Hello there, dear Readers.
So this is my first fic in a very long time and I really hope that you enjoy it! I've also not written DW for the longest time, so hopefully I still have the characters right.
I could go on forever about how I've missed writing and all that, but instead I'll just let you get on with the first chapter of this new fic!
This is after Clara and River have met after she died but it's a younger River that hasn't been in Stormcage for too long, just to let you know.
As always, enjoy!
MBRB'xoxo
'Oi! Spaceboy!' The voice of Clara Oswald came ringing through the TARDIS, instantly bringing a smile to the Doctors face. But… she wasn't supposed to be here, was she? Let's see…mid revolutionary France, Rupert Murdoch waiting to be put back where he came from – that'll teach him to twist the truth so much – nope. Clara should definitely not be –
The Doctor sighed and rolled his eyes. The TARDIS had got into the awful habit of breaking minor parts and then, whilst he was fixing them, going to pick up Clara. Seeing as the two had got off to rather a shaky start, they certainly were turning out to be the very best of friends. It was really rather irritating at times.
'Oswald! You're not supposed to be here!' he called back, trusting the TARDIS would carry his voice to the centre console where she would no doubt be pushing buttons whilst she waited for him. Putting down the two wires that he was trying to reconnect with hot glue and desperation, the Doctor mumbled something along the lines of 'you can bloody well fix this yourself' to the TARDIS and made his way through the endless corridors to find Clara.
'You're not meant to be here' the Doctor scalded, arms crossed as he came into the console room.
'You're supposed to have picked me up a week and a half ago.' Clara retorted, also crossing her arms across her body and raising an eyebrow.
'I'm supposed to get Rupert Murdoch back to the US before anyone notices he's gone' The Doctor copied her raised eye brow. Clara paused.
'Murdoch?'
'Yup.'
'Where's he been?'
'France. Mid revolution'. Clara considered it for a second, tilting her head to one side and then waving a hand in front of her face
'No one likes him anyway.' She shrugged, the smile finally breaking over her face as the Doctor came forward to give her a hug. Putting her back on the ground after spinning her around, the Doctor pointed a finger in her face.
'But remind me about him. He's got to go back at some point' he said seriously. Clara give him a cheeky smile and another small shrug.
'I don't know. It'll give him something to report on'
'Claraaaaaaa' the Doctor warned, 'that's not funny, not after last time…' Clara rolled her eyes and sighed.
'Fine. Fine. Murdoch running around France. Got it. Where are we going?' Her enthusiasm was suddenly and as it would a child, it instantly infected the Doctor who spun around the console, throwing levers and pushing buttons.
'That's more like it! Didn't I always promise you the 20's? Flapper girls, prohibition, Gatsby and all that jazz? Jazz. Geddit?' he looked to Clara for some appreciation on his pun but it went straight past her as she clapped her hands together and grinned. 'They liked Jazz in those days… never mind. Go on then. Go get changed' he laughed. Clara loved to dress up in the clothes of the era and she'd been itching to go to the 20's for an age. Before the words had left his lips, she was already squealing and bouncing off to the closet the TARDIS had made for her. Humming a couple of bars of 'I Wanna be Loved by You', the Doctor pressed a few more buttons for effect, did a spin or two and then leant against the console with a content sigh. It would be nice to go on an adventure. No galaxy domination plans to thwart. Just a nice trip to the 20's. No drama.
The air next to him crackled. Electricity shot through the area just behind him and, before he could turn, he knew it was her. But how? When was she? The last time he had seen her he had said goodbye to her as if…
As if he would see her again.
'Hello, Sweetie' came the cheerful voice. Turning, the Doctor took in his wife. A thousand thoughts ran through his head in a millisecond and the only conclusion that he managed to draw was she was here. She was right here. There. In front of him. And very much alive. 'No? Not going to greet me? That's just charming, isn't it. You don't even know what I had to do to get the vortex manipulator back and don't even get me started on what it does to my hair. But you just stand there in silence. That's really lovely.' River pouted and crossed her arms over her chest. This was definitely a younger River. Much younger.
'River.' Her name escaped him in a breath and her forehead creased slightly at his tone. Saying nothing, he took a step forward and pulled her into a hard hug. River returned the hug instantly, laughing at her unpredictable and frankly ridiculous Doctor.
'It's good to see you too, Sweetie' she grinned. Pulling away, the Doctor looked her up and down.
'Where have you been?' he asked. River gave a heavy sigh and swung herself into a chair that Clara had left in the console room and the Doctor had never bothered to move.
'Don't get me started. Stormcage. I know you said that I needed to live out my sentence there and I'm going to get a lecture for leaving again but really, Doctor, they are just beyond help sometimes. It's as if they want me to leave, that's how easy they make it.I've only been out once or twice but you would have thought they'd learn to stop putting the newbies on my shift, wouldn't you.' She shook her head with exasperation and rolled her eyes. 'No fun at all, really. Not that I suppose prison should be but – '
'I realised a long time ago there was no stopping you escaping Stormcage, River, but –'
'Spoilers'
'But I meant where have you been?' he gestured to her clothes. River looked down as if she was just now remembering her attire. With a neon tutu around her waist, leg warmers and her curls piled on top of her head tied with a piece of neon netting, she looked like anyone who had ever been to an 80's themed party.
'Oh. Yeah, Jack had a party which is what I wanted to talk to you about actually. Can we go?' she looked up at him, her face split into a wide smile and her eyes wide with excitement.
'Go where?' The Doctor asked dumbly. It had been a long time since he'd seen a River this young and he was out of practice with keeping up with her scattered thought processes.
'The 80's.' She said simply.
'River…' She frowned, anticipating his reluctance.
'Oh, Doctor. I love the 80's. And I've never really been. I'd fit right in and it would be so much fun. They loved big hair there. I'd be a bloody pin up. Look at this' - she pointed a finger to the mass of curls- 'all natural! And you'd look very dashing in a denim jacket…' she pulled lightly at the lapel of his jacket. She could see that he was being easily convinced but then again, he never could resist her charms for long.
'You really think so?' he asked, imagining denim jackets and hats. He did love hats. River nodded, looking at him through her lashes, a smile playing at the corner of her lips. The Doctor grinned. 'Alright! 80's London it is!' River beamed at him and kissed his cheek, sending a flush across his face.
'It's going to be brilliant. You just wait and see!' The Doctor nodded and smiled back at her. It was surreal seeing River again. He was so sure that she was gone from his life but to see her here now, bouncing lightly on the balls of her feet and a small, almost indistinguishable flush of excitement over her cheeks was something that he could only have dreamed of. This River had so much to come. They had so much hurt and pain to face together but right now, they had adventures that needed to be had. Adventures he thought he'd never get to have with her again. And Clara would love the 80's too. He could see her with a Madonna style bow in her hair.
Oh no. Clara….
He glanced at River who had now stopped bouncing and was staring daggers just over his shoulder. Her arms crossed once again and hip stuck out in a decidedly unimpressed way, she brought her eyes away from a paralysed Clara back to the Doctors face. Calmly – something the Doctor was more worried about than if she'd been shouting – and in a low voice, she spoke.
'Doctor. Who the hell is that?'
TBC…