The Impossible Wardrobe
Poetheather
A/N: Takes place after Nightmare in Silver but before The Name of the Doctor. Some slight spoilers for The Name of the Doctor.
Owned by the BBC and the really clever people who have created these characters both classic and modern. Like anyone pays me for this.
Romana was nibbling on her scone looking quite pleased with herself. The other three were still in a state of befuddlement at all she had said. Looking up, Romana asked with a cherubic smile, "Doctor, be a dear and get me some tea will you?"
"Ah… tea… yes… Clara, could you help me. You make better tea than I do. I have occasionally burned the water, though it was not my fault. And tea is just the thing after a troublesome regeneration I've always found. Helps reboot the system quite well." He nodded a touch absently.
As the two of them walked out of the med bay River watched him go before she turned back to the woman in the bed and said, "Bless. Sometimes he is so hopeless. I take it you wished to speak with me alone?"
The smile that was given to the curly haired woman was full of life. "Yes. I figured I could explain this to you easier than I could to him, because he would get that way he does."
River chuckled lightly, "He does have a way."
"Behave. I am too tired and sore to play games with you darling." Romana rolled her eyes in clear exasperation with the archeologist. "You usually listen much better than this.
"So you do know me?" River was deeply curious and just had to but in again.
Romana gave her a look, a very pointed look that made River button her lip. "Obviously. However it seems as if this is the first time you have met me which is ever so annoying. I had so hoped we were not going to be stuck like you and the Doctor but such is the vagaries of time. Nonetheless, I need you to believe me Melody we know each other and know each other rather well."
Color drained from River's face when she heard her first name used. It was a name she never used, not since trying to kill the Doctor in Berlin. Before that she had just used a shortened form of it. Even her father called her River now, accepting that part of her quite easily. Her Mum used her old name rarely and only when truly cross. So for this… stranger to know it… "How…?"
"For Rassilon's sake, you are not an idiot River. Can you not think of several reasons where you might tell me the name you were born as opposed to the name you use?" The blond Time Lady seemed very frustrated with her right now, rolling her eyes.
River's brain ran through several possibilities and they all seemed rather weighty. Then something pinged and refused to move on. It made her feel a bit dizzy the enormity of the idea. She moved over and dropped onto the bed heavily before looking up at the tiny woman, asking, "You mean?"
"Now there is the River Song I know. Yes, I do mean that. But we just met and… well, you know time. Just because that happened for me, does not mean that will happen for you or for us. It is at this point a potentiality in time rather than an absolute. It may happen and could again if we let it." Romana seemed a touch sad and lost as she said that, as if some of her hope was being whisked away.
"But I'm married. I mean, being his wife is a touch problematic but still how? He is my husband." protested River, though not too strongly.
Romana sighed heavily again, "I am aware of that River."
River blinked again as if the world shifted under her feet once more. "So does that mean…?"
"Well, I must admit that this Doctor is not the more recent incarnation of his I am used to, but still." The blond gave River a bit of a smile.
"So you and I… we…" River started laughing and was still laughing when the Doctor and Clara returned with a tray of tea supplies. They stood in the doorway looking at the two women in some confusion before he stammered out, "I… I have the tea… uh… hello?"
River stopped laughing, looked at the Doctor and then turned and looked at Romana again, who was blushing faintly, before she started laughing again. Romana reached out and smacked her on the arm, "Stop that."
"A little harder and you'll have my attention." purred River playfully, giving the blond a wink.
"River!" said the Doctor as he goggled, eyes wide in surprise that his wife would flirt with another woman right in front of him.
"Yes Sweetie? Thank you ever so much for the tea." Romana started giggling at the playful way that River was interacting with the Doctor.
The Doctor wanted to glare at the two of them, to make one of them say something, but it was difficult to be upset with either of them and he knew that it would never work anyway. "I hate you."
"No you don't." replied River, with a smirk.
Clara decided that things needed to be interrupted before the conversation descended into more of a schoolyard spat than it already was. "So you said you know me?"
"I said I know a woman named Oswin who I must admit looks remarkably like you. She was a friend of mine back on Gallifrey and was still there when I left. I must say that when I first saw your face it threw me," stated Romana, her voice perfectly calm. She went back to her scone as if the whole thing were unimportant.
"Oh. Well then." Clara seemed a bit confused, trying to figure out why this strange woman might have known someone who seemed to be her only with a different name.
"Are you feeling better then Romana? I have to tell you we are on Prazoleon 4. I know how you love a nice museum and perhaps you would like to look about?" The Doctor gave his most disarming smile.
"Let me have some tea, then I'll get dressed and we can go. I am feeling a good bit better than earlier. How is K9? He did make it, right?" She sounded rather nervous there and the Doctor could understand.
"Absolutely. I patched up good old K9 and he is as good as new. Had to go with the hover model did you?" He teased her gently.
"Well, with all the running it seemed like a better fit. The Mark 1 moved so slow. Instead of upgrading to the Mark 2 I simply had them install a hover feature so he could better keep up." Romana seemed pleased with herself. "I also had them upgrade about everything else I could think of."
"Yes, there is that. He did seem to be in excellent shape, just a few bumps and bruises."
"And the TARDIS I took?" Romana asked a bit more hesitantly.
"A bit banged up but should be fully repaired in a bit. That mountain range you crashed into has plenty of suitable ores if it needs new materials and the ship seemed to be in good enough shape for self-repair. At least for the more major issues." He grinned at her.
"A mountain range?" The blond looked at him strangely.
"Ah… yes… I thought you knew. You crashed into a mountain range and did quite a number on your ship." That Doctor smiled weakly at her before looking over at Clara. "And I think the Chameleon Circuit is damaged as well."
"What?" Romana looked a bit alarmed at that.
"Well, it's nothing terrible Romana, not really. It just sort of looks like a wardrobe… with bits of mountain attached." He finished slowly as if unsure if he should say the last.
"Bits of mountain attached?" asked Romana in some disbelief.
"It is trying to repair itself," noted the Doctor, hoping it was enough to save himself. He was well aware of how she had constantly wanted him to repair the damaged circuit back in his fourth regeneration.
River jumped in at this point, making him oh so grateful, saying, "Why don't we give Romana a little time to herself. She can finish her tea and get herself sorted. I suppose you remember the way to the closet? There really are some lovely outfits in there."
"Thank you River. That sounds wonderful." Romana gave her a very grateful look herself and River started trying to herd the others away before giving the blond a wink.
As the other three left the med bay and headed towards the control room, the Doctor turned to River and asked, "So what did you two talk about in there?"
River looked over at him, eyes sparkling with excitement and mischief, "Spoilers."
"Aargh… River you know that makes me crazy," complained the Doctor.
"I know, it's delightful." She brushed by him and walked into the control room. "So Clara… it is wonderful to have met. So where did the Doctor pick you up from?"
"London. There I was, minding my own business doing my job when this strange man shows up making my life difficult," stated Clara, giving the Doctor a sidelong look.
"He does have a way with that." River gave him a knowing look and a smirk.
The Doctor blushed slightly and chided her, "Now River, that's not fair."
"You're right. Anyway, we have been so distracted with Romana we haven't done books. I simply have no idea where we are." She said as she pulled her blue journal free, flipping it to the appropriate section. "Have we done Jim the Fish?"
"Yes, Jim the Fish. Dams almost complete you know," said the Doctor as he referenced his own book.
"Really now? How lovely. Easter Island?"
"Yes, I have Easter Island."
"The Library…"
"The what!" The Doctor started and stared at River in some surprise.
"The Library of Alexandria, honestly Sweetie it's like you don't listen to me sometimes." River rolled her eyes.
"Right, sorry must have had a bit of fluff in my ear. Let me see… uhm… no… I don't see that." There was a slight release of tension in the Doctor. He gave her a bit of a smile. "That one had to be fun."
"Spoilers." Her eyes held pure pleasure. "I'll look forward to seeing you there."
"Did you know about this?" waving his hand back towards the med bay. "Is that why you're here?"
"No. I looked and oddly enough I have coming here, meeting you, dodging your companion while we have some fun for a few hours and then leaving. This… is different love." admitted River, which shocked the Doctor.
"Perhaps her making it out of the time lock in that briefest of windows changed something in the time stream? I don't know. It's certainly possible," mused the Doctor, struggling to make things fit together.
"Well… I must say I do like new."