Once we fully materialized in space, Rose didn't spare me or the Doctor a glance, too upset to even talk to us. Mickey had run off to make sure she was okay quickly, being the good boyfriend he was.
As the Doctor messed with the console, I sat staring at the rotor as it moved slowly up and down. I had begun swinging my legs absent-mindedly in time with the rotor when the Doctor had called out to me, pulling me from my thoughts.
I looked over at him, watching as he twisted a knob and fiddling with levers.
"It's obvious you and Rose were arguing about something. What about?" he questioned, looking over at me.
I refused to look at him, not wanting to tattle on the girl who I was becoming close with. "Does it matter?" I asked quietly, not sure if the Doctor had heard me.
After a moment, the Doctor answered ''I don't like it when companions fight, and neither does the TARDIS."
Once the room started to fill with uncomfortable silence I decided to try and approach the topic gently.
"Doctor," I started. "Why have you talked to me about your past but not Rose?"
He looked hesitant to answer as if this were his first time really questioning why he had told me so much. "You said it yourself to Sarah Jane Smith earlier. You've known about aliens for most of your life, and you're brilliant. And you're a Harkness, you both have a weird sense of trustworthiness about you," he said, shaking his head with a wistful smile. "While I've known Rose for ages now, you never truly pushed me to talk. You let me do it on my own terms," the Doctor trailed off, looking at me with a somewhat affectionate gaze.
After what seemed like forever, my shock had finally worn off. "I don't think I can tell Rose that though," I joked lightly, waiting for the Doctor to say something.
"I'll talk to her tomorrow morning," he said, waving me off. "It'll be fine," the Doctor told me while turning back to the console.
Taking that as my cue to head to bed, I turned and walked towards the hallway when the Doctor called out to me. "I have one more thing I'd like for you to know. That is if you want to know," he told me, sparking my curiosity. I turned back towards him, allowing him to tell me.
"I'll tell you, only if you give me something in return," he suggested, walking towards me. I crossed my arms and raised my eyebrows.
"And what would that trade be?" I questioned with a smile.
"A nickname for a nickname. I'm going to tell you my old nickname from the academy, one that I haven't told anyone. But, I think it'd only be fair if I got to give you a nickname," he trailed off, causing me to laugh a little.
"I think that's fair," I told him and he beamed at me.
"Now, you can't tell anyone this name. This is for your ears only," he explained, moving to stand in front of me. I nodded in acknowledgment as he inched a bit closer.
"When we're alone, like we are right now, I'd like for you to call me Theta," he told me and I nodded with a grin.
"Alright, Theta," I smiled up at him. "Was there a nickname you had in mind for me?" I asked and he nodded.
"Vie," he told me with a childish grin. "Did you know that means life in French?" the Doctor asked, and I nodded with a chuckle. .
"That sounds good to me,"I told him and he grinned happily, the smile reaching his eyes. We stayed like that for a moment, enjoying the happy sensation surrounding us. Finally, the Doctor put his hand on my shoulder and told me to head to bed.
With a nod, I stepped back and turned towards my room. As I reached the door to the hallway, I turned around and called out, "Goodnight, Theta."
The TARDIS, being the dear that she was, moved my door just barely into the hallway. With a small smile and a little pat on the wall, I walked into my room and pulled my shoes off before changing into my pajamas.
When I finally fell onto my bed, it didn't take very long for sleep to overtake my body.
Later that day I woke up to the sound of someone knocking on my door. I left bed quickly and noticed a set of clothing hanging on the wall, which was obviously the TARDIS's doing. I put the clothes on with a smile and grabbed the shoes she had set out for me as well.
When I reached the console room, the Doctor was talking with Rose, both looking tense yet calm. The Doctor looked up at the sound of my heels on the floor but continued talking to Rose.
Looking to my right I saw Mickey standing by a beam, watching them in annoyance.
"What are they arguing about?" I asked him and he looked at me, not having noticed me.
"You. He heard about her getting angry so he's trying to talk some sense into her," he explained. I blinked a few times at him and then looked over at the two. Last night he told me he'd smooth everything over, but I hadn't taken it entirely to heart.
"How long have they been at it?" I asked and he shrugged.
"It feels like it's been twenty minutes, but I don't know how time works here," he trailed off and I smiled.
"Don't worry, neither do I. You just kinda get used to it, not knowing the time. I don't have an alarm, except for the Doctor and the TARDIS. We just kind of go with the flow," I told him and he nodded with a grin.
We both looked over at the Doctor and Rose to see a surprising picture. The Doctor looked tense, and frown growing on his face while Rose's grew a smirk. "Do you think we should step in?" I asked, but Mickey shook his head.
"We don't get involved," he pointed to the both of us. "They need to figure this out on their own," he explained.
I opened my mouth to say something when Rose let out a laugh, causing the Doctor to start laughing. I looked at Mickey, but he shrugged, not knowing what was going on.
"Alright, Vie is here, so we are ready to go. The TARDIS has been set to random, so I will let her do her thing!" the Doctor called, pushing buttons and pulling levers. The ride was as bumpy as always, maybe even more so as I was knocked onto the floor.
Once the TARDIS came to a stop, Rose came over and held out her hand. I grabbed it, allowing her to help pull me up. "I'm sorry," she apologized, looking at her hands. "I shouldn't have yelled at you, but you have to understand, I've known him longer, so I thought he would have told me. I get it, that's not my choice, it's his. And I've got to respect that. It kind of reminds me of those movies with one kid and then the mom has another baby and suddenly the first baby doesn't get as much attention," she rambled, causing me to let out a laugh.
"It's okay, Rose. Let's put it behind us," I told her and she nodded.
"Great, now that the girls are back together, it's time to explore," the Doctor said as he and Mickey waited by the door. Rose and I smiled at each other once more before walking towards the two men.
We walked into an empty room which was dark and quiet with dust particles floating in the air.
It was obvious Mickey was excited as he smiled while he looked around. "It's a spaceship! Brilliant, I got a spaceship on my first go!" he exclaimed, looking at Rose with a smile.
"Looks kind of abandoned... Anyone on board?" Rose asked the Doctor.
Looking up from where he was searching, he told her "Nah, nothing here. Well! Nothing dangerous. Well! Not that dangerous." He paused, glancing once more around the room. "You know what, I'll just have a quick scan... in case there's anything dangerous," he said quickly, pulling out his sonic before doing as he said he would. The scan led him to a control panel. He scanned the panel where he found the light switch and activated it.
"So," Rose started. "What's the date? How far have we gone?"
"About three thousand years into your future, give or take."
The roof began moving slowly, opening like plastic curtains until the stars could be seen. The lights had taken a moment, but they eventually flickered on.
"Fifty-first century. Diagmar Cluster, you're a long way from home, Mickey! Two and a half galaxies!" the Doctor said smiling with his hands in his overcoat pocket.
Mickey was in a state of complete awe as he stared out a porthole. Rose gently smiled at his happiness as she joined him in watching the stars. She sat her hand on his shoulder as she enjoyed the view.
I walked closer to the Doctor as he inspected the control panel. It was covered in a few pieces of scrap metal and broken mechanics. "Dear me, had some cowboys in here! Got a ton of repair work going on," the Doctor muttered as he looked.
I helped him take the pieces off the panel which showed a screen. After getting enough of the debris off the screen, it showed a diagram of the ship. The Doctor and I looked at the map closely as Mickey and Rose wandered closer to see what we found.
"Now that's odd, look at that. All the warp engines are going... full capacity! There's enough power running through this ship to punch a hole in the universe... and we're not moving. So where's all that power going?" the Doctor asked out of curiosity.
"Doctor, shouldn't there be a crew?" I asked looking around.
"That's a good point," the Doctor said as he fiddled with the controls. "It says there are no signs of life."
"Well, we're in deep space; they didn't just nip out for a quick smoke," Rose muttered and the Doctor nodded.
"I already checked all the smoke pods," he told Rose. The Doctor had moved away from the screen and began sniffing the air. Turning to me, he asked, "Do you smell that?"
"Yeah," I nodded. "It smells like a barbeque."
"Like someone's cooking," Rose agreed.
"Sunday roast, definitely," Mickey added.
The Doctor moved his hand along the wall until he hit a switch, causing a door to open behind us.
Inside the new room was an old, beautiful fireplace that stood out from the fifty-first century technology. "Well, there's something you don't see in your average spaceship. Eighteenth-century! French! Nice mantel," the Doctor pointed his sonic at the fireplace.
After looking at the readings he found that it was a real fireplace. I crouched down next to the Doctor and looked closer at the fireplace. "Not even a reproduction, this actually is an eighteenth-century French fireplace. Double-sided, there's another room through there," the Doctor explained.
I looked into the fireplace to see a young blonde girl in a nightgown gazing into the fire as well.
"Hello!" I waved at the young girl, catching the Doctor's attention in the process.
"Hello..." the girl answered as the Doctor came into view as well.
"What's your name?" the Doctor grinned.
"Reinette," she answered quietly/
"It's nice to meet you, Reinette, " I said with a gentle smile.
"Reinette, that's a lovely name. Can you tell me where you are at the moment, Reinette?" the Doctor asked softly.
"My bedroom," she said, looking over her shoulder briefly.
"Where do you live, Reinette?" he asked to which she responded
"Paris, of course! Mademoiselle, Monsieur, what are you doing in my fireplace?" Reinette asked in confusion.
"We're here for our annual cleaning. Reinette, could you tell us the year by any chance?" I asked.
"Of course I can! Seventeen hundred and twenty-seven," she responded.
"Right, lovely! One of my favorites... August is rubbish though. Stay indoors. Okay, that's all for now.
Thanks for your help. Hope you enjoy the rest of the fire. Nighty-night!" the Doctor waved goodbye..
"Good night, Monsieur, Mademoiselle," Reinette said before she walked away from the fireplace.
After the Doctor was standing, he helped me up, ensuring I was steady.
"You said this was the fifty-first century," Mickey spoke slowly, trying to understand what was happening.
"I also said this ship was generating enough power to punch a hole in the universe. I think we just found the hole. Must be a spatio-temporal hyperlink," the Doctor said.
"What's that?" Mickey asked.
"He doesn't know so he made it," Rose told Mickey with a teasing smile.
"It sounds better than a magic door," the Doctor admitted.
"And on the other side of that magic door is France in 1727?" Rose asked and the Doctor nodded.
As he threw off his jacket, he explained, "Well, she was speaking French. Right period French, too."
"She was speaking English, I heard her!" Mickey insisted but I shook my head.
"The TARDIS actually translates every language for you. You won't have to worry about not understanding any language, whether it be an Earth language or alien," I explained with a smile.
"Gotcha!" The Doctor called as he hit a lever on the fireplace. As he began to turn, he grabbed a hold of my arm, causing me to yelp, and pulled me close.
"Doctor! Victoria!" Rose called out.
Once the fireplace stopped moving, the Doctor let go of me and walked into the room. It was very large, especially for a little girl's room. It was dark, obviously night time, and as the Doctor and I looked out the window, we found it to be winter. Outside on the streets, we could hear horses neighing in the snow. Behind us, we heard a gasp, causing the Doctor and me to turn around.
"It's okay! Don't scream! It's us, it's the fireplace man and woman. Look," the Doctor spoke calmly as he walked over to Reinette, pulling me along. He pulled out his sonic and lit the candle next to her bed.
"We were talking, just a moment ago. We were in your fireplace," I spoke, causing Reinette to look at me and shake her head.
"Mademoiselle, that was weeks ago. It has been months!"
"Really?"
I followed the Doctor as he went over to the fireplace, listening closely to the sounds it produced when he tapped on it.
"Must be a loose connection. Need to get a man in," the Doctor muttered.
"Who are you? And what are you doing here?" Reinette demanded, slightly scared.
The Doctor put on his glasses and looked closely at the clock. "Do you hear the ticking?" the Doctor asked quietly and I nodded. "But the clock is broken," the Doctor said and I stopped.
"Oh, that's creepy. Properly creepy," I spoke softly.
"You're scared of a broken clock?" Reinette asked, not quite understanding.
"Just a bit scared, yeah. Just a little tiny bit. 'Cause you see, if this clock's broken, and it's the only clock in the room-" the Doctor began.
"Then where is the noise coming from?" I finished.
The ticking noise got louder which was starting to scare Reinette. I walked over to her bed and sat down next to her and gripped her hands.
"'Cause you see that's not a clock. You can tell by the resonance. Too big. Six feet, I'd say. Size of a man," the Doctor rambled.
"What is it?" Reinette asked.
"Now, let's think. If you were a thing that ticks and you were hiding in someone's bedroom, the first thing you do: break the clock. No one notices the sound of one clock ticking, but two? You might start to wonder if you're really alone," the Doctor spoke quickly after having looked behind the curtain.
He walked over to the bed, pulling me off the bed as he crouched down. Together we looked under the bed, looking for the source of the noise.
"Reinette, I'm going to need you to stay where you are and to keep your hands and feet from going off the bed," the Doctor told her and he prepared to flash his sonic. When he turned on his sonic, something lept towards us. The Doctor flinched backward, pulling me away from the bed with him.
"Stay exactly where you are," the Doctor hurriedly told Reinette as we both stood up.
He shifted his focus between the young girl on the bed and the creepy figure behind her. It only took him a moment before he truly focused on Reinette "Hold still, let me look..." the Doctor spoke, moving close to Reinette before grasping her head lightly. He stared deeply into her eyes, reading her mind to find what the droid was looking for. After coming across what he needed, he stood straight and glared at the figure. "You've been scanning her brain!" he frowned. "What, you've crossed two galaxies and thousands of years just to scan a child's brain? What could there be in a little girl's mind worth blowing a hole in the universe?"
"I don't understand, it wants me?" Reinette looked at me, then looked at the droid. "You want me?"
"Not yet," it spoke. "You are incomplete."
"What does that mean, incomplete?" I asked the droid.
The droid refused to answer me, only looking at Reinette. The Doctor pulled out his sonic and pointed it at the droid threateningly. "You can answer her, you can answer us. What do you mean, 'incomplete'?" the Doctor asked, causing the droid to pivot towards us.
Moving close to us, the robot extended its arm towards me. I leaned back as far as possible when a knife popped out of its hand close to my neck. I gave the droid a wary glance as I took tiny steps away from it.
"Mademoiselle, be careful!" Reinette called.
The Doctor grabbed my hand, pulling me back slightly, urging me away from the droid.
"Just a nightmare, Reinette, don't worry about it. Everyone has nightmares," he told Reinette as we walked faster towards the fireplace. As we got closer, the robot took a swipe at my neck. I jumped back quickly, my back hitting the wall.
"Even monsters from under the bed have nightmares, don't you, monster?" the Doctor asked, gripping my hand tightly as he felt around for the switch on the mantel.
The droid swiped at me once again, causing me to duck away from its incoming attack. Its knife got stuck in the mantle, capturing the bot for a moment.
"What do monsters have nightmares about?" Reinette asked while the Doctor hit the switch.
As we rotated away from Reinette, the Doctor responded with 'Me' and a laugh of sorts.
When we reached the other side, Mickey helped me away from the fireplace as the Doctor grabbed an ice gun and sprayed the droid.
"Are you okay?" he asked and I nodded.
"Thank you for asking," I told him with a smile as I fiddled with my fingers lightly.
"You know, if you ever need anything, I'll try my best to help. I may not be as helpful as the Doctor, but I can sure as hell try my best. I'm glad you're traveling with them. They need someone who will keep them in check," he told me and I laughed.
"Man, do I know it."
"Vie!" the Doctor called out to me. I turned to him, seeing that he was waiting for me to join him at the fireplace.
Placing a hand on Mickey's shoulder, I smiled and said, "Thank you, Mickey. I appreciate all your help."
I then jogged over to the Doctor and stood next to him. Once he was sure I was standing fine, the Doctor pulled the lever and the fireplace began moving once more.
"Man, that's so cool. Just like the movies," I laughed, feeling like I was in a Scooby-Doo episode.
The room had changed from before. There was no longer a doll house but a harp and a larger vanity.
"Reinette... we're here to make sure you're okay," I called out as I ran a hand over the harp.
"Oh, hello!" the Doctor called, causing me to look up. In front of us was a beautiful woman, so beautiful that I couldn't help but stare with a smile.
"Um, we were just looking for Reinette. Uh, this is still her room, isn't it? We've been away, not sure how long," the Doctor explained, waiting for the woman to talk.
"Reinette! We're ready to go!" a voice called out to the woman.
"Go to the carriage, mother. I will join you in a moment," Reinette called back. We looked over at each other in shock, our grins growing even larger.
"It is customary, I think, to have imaginary friends only during one's childhood. You are to be congratulated on your persistence," Reinette told us with a grin.
"You look amazing," I told her with a smile and she nodded appreciatively at me.
"Well, goodness, have you grown," the Doctor told her as he took in her appearance.
"And you both do not appear to have aged a single day. That is tremendously impolite of you two," she spoke, stepping closer to us.
"Right... yes... sorry. Um... umm... umm.. listen, lovely to catch up, but er, better be off, eh? Don't want your mother finding you up here with a strange man and woman, do we?" the Doctor stuttered, looking away from Reinette.
"Strange? How could you be a stranger to me? I have known you both since I was seven years old," she told us.
"Yeah, I suppose we have. We took the quick route," he said with a little laugh. Reinette walked closer to us, putting a hand on both our cheeks.
"Well, you seem to be flesh and blood, at any rate, but this is absurd. Reason tells me you cannot be real," she decided and I nodded while the Doctor shook his head.
"You never want to listen to reason."
"Mademoiselle! Your mother grows impatient," a voice echoed through the room.
"A moment," she called back, irritated at being interrupted.
"There are so many questions and so little time," she told us. She quickly pulled me closer where she kissed the corner of my mouth for a moment before doing the same to the Doctor.
"Mademoiselle Poisson!" the voice called out again.
Reinette smiled at us once more before rushing over to her vanity and grabbing her purse. With one last glance, Reinette ran out of the room as a servant walked in. "Poisson?" the Doctor called out, seeming startled by the news.
"Wait, you mean the Reinette Poisson?" I asked, looking at him with excitement.
"No... no, no, no, no, no way, Reinette Poisson?!" he asked, rushing up to the servant." Later Madame Etoiles? Later still mistress of Louis the Fifteenth, uncrowned Queen of France?" he said, moving back towards the fireplace. "Actress, artist, musician, dancer, courtesan? Fantastic gardener!" he exclaimed, grabbing my hand and pulling me to the fireplace.
"Who the hell are you?" the man cried while the Doctor and I shared a smile.
"I'm the Doctor. This is Victoria. And we just kissed Madame de Pompadour!" he exclaimed as he hit the lever on the fireplace. We both laughed as the fireplace turned, and once we reached the room, I pulled the Doctor into a quick hug.
"Madame de Pompadour just kissed us. Us! God, she is so beautiful," I exclaimed, thinking about the peck she gave me. The Doctor didn't say anything back but he smiled brightly at me. After a moment though, his smile faded as it was replaced with confusion as he looked around.
"Rose? Mickey?" he called out and I looked around to see nothing. Grabbing my hand, the Doctor pulled me down the hallway, grumbling about how his companions never listen to him, how they always run off.
"I haven't run off yet," I told him and he stopped.
"The key word in that statement is yet," he told me and I smiled.
"Maybe next time I might just run of-" I was interrupted by the neigh of a horse. Looking over, the Doctor and I came face to face with a beautiful white horse. "Well that's new," I said while reaching forward to stroke the horse's mane.
"Now isn't the time, Vie. We need to find Rose and Mickey," the Doctor said.
"Fine," I pouted slightly, not wanting to leave the horse. He shook his head with a small smile and pulled me away from the horse.
As we walked, the Doctor began telling me about his last regeneration. Over the past few months, the Doctor had begun telling me about his past regenerations, making sure to tell me about his adventures and companions. By far, my favorite to hear him talk about was his fifth self with his celery accessory.
"You blew up her job?" I asked incredulously.
"Mhm. It worked out in the end though," he told me and I nodded. "Hold on a moment," he held out a finger towards me as he turned around. Behind us stood the white horse from earlier.
"Will you stop following us? We're not your parents," he said irritably, causing me to look over my shoulder. I grinned happily as I saw the white horse from earlier.
Seeing the grin on my face, the Doctor shook his head. "No, Vie," he said, causing me to laugh.
However, as I looked down the hallway, I spotted a set of white french doors. "Doctor, look," I nudged.
We walked closer to the door with the horse trailing behind us. "Is this where you came from?" I asked, running my hand down its nose.
The Doctor pushed the doors open to reveal eighteenth-century France. We stepped into a grassy courtyard with lots of trees and a little pond. We moved deeper into the field when the Doctor and I noticed Reinette. We crouched behind a nearby row of pillars, one in which had a large flower pot on top. While we watched her walk with her friends, the Doctor and I shared a quick smile at seeing her happy. She was walking next to her friend, each holding a parasol when she looked in our direction. The Doctor yanked me down and out of view.
"She looks so happy," I looked at the Doctor with a smile.
"That she does," he nodded. He leaned around the pillar, checking to make sure it was safe before helping me up.
After I took his hand, we walked back into the ship to look for Rose and Mickey. It actually didn't take us very long, five minutes at most, to find the two. They were standing in front of a window, looking in on Reinette and the King of France.
"Blimey, look at this guy. Who does he think he is?" Mickey asked as we walked up to them.
"Le Roi de France," I injected, causing the two to look at me in surprise.
"That's the King?" Mickey asked and we nodded.
"What have you two been up to?" Rose injected, looking between us.
"Oh, this and that. Became the imaginary friend of a future French aristocrat... picked a fight with a clockwork man..." the Doctor trailed off.
"And we met a horse," I grinned, watching as confusion grew on their faces.
"What's a horse doing on a spaceship?" Mickey asked.
"Mickey, what's pre-Revolutionary France doing on a spaceship? Get a little perspective," the Doctor scolded lightly, and I nudge his shoulder lightly with a laugh.
"See these? They're all over the place. On every deck. Gateways to history. But not just any old history..." he began. "Her's," I said along with him.
"Time window... deliberately arranged along the life of one particular woman. A spaceship from the fifty-first century stalking a woman from the eighteenth. Why?" he muttered.
"Who is she?" Rose asked, causing me to beam happily at her. "Jeanne-Reinette Poisson. One of, if not the most, beautiful, accomplished woman ever," I explained.
"So has she got plans on being the queen?" Rose asked.
"No, he's already got a Queen. She's got plans of being his mistress," the Doctor said, causing Mickey and Rose to share a glance.
"I see. Camilla," she said, causing the two to start laughing.
"I think this is the night they met. The night of the Yew Tree ball. In no time at flat, she'll get herself established as his official mistress, with her own rooms at the palace... even her own title - Madame de Pompadour," the Doctor explained as the King left the room. Reinette then walked over to the mirror that we were seeing through and began to touch up her hair and clothes.
"The queen must have loved her," Rose sarcastically spoke.
"Oh, she did. They get on very well," the Doctor, having either not noticed the sarcasm or chose to ignore it.
"The King's wife and the King's girlfriend?" Mickey asked incredulously.
"France, It's a different world," I spoke softly, staring at Reinette. It was then that a ticking noise filled the air, the same one from the clockwork droid from earlier. On the other side of the window, Reinette noticed the sound as well, turning around in freight.
"How long have you been standing there?" she called out to the droid hiding in the shadows.
"Show yourself!" they demanded. The droid did as asked and began advancing on her.
The Doctor noticed the fire extinguisher in Mickey's hand and pushed on the window, allowing for us to enter the room. He raced forward, the gun in his hand, and sprayed the clockwork droid until it froze.
"Hello, Reinette. It's so good to see you," I told her with a smile.
"Fireplace woman! Fireplace man!" she said happily, albeit scared of what was happening in front of her.
"What's it doing?" Mickey asked from behind Rose.
"Switching back on. It's melting the ice," he explained, listening to the whirring noises coming from the droid.
"And then what?" Rose asked, holding Mickey's hand.
"Then it kills everyone in the room," the Doctor told her just as the droid's arm flew out towards his neck. He jumped backward, barely avoiding the knife that replaced its hand. "Focuses the mind, doesn't it? Who are you? Identify yourself," he questioned, having moved to stand by Reinette.
The droid refused to answer, only cocking its head slightly. "Order it to listen to me," the Doctor ordered Reinette softly.
"Why would it listen to me?" she asked.
"It listened to you all those years ago. Why not now?" I asked, watching as understanding flashed in her eyes.
Turning towards the clockwork droid, she announced, "You will answer any questions that are put to you."
Lowering its arm, the droid answered the Doctor. "I repair Droid Seven."
"So what happened to the ship, then? There was a lot of damage," the Doctor asked.
"Ion storm, eighty-two percent systems failure," the Droid replied.
"That ship hasn't moved in over a year. What's taken you so long?"
"We did not have the parts," the Droid answered which caused Mickey to laugh.
"Always comes down to that, doesn't it? The parts."
"What's happened to the crew, where are they?" the Doctor asked sternly, desperately trying to understand.
"We did not have the parts," the Droid repeated.
"There should have been over fifty people on your ship. Where did they go?" the Doctor asked quickly, obviously not appreciating the Droid's answer.
"We did not have the parts."
"Fifty people don't just disappear! Where-" the Doctor started harshly before stopping himself as he began to understand. "Oh. You didn't have the parts, so you used the crew," he explained, causing my heart to drop.
The smell of meat cooking from earlier filled my nose as Rose admitted to finding a beating heart hooked to machinery.
"Please stop," I whispered, thinking about the dead crew added to the ship. The Doctor looked down at me with concern, before looking back towards the droid, prepared to continue his investigation.
"But what are you doing here? You've opened up time windows, that takes colossal energy. Why come here, you could have gone to your repair yard. Instead, you come to eighteenth-century France? Why?" the Doctor questioned, walking a bit closer to the droid.
"One part is still required," the droid looked at Reinette as he spoke.
"Then why haven't you taken it yet?" I asked, looking away from Reinette.
"She is not complete."
"What... so, that's the plan then? Just keep opening up more and more time windows, scanning her brain, checking to see if she's 'done yet'?" the Doctor asked harshly.
"Why her?" Rose asked quietly. "I mean, you have all of history, and you chose her."
"We are the same," the droid responded, causing Reinette to stiffen. "We are not the same, we are in no sense the same!"
"We are the same."
"Get out of here! Get out of here this minute!" she demanded angrily.
"Reinette, no!" the Doctor called but was too late. The droid touched its wrist and teleported away.
Turning around quickly, the Doctor began instructing Rose and Mickey on what to do. After he was done, he grabbed my hand and pulled me to Reinette.
"Reinette, you're going to have to trust me. I need to find out what they're looking for, there's only one way I can do that. Won't hurt a bit," the Doctor explained as he placed his fingertips on her face.
I watched in awe as the Doctor read her mind and searched her memories.
"Oh, such a lonely childhood," Reinette muttered sadly.
"It'll pass, stay with me," he told her, gently.
"Oh, Doctor. So lonely. So very, very alone," Reinette whispered, barely loud enough for me to hear, causing my heart to break a little.
"What do you mean, alone?You've never been alone in your life-" the Doctor stopped.
"When did you start calling me Doctor?" he asked, eyes wide open in fear and confusion.
"So lonely, but not anymore. You have them to take care of you. You aren't so alone anymore," Reinette whispered as the Doctor released her head.
"How did you do that?" he asked in fear, but Reinette smiled. "A door, once opened, can be stepped through in either direction."
"Victoria," Reinette called out. I looked towards her as she held out her hand for me to take. "Both of you, dance with me," she smiled as I grabbed her hand.
"We can't. This is the night you dance with the King," the Doctor declined her offer.
"Then first, I shall make him jealous," she tried but he shook his head.
"We can't."
We stood in silence for a moment before Reinette spoke. "Doctor... Doctor who? It's more than just a secret, isn't it?"
"What did you see?" he asked, causing Reinette to look at me.
"If you won't dance with me, at least dance with Victoria," she stared. "I saw that there comes a time when every lonely boy must learn how to dance."
Turning towards me, she smiled and pulled me to her closest to prepare me for the dance.
"Why did you let me have those drinks?" I questioned with a slight slur.
The Doctor and I had danced for a while before I came across some sort of alcohol and had quickly found myself tipsy. The Doctor shook his head as he helped me walk through the halls of the spaceship. When he let me go, the room started spinning a little bit, causing me to giggle.
He reached over and put his tie over my head, making me laugh harder. "Just... just keep doing what you're doing," he told me before grabbing my hand. He guided me to a huge room as he began singing off key. "I could've danced all night, I could've danced all night," he sang and I laughed.
"Oh, I love that song!" I giggled while trying to sing with him as we walked into a room housing Rose and Mickey.
"And still have begged for moooore... I could've spread my wings and done a thousand," I sang while the Doctor walked over towards Rose. "Have you met the French, they really know how to party," he said as he pointed towards me.
"Hi, Rosieeee," I sang, stumbling over towards her.
"Oh, look at what the cat dragged in. The Oncoming Storm," Rose huffed.
"Oh, you sound just like your mother," the Doctor said distastefully, causing me to gasp.
"Doctor, that's rude," I said pointing at him.
"What've you been doing? Where've you been?" Rose asked rather crossed.
"I invented the banana daiquiri a few centuries too early and Victoria had a little too much to drink," the Doctor explained.
"Did you know, they've never seen a banana before. Never! How awful is that!" I cried as I thought of their confused faces.
"Always take a banana to a party, Rose. Bananas are GOOD," the Doctor said leaning over Rose.
The Doctor spun around to notice the droids from early and pointed at them. "Oh ho ho ho ho, brilliant. It's you! You're my favorite, you are, you are the best! Do you know why? 'Cause you're so THICK. You're Mister Thick Thick Thickity Thick Face from Thicktown, Thickania," he said, causing me to go into a string of laughter.
"So's your dad," I called out, enjoying the insult maybe too much. I looked over to where Mickey was lying down and wandered over. "Hi, Mickey. How are you doing?"
"Victoria, are you seriously drunk?" he asked incredulously. Shaking my head up and down, I pointed to the Doctor. "He let me have some drinks, and I may have had a few too many."
"Alright, you two, that's enough lying around," the Doctor called out as he released the two from their tables.
"Oh, Doctor. My head hurts," I called out as I leaned against Mickey.
"Maybe you shouldn't have had any of those drinks," the Doctor suggested as he put his hand in his pocket as he checked for medicine.
After finding some, he handed the pills to me and I swallowed them. "And this is why I never drink."
The Doctor nodded while he got to work with the controls. Mickey and I stood by the wall as the two worked. Suddenly, the ticking noise of the droids filled the air. "Right... many things about this are not good," the Doctor spoke. "Message from one of your little friends? Anything interesting?"
"She is complete. It begins," the droid speaks before they all teleport away.
The Doctor quickly explained what happened before we made it back to the TARDIS and fireplace.
"Victoria, are you feeling better?" the Doctor asked and I nodded.
"Much better."
"Good, because I need you to talk to Reinette." He helped me find the right window before going to work on getting the audio link in the time window to connect to the ship.
I walked into the room and stood in the doorway, watching as Reinette looked out the window.
"Reinette, I need to talk to you, and we don't have much time," I announced, wincing as she jumped at the sound of my voice. "I've come to warn you that they'll be here in five years," I explained, taking a seat in front of the woman.
"Five years?"
"Sometime after your thirty-seventh birthday. We don't have an exact date, we just know they are coming. It's currently happening to us in a way, it's very hard to explain."
"Then be exact, and I will be attentive," Reinette says and I shake my head.
"There isn't enough time, Reinette."
"There are five years," she tries.
"I barely have five minutes with you," I say sadly.
"Then be concise."
"There's a ship that has different parts of your life in it in different rooms," I explain slowly, making sure my wording sounded right.
"There is a vessel in your world... where the days of my life are pressed together like the chapters of a book so that he may step from one to the other without increase of age... while I, weary traveler... must always take the slower path?" Reinette asked and I smiled sadly.
"I'm afraid so."
"So, in five years these creatures will return. What can be done?" she questioned.
"The Doctor says to keep them talking. They're kind of programmed to respond to you now. You won't be able to stop them, but you might be able to delay them a bit," I explained. "Until?" she asked.
"Until the Doctor can get there."
"Are you coming?" she asked and I shook my head.
"I don't think so. It seems this meeting will be our last," I whispered, causing her to reach forward and squeeze my hand.
"But he is coming, then?"
"He promises," I tell her.
"But he cannot promise me in person?" she asked, causing me to look down a moment.
"When you need him the most, he will be there. That's how it will go," I told her apologetically.
It's the way it's always been. The monsters and the Doctor. It seems you cannot have one without the other."
"It seems like it," I laughed. "I am so appreciative to have you in my life and to have met you, but you were never meant to meet me or the Doctor," I told her, watching as anger filled her expression. "But I would never have it any other way," I explained, watching her anger leave her eyes at my statement.
"I would not have it any other way either," she admits when Mickey walked into the room.
"The time window when she's thirty-seven. We found it. Right under our noses," he explained, causing Reinette to move towards the tapestry that hid the ship.
"You shouldn't go in there," I told her as she walked onto the ship.
"So, this your world," she looked at me, her eyes wide as she took in our surroundings.
In the distance, we could hear screaming and cries and chaos. "What was that?" Reinette asked, a tremor in her voice.
"The time window, the Doctor fixed an audio link," Mickey explained. "Those screams, that's my future?" she asked.
"I'm sorry," I said, laying my hand on her shoulder.
"Then I must take the slower path," she announced when her future self's voice filled the air. "That's my voice," she looked distraught.
"Victoria, we need to go. There's a problem and we need to get back," Mickey told me and I shook my head.
"Give me a moment with her," I pleaded, watching as he ran back in the direction of the Doctor. I turned to look directly at her and asked, "Are you okay?"
"No. I'm very afraid. But you and I both know, don't we, Victoria? The Doctor is worth the monsters," she told me and I nodded. She moved to walk back to her world, but I grabbed her arm before she left.
"Goodbye, Reinette. It was a pleasure meeting you," I told her, pulling her into a hug.
"I'm glad I met you, Fireplace woman," she said with a sad smile. Pulling back, I kissed her on the cheek before releasing her.
"Goodbye, Victoria Jones," she smiled before walking through the tapestry, back to her world.
I stood still, watching the tapestry for a moment before rushing back to the Doctor, Rose, and Mickey.
When I got there, the Doctor was mounting Arthur. "Doctor, what are you doing?" I asked, causing him to look at me.
"The droids blocked the time window, and the only way through is with force."
"How will you get back?" I asked frantically and he shrugged, his eyes pleading with me to not worry.
"I'll figure it out."
Stepping back, I wished him good luck and watched as he rode through the time window. Rose, Mickey, and I sat in the room quietly, waiting for the Doctor to come back somehow.
After the first hour of waiting, I rested my head on the wall and closed my eyes in hopes of taking a nap.
"Madame de Pompadour!" was called out, startling me awake. In front of me stood the Doctor crouching in front of the fireplace. "Still want to see those stars?" he asked.
"More than anything," Reinette could be heard saying.
"Give me two minutes. Pack a bag!"
"Am I going somewhere?" Reinette called out.
"Go to your window and pick a star," the Doctor responded before standing up.
"Victoria!" he called, pulling me up and into a hug.
"How long was I gone?" he asked and I shook my head.
"I'm not sure, I feel asleep waiting for you," I told him as we ran into the room with the TARDIS. Upon seeing Rose, he pulled her into a hug.
"How long did you wait?" he asked.
"Five and a half hours," she said, giving him a look.
"Right, always wait five and a half hours," he spoke as he shook Mickey's hand. "Explain later. Into the TARDIS, be with you in a sec," he said, grabbing my hand and pulling me to the fireplace.
"Reinette? You there, Reinette?" he asked, crouching in front of the fireplace. He pulled the lever and soon we were back in France.
"Reinette?" I called out.
"Oh, hello," the Doctor said, noticing a man standing in front of a window.
"You just missed her. She'll be in Paris by six," he answered softly.
"Oh," I whispered, feeling sadness wash over me at the knowledge that Reinette had died.
"Good Lord... she was right. She said you two never looked a day older," he said before turning his attention to the Doctor. "So many years since I saw you last, yet not a day of it on your face." The man reached into a drawer that he stood by and pulled out two letters.
"She spoke of you both many times," the man said, and I watched as the Doctor began to realize what had happened as well. He handed us both a letter before looking back outside. We could hear the sound of a horse neigh and the sound of a carriage being pulled away. "There she goes. Leaving Versailles for the last time. Only forty-three when she died," the man explained as I gripped the Doctor's hand tighter.
Together we walked to the window and watched the hearse vanish in the distance. "Too young... too young. Illness took her in the end. She always did work too hard," the man, whom I realized was King Louis XV, spoke. "What does she say?" he asked, looking at our letters. The Doctor silently put his letter in his jacket while I gripped mine tighter. "Of course. Quite right," King Louis said, understanding that he was intruding.
I nodded a farewell to the King, and together, the Doctor and I walked back to the TARDIS.
When we got back to the TARDIS, I immediately went to my room. I sat down on my bed and fiddled with the dress Reinette had given me. Taking a deep breath, I opened the letter she gave me.
'My Dear Victoria,
Although we said our goodbyes those years ago, I cannot help but hope that you will come back. Please hurry, my dear, and come back with the Doctor for I am growing weak.
Godspeed, my Dear.'
I folded the letter with tears in my eyes and sat it on my bedside table. As I continued to fight my tears, I heard someone knock on my door. "Come in."
The Doctor walked in silently, closing the door as he entered, and sat down next to me on my bed. Not saying anything, the Doctor and I quietly cried at the thought of our lost friend.