked and frightened nobles behind in the ballroom and ignoring Reinette's call for her to wait. She ran through the palace, searching for any portals that may have remained open when she broke through the last one, but none others had been opened to this time. Others may appear as time went on, but right now, just the mirror that she had ridden Arthur through existed, and that was bricked up. Her heart sank when she realized that she was stuck – that there was no way for her to get back to John.
A few hours later, Reinette found her staring up at the stars, wishing she was both light years and thousands of years away. She hadn't lied to John – she had tried as hard as she could to get back to him, but there was no way. Really, she'd known that going in. But if she was gone long enough, Emergency Program One would restart and take him home. She'd modified the program after her regeneration, in case she was ever too far away to take care of John. He would be fine. Furious, most definitely, but fine.
"You know all their names, don't you?" Reinette's voice broke through the Wolf's dark thoughts. "I saw that in your mind. The name of every star."
The Wolf sighed. "What's in a name?" she asked rhetorically. "Names are just titles. Titles don't tell you anything."
"Like the Bad Wolf," Reinette said with a smile.
The Wolf couldn't help smiling a bit back despite the hopelessness of the situation, deprecating though it was. "Like Madame de Pompadour," she agreed.
"You have seen those stars from a much closer distance than I ever will, I think," Reinette observed.
"From time to time."
Reinette changed the subject. "In saving me, you trapped yourself, separated yourself from John. Did you know that would happen?"
The Wolf shrugged. "Mmm. Pretty much."
"Yet, still you came."
"Yeah, I did, didn't I? Catch me doing that again," the Wolf teased slightly.
"There were many doors between my world and yours," Reinette pointed out. "Could you not use one of the others?"
The Wolf shook her head. "When the mirror broke, the shock would have severed all the links with my ship. There'll be a few more broken mirrors and torn tapestries around here, I'm afraid," she apologized. "Wherever there was a time window. I'll – I'll pay for any damage," she offered before pausing. "Erm, there's a thought. I'm going to need money. I was always a bit vague on money," she said sheepishly. "Where do you get money?"
Reinette let out a small laugh at the Wolf's babbling. "Despite the fact that I think we could have become good friends, my guardian angel," she began kindly, "there is – I believe – another angel who will be anxiously awaiting your return."
"My ship will take him home," the Wolf said. "We'll all just have to adjust to taking the slow path."
"I will always be on the slow path," Reinette agreed. "But you, on the other hand, must return to the quick route. To John."
The Wolf contemplated the younger woman, wondering what she had up her sleeve. "How do you propose I do that?" she asked, eying the growing smile on Reinette's face.
Reinette just took the Wolf's hand and tugged, gently urging her to follow. She led the Wolf through a maze of hallways until they finally reached a large and spacious bedchamber. The Wolf's eyes widened when she saw the fireplace set in the wall, mantle and all, and immediately went over to inspect it with her sonic screwdriver. "It's not a copy, it's the original," Reinette informed her as she examined it. "I had it moved here and was exact in every detail."
"The fireplace," the Wolf murmured in awe. "The fireplace from your bedroom. When did you do this?" she asked over her shoulder.
"Many years ago, in the hope that a door once opened, may someday open again. One never quite knows when they will need a protective wolf." Reinette said with a small smile. "It appears undamaged. Do you think it will still work?" she asked hopefully.
The Wolf tapped around the edges, searching for answers. "You broke the bond with the ship when you moved it, which means it was offline when the mirror broke. That's what saved it. But the link is basically physical," she thought out loud, "and it's still physically here. Which might just mean, if I'm lucky – if I'm very, very, very, very, very, very, lucky...Ah ha!" she shouted triumphantly.
"What?" Reinette asked eagerly.
The Wolf grinned. "Loose connection." She used her sonic screwdriver to reactivate the portal. "Need to get a man in," she teased. She thumped the mantle, and one last loose part clunked into place. "Wish me luck."
Reinette gave a sad smile, going over to give her a brief hug. "Good luck, Wolf," she whispered before standing back. The Wolf pulled the lever that spun her back to the fifty-first century, leaving Reinette behind. She looked around the spaceship, but couldn't see John right away. Turning back, she knelt down in front of the grate once more.
"Reinette!" she called through the fireplace.
With a rustle of skirts, Reinette settled down on the ground. "Yes?"
"Don't spend the rest of your life waiting. Go and be brilliant like you're meant to," the Wolf said kindly.
Reinette scrutinized her face, realization dawning. "You and John are never coming back, are you?" she asked regretfully.
"No," the Wolf shook her head. "I'm closing this portal. You'll never be bothered by the future or us again."
"Then I shall thank you now, Wolf, as I shall not get another chance," Reinette said resolutely. She made to stand up, but crouched back down when she had one last thought. "Oh, and Wolf?"
The Wolf looked at her once more, returning from where she had gotten up. "Yeah?"
Reinette smiled a bit. "He really isn't a bad kisser." With that, she stood and and was gone, leaving the Wolf staring after her, her mind blank. Blinking, she shook her head and shut down the portal, separating seventeenth and fifty-first centuries once more.
Just as she got back to her feet one last time, she was snatched into a tight hug, her body leaving the ground entirely.