Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who, its characters or anything associated to the show, this story is for the sole purpose of entertainment and I make no profit of it.
Warnings: AU-verse River Song and slash.
The Tardis pulsed with the familiar sound of arrival, no matter how many times she heard it, it still made Amy's heart leap with anticipation and wonder. The way Rory gripped her hand tightly meant that her husband felt the same way and she flashed him one of those smiles that the Doctor often envied; it reminded him of Rose and Sarah Jane and every other of the lost loved ones he has had to leave behind. But he never dwelled too long on the feeling and was all goofy grins and excited rants before the newlywed's could even catch the slip in character.
"Come on now, how many times have either of you been to Canada?" He whooshed past them, throwing warm winter wear their way and he opened the Tardis' door enthusiastically. "It's brilliant this time of year!"
However, the scenery that greeted them was anything but inviting, a raging blizzard blew snow and icy air inside. The Doctor wasn't fazed by it in the least and failed to notice the utterly devastated expressions shared by his two companions.
"Yay…?" Amy injected in a squeaky voice and if the Doctor had still been within the Tardis, he may have taken advantage of her stillness to shove on her wool hat affectionately and wrapped the scarf that lay still in Rory's hands around his neck. But the Time Lord was busy making snow angels and rolling around in the icy snow. The last few- many stops they had made had been heart wrenchingly depressing and the Doctor would be damned if he didn't make this the best stop yet.
"Ahahahaaa! This is great! I've missed snow!" He sing-sung as the newlyweds treaded cautiously out of the safe, warm comfort of the blue, larger-on-the-inside-then-on-the-outside box.
"It's… um nice?" Rory tried weakly, already rubbing his hands together.
"And cold." Amy added solemnly. The Doctor raised his head in their direction, tuque slipping in a lopsided angle on his head.
"Oh you two are no fun." He got to his feet in one swift motion, dusting off what white powder hadn't already been swept away by the strong winds. "There's a cabin resort oh…" He spun around, sticking a gloved finger in the air. "-ten feet from here. Just can't see it on account of all the snow! So much lovely snow!" He twirled around on one leg and laughed, succeeding in earning himself a dual pair of confused looks.
"Doctor, are you alright?" Amy tried slowly.
"Of course! I'm just happy! I don't know why, I just am, something about today is promising to be marvelous, can't you feel it?" He ran to settle himself between the couple, hooking his arms around theirs and led them to the cabins. For the first time since they left the Tardis, Amy and Rory let them selves be taken by the Doctor's infectious glee, laughing along with the man's festive exclamations.
-0-0-0-
They had checked into a two-bed room and spent the evening inside, by the fireplace at the insistence of the companions, who were still shivering long after getting inside. That night, the Doctor found himself still restless. Something was calling out to him, begging, beckoning for him to go outside, promising something fun and exciting. It had settled down once he was inside, but returned with a vengeance with the setting of the sun.
He hopped out of bed, fully awake and aware, slipped on his clothes and snuck out the door.
The blizzard had all but died down and a still mist had settled in. The lights of the other cabins, along with the lights on the telephone poles created an array of distant-looking lights that almost reminded the Time Lord of the cosmos. It was something he hadn't seen in a long time and he grinned at the sight. His latest regeneration was such a happier man; it was moments like this that the Doctor was thankful for the change. The old him might have gazed at the sight and been reminded of sadder times.
He walked aimlessly for hours, in circles, around the cabins, away from the cabins. Shouting in surprise when the occasional hare popped out of its hiding place.
"Magical." He grinned.
"You know, the first natives of the place call this weather pogonip." A voice popped up from behind him.
"You!" All the joy and contentment drained from the Doctor as he did an about-face. He didn't need to see beyond the goggles, skimask and fur parka to know precisely who it was behind the layers.
"Ah Doctor, how… surprising to find you here." The Master greeted in a honey-slicken voice.
"But how- I saw you vanish with the others." The Doctor remained still, fighting with the million and one urges popping up within him; run, embrace, cry, shout, draw a weapon.
"Details, details old friend. Haven't we already been through this?" The Master walked over to the Doctor, pulling down the skimask and lifting his goggles. He took advantage of the other's astonishment by getting as close as physically possible without actually making any contact.
"It's so nice to be around and about without those incisive drums," He placed his hands on his shoulders. "I can finally hear music properly. Do you hear it too, Doctor?" He asked, baring his teeth in a coy smirk.
And to his astonishment, he did. There was the far-away sound of a melody in the air and it was getting louder. An ancient sound from long, long ago, from before the War, from before the whole Dalek business, from before music itself; it was a wordless refrain from their home planet.
"What's going on?" He asked warily.
"Shh, you'll ruin the moment." The Master took a hold of the Doctor's hands, tugging off their respective mittens and gloves and intertwined their still warm fingers. Before he knew it, the Doctor was being guided along in a Time Lord's version of the slow dance. Somewhat more up-beat but none the less intimate. It had been so long since he danced to this music but it didn't take long for his legs to move of their own accord, body memory came in useful sometimes. The Master pressed their chests together longer then necessary and flashed him a smile before twirling him.
"What's going on, why are you here?" The Doctor tried again, stuck on autopilot as he continued the dance, taking the lead as the music shifted.
"I said don't talk. Shut up for just a little longer."
"But-"
The Master silenced him with a quick peck on the lips. "I'm begging you."
The Doctor complied, still at a complete loss. They danced on for what felt like forever, tracing intricate patterns in the snow, the Master humming along to the tune while the Doctor remained mute. Going on and on, fully ignoring the sharp cold nipping at their fingertips as the icy mist made the air that much more frigid. After a while, the Doctor couldn't keep his silence any longer.
"Tell me what's going on." As the words left his mouth, the music stopped and the Master let out an irritated grunt, squeezing his hands tightly enough to be painful and rested his head begrudgingly on his shoulder.
"I told you to shut up… now I have to make you forget this ever happened." Before anything else could be said, the world around him faded to black and the Doctor awoke with a startle. He was back in the bed, in the cabin, limbs perfectly warm and cozy.
"Did I just sleep?" It seemed absurd; he never slept. His head felt groggy however, and no matter how wrong this all was, the little voice inside his head assured him that everything was fine and he didn't have the willpower to contradict it. Images flowed through his photogenic mind in fragmented pieces: mist, lights, a familiar face and the most beautiful music in the universe.
-0-0-0-
The next day, Amy and Rory were disturbed to find that the Doctor was much less enthusiastic about their destination, much quieter and almost completely noncommittal.
"Are you alright, Doctor?" Amy asked from behind him, startling him out of his hour-long staring contest with the fireplace. He turned to the Scottswoman with a weak smile. "Just fine, yeah."
Her worried stare told him that that wasn't an acceptable answer.
"Just… remembering some things, nothing to fret about." He got to his feet and dusted off imaginary dust and gradually winded himself back up and into his good cheer.
"What do you two say we go meet some American Yetis?" He exclaimed, delighting in the excited looks he received from Amy and the worried one from Rory. "Much more laid back then the ones in the Himalayas but boy do they know how to throw a party. Ah- just don't make any comments about their feet, reeaally sensitive 'bout the feet." He shook his head as though chasing away a terrifying memory.
-0-0-0-
As they treaded up the hill, the Doctor once again secluded himself within his mind. The dream's memory had returned, nearly complete and he kept trying to remind himself that it was just that- a dream, an illusion from the depths of his consciousness.
Far down the hillside, within one of the cabins, River Song was looking out the window, a smile painting her ruby red lips. She knew exactly what was troubling the dear Doctor's mind. Creating and manipulating dreams was very easy with the right tools, River had been working on a device of her own invention, innocent tinkering really, she was planning on using it to manipulate the richer clients of the ski resort out of their money. But with the Doctor's arrival, her cover was as good as blown. How she loved to tango with the Time Lord- but there was a time and place for everything and today was not it. It hadn't hurt to have a little fun though. As much as River loved the benefits of being a woman, she couldn't help but miss a much more familiar form. The Doctor's reactions were somehow so much more satisfying when she was herself.
She would have her chance to do it again- another time, with more preparation and a much bigger bang.
"Happy hiking, Doctor." She smirked as she lifted herself off the window's ledge and walked towards the front desk to check out.
I wrote this months ago but thought I'd revise it and post it here, I don't write Doctor Who fics often so please be kind. I am fully aware that River Song likely is not The Master but a girl can dream, yeah? Thanks for stopping by, hope you enjoyed!