August 05 - Home
Title: Home
Author: Koohii Cafe
Rating: FR7
Crossover: BtVS/Doctor Who
Disclaimer: Since I am a poor chickadee with no wealth to speak of, I think it's safe to say that neither BtVS nor Doctor Who are mine. ^^;
Written for: TtH August Fic A Day Challenge
Summary: Technically, ‘home’ was a castle in Scotland that had been of the few Council holdings to escape the First unscathed. And this- well, this was nothing but a flying blue box that traveled through time and space. But it felt like home.
~*~*~*~*~
It wasn’t home, not technically. Technically, ‘home’ was a castle in Scotland that had been of the few Council holdings to escape the First unscathed. Home was where Giles was working on gathering the new Council, Willow was searching for new slayers, Faith was helping to train the slayers they’d already found, Xander was sorting out the requirements to make the castle livable for said slayers. Home was where Dawn was going nuts studying for final exams. And this- well, this was nothing but a flying blue box that traveled through time and space. But it felt like home, far more than the castle did, or ever would.
She sat curled in one of the seats at the edge of the console platform, her head propped up on one hand, her elbow resting precariously on the railing behind the seat, and she watched. Watched as River worked the controls expertly, handling the ship as if she’d done it her whole life, and watched as the Doctor all but pouted beside her, throwing out various ‘pointers’ that the other Time Lord- or was that Lady?- proceeded to expertly ignore. She hadn’t known the pair for very long- she’d only met River barely two months ago, and she’d met the Doctor after even that- but it didn’t matter. When she was with them, separate or together, it just felt- right. Like she belonged there. And at home, with her family, the people she’d fought beside, sacrificed for, for the past eight years...
“You’re not allowed to brood in the console room.”
Buffy started at the unexpected voice, pulling her gaze up to see that apparently River and the Doctor had finished their little navigating spat, and the older woman had moved to stand just in front of her. Over her shoulder, the Doctor met Buffy’s gaze easily, clearly backing River’s play. Frowning, the blonde shook her head in response. “I wasn’t brooding, I was just- thinking. Besides, brooding? Not really my thing. I leave that to the tall, dark, spiky-haired types.”
“Buffy!” Ahhh, and there was that pout again, this time being aimed at her. “I do not brood, thank you.”
“You do, at that, sweetie.” The corner of River’s mouth curled up into a smirk. “She also didn’t mean you.”
“Ah.” His shoulders relaxed a bit, where he’d bristled at the supposed accusation, and he swept his bangs out of his eyes with one hand, obviously flustered. “Sorry. I guess I’m a bit- well, there have been comments made, recently, and perhaps I took yours the wrong way, but- you were. Brooding, that is. I know the signs very well, and they were all there; you were distant, staring off at nothing, and-”
“And there is no brooding here. It’s pointless, accomplishes nothing, and there are much better ways to occupy your time.” River was still smirking, something suggestive lurking in her eyes, and again the Doctor protested.
“River, stop it! There’s a time and place, and this is not the time!” His eyes, so expressive, darted back and forth between both women, his hands wringing, and he finally settled his gaze on Buffy once more. “And that’s not why we brought you with us.” As if they’d planned it, River stepped back to let the Time Lord bend to one knee before the slayer, reaching for her hands, and Buffy let him take them without protest. Like everything else with them, it was easy to let him. His eyes seemed to search her face as he looked at her, his cool fingers rubbing soothingly across the back of her hands, and then he pressed on. “We want you to enjoy yourself, Buffy. You’re an amazing woman, and you have- you have been through so much, sacrificed so much, and now it’s time for you to rest. I-”
“Doctor,” she interrupted, her voice soft, a quiet smile. “I am enjoying myself. I promise. Just- thoughts. Like- this tornado of crazy stuff, all whirling around in my head. Kinda a lot to think about.”
“Then,” River this time, her smile warmer, reaching to lay a hand on top of one of Buffy and the Doctor’s, “let’s give you something else to think about, shall we?”
“Yes, let’s!” And before she knew it, the Doctor was standing again, cheer and pep as he tugged her to her feet by his grip on her hands. “There’s an entire planet outside those doors. No idea where- I let River pick this time, safer that way, at least sometimes- so let’s find out hmmm?”
“Alrighty.” A smile, shared between all three of them, and then they were off. Because if being here, in the TARDIS, with River and the Doctor, felt like home, then maybe that was okay.
Author: Koohii Cafe
Rating: FR7
Crossover: BtVS/Doctor Who
Disclaimer: Since I am a poor chickadee with no wealth to speak of, I think it's safe to say that neither BtVS nor Doctor Who are mine. ^^;
Written for: TtH August Fic A Day Challenge
Summary: Technically, ‘home’ was a castle in Scotland that had been of the few Council holdings to escape the First unscathed. And this- well, this was nothing but a flying blue box that traveled through time and space. But it felt like home.
~*~*~*~*~
It wasn’t home, not technically. Technically, ‘home’ was a castle in Scotland that had been of the few Council holdings to escape the First unscathed. Home was where Giles was working on gathering the new Council, Willow was searching for new slayers, Faith was helping to train the slayers they’d already found, Xander was sorting out the requirements to make the castle livable for said slayers. Home was where Dawn was going nuts studying for final exams. And this- well, this was nothing but a flying blue box that traveled through time and space. But it felt like home, far more than the castle did, or ever would.
She sat curled in one of the seats at the edge of the console platform, her head propped up on one hand, her elbow resting precariously on the railing behind the seat, and she watched. Watched as River worked the controls expertly, handling the ship as if she’d done it her whole life, and watched as the Doctor all but pouted beside her, throwing out various ‘pointers’ that the other Time Lord- or was that Lady?- proceeded to expertly ignore. She hadn’t known the pair for very long- she’d only met River barely two months ago, and she’d met the Doctor after even that- but it didn’t matter. When she was with them, separate or together, it just felt- right. Like she belonged there. And at home, with her family, the people she’d fought beside, sacrificed for, for the past eight years...
“You’re not allowed to brood in the console room.”
Buffy started at the unexpected voice, pulling her gaze up to see that apparently River and the Doctor had finished their little navigating spat, and the older woman had moved to stand just in front of her. Over her shoulder, the Doctor met Buffy’s gaze easily, clearly backing River’s play. Frowning, the blonde shook her head in response. “I wasn’t brooding, I was just- thinking. Besides, brooding? Not really my thing. I leave that to the tall, dark, spiky-haired types.”
“Buffy!” Ahhh, and there was that pout again, this time being aimed at her. “I do not brood, thank you.”
“You do, at that, sweetie.” The corner of River’s mouth curled up into a smirk. “She also didn’t mean you.”
“Ah.” His shoulders relaxed a bit, where he’d bristled at the supposed accusation, and he swept his bangs out of his eyes with one hand, obviously flustered. “Sorry. I guess I’m a bit- well, there have been comments made, recently, and perhaps I took yours the wrong way, but- you were. Brooding, that is. I know the signs very well, and they were all there; you were distant, staring off at nothing, and-”
“And there is no brooding here. It’s pointless, accomplishes nothing, and there are much better ways to occupy your time.” River was still smirking, something suggestive lurking in her eyes, and again the Doctor protested.
“River, stop it! There’s a time and place, and this is not the time!” His eyes, so expressive, darted back and forth between both women, his hands wringing, and he finally settled his gaze on Buffy once more. “And that’s not why we brought you with us.” As if they’d planned it, River stepped back to let the Time Lord bend to one knee before the slayer, reaching for her hands, and Buffy let him take them without protest. Like everything else with them, it was easy to let him. His eyes seemed to search her face as he looked at her, his cool fingers rubbing soothingly across the back of her hands, and then he pressed on. “We want you to enjoy yourself, Buffy. You’re an amazing woman, and you have- you have been through so much, sacrificed so much, and now it’s time for you to rest. I-”
“Doctor,” she interrupted, her voice soft, a quiet smile. “I am enjoying myself. I promise. Just- thoughts. Like- this tornado of crazy stuff, all whirling around in my head. Kinda a lot to think about.”
“Then,” River this time, her smile warmer, reaching to lay a hand on top of one of Buffy and the Doctor’s, “let’s give you something else to think about, shall we?”
“Yes, let’s!” And before she knew it, the Doctor was standing again, cheer and pep as he tugged her to her feet by his grip on her hands. “There’s an entire planet outside those doors. No idea where- I let River pick this time, safer that way, at least sometimes- so let’s find out hmmm?”
“Alrighty.” A smile, shared between all three of them, and then they were off. Because if being here, in the TARDIS, with River and the Doctor, felt like home, then maybe that was okay.