A Timey Wimey Day
Okay, this is the first draft of a story for a series that I am working on. Unfortunately inspiration is striking on the stories out of order, so some of what comes before this is not available yet. It is unbeta'd, so be warned! It is deliberately happy most of the way through. Basically, the Doctor takes River Song on a date. The first story in the series is available on Teaspoon here should you be interested.
A few things you should know:
- River has already met the 11th Doctor, but he told her that she would still see Ten occasionally. He modified his timey wimey detector and gave it to her, so she would know when it was a previous incarnation.
- River's dad collected old photos of roller coasters.
- Jill was River's roommate at university, and she knows all about the Doctor.
Prologue
River walked into the kitchen, poured tea into her favorite mug and leaned back against the counter. She stretched, and contemplated a blissful Saturday of doing nothing except relaxing in the garden with a good book. Everyone else in the family group had left the night before, to attend a two-day concert series in London. Only she and Jill had stayed behind, to take care of the animals. She’d had a busy week at the university, so missing a concert was no hardship.
Suddenly a very loud, very familiar sound seemed to fill the air all around her. A whistling, dinging noise also drifted down the hall from her study. River smiled, and turned to look out the window. A wind whipped through the garden as a familiar blue box materialized next to the bougainvillea by the gate. The door opened, and a tall, lanky Time Lord in a long tan coat stepped out. Their eyes met through the glass, and they both grinned simultaneously. The Doctor motioned for her to come out, and River held up three fingers to indicate how long she needed to get ready.
At that moment Jill walked into the kitchen and asked, “Did I just hear what I think I heard?”
River turned around with a big grin and said, “Lock up the hens. It’s going to be a timey wimey kind of day.”
Chapter One
River shoved her blue journal into her bag, and ran down the hall to the kitchen. “I should be back later today, but don’t count on any specific time. I have no idea what he has in mind.”
“How can it be him again River? I thought he had changed.”
“He’s a time traveler Jill; that’s all the explanation I have for you. Come out and say hello.”
The two women walked into the garden, where the Doctor was leaning against the side of the TARDIS. When he saw them he stood up straight and smiled. “Hello ladies.”
“Hello Doctor, it’s nice to see you again,” said Jill. “Promise me that you’ll bring her back in one piece.”
“I’ll do my best ma’am.”
Jill gave River a quick hug, and walked back into the house. River turned to the Doctor and asked, “Can I assume that if what I’m wearing isn’t appropriate for where we’re going that there is something in the wardrobe that will work?”
“You look beautiful, and what you’re wearing is perfect.” The Doctor pulled her into his arms and gave her a big squeeze.
Despite what he had told her previously, River had feared that she would never again feel her arms around this particular body. She squeezed him tightly, and stood on tiptoe to whisper in his ear, “Now that you have me, what do you intend to do with me?”
The Doctor pulled away from her, took both her hands in his and gave her his cheekiest grin. “Today is all about having fun. I promise.”
“I’ve heard that one before, but I’m willing to risk it. Let’s go.”
They entered the TARDIS, and the Doctor immediately began to set the controls. He put them into the vortex, and then sat down beside River on the shabby seat and propped his feet up on the console. “So, where are we going?” she asked.
“Weelll, I’ve been thinking about those old photos in your study; the ones that your father collected. The people in them look like they’re having a fantastic time, so I thought you might like to try it firsthand. What do you say? Do you fancy a ride on a roller coaster?”
“Oh, yes please,” said River.
Chapter Two
River managed to stay on her feet as the TARDIS bumped to a halt, and the time rotor ground down to silence. The Doctor shrugged on his coat, and they exited into bright sunlight. A body of choppy water was stretched out in front of them which went clear to the horizon. A breeze was blowing in off the water, and seagulls dipped and soared above their heads.
“When are we, and where?” asked River. “This looks like the ocean, but it doesn’t smell like salt water. It doesn’t feel warm enough for a trip to the beach either.”
“It’s the early 21st century, and we are in the United States of America. Specifically we are in the state of Ohio, and it is late May. Do you know where Ohio is?”
“Somewhere in the middle?” asked River.
“Yes, Professor, it’s in the middle,” he said with a roll of his eyes. “We are standing on the shore of Lake Erie, which is one of the five Great Lakes. So you’re right; it isn’t salt water.”
“Okay, you promised me roller coasters, and we’re at the beach. Did we veer off course?”
“Hmm, we’re up wind, so you probably haven’t noticed the noise. Turn around.”
River turned around, and saw a veritable city skyline, made up of steel structures and whirling machinery. “What is all this?”
“This is an amusement park named Cedar Point. According to what I’ve read, roller coaster enthusiasts consider it the best park on the planet. It contains 17 roller coasters, plus about 60 other rides, theaters, restaurants, arcades, water sports, you name it. Since it is still early in the season it shouldn’t be very busy today. Shall we?”
River grabbed the Doctor’s hand and started pulling him off the beach. The Doctor laughed and steered her toward the midway. “I think we should start you off slow. Let’s try one of the tamer rides before we get on a roller coaster.” He stopped at a park map to get his bearings, and picked up a brochure. “Let’s try the Giant Wheel. We should get a good view from there.”
“I’d rather try that,” River said as she pointed to a tall structure with four towers topped by an arch. “It looks much more interesting than a big Ferris wheel.”
“That’s the Power Tower. According to this brochure it either lifts you up or drops you 240 feet in three seconds. That’s about 50 miles per hour; are you sure you want to start there?”
River grinned and said, “Absolutely. What’s the matter? Are you afraid it will scramble your time sense?”
“Okay, let’s go.”
After riding the Power Tower both up and down River decided that she wanted to keep her feet on the ground for a few minutes, so they strolled hand-in-hand through the midway toward the Mine Ride, which they had agreed would be the first coaster they would try. The smells of popcorn, hot dogs and pizza mingled in the air, which made River remember that she hadn’t eaten any breakfast. Of course it probably wouldn’t be a good idea to eat until she knew how she would react to riding on these coasters. Suddenly ahead of them she saw a tall roller coaster, which appeared to be made of wood. “Is that wood? Please tell me that isn’t the Mine Ride. I thought they were all made of steel,” she said.
The Doctor referred to his brochure and said, “That is the Mean Streak, and it is made of wood. We’ll try that one later.”
After the Mine Ride River said, “That was fun, but we’ve had more thrilling times landing the TARDIS. Let’s go try the Mean Streak.”
So they challenged each other from the Mean Streak, to the Magnum XL-200 to the Raptor, which particularly delighted the Doctor since its cars hung below the track, which made it feel like they were flying. River really liked the Mantis, because they were standing up on that one, but the Doctor found that his coat kept getting in the way. As they walked toward the final coaster they planned to ride the Doctor asked, “Why did your father collect pictures of roller coasters? They were obsolete long before he was born.”
“I asked him that once,” she said. “He said that he liked to be reminded of a time when life was so easy for most people that humans had to manufacture ways to thrill and scare themselves. His theory was that once we started to explore space we found enough out there to scare and thrill us, so the rides became unnecessary.”
“He was a smart man,” said the Doctor. “I wish I’d met him; I’d have liked him.”
“I do think you would have gotten along well, but what makes you say so?” asked River.
“Well, he raised you,” he said with a smile. “That alone is an impressive achievement.”
“Thanks, I think,” said River with a roll of her eyes. “Here we are, the Top Thrill Dragster.”
The Doctor referred to the now tattered brochure. “It is 420 feet high, and goes 120 miles per hour. It’s currently the second highest and fastest roller coaster on the planet. It seems we saved the best one for last.”
An hour later they stumbled away from the Dragster with their throats raw from screaming, and their hands numb from gripping the safety bar. “Okay, I’m going to need a little time for my internal organs to return to their normal places, but I’m still hungry. Let’s get some food,” said River.
“I saw a chip shop over that way,” said the Doctor.
“I don’t mean just chips, I mean a meal. You need to stop living on biscuits and chips. Let’s try that place over there; the barbeque smells wonderful.”
Soon they were sitting at a table overlooking a marina, sharing ribs and brisket. Their waitress Kathy, a young university student working her first summer job, was entranced by the attractive British couple. Even when they got into an argument about some historical event, which resulted in the lady bouncing a roll off the man’s head, it was clear that they just enjoyed being together. Kathy giggled every time they referred to the French fries as chips, and kept refilling their basket whether they asked for more or not.
“Please stop feeding him chips Kathy; he already has a bit of an addiction to them. If you keep bringing him more I’ll never get him out of that chair,” said River.
“He doesn’t look like he overeats, but I’ll take your word for it ma’am. Can I get you any dessert?” asked Kathy.
“We couldn’t eat another bite, but thank you for taking such good care of us. Enjoy your summer, and good luck with your classes next semester,” said the Doctor.
They left the restaurant and walked back toward the midway. They stopped to watch the midway carousel, which the Doctor informed her was over sixty years old. “You know this park opened in 1870, which makes it one of the oldest in North America. No matter how much they modernize and improve it they still manage to keep some of its history alive.”
“Have you been here before? You seem to know an awful lot about it.”
“No, I just read a little about it when I was trying to pick a good place for us to try roller coasters. In addition to its wonderful rides I thought you would enjoy its history too.”
“It has been great. Let’s take the train back to the other end of the park,” River suggested. “My feet could use a little more rest.”
River put her arm through his, and they wandered along the midway toward the train station. As they were passing an arcade, the Doctor pulled her inside. “Come on,” he said, “I’ll win a prize for you.”
“Why do you suddenly want to win a prize for me?”
“It’s tradition for this era. It should only take a minute; I’m brilliant with these machines.” River rolled her eyes and followed him into the arcade. Honestly, sometimes the Doctor is just confused about what she expects from him. Twenty minutes later the Doctor won her a stuffed puppy dog at a machine that contained a large claw. “There you go; it’s simple when you have superior Time Lord reflexes.”
“I suspect that it had more to do with your superior use of the sonic screwdriver when you thought I wasn’t looking,” said River. He had a wounded puppy dog look on his face, until she kissed him to say thank you.
They boarded the train, which wended its way through the rides and the beautifully landscaped grounds. River sighed, and laid her head against his shoulder. He put his arm around her, and rested his cheek against the top of her head. “It’s been a really lovely day,” she said.
“And as I promised, it was all about fun; no emergencies, no panic, no need to investigate anything or save the world.”
“And don’t forget, there was no need to run. I really appreciated the lack of running,” she said. “How did you manage it?”
“Oh, sometimes I just get lucky,” said the Doctor.
Chapter Three
They returned to the TARDIS, and the Doctor launched them into the vortex. River placed the stuffed dog on the console, and began walking out of the room. “Aren’t you going to take him to your room?” he asked.
“I’m not going to my room; I’m going to your room. I assume that you will be joining me shortly.”
The Doctor’s eyebrows raised, and he asked, “What do you have in mind?”
River leaned against the doorway, and gave him one of her most seductive smiles. “Let’s just say I think that the puppy is far too young to witness what I have in mind. Don’t be too long.”
The Doctor watched River leave the room, and then he turned to the console to check that they were safely in the vortex. “By the way,” he said to the TARDIS. “Your research was absolutely perfect. In the long history of Cedar Point you found the day which had the lowest probability of anything going wrong. Thank you.” The TARDIS’ perpetual hum increased in volume. She sounded especially pleased with herself.
“Yes, I know that you like River. She likes you too. Please start looking for another good option. I want her life to be full of as many happy days as we can manage.”
The TARDIS gave him a mental nudge toward the doorway, and the Doctor took the hint and went to join River. The truth is she does like River very much, but that isn’t the only reason she is dedicated to her current assignment. She continued searching her databanks for other ways to give her Time Lord as many good memories to hold on to as she can manage, before the inevitable day when River is gone.