The Doctor was wandering around the TARDIS looking for Sophie. It wasn't that she was missing. She tended to wander off on her own sometimes. He didn't mind. He was just curious what she was up to. The TARDIS had so many rooms and twisty tunnels that even he could get turned around sometimes. And to make it even more interesting, she (he always referred to the TARDIS as a 'she') would sometimes move things around so, while you might think you are heading to a game room or a bedroom, you might actually find yourself someplace completely different. Sophie often ended up in one of the rooms full of bits and bobs he had collected over the years. Today he found her in another one of her favorite rooms, the library. He smiled. He had always loved his library but now he had special memories of this room. Sophie looked beautiful sitting there looking at his books. Maybe they could make another memory…
He braced his arms against the sides of the door jam and leaned into the room. "Spoilers" he called out in a teasing voice. Sophie looked up and smiled. "I'm only looking at things from the past, my past" she told him. He raised an eyebrow, letting her know he didn't quite believe her. She just gave him one of her Cheshire Cat smiles, not letting on either way. He let go of the door and went to the table, looking at the book over her shoulder. Had to pull out his glasses to see what she was reading about. As he leaned in to see, he put his hands on her shoulders and she sat up a little bit straighter. "A jeweled book?" he asked, squinting at the black and white picture. "Mmm hmm" she said. "It's called The Rubiayat. It is a book containing about 1000 poems by Omar Khayyam. He was a Persian mathematician and astronomer in the 11th Century." "From Earth I mean" she added. "Anyway it's supposed to be bound by over 1500 precious jewels, all set in gold." "Beautiful" he told her. "Where is this book? I've never heard of it and I've seen most of the museums on Earth." "Well, that's a bit of a problem" she told him. "Most people think it went down on the Titanic". "Ahhh" he said. "And you want to steal it?" "Doctor I'm hurt!" she exclaimed playfully, throwing her hand over her heart. "I just want to look at it. Maybe touch it. I would never steal it!" "Mmm hmmm" he murmured as he moved her hair to the side and leaned down to kiss her neck. "Why doesn't anyone ever believe me when I uh…um" She paused trying to find the words to complete her thought. "When I ummm…" She tried again before giving up and leaning into his warm lips on her neck.
She stood up and turned into him and he raised his head to kiss her. She took a step backwards and sat on the edge of the table behind her, pushing her book out of the way with her hand before grabbing his hips and pulling him toward her. She kissed him again and began to pull at his shirt. He chuckled a little bit and she looked at him. "What? Spoilers?" She asked. "Mmm no" he responded, "just thinking about how much I love libraries." Sophie laughed along while she pulled his shirt off and began working on his pants. The Doctor helped her out of her blouse and then she let him slide her pants down to the floor before sitting back on the table. "Do we..I mean you…floor..? he stammered. "Uh uh" she said with a smile as she wrapped her hands around his now bare backside and pulled him hard to her. She kissed him deeply before he came up with any more conversation to distract her. He let his hands roam around her breasts, pinching her nipples hard and making her groan. When she couldn't stand it anymore, she sank her fingers deeper into his cheeks and wrapped her legs around his waist, letting him in. Both of their heads fell back as he wrapped his hands around her backside and pulled her weight off the table and onto himself. She pulled her legs harder around him and tightened all of her muscles making it his turn to groan. When neither could hold on any longer, he let her back down to the table and collapsed on to her. She ran her fingers through his hair while he caught his breath. "Sophie" he tried to talk. "You really need to learn to shut up" she told him as she pushed him off of her and onto the chair she had vacated earlier. She levered herself off the table and landed on his lap, straddling him. They began to kiss and let their hands roam before she managed to convince him to go one more round.
Sophie slowly stood up and stretched then wandered naked toward the hallway saying something about 'freshening up'. The Doctor still couldn't move. He felt as if his head was disconnected from his body as he slouched down farther in his chair and leaned his head onto the back. He chuckled a bit. What a sight he must be, the Last of the Time Lords, lounging naked in a chair in his own library, unable to get up and dress himself. The moment of levity passed. He began to feel a darkness descend over him. Where he had felt light and free a moment before, he was now feeling a weight pressing him down into the chair, lying heavy on his hearts. It felt as if all of his thousand years were crushing him. He knew, without a doubt, that it had something to do with Sophie. He didn't know what was going to happen but something was coming. He was never wrong about these things. Something bad was coming and there was nothing he could do about it.
The Doctor had been in love before. He was a man who had always loved deeply. It was his one weakness, the way he fell in love. He had a family once, a mother, a father, a wife, even a child. They were all lost when Gallifrey was destroyed. Their deaths tore him apart. He swore never again but, he wasn't able to protect his hearts. Sarah Jane, Rose, Donna. All of his companions. He had loved each of them and he had grieved each loss. Every time he swore 'never again'. Sophie was different. He loved her as much as he had loved all the others but there was something else. It wasn't just that she was fun or great at conversation or that she was so gorgeous. It wasn't even the sex though he thought he could definitely get used to that. It was different. It was as if she were a sun and he had been pulled into her orbit, unable to break away, unable to resist though he knew that they both were headed for a fiery end. He knew it was close. It was coming at them a million miles an hour and there was nothing he could do to stop it. He wouldn't tell Sophie though. If these were to be their last days together, he wanted them to be happy ones, for her.
Slowly the Doctor pulled himself out of his dark thoughts. He found his pants and slipped them on, regaining just a bit of his dignity. He found Sophie's book where it had fallen to the floor. He set it on the table and it opened to the page Sophie had been looking at. The book she wanted really was beautiful. He knew the argument she would make. It is already lost. No one has to know that it would be in her hands instead of at the bottom of the North Atlantic. He knew she shouldn't want it. He knew that going there was a terribly dangerous prospect. He knew that it might tear Sophie apart, meeting people on the ship, knowing that they would soon die horrible deaths. He knew better. Still, he decided that he would take her to the Titanic.
He was sitting in the same place, still staring at the picture in the book when Sophie came waltzing back into the room. She was wearing a bright red evening gown with bare shoulders and a diamond and ruby necklace that dipped far down into her bosom. The skirt was much longer than she would have chosen but he knew exactly what she was dressed for. He had no idea how she knew or maybe she was here to try to convince him. Either way, Sophie was dressed for a party on the Titanic.
She came around the table and behind him. She leaned over and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. He could feel her breasts pressed into him, only a thin layer of silk between them and the bare skin on his back. She put her lips to the soft skin behind his ear and he could feel the goose bumps run up his arms. Before he could come up with anything to say, she whispered in his ear, "I just wanted to see if this dress fit. You can take it off me now." He stood and turned toward her. He was sure she was planning on manipulating him, asking him to take her to the ship at a moment when he couldn't possibly tell her no. She miscalculated though. He had already decided. He knew he never would be able to tell her no, not about taking her to the Titanic and certainly not right now. Her power, the gravity holding him in her orbit was too strong. He didn't care as he ran his hands over the red fabric pulled tight across her breasts, feeling her excitement through the thin silk. She reached back and unzipped the dress, letting it fall while he slipped his hands inside and began to tease her. She made a soft sound then a sharp inhale when he pinched her. She reached for his pants, letting them fall to the floor as well. He backed her to the wall and she slid down it while he fell to his knees in front of her. He played with her nipples with his mouth while she reached out and grabbed him roughly before loosening her grip and stroking him softly. She slid slowly to her back and he laid gently on top of her. They had already done the acrobatic stuff. They were both tired. This time it was about touching and feeling, being together and making what they felt last forever.
Sophie fell asleep in the Doctors arms once again on the library floor. He smiled. He wasn't sure he would ever be able to sleep anywhere else again. He loved the feel of the hard floor under his back, his arms wrapped around her and her head on his shoulder. He began to feel the darkness descend but this time he pushed it out of his mind. He buried his face in her hair, letting the smell fill his head with only thoughts of Sophie. He could worry later. Tonight, he wanted to be happy.
Several hours later, the Doctor woke. Sophie was still deep asleep. He gently untangled himself from her, lowering her head gently to the floor. Before he got up, he laid his hand on her head and bent to kiss her cheek. He wanted to make the most of every moment now. The darkness was pressing on him again but he pushed it back and away, concentrating his thoughts on her.
He went off to get dressed and make Sophie some tea and a bite to eat. By the time he made it back to the library, she was waking. She passed on the food but took the tea with a smile. "Always the English gentleman" she said. He smiled back. He could pretend for her. "So…" she started. "So" he answered. "Are we up for an adventure?" "What kind of adventure?" she asked slyly. "Well, I was thinking of taking you on a cruise, if that's what you want to do." "Do you mean the Titanic?" She asked quietly. "Can we even do that?" He answered her, "well of course we can… The real question is 'should we?'" "And should we?" she asked. "It really would be something. Something no one else can say they've seen." He wasn't sure if she was talking about visiting the ship or stealing the Persian book.
"OK" he told her. She smiled and he could see the excitement dancing in her eyes. "But!" She rolled her eyes. "There's always a 'but' isn't there?" she said as her eyes lowered to check his out. "Sophie!" he said. "This is serious! There are things you need to know before we do this." "Ok. I'm sorry." She said but she didn't look very sorry. He bit back a smile. "You need to understand a few things. First, and this is most important, you're going to meet people. Real people. Real people that you're going to like. And they're going to die. There is nothing you can do about it, nothing you can say to warn anyone. Not a word." Sophie was serious now. She was listening carefully, knowing what he was saying was important. "It's horrible to know the future, believe me. It's not something I ever wished for. There are certain points in time. Fixed points. Things that happen, sometimes terrible things. But they have to happen. They have already happened, they always will happen. They must happen. The sinking of the Titanic is one of those things. To change it in any way, to save anyone who was not supposed to be saved, the consequences would be disastrous. It would change time. Your world would change. My world, the whole Universe. Time would be disrupted. It could cease to be. Do you understand?" he asked though he knew there was no way she really could. Sophie's eyes were wide, she looked shocked and bewildered. She nodded. There wasn't any way he could explain the consequences of such a thing to a human. Only a Time Lord had the ability to see through time, to see all of the possibilities, to see what has been, what is and what will be. All he could do was to warn her, warn her and hope that she was able to keep her word. It tore him up to have to see these things happen, to sit back and let disaster happen, to know there was nothing he could do. He couldn't even imagine what it would be like for Sophie. Still, if she wanted to go, he would take her.
They sat together at the table in the library, the book with pictures of the Titanic, her people and treasures open in front of them, her hand on top of his. They talked about many things but mostly about the great ship and what would become of her. Sophie, like many children, had been fascinated by the story of the Titanic. There were so many famous people, so many stories to read. And the great disaster, the lives lost and the lives saved. As Sophie learned about art, she began to research the many treasures thought to have gone down on the ship. This was an unexpected opportunity, one that no one had ever been presented with. To have firsthand knowledge of the Titanic, to dance in her ballroom and to touch her walls. Though she might never be able to tell anyone, it was a Siren's song that a grifter like Sophie could never resist. They made plans to go back to April 1912, to the deck of the greatest ship ever made, the unsinkable, the luxurious Titanic.
Sophie was dressed again in the formal red gown. She had spent time with her hair, making it perfect and appropriate for the time. She was gorgeous. The Doctor hardly noticed her when she entered the control room. He was busy pushing, pulling and turning dials one way then scowling and turning them back. Sophie stopped to admire him in his tuxedo, thinking he must be one of the most handsome men she had ever met. Then she saw the sneakers. Always the red sneakers. Normally she would be horrified by such a fashion faux pas but, when the Doctor did it, it made her smile. "People never really do change" she thought to herself. He would always be a loner. She would always be a thief. Perhaps, together they were something different but as individuals, they would always be who they were meant to be. She wasn't sure if knowing this was a comfort or something to be worried about.
The TARDIS began its screeching noise, signaling take off and cuing Sophie to grab for the rail. Before long, they landed with a thump. The Doctor scrutinized some numbers on a display before running to the door and flinging it open. He turned back toward Sophie with a smile, his hand stretched toward her. "M'dear Sophie" he said, "May I have the pleasure of your company for an afternoon on The Titanic?" Sophie's eyes were wide. She had seen enough to believe the Doctor but it still amazed her every time when the TARDIS landed somewhere that seemed impossible to her mind. She went to him, took his hand and they walked together, through the door of the time machine and onto the deck of the great ship.
The Doctor led her into the ship and to the ballroom where he showed her a great Grandfather clock. He pointed at the hand on the number 11. "Its 11 am. April 14 1912. 11 o'clock in the morning. We need to be off the ship by 11 pm. Exactly 11 o'clock. Understand? This is very important." She nodded. She understood the significance of 11:00 pm. It was not many minutes after 11:00 that the Titanic hit the iceberg. The ship would be underwater less than 3 hours later. Over 1500 people would be dead. She squeezed his hand.
She gave him a quick kiss on the lips. "I believe I have some work to do" she said with a wink. "It shouldn't take me long. My book should be in the Purser's safe as it is being transported unaccompanied to America. There are certain items I wish to have locked away myself." The Doctor shook his head. He wasn't going to even try to talk her out of it. He knew she understood the importance of keeping the book from the public. It would be for her and only her. And for the thrill of the game. He understood that part of it well. "I'll see you at the captain's table for supper then" she called over her shoulder as she floated away. He was sure she would have no trouble getting them seated at the best table in the house. He looked forward to watching her work.
Sophie began seeking out the players in her little game. It didn't take her long to have the only man on board with a key to the safe unlocking it for her then leaving her alone for a minute while she 'deposited' her stash – The Royal Crown Jewels being transported secretly to America. She only let her new friend in on the secret because she trusted him so much and could she, just for a minute, count on some of his trust? She placed a wrapped bundle of odds and ends, certainly not The Crown Jewels, into the safe and removed a book shaped object wrapped in leather. She called her new conspirator back in to close up the safe before kissing him on the cheek and making him promise to 'look her up' when they arrived in New York.
With her work done for the day, Sophie decided to wander to the First Class deck and mingle a bit. There were so many famous and interesting people here. The people she could talk to, the things she could learn. Sophie spent the afternoon in what she would describe as 'grifter heaven' socializing with the likes of John Jacob Astor, actress Dorothy Gibson, millionaire Molly Brown and a large handful of Sirs, Ladies, Counts and Duchesses. Of course she was also a Duchess today and she fit right in with the crowd.
The Doctor was having a bit more trouble finding his place on the ship. He was easily bored by those who found themselves better than the working class. He much preferred to be among the workers, to know where they were from and what they were doing. While Sophie drank expensive champagne in the sun, he wandered below decks, seeking out the stories of the crew, memorizing their faces, wanting them to be remembered by at least one person when the sun rose the next morning.
The supper bell rang precisely at 6:00 and those who were invited to such places, made their way to the first class dining room. Just as she had predicted, Sophie was sitting at the Captain's table, on his elbow actually. She patted the empty chair next to her when she spotted the Doctor. As he sat she leaned over and gave him a kiss on the cheek before introducing him to the captain as a doctor of such and such, a friend of hers, a traveling companion from England. He nodded to the others at the table and began to work his charm on the men and women alike. Sophie smiled. He really was adorable when he worked his own kind of magic. She put her hand on his knee and squeezed it. He glanced at her and gave her a wink that made her feel warm inside.
In between fantastic stories told by the Doctor and others at the table, John Astor, Molly Brown and the owner of Macy's, the Captain talked of a special show he had planned for the evening. The party would start right after dessert, moving to the ballroom where the house band would play and people would dance. Precisely at midnight everyone would all be hustled outside for a magnificent fireworks show he had arranged. Several times throughout the dinner, he called over an ensign to go over details. He was anxious for the show to go off without a hitch. It was to be his special night.
The multicourse dinner went on for over an hour. Most of those at the table had run out of stories and were concentrating on their dessert. The Doctor had other things on his mind as he picked at his crème brulee. He was thinking about what he and Sophie might do later. He had a bit of a surprise planned. One could say he was distracted when he should have been hyper aware. He knew the disaster that was coming. He knew the timing of their departure was crucial. He knew what the consequences would be. He wasn't thinking of any of those things. He had only one thing on his mind.
The ship's ensign came running into the dining room again. He nervously approached the Captain with a message. He knew he man would not be pleased. The loading of the fireworks show was taking too much time. They would not be ready by midnight. The captain told him that the fireworks would start when the Grandfather clock in the ballroom read 12:00. Not a minute before. Not a minute later. He told the ensign to make it happen, whatever it took. The ensign had an idea. He assured the captain it would be taken care of. He snuck to the Grandfather clock in the ballroom. He opened the glass and carefully moved the hands back exactly one hour. No one would notice. They were all too busy eating and drinking and having a good time. They were in the middle of the ocean where time had no real meaning. He would fix the clock before they arrived in New York.
The guests in the dining room were finishing their food, eating, drinking and having a good time. Some were beginning to wander to the ball room where the band struck up a tune. The Doctor took Sophie's hand. She stood up and kissed him. They slowly made their way toward the great room. The Doctor glanced at the Grandfather and nodded. 8:00. More than enough time to join the party before their planned departure. Something tickled in the back of his brain but he ignored it. He was the Lord of Time but he had failed to notice that time had changed.
Sophie grabbed another glass of champagne from a waiter with a tray. She looked around and found two chairs and a table on the perimeter of the room with the clock in sight. She was taking the Doctors warnings very seriously. As they sat, Sophie took the Doctor's hand again and leaned very close. "I'm having a wonderful time" she said quietly. She lowered her voice to barely a whisper "I can almost forget what's about to happen to these people. They seem so alive, so real. I mean I know they are now but later…I suppose that doesn't make much sense does it?" He smiled at her. He understood that feeling. Knowing the future sometimes made the present seem surreal. Her face was so close to his. He could feel her breath on his cheek while she talked. He turned toward her and their lips made contact. Sophie raised her hand to his face and kissed him back. He let his hand fall to caress the soft fabric at her waist. He couldn't remember what they had been talking about.
The captain came to their table and offered Sophie his hand. She finished her wine and let him lead her to the dance floor. While they danced, the Doctor pulled his knees to his chest and rested his feet on the chair in front of him. He had his hands on his knees, his chin resting on them. He seemed to be lost in thought. He was watching Sophie's every move. The Darkness was pressing on him again though he tried to ignore it. He wanted to be happy. He was happy. He didn't want anything to interfere with that. He glanced toward the grandfather clock. 8:40. He pushed the dark thoughts from his mind. They had plenty of time and he had plans.
The Doctor had met a young steward earlier in the day. He had explained his situation to the young man, how he wasn't really supposed to be on the Titanic, certainly not in First Class. He had met a woman. A woman who definitely did belong in First Class. Could the young man possibly help him out? He asked with a wink. The steward understood the Doctor's meaning. He replied that he would do his best and followed that with a wink of his own. Now the Doctor could see the young man standing at the doorway to the ballroom. He was looking for someone. He finally noticed the Doctor and came to him quickly, with a bright smile. He pressed a small object into the Doctors hand and the Doctor rewarded him with a bottle of expensive wine from the table next to him. He made the man promise to drink it immediately. He would fix it with the captain if he were to be caught. The young man smiled and gave a salute before hurrying from the ballroom to find his friends to share his booty with.
The Doctor watched Sophie dance with the Captain for a few more minutes before leaving his perch and going to them. He tapped the Captain's shoulder and asked if he could dance with Sophie. The Captain changed places with a bow and the Doctor took Sophie's hands and led her away and back into the crowd of dancers. He glanced at the clock. 9:10. It was time. He kissed Sophie then whispered his proposition into her ear. Sophie blushed, then nodded. He held her hand tight as he walked her from the ballroom and down the hall toward the luxury staterooms. He pulled a key from his pocket and unlocked the door. Sophie hesitated. "Don't worry" he told her. "it's empty. The couple that paid for it never got on board in Southampton." "Should we?" she asked? "I mean…well… we know what's going to happen and..." He shrugged. It was up to her. This was all for her. That's what he was telling himself anyway.
Sophie turned and kissed him, her fingernails running down his back. "I suppose if we have time" she said. He nodded that they did. Some time. "It would be the story of a lifetime, well it would be if I could ever tell it to anyone" she continued. He waited, letting her work it through. She kissed him again and started to pull him into the room. In spite of the short time, they moved slowly, taking their time and trying to remember every touch. The Doctor kept his mind on the clock. There wasn't one in this room, but he knew how the passage of time felt. He was a Time Lord.
They were still laying together when the noise started. The Doctor sat straight up, almost pushing Sophie to the floor. First was the noise followed quickly by the ship lurching to one side, finishing Sophie's trip to the carpet. The Doctor was scrambling for his clothes yelling "NO! NO! NO! It can't be. It can't be. It CAN'T BE!" He managed to get his arms and legs through various parts of clothing and ran out of the room still yelling.
Sophie was in shock from the rude awakening and tumble off the bed. She was slowly starting to realize what was going on. Something was wrong. Something was very wrong. The Titanic had hit the iceberg. It was sinking and she and the Doctor were still on board. Now to make it worse, he had left her and she had no idea where the TARDIS was hiding. She threw on her dress and ventured out into the hall to assess her options.
The noise from the tearing hull was deafening. The screaming and crying of the people on the ship while they ran wildly through the halls was making it hard for Sophie to figure out which way to go. She wanted to get to the upper deck where she might be able to get her bearings. She knew she needed to get back to where the TARDIS was parked. She was sure the Doctor would make his way there eventually. He had to. The alternatives were unthinkable.
People were pushing each other trying to get out of the ballroom and to the decks. Most still didn't know what had happened but the sound of twisting and tearing metal was terrifying. If the ship was going to sink, they needed to be outside, on the deck when the lifeboats were lowered. The Doctor had to swim against the stream of people to get into the ballroom. Once inside he ran straight to the Grandfather clock on the wall, still standing guard as if nothing had happened. He squinted at it. It read 10:28. That didn't make any sense. The Titanic didn't hit the iceberg until 11:20. It was a fixed point in time. It would never change. Change. "Oh I am SO STUPID" he yelled, slapping himself in the forehead. The time of the accident hadn't change but the time on the clock did. He had been tricked. Someone had set the clock back an hour and he hadn't noticed. "SO STUPID!" he yelled again.
He needed to think. He needed time. He had all the time in the Universe at his fingertips. He had no time. He had to get Sophie. He had to get her back to the TARDIS. He had to get her home. He had to find her…before time ran out.
Sophie let herself be pushed along through the halls of the ship. Getting outside was still her best bet. She knew she had time. The Titanic didn't sink immediately. It took almost 3 hours before the broken ship sank completely under the water. With luck she would find the Doctor or the TARDIS long before that happened.
The Doctor began to make his way back to the stateroom where he left Sophie. He had to work against the tide of people moving to the outer edges of the ship. They were pushing and shoving, panicking in the way that people do. He stopped to help the stumblers when he could but his goal was to get to the interior of the ship. He finally found the room where had left Sophie. The door was wide open and he could see she was gone. He was sure she could take care of herself. He wasn't worried about her safety. Not yet anyway. He needed to think. To think like a human. To think like Sophie. Where would she go? Outside. She would go outside. She would get her bearings and try to make her way back to the TARDIS. That's what she would do.
He turned to rejoin the flow of people in the hall when something caught his eye. It was a thick square package wrapped in leather. It was Sophie's book. She must have forgotten to grab it in the panic of the moment. He went in and picked it up. He turned it over in his hand. She wanted to come here for this book. And he brought her. He thought about that for a minute. It went against everything that he had ever believed. To take someone back in time for personal gain? How angry he had been at Adam on Satellite Five when he tried to steal technology. And Rose wanting to see her father? That was innocent enough but still, he had been angry with her for playing him. Sophie was not innocent. She came here to steal. And he brought her. And he was in danger of losing her. He shook his head. He had some serious thinking to do. He could feel the weight of the book in his hand. He wanted to drop it back to the floor and let it go down with the ship as it was meant to. He wanted to but he didn't. He slipped the book inside his coat and left the room.
Sophie made it to the deck of the Titanic without more than a few bumps and bruises. Others hadn't been so lucky. Some of the older people had fallen and been trampled. She tried to help an older woman when she was pushed roughly for moving too slow. She grabbed the older woman under the shoulder and helped her back to her feet. She tried to keep contact as they moved through the hall but Sophie lost her grip and the woman disappeared back into the crowd behind her. Sophie hoped that the woman would make it out. There was nothing she could do to help.
On the deck, lifeboats were being lowered. Sophie knew there wouldn't be enough. She knew many of those around her would be left behind. She tried not to think of the faces. She couldn't get caught up in the panic, the stories of the people around her. She couldn't be the one to choose who went to the front of the line. Her heart was filled with despair. She tried to ignore the people around her. There was only one face she wanted to see. She needed to get somewhere high where she could scan the crowd. Oh how she wished Parker were here to help. Parker was a good 4" taller. She would be able to see. Sophie was barely 5'6" in her bare feet. She let herself be moved toward the rail. Maybe she could use the rungs to gain some height.
She was just starting to climb up onto the rail when she was roughly grabbed from behind. She tried to struggle but the person behind here was much bigger and much stronger. He had her up in the air then he half threw her, half dropped her into a lifeboat below the rail. Sophie yelled but her voice was drowned out by the yelling and screaming of passengers on the deck and the sounds of the ocean below. She stomped her foot. She was one of only two people on the Titanic who did not want to be rescued. This was a disaster. If they launched the lifeboat with her on it, she would never find the Doctor. She would never go back to her own time, to her life, her friends, her family.
Sophie tried to think. It was getting harder and harder to think straight. For the first time in a very long time, Sophie was scared. She was a grifter by nature and by trade. Fear was her enemy. She had to keep her head clear, to think straight, to plan an escape. Fear would only lead to death. She pushed it back and started to think through the problem. She needed to climb out of the lifeboat. She would need help from above. She could get to the rail of the boat but someone was going to have to help her up and over the side of the ship. She looked up and spotted a familiar face. It was a woman. The woman was gesturing to the full lifeboat that Sophie was currently stuck in. The man at the rail was shaking his head and pushing the woman back. They were about to launch the lifeboat and there was no more room. Sophie had met the woman earlier at dinner. What was her name? Molly. That was it. Molly Brown. Sophie had missed the significance of the name earlier but, all of a sudden it made sense. Molly Brown belonged on the lifeboat. Molly was a survivor of the Titanic. The Unsinkable Molly Brown!
Sophie started to yell again, waving her arms frantically. She had to get Molly Brown's attention. She needed to get the man at the rail to notice her. Others in the lifeboat were trying to pull Sophie down. They wanted her to get down so they could get underway. Sophie wasn't giving up. Finally, people on the deck above noticed her. The man at the rail looked down at her. She climbed to the edge of the lifeboat, trying hard to keep her balance. The man kept yelling at her to sit down. It was obvious to everyone watching that Sophie was not going to sit down. Finally the man reached down for her hand and pulled her up over the rail and back to the deck of the sinking Titanic. He started to talk, to tell her she was crazy, to tell her to get back into the lifeboat but she wasn't listening. Sophie lunged for Molly Brown, grabbing her and pulling her with all of her strength. She shoved Molly into the man and yelled at him to help get Molly to the lifeboat. The man was thoroughly confused but fortunately he decided not to argue with the crazy woman. He lifted Molly and dropped her to the lifeboat. As soon as she landed, the lifeboat was cut loose and sent on its way.
Sophie was suddenly exhausted. She wanted to sit, to breathe, to think. There was no time. She still needed to find the Doctor and/or the TARDIS. Most of the crowd was pressed against the ship's rail, hoping to find a lifeboat. Many of the first class women and children on the upper deck had been loaded, the men knowing there was no more room just stood and stared. It was easier to move around now. Where would the Doctor be? In the stateroom hoping she'd come back there? No. He wasn't one to sit and wait. Probably not the TARDIS then. He would be out looking for her. The ballroom? That was more likely. The clock. He made a point of showing her the clock. She would remember that. She would start there. She turned a 360* to get her bearings then started to make her way toward the doors that separated the ballroom from the deck. She had only to take a few steps in the right direction when she spotted the Doctor. He saw her at the same time and his face melted from fear to relief in an instant. Sophie felt her head spin, she grew dizzy and her knees began to buckle. He ran to her and pulled her tight into him, almost knocking the breath from her chest. Over and over he kept saying, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry Sophie". She tried to tell him it was OK but she couldn't find the words to speak. The great ship groaned loudly and the deck lurched violently beneath their feet, bringing the Doctor and Sophie back to reality.
Reluctantly, the Doctor let her go then grabbed her hand and yelled "RUN!" He took off in the direction of the ballroom, nearly pulling Sophie off of her feet before she could react. They ran through the ballroom back toward the interior of the ship. As they passed the great Grandfather clock, still standing guard over its dying ship, the Doctor glanced toward it and felt a searing pain inside his chest. What happened, what almost happened, the mistakes he had made. It was almost too much for him to bear. He squeezed Sophie's hand tighter and ran a little bit faster toward his own ship.
Sophie was lost with all of the twists and turns of the ship, now wildly contorted but the Doctor knew the way back to the TARDIS. When they finally reached it, Sophie began to feel dizzy again while the Doctor fumbled with the key. When he finally opened the door, Sophie nearly tumbled inside. The Doctor caught her again and eased her inside. She wanted to hold him forever but the strange angles of the sinking ship were becoming more pronounced. The ship was breaking in two. It was sinking faster and faster. It was time to go.
The Doctor pulled the door shut behind them and turned to walk toward the console in the middle of the room. He remembered something and turned back toward Sophie who was still staring at the closed doors. "I brought this for you" he said as he pulled the leather wrapped, bejeweled book from his coat and handed it to her. She took it without a word, barely even glancing at it. He left her there and began working his controls. Just as the TARDIS' noise began, Sophie yelled "Wait!" He froze. "This doesn't belong here" she said. "It belongs on the Titanic". He nodded and she opened the door and carefully laid the book down on the floor. "Thank you" she said quietly as she shut the door and turned to walk toward him. He nodded again then pulled the lever that started the TARDIS moving again.
He had no words for Sophie as he fiddled with the controls of the TARDIS. He hadn't entered a destination. He didn't want to go anywhere. Sophie didn't talk either. They both had things that they needed to think about. They both had decisions they needed to make. Things had changed. Things needed to change.
Sophie mumbled something about changing her clothes but the Doctor barely heard her. She wandered off and he continued to twist and pull things aimlessly. It was a long time before he decided to go find her. He didn't have to look hard. She was in the library, sitting on the floor in the place where they had spent their first night together. He could see she had been crying. He lowered himself to the floor next to her and put his hand on top of hers. She didn't look at him, she just smiled a bit and laid her head on his shoulder.
They sat together for a long time before the Doctor quietly said "we need to talk". "I know" Sophie told him. "I know what you're going to say and I know what I'm going to say. I know what needs to happen and I know why. We need to talk but not now OK? Can we just BE for a little while longer?" The Doctor choked back the lump in his throat and told her "OK". He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her closer. "Sophie? I…um..I mean I know and I don't want to…" Sophie smiled again, and whispered "Bloody Hell Doctor!" before turning her face toward his and kissing him. "We will always be OK. OK?" "I will always love you Sophie. No matter what." He told her. She almost got the words "I know" out before he kissed her again.
They made love in their place on the floor in his library. They moved slowly and carefully, making every touch count. Neither of them knew if they ever would have the chance again and they wanted to make the night last forever. They knew even on the TARDIS, time was going to run out. When they were done, the Doctor wrapped Sophie in his arms while she slept. He wanted to always remember what it felt like to have a woman who loved him sleep happily in his arms. He was pretty sure it was never going to happen again. The pain that he felt, that he was going to feel, it burned in his chest. Once again, he swore that he would never let himself fall in love again.
Sophie woke but still neither wanted to let go. The Doctor tried to explain to her what had happened, the mistakes he made, why he was going to have to let her go. He tried to make his words soft but he knew that they would hurt anyway. He couldn't look at her. He wasn't sure he could make her understand his place in the Universe, who he had to be and why loving her would break everything. When he was done, he finally looked to her face. She had tears in her eyes and on her cheeks but he didn't see what he thought he would see, hurt, confusion, anger. Instead, when he looked in her eyes, all he saw was love and understanding.
She told him, "I know what you did and I know why you did it. I know that it can't happen again. The stakes are too high. The mistakes could be deadly. And I know that I need to go for myself too." It was his turn to be confused. "I didn't tell you" she said, "when we met in London. I was running away. I left my friends, my family. I left because I didn't know who I was." "Your name?" he asked. "My name. Yes. I've been lying for so long, I forgot who I am." He nodded. This he understood. "And now?" he asked. Her voice softened, becoming almost inaudible, "The Titanic. Being so close. All those people. I think I can be OK now with who I am, with whoever I am. I'm not afraid any more. I can let people in, trust them, love them. I can be myself, my real self. And maybe someday, I can even say my name again." The Doctor pulled her in and held her tight. "Maybe I will get there too someday."
The TARDIS landed with a thump in a small park near Sophie's flat. "How long has it been?" she asked, not really sure still about how time travel worked. The Doctor told her "about 3 days." She nodded. He was standing at the door. They both knew they needed to say good bye but neither wanted to rush it. Finally Sophie went to him and hugged him. "Will you be OK?" she asked? "Oh I'm always OK" he answered flippantly. She kissed him one last time, gently then turned away to hide her tears. She opened the door, turninh bagck one last time. "Will you ever come visit me?" she asked. The Doctor looked awahy. "I don't know" he whispered. She thought for a moment then went to him and whispered something in his ear. He looked surprised then smiled. "That's so I know who you are when you come back" she said with a smile then walked through the door and back to her world, her time.
He stood and watched her until she disappeared around the corner then turned back to the interior of the TARDIS. "I guess it's just you and me again Old Girl" he said out loud. "That's the way it's always meant to be right?" The TARDIS didn't answer him. He wasn't sure if she would agree or not. He flipped some switched and pulled some levers and he was off to his next big adventure.
Sophie knew the Doctor was watching her. She wanted to turn and run back to him but then that would be running away again. She was done running away. It was time she went back to her friends and her work. She stopped just out of his sight and listened for the sound of the TARDIS leaving. It wasn't until the screeching sound stopped that she could move again. She let herself into her flat and found her cell phone beeping impatiently. She picked it up and looked at it. Messages from Tara. Lots of them. Going back two days. She became worried that something was wrong. Tara was supposed to be keeping an eye on Nate and the team while she was away. Tara was not one to panic. This many calls meant something was wrong. She listened to the first couple of messages, the desperation in Tara's voice growing stronger as the calls went on. "Soph! Where are you? We need you here. Nate's gone off the deep end. He's drinking. He's going to get himself and the rest of us killed. You need to come back NOW!" The rest of the messages were similar plus details about kidnapping mayors and ships and gunrunners and now the FBI and Sterling were looking for them. It all sounded like a bloody mess. She called Tara back. Tara quickly filled the gaps in the story then laid out the plan she had set in motion for Sophie to come rescue them all. As she hung up the phone she began to think about details for her upcoming trip and grift, she thought about the Doctor. She missed him terribly already, talking to him, lying with him. It would be a while before she forgot that. Right now though, he was needed elsewhere and she was needed here.
FIN