"I'll just go fix the swimming pool!"
"Let me fix the swimming pool and then we'll be on our way!"
"Oh, almost forgot, the swimming pool!"
"Have I told you, that I've got a swimming pool in here? Amazing, eh?"
It was a reflex - it had to be – for he did it all the time. Before every adventure, after a picnic in a distant planet, while tinkering on the console and spontaneously springing up, dashing down the corridor while exclaiming those damned words.
"I knew I forgot something!"
What was a companion to do? It was incredibly uncomfortable when she finally decided to confront him, the way he wrung his hands, and his face was flaming before she even asked the question. She decided against it, finally, just to save him the embarrassment. She had to admit, that was merciful even by her standards, but she supposed an act of kindness or two would spare her little.
Oh, how wrong she was. In fact, the longer she was on board the TARDIS, the more often he was fawning over that sports utility. Alright, she resolved. She didn't care how red-cheeked this grown man got.
The next time it happened, he was punching coordinates into the TARDIS screen, his feet screeching to a halt when she blocked his path. She cleared her throat. He looked over her shoulder. "Doctor," she said seriously. The Doctor's eyes snapped back to hers, he licked his lips and wrinkled his forehead, trying to look serious too. He nodded to show he was listening. "Doctor what's wrong with the swimming pool?" she asked finally aware that she was holding her breath.
The Doctor walked on the spot impatiently, his form was towering over hers. "What's wrong?,"he repeated, Nothing's wrong! Oh, Clara!" he exclaimed, grabbing her face in his palms and shaking her with mirth. The brunette grabbed his wrists. "Then why must you always fix it? All the time!"
The Doctor let go abruptly and she stumbled backwards. "I'm not fixing it. What I always mean is that I'm getting it ready…" he paused. "Unless, it really is spoilt, which is almost always the old girl's fault. She keeps getting hair clogged into it. Where in the world does she get hair, I ask myself but after a while you learn to accept these sort of things. And then there are the occasional unfixable conditions, blimey, those –"
"Doctor!" she interrupted his rambling. The Doctor's face snapped to hers and then to the corridor behind her. "Right," he clenched his jaw. "Let's get on with it!"
He strode purposefully towards the corridor with his companion tagging along beside him. She looked at him excitedly. "What is it?"
He gave her a look. "You'll find out. I've been meaning for you to know anyway."
Clara gasped excitedly and faced him, walking backwards as he walked forwards. "Is it big?"
"No."
"Is it a sort of alien?"
"You could say that…"
"A monster?"
"Umm –"
"Oh! Is it scary?"
"Well…" the Doctor replied thoughtfully. He was cut off, however because they had already reached the swimming pool by then.
"Where is it?" Clara grimaced as she observed the serene empty surrounding.
"She'll be here any time now…" said the Doctor, staring at his watch.
Clara's face twisted, "She?"
And then there was a splash.
A tsunami of water drowned the Doctor and Clara. In the centre of the pool, a woman resurfaced, her blonde curls drenched and dampened to her skull, her sultry gown clinging criminally to her curves. Clara wanted to cover the Doctor's eyes.
"Hello sweetie to you too," said the Doctor in a way Clara had never heard before let alone, imagined him saying.
The woman grinned cheekily as she trudged to the edge of the pool, wringing her hair. As she reached them, the Doctor held out a hand for her. "Clara, this is River Song. She's a lady."
A grin formed on Clara's face. A lady. Oh, Doctor. She watched as River's eyes made a 360 degree turn.
"River, this is Clara. You should try her soufflés, she's really good at making them." The Doctor said cheerfully.
"Is that so?" River asked eyeing Clara. Clara felt her cheeks flush at the older woman's gaze. "Right then, Mrs. Doctor, prepare for a eggs-cellent desert!" she said confidently, spinning on her heel and setting off jauntily to the kitchen.
River watched her go and the Doctor frowned at Clara's catchphrase. It made him feel winded with confusion. "What's wrong, sweetie?"
The Doctor slipped his arm around hers. He wound his other hand around her waist, putting his face on her shoulder. "Oh, nothing. Just glad you're here."
River leaned back against him, their wet clothes made an audible squishing noise as they came in contact. "You waited," she said.
The Doctor smiled fondly. "Just like you always do, Miss Song."
River turned so she faced him, wiping his wet cheeks with her fingers. A smile grew on his lips. "Why?" she said hopefully. She crossed her toes, praying he wouldn't say the word - that hateful word that she very well knew her future self used a lot.
The Doctor swallowed as he looked into those blue-green eyes of hers.
" 'cause it means, you're still here," he said bravely.
River shivered, hardly because of the water. It was because, she saw in his eyes the words, 'There will be a time when you wont' so she looked away, at his floppy hair and his big cheeky ears. The Doctor was never good with his poker face but River was master at it.
"Like some things never change," she mused, straightening his soggy bow tie and tugging the lapels of his jacket. His hands suddenly gripped hers – reassuring her, fixing her.
"And they never will."
There was silence.
Then, River smiled, her confident cheeky sexy smile, "Speaking of changing..."