Doctor Who: ALBION - Barcelona
Chapter 17 - Holding Court
Disclaimer - I don't own nothing or nobody you know/recognize. Doctor Who is intellectual property of the BBC, afaik.
Characters: Doctor, Markham, Xxxxx, OCs
Will Markham stood back, leaning on the railing surrounding the TARDIS console as the Doctor worked various controls.
"So? Where are we headed now?"
The Time Lord gave him an annoyed grunt. "I need some new clothes."
Markham gave him a shocked look. "I thought you had a whole wardrobe in here?" he waved off to the nether regions of the craft.
The Doctor rolled his eyes. "I do. The problem is, when I regenerated-" he paused to glare at the other man before continuing. "-my new body was a larger build than I've been before. I don't have much in there that will fit me comfortably."
"Didn't you pick up a few things back home? Uh, back in Albion?" he corrected.
"A pair of shoes, but I didn't keep anything else."
"Uh-huh," Will replied, totally not believing the man. "So where are we going again?"
The console settled and the Doctor strode toward the door. "We're here."
Will followed him to the door as the Doctor stepped out. "Where?"
"Welcome to Barcelona," he boasted as the pair stepped outside.
Upon hearing the destination, Will Markham expected to see the Spanish city. What he saw instead was an intergalactic metropolis. He looked around, noting the strange architecture before realizing that the passersby weren't all human, and if they looked human at first, he immediately realized they didn't appear to look like the humans he was used to back on Earth. Either Earth.
"Oh, shit," he muttered and ran back inside the TARDIS.
The Doctor had been distracted, taking in the sights before he realized his companion was no longer with him. "Will?" he asked, poking his head back in his craft.
There was no immediate sign of the burly man.
"Will? What's wrong?" he called out, strolling back up to the control console.
"Where the fuck are we?" came a voice from the lower level.
The Doctor looked down through the clear floor to see the now ex-Royal Torchwood agent cowering behind the lower column of the console.
He pointed towards the door. "That is not the Barcelona I know!"
"Well, it's the planet Barcelona I know," the Doctor countered. "Come on out and I'll show you around."
"Like Hades I will!"
"Will-"
"I am not going out there, with all those-those-"
"Aliens?"
"Yes! Aliens!"
"You do realize I am an alien, too, right?"
"You're human!" he protested.
"You've been inside my head, Will. You know I'm not from Earth. I'm a Time Lord. I have two hearts, which you shot me between, for crying out loud!"
"You look human!"
"Appearances can be deceiving, Will. Now come on out, you big chicken."
"I am not chicken!"
"Right, that's why you're hiding from those big, nasty aliens down there. Aliens who you've never met, but may well be very nice to you, if you give them the chance."
"I'm not going to get probed or dissected, am I?"
"I thought your planet never had any alien contact?" he inquired. "Besides, I thought you and Jackson, not to mention Jack-?"
"Blame the media," he laughed nervously. "And that's totally different. I know those guys," he retorted before correcting himself, "-knew them."
"Yes, that's why you and Jack were flirting from the moment you met," the Time Lord reminded him. "Then again, Jack flirts with everyone."
"That slag," Will chuckled as he slowly came out from his hiding place.
"He's from the 51st Century, different standards of conduct and all," he informed his companion before warning him, "But don't get any ideas. Jack is...different than everyone else."
"You mean besides the can't-kill-him-he's-immortal bit?"
The Doctor thought a moment. "Even before that," he replied, throwing an arm around Will's shoulders. "Come on then, there are such wonderful sights here I can show you."
Will gave a nervous and heavy sigh.
"Don't worry," the Time Lord laughed. "I won't let you get hurt. After all, I've only lost...let's see, Adric, Romana, Rose, River-well, only technically on the girls," he corrected himself before adding in a somber tone, "Adric, however..."
Will stopped and stared at him in disbelief. "W-What?"
"Come along, Markham," he prodded, heading back out into the busy square.
Will rolled his eyes and followed the ginger Time Lord, hoping he was joking about those he lost, but a trace of memory from the man told him otherwise. He told himself to ask later just how many companions he'd had over the years.
The pair strolled along, Will shocked at the variety of aliens he saw as the Doctor led him along. They finally found the clothier the man had been looking for and entered. Will looked around in amazement at the variety of suits on display, and just how many accounted for multiple limbs in various positions Will didn't really want to know about. He was so busy ogling the displays he bumped into the Time Lord, who was staring at a mannequin with disgust.
"Sorry. Something wrong?" he inquired.
"If you ever see these mannequins move, run," he informed Will. "Drop whatever you are doing and get as far away from them as possible."
"Why? What's wrong with them?" he asked. "What if they're just regular robota or something?"
"They won't be. They'll be Autons, the soldiers of the Nestene Consciouness," he said. "One of the most devious races to exist. After the Daleks and Cybermen, of course."
Will gave him a blank look of confusion. "Eh?"
The Time Lord sighed, but was interrupted before he could explain.
"May I help you sirs or madams?" a bald, blue-skinned man with gold eyes inquired.
"Ah yes, sorry, just distracted by this Auton," the Time Lord stammered.
The blue man glanced to the mannequin in confusion before returning his attention to the two potential customers.
"I would like a new suit, please," he informed the concierge. "Will? Do you need any new clothes?"
"Not really, but as long as you're buying?" he replied.
"Ah, I see. Matching outfits for the couple or-?"
The pair looked at each other dumbfounded. Will began chuckling. "We're not a couple!" the Doctor stammered. "We're just traveling companions," he explained before adding with an annoyed glance at Markham, "for now."
"My apologies, sir," the concierge bowed. "If you two would like to step this way?" he suggested, motioning them to a back corner where a series of curtained cubicles lined the wall.
Will looked at them in curiosity. "We get private tailors?" he asked. The Doctor rolled his eyes.
"Oh, this is your first time here?" he asked, glancing to the Time Lord for confirmation. "Just simply step into the cubicles, unclothe, and the scanners will take all your measurements. After that, we can discuss how you would like your suits, as far as final cut, materials, and such," he explained, smiling.
Will glanced to the Doctor, who only nodded confirmation. "You're not going to film us and put it on the internet, are ya?" he chuckled.
"Internet? Ah, such a primitive way of communication," he chuckled before informing Will: "Only if sir wishes us to," he grinned as the pair entered their cubicles.
Will stopped and gave the blue man a dirty look. "You better not," he chided.
No sooner had they stepped into the cubicles than Will came running back out. "What is that?" he exclaimed, startling several other patrons milling about the store.
The Doctor stepped out of his room to see the panicked man hiding behind a rack, staring back into the room he had entered. He sighed and motioned for someone to exit.
"Will, calm down. It's just an Ood," he explained as the man with large, slanted eyes and what appeared to be spaghetti noodles for a mouth stepped out of the booth. "They're harmless."
The Ood held up it's communicator. "My apologies if I startled Sir," it said.
"B-but, it's a-!" he waved his hand frantically at the alien.
"Will! What did I just get done telling you?" he sighed before turning to the tailor. "I'm sorry. My friend here, it's his first time off his home planet, and he's not used to seeing so many species."
"Ah, I see. Would sir care for a private booth, then?"
"YES!" he exclaimed, then realized he had shouted. "Yes, please, if I can."
The tailor nodded, then motioned to the Ood to follow him. "Would sir also prefer a private fitting screen?" he inquired of the Time Lord.
The Doctor gave Will an annoyed look. "I don't mind, but my friend is a bit jumpy, so-?"
"We take no offense," the Ood standing by the Time Lord's booth replied.
The Doctor hooked a thumb to the tailor. "Is he paying you a salary?"
The blue man seemed to go a shade darker as the Ood both replied, "We take no compensation for our work. It is our pleasure to serve."
"Yeah, so I hear," he muttered under his breath as he all but shoved Will back into his empty cubicle, muttering, "You get naked for the first cute guy, but forget it when it's an Ood!" and then returned to his own booth.
The next few hours found the men going over different patterns and styles. The tailor's Ood wore holographic emitters, allowing them to display the customers' style choices with relative ease. Of course, Will seemed to prefer sticking to Basic Black. The Time Lord was amused at how easy this now all seemed for him, as he practically took over the entire transaction from the proprietor.
When they had finalized the details, Will pulled the Doctor aside a moment. "I am starving. Any place to get something to eat I can recognize around here?"
The Doctor chuckled. "Of course. Follow me," he replied and headed back out into the plaza.
He led Will to an open café and were soon approached by a waiter. Will was slightly amazed to see that she was a cat. The Doctor acted as if nothing was wrong and ordered for the both of them.
No sooner had the waiter left than Will inquired, "How is it I can understand everyone? How can I read signs and menus and everything? Surely, they aren't all in-"
"Through me," the Doctor cut him off. "The TARDIS translates it all through a telepathic link."
"Ah. Explained this to a lot of companions, have you?"
"Just the less intelligent ones," the Time Lord quipped.
Will was quiet after that, but still took in as much as he could see before their food was served.
"Enjoying the trip so far?" the Doctor inquired as they ate.
Will returned his attention to his companion. "I can honestly say I've never seen anything like this place."
"You haven't seen anything yet," he chuckled. "I've been to before your civilization even existed to the end of the Earth, and even the end of the universe. I'd tell you to ask Jack, but I don't know if we'll cross paths anytime soon."
"How long have you known Jack, anyway?"
The Doctor grew quiet for a long moment before answering. "I first met him back when he was mortal," he began, "but I may have even met him before that."
Will looked at him in confusion. "Do I want to know?"
The Doctor laughed. "Jack and I have...an interesting relationship," he began. "Not like you had with him, but I can honestly say that he is one of my oldest friends, even if he doesn't realize how old, yet. Older than Greaves, even."
Will gave him another blank look. "My head is starting to hurt."
"Too much to take in in one day?"
He waved the Time Lord off as he pulled a small bottle from his jacket pocket. "No, just a headache," he began as the Doctor grabbed his arm.
"What is this?" he demanded, his face suddenly furious.
Will gave him a puzzled look. "Aspirin?"
"Where did you get it?"
"Last week, back home in Wales. Why?" He handed the bottle over to the Time Lord for inspection. "Do I have to call you in the morning, too?" he quipped.
The Doctor glanced at the label, grunted, and handed it back. "Don't let me catch you bringing something like that along, ever again," he fumed. "A simple aspirin could be deadly to any number of species here."
Will looked down at his plate. "And what about the food?"
"Why do you think I ordered for you?" he harrumphed.
Will stared at his plate and pushed it back. "Suddenly, I'm not very hungry, anymore."
The Doctor gave him an annoyed look and continued his meal.
"So, where are these, uh, Ood? Where are the from, anyway?" Will finally asked after a long silence.
"The Ood home planet. Why?"
"It doesn't have a name?"
"Not really. The Ood Sphere is the closest thing to a name you'll find."
"And they're all sort of a worker drone or, uh-?"
"Basically. Yes. Why?"
"After what you asked before, I just noticed a few more mingling around, mostly dressed the same, that's all. Just curious."
The Doctor stared at him. "Mostly?"
"There was one, earlier. I thought I saw it watching us?" he shrugged. "Must be my imagination, though."
"What? Where? What did he look like?"
Will surveyed the crowd. "No, I don't see him, now."
"What was he wearing, Will?" he demanded.
"Most of them are wearing that drab grey. This one was wearing black. Why?"
"Basic uniform for Ood is that grey outfit," he explained. "The only other time I've seen an Ood wear anything else was- no, it can't be." He looked around nervously.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing. Finish your meal. Meet me back at the TARDIS in an hour," he ordered, then rose and left the café.
"Wait! How am I supposed to pay for this?"
"I already took care of it!" the Doctor shouted back over his shoulder as he disappeared into the crowds.
Will sighed in defeat. He thought of giving chase, but not in a city he didn't know and especially not on a planet he had never been to, before. He drummed his hands on the table and looked around. "Now which way did he park?" he asked himself.
"Will there be anything else?" the cat waiter asked, startling him.
Markham thought a moment. "Yeah, where can I find something to read?"
The Doctor scoured the streets of Barcelona's capitol city for two hours before he headed back to the TARDIS. He was muttering to himself the whole way.
"I mean, if it was him, which I don't know it was, why would he even be here? Will's new to all this, he was probably just mistaken, that's it. I'll ask him when I get back to the-"
The words died on his lips. He looked around.
"It was here. It was right here. Where did it go? Where did he go? I know I parked her right here on this corner."
The TARDIS was no longer where he had left it.
"If Will moved it- no, he couldn't have. I never gave him a key to get back inside. He should be waiting for me, right here, furious as all-"
"WHERE IN HADES HAVE YOU BEEN?"
The Doctor spun to see his bearded companion marching straight for him. "Ah. Will. Been waiting long?" he asked, grinning nonchalantly.
"THREE HOURS!" he exclaimed. "I've been waiting for three hours for you to return!"
"You couldn't have. I've only been gone-"
He held up his wristband. "I timed you. Didn't even start until well after you abandoned me."
"Ah. Sorry?"
"And where is the TARDIS? I was beginning to think you left me behind."
The Doctor glanced around, feigning confusion. "I'm not sure this is the same corner I parked-"
"I asked," he fumed. "It is."
"Well then. If that's the case, then we have a problem."
"You don't say?"
Elsewhere
"You have it?" came the deep voice.
The Ood bowed and produced his communicator. "Yes. It was no easy task."
"He will come."
"Yes. He always finds his way."
"Summon her."
"As you command." The Ood in the dark suit bowed again and left the chamber.
"Doc...tor," came the deep rumble.
The balding man pushed the file across his desk. "This is your target. Offer him whatever you think he wants. I need him in my pocket before the end of the week."
The young blonde opened the file and glanced at the photo. "And if he refuses?" she asked, looking up to her employer as his assistant reentered the room.
"Then he's in my way. I trust I make myself clear?"
"Crystal," she purred before rising and sauntering out the door.
She had barely closed the door before he turned to his assistant and groused, "Where did we find her again?"
The Ood touched his communicator, "She came highly recommended from-"
"I know who recommended her!" he shouted. "That was a rhetorical question!" He stood and went to his en suite bar to pour himself a drink. "Damn Ood, don't get comedy, sarcasm, or any other damned expressions!"
The Ood blinked. "We are happy to serve."
The man threw his drink back and slammed the glass down. "Of course you are," he growled then threw the glass across the room, shattering it. "Clean that up!" he barked, then stared after the closed door. "That woman better be worth what we're paying her," he muttered to himself.
The Ood in the dark suit did as he was told.
Markham and the Doctor sat at the café, staring at each other in anger. "I blame you for this, you know."
"I'm not the one driving," Will replied brusquely, turning the page of the book he was reading.
"Where the hell did you get that, anyway?"
"Bookstore, down the street."
"How did you pay for that, I didn't give you any money?"
Will stopped reading and smirked. "Do you really want to know?" He faked scratching at something at the corner of his mouth.
The Doctor hung his head. "Not if you're going to tell me what I think you're going to tell me, no."
"Then stop asking stupid questions and find the TARDIS."
"The only lead is 'some Ood moved it' and we have no idea which Ood, or where they moved it to."
"You don't have a homing beacon on it?"
"It's not like I forget where I park it, Will!" he exclaimed. "This has only happened a few times, before!"
Markham turned a page. "I would have done it after the first time, if you ask me."
"I didn't. What are you reading anyway?"
"'The Complete Works of Shakespeare'. Ever read it?"
"I helped him write it," he sighed, then glanced back to the bookstore bag, ignoring Will's befuddled glance. "What else did you get?" he reached for the package and withdrew the other book before Will could protest.
"Hey! That's mine!"
The Doctor looked from the book to Markham and back to the book. "Where-? Where did you say this bookstore was again?" His fingers ran across the blue cover, trembling as he fought the urge to open it. Surely, it wasn't?
"It's blank," Will informed him. "It's a blank, blue diary that just happens to look like-"
"I know what it looks like!" the Time Lord exclaimed, startling other diners, nearby. He noticed his hands were visibly trembling, now. He forced them to stop. "no. not here," he muttered under his breath.
A female voice interrupted the pair. "Excuse me?"
"Not now, we're busy," Will brushed the woman off.
Then he noticed the Doctor staring up at the intruder with the goofiest smile on the man's face he had ever seen. If given the chance, he would have kissed the man for being so adorable right then and there if this intruder hadn't captivated the Time Lord, first. The blonde curled woman wore a white jacket with a wide leather belt over it with dark pants. He could see a hip pouch on his side, but couldn't make out what she had on the other hip. She looked familiar to him, somehow, as if from a memory. Not one of his, he realized.
"Hello, sweetie," she smirked. "Mind if I join you?"
The Doctor quickly shoved the book into his coat pocket as he rose. "What are you doing here?"
She smiled as the Time Lord motioned her to take the open seat. "I was asked to make you an offer you couldn't refuse."
"You know her?" Will asked.
"We've only just met," she replied, taken off balance yet smiling, then stuck her hand out to shake the Doctor's. "River Song, and you must be-"
"Yes."
River froze and gave him a puzzled look. "I'm sorry?"
It was the Doctor's turn to catch himself. "You don't recognize me?"
"You are Governor Magistrate Abraxas, are you not?" she asked.
The Doctor was taken aback and the two men shared confused looks. "Why would you think that?" Will inquired.
She pulled the photo from her jacket pocket and showed it to the Doctor. It showed a robed man with orange shaggy hair and beard, beginning to tint white, his hair the same color as the Doctor's. He was with another man, his long dark hair braided and beginning to pepper with grey. Both men appeared to be laughing or other outburst. "This is you, is it not?"
He ignored the photo and looked into her eyes. "River, please tell me you know who I am?" he pleaded, pulling the book back out and handing it to her. "Tell me this is yours?"
Will looked at the book in alarm as it passed hands. "I just-?" he muttered as she began to flip the pages in confusion and curiosity, then stopped.
"River, please," the Time Lord begged. He fought the urge to touch her.
He watched her as she stared at the open book. "I-I can't. Is this...this is some sort of trick?" she said as she handed the book back.
Tucked inside was a slip of paper. "Trust him" it read. "Psychic paper?" the Doctor questioned, puzzled as she was. It was the first time he had ever read anything contained within the blue tome. Both men jumped as she stood up from the table.
"Who are you?" she asked and drew her gun, startling several nearby.
"River, please. Sit down," he urged.
"I said who are you?" she demanded again, fear creeping into her voice, as she edged the weapon closer.
In an instant, the Doctor had slammed the weapon flat to the table with one hand, while the other slid underneath. Will heard a familiar buzzing sound as it did.
"Trust me," he said, echoing what the now blank paper urged her. He looked deep into her eyes again. "River, you don't know me yet, but I know you. Believe me when I say this: you will-"
"Put your hands in the air and do not move!"
Will looked around as the couple held each other's gaze. They were surrounded by shock troopers. "Uh, guys?"
The Doctor turned his head slightly to address the guards, but held River's gaze. "Do you know who I am?" he demanded.
The nearest guard replied. "Sir, please remain where you are, we will-"
"Do nothing!" he shouted back.
Will picked up on what he was doing: playing the part River assumed he was. "Governor, please-"
"You shut up!" he cut Will off before the man could say anything else. "I want a full escort back to my office, immediately!" he demanded in a fury.
The guards stepped back to allow his party to rise, but two of the men took River by the arms.
"You are not to touch her!" he demanded of the pair as he grabbed her gun off the table and handed it to Will. "She will accompany me back to my office. Is that understood?"
The guards complied and led the trio into a transport, which took them six blocks to an ornate office building. The Doctor did what he always did: acted like he owned the place. From the various stares and double takes, he guessed many assumed he really was this Governor Abraxas, only with a shave and haircut, depending on how old that photograph River had was.
When they were escorted into a private office, the Doctor immediately ordered his escorts "Leave us" and promptly locked the doors behind them with his screwdriver.
The trio took in the ornate office, gilded at every corner, from the ivory desk to the windows. A ceiling high statue of twisted metal stood in one corner behind a plush black couch, which Markham promptly seated himself on. He sifted through various pamphlets he assumed passed for magazines in this strange city. More than a couple bore the image of this Abraxas.
"How long do you think you can keep this charade going?" River asked, stepping to the full bar on another wall to examine the Governor's private stock.
The Doctor sat behind the desk and assessed the man's status, sifting through various paper files as well as a holo-display of whatever he had been looking at the last time he had been in.
River grew impatient at being ignored. "I said-"
"I heard you, River," he informed her. "I'm just trying to think how best to convince you we are on the same side."
"Why wouldn't we be?" she challenged.
"First off, you thought I was someone else and tried to bribe me," he reminded her, casting a dirty glance as he scrolled through another screen.
"And second?"
"Someone wants this Abraxas out of the way and sent you to do that." He looked up at her as she leaned on the desk. For a second he enjoyed the view she was giving before she stood up in a huff. "Who sent you?"
She turned her back on him and glared at Markham, trying to be inconspicuous on the couch. "I don't know what you're talking about."
The Time Lord sighed and turned to face the window. Looking over the city, he began. "The bravest thing I've ever done was run away and hide. Run away from any type of responsibility. It was the worst mistake I ever made, but also the best thing that has ever happened to me."
He saw her turn back to face him, her reflection nearly transparent against the city skyline.
"I never stopped running. Until now."
"Why is that?" she asked.
"I don't know," he lied, then admitted, "Fear? Fear that if I stop, I'd miss out on something."
Neither answered, but now he could see them both watching him in rapt attention.
"I came to think some deluded notion that the universe wouldn't survive without me. There were times that was true, but there were also times..." His voice trailed off into a distant memory for a long moment. "Then I realized, I was helping people. Those people helped others. We fought back at evils you couldn't even dream of. Nightmares made real." He paused again. "Did I ever tell you I was there the day the Daleks were created? I had the chance to stop them before their reign of terror could ever exist."
"Why didn't-?" Will began, only to be cut off with a sharp shush from River.
"That was when I realized that they were a necessary evil. Empires and alliances were forged in the fight to stop them. Alliances that would never have existed, otherwise."
He turned back to face the pair. "Will, your world existed because of what they did to Jack. Consider yourself blessed you never had to face them. My own world, Gallifrey, is locked in time, in an eternal duel with them. River, you know about them, about what I'm talking about. You have to trust me, and you will. 'I'd trust that man to the end of the universe and back.' That's what you told her."
"told who?" she whispered.
"Donna. Sweet, innocent, willful, Donna," he told her in a somber tone. "The few hours you knew each other, and you got along so well. There are days I miss her so, so much. I get so mad at myself for what I had to do to her," he continued, almost to himself. "I'm sorry, Donna."
An awkward silence fell over the room.
The Doctor looked back up at River. "But she was one of so many. So many who helped me through my journey, and I helped them save the universe time and time again." He glanced to Markham. "Will knows what I'm talking about, he gave up everything so that my friends could return to the home they knew."
River looked back to the bearded man, who pressed his fist to his mouth, fighting tears back at the memory of a life now lost to him. She turned back to the Doctor to see him staring at her, once more.
"And you, River Song? You were such a mystery to me for so very, very long. That was part of the fun, wasn't it? You thought you knew me better than I did, myself." He pulled the book out again and ran his fingers across it, almost caressing it. "You were wrong, of course," he smiled. "But still-" He tossed the book back to her. "I want you to write down everything. Every time we meet, I want to hear about what we've done together, and everything yet to come."
"What are you talking about?"
He smiled. "Spoilers."
She looked at him in disbelief.
"The next time we meet after this, River. We're going to have a proper date. You, me, and all the time in the world. I promise you that."
She laughed. "And what makes you think I'll ever go on a date with the likes of you?"
"You've already told me about it."
"I have?"
"The last time you see me, the first time I meet you," he told her. "You told me- warned me, even. You said not to change one thing, 'not one line, don't you dare.' I'll have all of that to come," he informed her, pointing at the book.
She flipped through the empty book again. "There's nothing in here?"
He rose and stepped around the desk to her. "On that date, River? I want you to tell me everything. Can you promise me that? The good and the bad. Everything." He reached up and caressed her cheek, lifting her chin. "Everything."
"How bad does it get?"
"Spoilers."
She smirked. "Alright then, how good does it get?"
He smiled. "Marry me."
Had they looked his way, they would have seen Will's jaw drop. As it was, he was an intruder to what should have been one of their most private moments.
She laughed and stepped back. "Marry you? I don't even know you!"
He dropped to one knee. "You will, River, you will. I can promise you that."
"Why would I even want to marry you, anyway?" she scoffed.
"If I had my TARDIS, I could round up a whole host of people who know about us, about the way we feel for each other, and they all know how perfect for each other we are."
She began to laugh at the absurdity of this. "Oh, you impossible man!"
"Um, excuse me?" Will spoke up. They ignored him. "GUYS?"
The couple turned to look at him, obviously perturbed.
"Nice proposal but in case you forgot: someone stole the TARDIS. Remember?" he reminded the Time Lord.
Before he could reply, the room was filled with an annoying ringing, as if someone held a bullhorn next to a fire alarm. The men covered their ears as River rolled her eyes, reached for the desk and pressed a button. "Yes? Can I help you?"
A slightly mechanical voice replied. "Is the Doctor present?"
The Time Lord looked at River in confusion. "Hang on, I know that voice! Sigma? Is that Ood Sigma?"
"Yes, Doctor," came the reply. "We have something for you."
"My TARDIS? You have my TARDIS?"
"Yes, we have it."
"Hang on, who's 'we'?"
"We will be waiting for you," Sigma replied, then ended the call.
"Well, that answers one question: who took the TARDIS," Will laughed as River tapped the comm off.
"Yes, but where is he and who is 'we'?" he asked again.
"Oh sweetie," River cooed and pointed at the desk. The holo-screen had changed and there was a map with coordinates glowing next to a flashing marker. "Is that a clue?" she mocked.
"Do you know where that is?" he asked. "I'm not entirely familiar with that area."
"Oh, you're going to need some work, aren't you?" she teased. Will laughed. She plucked a pen from the desk and made the address her first note in the diary. "Coming, sweetie?" she asked, heading towards the door.
Will stifled another laugh as the Doctor gave him a warning, "Don't even start!" He unlocked the door and held it open for his future bride.
River stepped into the hall and froze. "Uh-oh."
The Doctor nearly ran into her as he exited. "Is that?"
She nodded. "Yep."
Coming down the hall were the two men in River's photograph, flanked by a small squad of security. Governor Abraxas looked furious at the sight of the three intruders coming out of his office. The Doctor wondered briefly why he and his companion were dressed in ancient armor, and incredibly dusty armor, at that.
This thought was negated by a larger concern as the group blocked off the only egress. No sooner than Will inquired "Now what do we do?" than River took off and approached the real Governor.
"I'm sorry," River began. "We seem to have had a mix up and-" she didn't get to finish as Abraxas slammed her to the wall, and held her there. He brought a dagger up to her throat, and looked back to the two intruders, fuming.
"River, no!" the Doctor cried out, but held himself in restraint, even as Will tried to push past him to help.
"Who are you and what are you doing in my office?" the burly, bearded ginger demanded.
His companion regarded the other pair with suspicion. "There's something familiar about that one," he noted, pointing to the Doctor.
Abraxas growled, then shoved River back into the security. He approached the Doctor until they were nose to nose, looking each other over with suspicion.
"I can see how River was mistaken," Will noted before he was shoved back against the office door frame, with his own throat at the mercy of a dagger.
The greying haired man looked at him with indignant fury. "You will not speak unless ordered to do so, is that clear?" he said in a calm voice that still growled deadly intent. Will gulped and nodded in response.
The Doctor tried not to flinch at the disruption, holding his own against his bearded mirror image. "You're right. I can almost see it," he agreed.
Abraxas raised his dagger to the Doctor's face. "Who are you?" he demanded again.
Before he could reply, the unmistakable sound of laser fire could be heard coming from down the hall. Abraxas' security force was beginning to fall.
"Inside the office! NOW!" the Doctor ordered. Will stumbled back into the office and pulled his mystery assailant inside before reaching back for the Doctor. The Time Lord was shoved against him by Abraxas as he felt something pierce his back. He saw the Doctor spin and look at him in annoyance before he realized something was wrong. Will fell onto his knees before faceplanting into the floor as he saw the last security guard rush River into the room before Abraxas slammed the door.
Everything went dark after that.
To be continued...
A/N: obviously, this is (MY TAKE on) River's first encounter with the Doctor. S6 has just begun airing, so anything revealed this season is canon over my story, but that didn't stop me from anything before, now has it? (Doctor as Gleeson over a newly cast Smith in beginning!) LOL
Casting:
River's boss: I was thinking of that plant manager from "Planet of the Ood" when I wrote that scene. Not sure if it's going to be the same guy, yet.
Governor Abraxas: Brendan Gleeson (obviously) as he appears in TROY. Yes, there IS a reason for everything!
Abraxas' companion: Brian Cox in TROY. Just because the best bearded Gleeson pic I could find was either Braveheart or Troy, aside from a few red carpet pics. So disheveled Scot versus armored warrior prince, you decide.
Ood Sigma's boss: SPOILERS! ;)