Epilogue:
-/-
Of course when The Doctor had made the promise to himself to find Missy he had assumed it would be a far easier task than it was turning out to be. For instance there had been those encrypted coordinates he had discovered on his sonic screwdriver, the first three coordinates were all he had to go on but The Doctor was certain Missy had planted them somehow. The idea of a cryptic clue leading him on a wild goose chase around the galaxy sounded like something The Mistress would find hilarious.
So The Doctor had grudgingly played along, plugged the first three into the navcomputer and allowed the Tardis to randomly populate the rest based on known planets, anomalies and space stations. So far he had found a planet inhabited entirely by hat wearing mice, been fired on by an intergalactic smuggling ring when he appeared in the middle of one of their supposedly secret bases, oh and narrowly avoided being sucked into a singularity event horizon, but no Mistress.
Then he had gotten distracted by that whole Santa dream crab scenario with Clara and was only able to resume his search after he had convinced himself that his impossible girl was actually fine at home with Danny. Better than fine actually as The Doctor had been an uncomfortable witness to a very relieved Danny Pink going down on one knee after his girlfriend…no fiancée had woken up alive and well after The Doctor had disabled the dream crab.
Another wedding…The Doctor couldn't help but cringe a little. Clara would insist on him attending yet The Doctor had to admit he really didn't have the best record. Something always happened and it was normally his fault.
And then there was what to get as a wedding present, he couldn't go handing out winning lottery tickets to every companion who got married.
I would say offer to take them on a honeymoon trip but that didn't work out so well the last time better to just get them a vase…or maybe a bit of glass from Hanon Four?
Startled by the sudden voice in his head The Doctor almost jumped out of his wing backed chair, yet it seemed his limbs didn't want to obey him and The Doctor could feel panic begin to claw up his throat.
You're dreaming love
The Dream Crabs…
No proper dreaming…asleep in the library dreaming…probably snoring your head off knowing you Thete
Then how? This wasn't possible The Doctor was certain of it. The Mistress was a powerful telepath but even she couldn't manage this sort of prolonged telepathic contact.
Thank you for the compliment
The Doctor could hear the preening in Missy's voice and funnily enough that was what convinced him he wasn't imaging this or worse was going mad.
No madder than normal honey…but if truth be told I got a bit of an impromptu boost and I thought I would use it to say hello and check up on you. So I just followed my link to your Tardis and used her to relay the signal a bit to bypass your shields.
I am not a child Mistress I do not need you to ...what do you mean do you have a link with my Tardis? The Doctor huffed in irritation, his annoyance growing when he heard the tinkle of Missy's laughter through their link.
Not got around that little bit of voodoo you did on yourself? Honestly Thete you would think a Doctor would know better, after all no surgeon should operate on himself.
Huffing a little at her less than subtle dig at his inability to regain his supressed memories The Doctor strained his own abilities, pushing back along the mental pathway The Mistress had opened between them. For a moment blinking in surprise as the dream library disappeared and he found himself staring out from behind long dark lashes, a cave…deep red mud…and a concerned looking Osgood staring down at him…dear god what was she wearing…
Before The Doctor was suddenly and roughly ejected and pushed back into his dreamscape.
That was rude!
Ignoring Missy's hiss of annoyance The Doctor tried to put together the visual clues. Yet there were too many variables, too many possible planets.
That was bloody cheating and you know it Doctor.
Like you are one to talk. The Doctor retorted smugly. I see Osgood is still alive then. Funny it is almost as though you are getting soft in your old age Mistress, taking on a human companion after all these years.
If you are going to be insulting then I am leaving.
No! The demand was instantaneous and even in his dream The Doctor could feel a flush of embarrassment at his own neediness, which he squashed down under a floating memory but not before The Mistress caught a whiff of it and The Doctor could feel her preen even at this distance.
So you do love me after all.
There are no words for what I feel for you. The Doctor replied honestly, how could there be when his emotions regarding his oldest friend ran from bitterness and revulsion all the way through to…
L.O.V.E
Spelling it out doesn't make it any more true Mistress. The Doctor sighed suddenly feeling the tax that his little mental pushback had on his mind and subsequently his body. Already the library was starting to fade and the demand of his body for a deeper sleep all but consumed him.
Doctor…DOCTOR
Jarred by the loudness of her demand The Doctor forced himself to concentrate for a few moments more. What? I'm tired let me sleep, I haven't been sleeping well.
Neither have I love…I thought it was you…I thought I heard you crying.
No…not me…The Doctor grunted his mind trying gain traction on the idea…trying to recall the details from his own disturbed dreams lately…yet he was so tired.
Sleep love I'll see you soon
Smiling at that thought The Doctor sighed as he felt her mental fingers run themselves lovingly across his psyche before withdrawing as gently as they came.
Soon, he would see her soon, it was one of her few redeeming qualities but The Mistress always kept her promises.
-/-