The Door 1/5
So this is the lastest little plot bunny. It was supposed to be one long oneshot, but I thought I'd break it up into parts since the parts were turning out to be a little over 1000 words long. There are five parts, and I've got all of them written except for the very end of part 4. The title graphics for these will be under the cut as they aren't just text graphics. They were also kind of experimental, didn't know if they would work right. So apologies if they look a little odd.
There's a running theme through these and you'll note that the page breaks are a quote from "Forest of the Dead". It also appears at the beginning of each part and slightly altered at the end of each part, with the exception of the last part. That one will have my usual page break markers in it.
Also, I have only watched Journey's End once (twice technically when a friend was over watching it on Netflix while her internet was out, but I didn't really pay attention) because I don't usually like to watch shows that make me angry and upset more than once, so I may have gotten some of the events a little wrong. But I'm changing it anyhow, so yeah... okay then...
This fic will also include references to Torchwood: Children of Earth, Midnight, The End of Time, and The Eleventh Hour.
As always, I don't own Ten, Donna, Ten II, River Song, Eleven or Doctor Who. The BBC does. Please read and enjoy...
“Time can be rewritten.”
She stared at the man who was the Doctor, but who wasn’t her Doctor. Time can be rewritten. He couldn’t go back on his or anyone’s personal timeline to change events, nor could she flat out tell him his future, but perhaps she could give him, this Doctor, a hint or two. Enough to maybe correct the mistakes her Doctor had so regretted. There were only a few minutes, but the memories surfaced.
“Time can be rewritten.”
There had been a door in one of the corridors on the TARDIS. She passed this door frequently on her way to the console room. Sometimes she saw it fully, other times it seemed to waver and shimmer, then disappear. Amy and Rory had both mentioned seeing something out of the corner of their eyes, but when they looked, nothing was there. One day, she stopped in front of the shimmering spot, and the door was seen clearly. It seemed to be a solid wooden door in the style of medieval Earth. It had a gold plate on it that had Gallifreyan writing on it, though she couldn’t understand it, and the TARDIS refused to translate it as she did with all things written or spoken in Gallifreyan.
She reached out to touch it, but just as her hand felt the wood, there was a shock, and the door disappeared. Stumbling back, she stared for a few minutes more, then turned to go to the console room.
“Doctor?” she asked as she entered and saw the Doctor under the console sitting in the swing tinkering.
“Ah! River. I’m almost done here. I have somewhere in mind I want to take you.”
“And I’d love to go, sweetie, but there’s something I wanted to ask you.”
“Oh. Alright. Go on then.”
“There’s a door in the corridor. Sometimes it’s there, sometimes it’s not. I saw it today, and when I touched it, it shocked me and vanished. What is it?” she frowned when the Doctor’s face fell a little, then he shook it off and waved his hand.
“It’s just a room, River. Nothing to concern yourself with. Now shall we go?”
“It’s not nothing,” she said, holding her hand up to stop his protest. “I’ll let it go for now.” She noted his sigh, and when he went back up to the console, it was with considerable less energy and enthusiasm than before.
“Time can be rewritten.”
He’d taken her to the Singing Towers of Darillium and while there, had taken her hands in his, and turned her towards him. She looked up at him in concern as he looked quite sad. “What is it?” she asked.
“That room you asked me about?”
“Yes?”
“It belonged to someone who was very close to my hearts. Someone who was wonderful, and brilliant, and beautiful. Someone who became the most important woman in all creation,” he gazed at her. “You may have heard of her? The stolen planets incident?”
“The DoctorDonna,” River breathed. “There are legends of her, stories, temples, shrines. Everywhere you go, she’s revered,” she tightened the grip she had on the Doctor’s hands. “You knew her. You loved her.”
“I did,” he turned his face away but not before she’d seen his eyes glisten with unshed tears. “She was a companion,” his voice was soft, and she listened carefully as he spoke of Donna Noble with a reverence she’d never heard in his voice before.
When he’d finished his story, he’d taken her back to the TARDIS, and down the corridor to the door. She could see the door clearly now, more so than she had earlier. He ran his fingers over the gold plate with the writing. “This is her name, in my language,” he reached down and a doorknob appeared and he opened the door. Inside was a cozy room, a four poster bed with a purple duvet covering it. A couch and some chairs surrounding a small table. There were paintings on the walls, and hanging on the doors of a large cherry wood wardrobe was a deep purple toga. There was a lingering scent of fruity shampoo and a light perfume. River couldn’t tell the exact scent.
She noted a picture on the bedside table of a man in a pinstripe suit with wild hair and sideburns. He was grinning widely. Next to him was a woman with vibrant red hair, and a beautiful smile, her arm tucked into the man’s. She appeared to be dressed in a 1920’s outfit. “Is that you?” she asked quietly. The Doctor nodded and ran his finger over the picture. “That was the day we met Agatha Christie,” his voice was soft and sad. He sighed once more, and touched the picture. “Mia bella Donna. I wish I could change what I did to you.”
She lifted her hand and wiped the tear that had escaped down his cheek. He sucked in his breath, and took her hand. “Right then,” he said. “Off we go.”
They left Donna’s room, and River watched as the door shut and the door vanished back under the perception filter.
“Time can be rewritten.”
The memories faded and River looked once again at the pinstriped clad man in front of her, that she’d handcuffed to a pole. She knew what to do now. Holding up the cables that would end her life, yet save the downloaded people including the woman she knew must be saved, she looked into the Doctor’s eyes. “When the Earth is stolen, that will herald the arrival of the DoctorDonna. Do not separate them. For if you do, one will die, and one will be forced to forget. Keep them together and you will no longer be alone, or the last of your kind.”
“What?” he asked, confused.
“You will know,” she whispered. “When the time comes, you will know. Promise me you won’t separate them.”
“I…promise?” he said. “Why are you telling me this?”
“Ah-ah. Spoilers,” she gave a half smile. Getting ready to connect the cables, she looked at him one more time. “I did love you. I do love you,” she connected the cables, felt the enormous surge of electrical power go through her, and knew no more.
“Time has been rewritten.”
There's a running theme through these and you'll note that the page breaks are a quote from "Forest of the Dead". It also appears at the beginning of each part and slightly altered at the end of each part, with the exception of the last part. That one will have my usual page break markers in it.
Also, I have only watched Journey's End once (twice technically when a friend was over watching it on Netflix while her internet was out, but I didn't really pay attention) because I don't usually like to watch shows that make me angry and upset more than once, so I may have gotten some of the events a little wrong. But I'm changing it anyhow, so yeah... okay then...
This fic will also include references to Torchwood: Children of Earth, Midnight, The End of Time, and The Eleventh Hour.
As always, I don't own Ten, Donna, Ten II, River Song, Eleven or Doctor Who. The BBC does. Please read and enjoy...
“Time can be rewritten.”
She stared at the man who was the Doctor, but who wasn’t her Doctor. Time can be rewritten. He couldn’t go back on his or anyone’s personal timeline to change events, nor could she flat out tell him his future, but perhaps she could give him, this Doctor, a hint or two. Enough to maybe correct the mistakes her Doctor had so regretted. There were only a few minutes, but the memories surfaced.
“Time can be rewritten.”
There had been a door in one of the corridors on the TARDIS. She passed this door frequently on her way to the console room. Sometimes she saw it fully, other times it seemed to waver and shimmer, then disappear. Amy and Rory had both mentioned seeing something out of the corner of their eyes, but when they looked, nothing was there. One day, she stopped in front of the shimmering spot, and the door was seen clearly. It seemed to be a solid wooden door in the style of medieval Earth. It had a gold plate on it that had Gallifreyan writing on it, though she couldn’t understand it, and the TARDIS refused to translate it as she did with all things written or spoken in Gallifreyan.
She reached out to touch it, but just as her hand felt the wood, there was a shock, and the door disappeared. Stumbling back, she stared for a few minutes more, then turned to go to the console room.
“Doctor?” she asked as she entered and saw the Doctor under the console sitting in the swing tinkering.
“Ah! River. I’m almost done here. I have somewhere in mind I want to take you.”
“And I’d love to go, sweetie, but there’s something I wanted to ask you.”
“Oh. Alright. Go on then.”
“There’s a door in the corridor. Sometimes it’s there, sometimes it’s not. I saw it today, and when I touched it, it shocked me and vanished. What is it?” she frowned when the Doctor’s face fell a little, then he shook it off and waved his hand.
“It’s just a room, River. Nothing to concern yourself with. Now shall we go?”
“It’s not nothing,” she said, holding her hand up to stop his protest. “I’ll let it go for now.” She noted his sigh, and when he went back up to the console, it was with considerable less energy and enthusiasm than before.
“Time can be rewritten.”
He’d taken her to the Singing Towers of Darillium and while there, had taken her hands in his, and turned her towards him. She looked up at him in concern as he looked quite sad. “What is it?” she asked.
“That room you asked me about?”
“Yes?”
“It belonged to someone who was very close to my hearts. Someone who was wonderful, and brilliant, and beautiful. Someone who became the most important woman in all creation,” he gazed at her. “You may have heard of her? The stolen planets incident?”
“The DoctorDonna,” River breathed. “There are legends of her, stories, temples, shrines. Everywhere you go, she’s revered,” she tightened the grip she had on the Doctor’s hands. “You knew her. You loved her.”
“I did,” he turned his face away but not before she’d seen his eyes glisten with unshed tears. “She was a companion,” his voice was soft, and she listened carefully as he spoke of Donna Noble with a reverence she’d never heard in his voice before.
When he’d finished his story, he’d taken her back to the TARDIS, and down the corridor to the door. She could see the door clearly now, more so than she had earlier. He ran his fingers over the gold plate with the writing. “This is her name, in my language,” he reached down and a doorknob appeared and he opened the door. Inside was a cozy room, a four poster bed with a purple duvet covering it. A couch and some chairs surrounding a small table. There were paintings on the walls, and hanging on the doors of a large cherry wood wardrobe was a deep purple toga. There was a lingering scent of fruity shampoo and a light perfume. River couldn’t tell the exact scent.
She noted a picture on the bedside table of a man in a pinstripe suit with wild hair and sideburns. He was grinning widely. Next to him was a woman with vibrant red hair, and a beautiful smile, her arm tucked into the man’s. She appeared to be dressed in a 1920’s outfit. “Is that you?” she asked quietly. The Doctor nodded and ran his finger over the picture. “That was the day we met Agatha Christie,” his voice was soft and sad. He sighed once more, and touched the picture. “Mia bella Donna. I wish I could change what I did to you.”
She lifted her hand and wiped the tear that had escaped down his cheek. He sucked in his breath, and took her hand. “Right then,” he said. “Off we go.”
They left Donna’s room, and River watched as the door shut and the door vanished back under the perception filter.
“Time can be rewritten.”
The memories faded and River looked once again at the pinstriped clad man in front of her, that she’d handcuffed to a pole. She knew what to do now. Holding up the cables that would end her life, yet save the downloaded people including the woman she knew must be saved, she looked into the Doctor’s eyes. “When the Earth is stolen, that will herald the arrival of the DoctorDonna. Do not separate them. For if you do, one will die, and one will be forced to forget. Keep them together and you will no longer be alone, or the last of your kind.”
“What?” he asked, confused.
“You will know,” she whispered. “When the time comes, you will know. Promise me you won’t separate them.”
“I…promise?” he said. “Why are you telling me this?”
“Ah-ah. Spoilers,” she gave a half smile. Getting ready to connect the cables, she looked at him one more time. “I did love you. I do love you,” she connected the cables, felt the enormous surge of electrical power go through her, and knew no more.
“Time has been rewritten.”