#How he helps Amy and Rory accomplish just that too

[not-another-doctor]

The 8th Doctor talking about how "inconvenient" a love that would make him lay waste to a whole city and how 100 years isn't that long to wait for someone is so ironic given how many times this BABY ends up destroying civilizations and spending billions of years for love 😭😭

[afteriwake]

All The Troubles In The Universe Just Sitting At My Doorstep (1 & 2/?)

So I don’t think I ever posted part 1 here, and I just updated with part 2 after seven years (!!!) at @strangelock221b‘s request, so here’s chapter 1 and you can read on for chapter 2 at the bottom.

All The Troubles In The Universe Just Sitting At My Doorstep - It's the end of the world as they know it, or at least the end of London. Possibly the rest of the world and the universe as a whole after that. Can Lestrade and the team he's gathered fight a reincarnated Moriarty who's possessed by a King of Hell and the Dalek he's controlling without killing each other first?

Read Chapter 1 @ AO3

“This is probably the most unusual case I’ve ever had,” Lestrade said with a sigh, rubbing the bridge of his nose. He looked at all the assorted people in his conference room. He had hoped to never have to call either of the other two parties for assistance on a case, but this case merited all of their involvement. He looked at everyone. Sherlock and John were to his right, Molly was to his left, and then there were…them.

He knew the Doctor well enough, because long, long ago he had asked him to be a companion. It was what had set him on the path of straightening up his life and working for Scotland Yard. He’d had to pull the Doctor out of a few scrapes in the years since, but it had been drama free for the last three because he had been gone traveling the universe. His two newest companions, Rory and Amelia Williams, were with him. He didn’t know them at all, but the Doctor had vouched for them because apparently they were family.

And then there were Molly’s cousins, Dean and Sam Winchester. Lestrade had a few contacts in the FBI in America, and one of them had given him the short version of what the FBI knew about the Winchesters. The long version probably would have meant he’d have to sit there for an hour. Molly had vouched for them, and explained what they were: hunters of all the things that went bump in the night. With Molly being his girlfriend and his knowledge that she was not completely crazy, he was inclined to believe her. And truth be told, he was glad for the help.

Even if all the help was arguing quite loudly at the moment, and all they were doing was giving him a headache.

“Enough!” he said finally, standing up and planting his hands on the table. Everyone turned to stare at him. “Look, Sherlock, I know you’re a skeptic but trust me, aliens are real and if Molly says demons are real then just believe her, all right? It’s nearly a week to Christmas. Even you can’t ignore the fact that every Christmas season some alien race or another decides to attack. Doctor, the solution to this problem is not herding us all on the TARDIS and taking us somewhere where we can plot and plan. Real lives are in danger and I’m not going to leave London to be tormented by a reincarnated Moriarty who’s possessed by a demon and has a Dalek on the loose. Dean, stop yelling at Molly for dating a copper. She’s about to be married to one if I have any say in the matter so you better get used to the idea.”

“Wow,” Rory said. “I didn’t think anything would get all of them to be quiet.”

“You’re going to marry him?” Dean hissed towards Molly, his eyes wide.

“I didn’t know we were at that point in our relationship yet, Dean,” she said, shaking her head. “But yes, when he proposes properly I plan on saying yes. And you two could use all the allies in law enforcement that you can get. Now then. Can we please bring the subject back to the matter at hand?”

“Thank you,” John said. “I was about to walk out of this ruckus. I don’t see how we can accomplish anything with everyone yelling at each other.”

“Very well. What do all of you need to make this work out to our advantage?” Lestrade said, sitting back down in his seat.

“Sam copied down pretty much everything we might need to vanquish a King of Hell,” Dean said. “If it wasn’t in our dad’s book it was someplace else we’ve been. I mean, we took down Lucifer. A King of Hell should be a piece of cake.”

Sherlock scoffed and he almost made a snide reply before Lestrade glared at him. Sherlock didn’t look cowed, but he did appear to reevaluate what he was going to say. “I know Moriarty’s behavior well enough,” he said finally. “Provided this so called demon that is supposedly inhabiting him hasn’t changed his behavior too much, I can help. I know what’s left of his criminal empire and where he could turn for help.”

“If he’s a cocky bastard it shouldn’t be too different,” Dean said.

“Then I’ll simply assume Moriarty will be much the same,” Sherlock said with a nod.

“I can handle the Dalek,” the Doctor said. “We’ve had experience dealing with the recently.”

“Yeah, that was quite a fun day,” Amy said sarcastically. “Nearly became one of them myself.”

Lestrade looked at her quizzically for a moment before the look dropped off his face. “Then let’s all work together on this. Remember, if London falls, America and then the rest of the world and possibly the whole universe are next. We all want to protect our homes, right?” Everyone nodded and there was a general murmur of agreement. “Then let’s get to work. This is all off the books because, frankly, if I told my superiors about all this they’d lock me up in a psychiatric ward and throw away the key. So let’s get to work on the various aspects of this case and try not to kill each other, all right?”

“Where do we want to reconvene at?” Sam asked. “I mean, if this is off the books than Scotland Yard probably isn’t the best place for us to meet.”

“TARDIS?” the Doctor suggested, looking at Lestrade.

Lestrade bit back a sigh. “I suppose so. But no taking us somewhere to wait it out. We stay here in London and fix the problem. We don’t run away.”

“All right,” the Doctor said with a nod. “If all of you will follow me, I’ll show you where I’ve parked it.”

With that, everyone began to file out. Once the door was opened everyone stayed relatively silent. Lestrade and Molly were the last two in the room. “I’m sorry I said that,” he said.

“That you want to marry me?” she asked. He nodded, and she smiled. “Don’t be. If we all get through this you can give me a ring and a proper proposal.”

“That’s if we all get through this,” he said.

She reached over for his hand and gave it a squeeze. “Trust me, if anyone can save us, it’s this group of people. Have some faith, Greg. You got the best of the best.”

“I just hope you’re right,” he said, and with that they left to join everyone else.

Read Chapter 2 @ AO3

[storypraxis]

MARTHA JONES Is The Perfect DOCTOR WHO Supporting Character

Having recently rewatched Series 3 of Doctor Who, not only is it my favourite of new Who, but so is Martha Jones. I’d also go as far as saying she is the perfect supporting character.

First off, Freema Agyeman was the perfect casting decision. The showrunners were really impressed with her in the minor role she played at the end of Series 2. Instead of ignoring this fact, the writing brings up how it was Martha’s cousin who died at the Battle of Canary Warf. This accomplishes a couple of things; it explains how the same actress played two characters on the show without causing continuity errors. Then you have the Doctor forced to be reminded of said battle.

And Rose.

Which brings up to how the Doctor is still dealing with losing Rose at the end of Series 2. He needs a new companion and when a smart, clever, resourceful doctor presents herself to fill the spot, they both take it. The show gives us two doctors for the titular Doctor to choose from to accompany him. It’s obvious why he’d go for Martha given how scared the other candidate is. Unlike Rose, Martha was whisked into an adventure along with a hundred other people yet she’s the one who joins him in the TARDIS.

Rose’s shadow looms long over the Doctor. The Time Lord takes Martha to the same places he took Rose. People have criticized the showrunner Russell T. Davies of being obsessed with the character of Rose and the drama that came with it, but for me it just comes off as staying true to the character of the Doctor. He isn’t just going to forget about Rose and how in sync they were. That would be very disrespectful to Rose and her fans. Sadly this means Martha does get left behind as a character. She fulfills her purpose perfectly even though it means she cannot compete when it comes to Rose. It makes her character tragic and very sympathetic.

Snog her, you idiot!

Maybe it’s just me finding Freema and Martha attractive but as an audience member you really wish the Doctor could see Martha the way she sees him. Albeit, the Doctor shouldn’t really be dating any of his companions to be honest. Still, Martha isn’t getting enough out of their relationship or lack thereof which is sad.

Speaking of sad, Martha can show her vulnerability as easily as she can be sassy and funny. She can stare at the Doctor with puppy dog eyes in one scene yet demand answers about him and his past the next. All these emotions come off naturally, both in the writing and with Freema’s acting. She’s just a perfect blend of a supporting character. Balanced like all things should be.

Now, having said that, there is a problem with Martha. Despite being a balanced character that also means she doesn’t have the highest of highs or the lowest of low points. For the most part, Martha lacks major strengths and weaknesses that would solidify her as a great character.

Martha’s fun even when she tries too hard to be funny.

For that to happen, Series 3 would have needed a Martha-centric episode. If she had wanted to go back to being a doctor for a while then maybe her personality would have shone through more. This would cause a detour in the story and mess with the pacing though. One could argue that “Blink” does that, but who’d want to get rid of that episode? Plus the Doctor-lite episode was needed so both Tennant and Agyeman could do more shooting for other episodes.

I have loads of ideas for a Martha-centric episode...

Martha is a perfect supporting character, as in she services both the protagonist, story and plot. Supporting characters just tend to not be fleshed out well enough to be great characters. Arguably this changes when Martha decides to leave the Doctor. I haven’t seen her adventures in Torchwood but (I will check them out now!) Martha’s return in Series 4 was glorious. When we last see her in Ten’s last episode she’s an outright badass. So there is growth and character development, I just wonder how much of that is offscreen.

Martha’s main weakness, if you can call humanity that, is her feelings of inadequacy brought on by her unrequited crush/love for the Doctor. It humanizes Martha, adding to the juxtaposition between her and the inhuman Time Lord. Again, serving the protagonist and the story perfectly. The one-sided love story just never goes anywhere. Martha’s decision to just get out is sensible and it makes her extremely likeable and wise. It provides a character arc for her, but it’s not exactly memorable nor does it propel the story into new heights.

Martha literally gives her last breath to the Doctor as they are about to suffocate on the Moon.

That said, Martha went way beyond the call of duty, sacrificing herself to help the Doctor. Especially during the two-parter "Human Nature/Family of Blood” where Martha had to witness the Doctor falling in love with another woman while trying to keep the Time Lord safe from evil aliens. All the while having to put up with the prejudiced attitudes of the early 20th century England.

Right before Martha schools her on all the bones in her hand that’s about to pimp slap her.

In the same two-parter, when the amnesiac Doctor-turned-human falls down the stairs, Martha comes over as soon as she hears of it. Concern for the Doctor’s wellbeing is the first thing on her mind. Sure, Martha’s trapped there with the Doctor being her only way out, but it never comes across like that. The things Martha endures are sacrifices she’s deemed necessary. It really speaks volumes about the true grit of her character.

Waifu material.

She never becomes bitter or hardened by any of it either. Yet she isn’t without some sass either. When Martha’s told she should knock before entering, she steps back towards the door, knocks it and comes back. Martha Jones is such a well rounded character it’s a shame we only had her for a single season.

I’ll reiterate; all this this makes Martha my favourite New Who companion. It makes her the perfect supporting character.

I was going to make a joke about this, but I think the logo speaks for itself...

Martha’s own supporting cast reflects this as well. They all serve to paint a picture of Martha and pushing the story forward. Martha’s mother Francine is excelently utilized with very little screen time. Her skepticism towards the strange Doctor is only natural. It makes perfect sense for Francine to work with Saxon’s people who seemingly want to protect Martha like she does. This side plot in ��42″ is actually the best part about the otherwise mundane enviromentalist episode.

Martha isn’t a jokester, but she has her moments. Kudos to Freema’s versatility as an actress.

As a character though, Jackie Tyler, annoying as she could be at times, is far better though. Jackie’s flirty personality, her accent and overall attitude towards life just shines through her every delivery of a line of dialogue. There are plot involving Jackie’s dead husband coming back to life and creating a deadly time paradox, too. Whereas Martha’s dad dating another woman doesn’t have effect on the plot. It doesn’t even phase Martha herself, she just tries to steer clear and juggle between her mom and dad which is easy because by now she lives on her own. Drama free.

That is when she isn’t being jettisoned into the sun!

Side note, I’m glad the character got a happy ending, albeit not with the Doctor like she wished. After all the hardships she endured and sacrifices she made for the Doctor for very little reward, she’s earned a little peace and quiet. She wasn’t lost on a parallel Earth nor forgot her adventures. She didn’t “die” like Amy, Rory and Clara.

It would have been absolutely terrible had Martha died. She’s my favourite of the bunch so it’s good to know she’s still out there somewhere in the Whoverse. The fact she could be easily written back into the show some day warms my heart.

For future reference, should Martha come back to the show and should the writers decide to kill off her character... like they are doing with the show proper at the moment... then allow me to give the showrunners and writers some advice. If Martha has to die, make her sacrifice herself for the Doctor one last time. As a one final act of love towards the man (assuming he’s back to being a man).

She’s talking about Shakespeare, but Martha’s line is very indicative of her relationship with the Doctor.

Don’t give us Mad Martha who decides to burn down whole cities full of people, okay. Don’t give us that “Martha kinda forgot her Hippocratic Oath” crap. You got that? Just making sure...

Anyway, Series 3 wasn’t the end for Martha and I’m so glad the character came back in Series 4 and like I said, I’ll be checking out Torchwood for more Martha appearances. But we’re here to talk about her as a companion so let’s get back on track.

That’s what she said about my tangent.

Now, you could get a good episode about Martha’s family drama, much like how Rose changed time to save his dad. But it’s not really necessary. The family drama in Series 11 has certainly shown how dull and dreary stories like that can be. That is why, even though Martha and her family aren’t exactly great characters that provide great stories, they are perfect at providing a clear context to the imaginary world that the Doctor, the TARDIS and time travel represents.

Freema sells that magical moment of a companion stepping into the TARDIS for the first time perfectly.

Again, perfect supporting characters that don’t waste time away from the things people actually watch the show for. That said, I wouldn’t have minded seeing a cat fight between Francine and her ex husband’s new bimbo girlfriend!

Just a single scene like that would have been endlessly entertaining and damn memorable!

Imagine that but between her and the bimbo: “Keep away from my husband.”

Martha’s sister Tish fares a lot better as a character as far as personality goes. There isn’t really a sibling rivalry going on, but Tish’s remarks about Martha dating a science geek speaks a lot about both her and Martha’s characters. What they look for in a man. When the Doctor asks what a science geek means, Martha explains it’s just someone who’s passionate about science which makes the Doctor happy. Which is what Martha wants, whether she was telling him the truth or sparing his feelings with such an interpretation. Brilliant writing for the characters all around.

Tish working with both Lazarus and Saxon, even if both instances were brought about by Saxon himself, tells about Tish being drawn towards wealth and power.

She was even ready to “snog” a de-aged Lazarus!

Damn right, she is! Not just a pretty face but smart too!

I wish we’d have seen more of Tish. Her interaction with Martha really created a contrast that benefitted both characters. In “The Lazarus Experiment” especially, Martha gets to shine. After helping her family escape, she goes back for the Doctor against her mother’s wishes. Later, Tish comes along. Martha takes control and takes Tish with her so that the Doctor has time to defeat Lazarus himself. Martha let’s the Doctor shine and in doing so shines herself. Tish acts as a great supporting character herself by asking who the Time Lord is. At this point Martha already knows because she’s asked him herself, demanding answers.

“We need to talk.” Never a good sign except in fiction.

Martha or the handling of her character is often criticized for how she had a thing for the Doctor. Her character was much more. In an early episode “Gridlock” we get one of Martha’s best moments; when she demands answers about the Doctor. She forces the Time Lord to come out of his shell, to stop pretending everything was all right. The Doctor tells Martha about being the last of the Time Lords which fits perfectly to the story of the Series.

Namely that the Doctor is not the last of his kind.

The Doctor also mentions how the Time Lords were all lost in a Time War, battling against the Daleks. It’s a great segway into the next two-parter story about Daleks themselves. The story flows really well with one thing leading to the next. The pacing is really good while the characters remain true to themselves. That said, it’s good to have Martha around to challenge the Doctor.

Asking seemingly harmless questions like this is vital for good supporting characters. We get to see the Doctor’s reaction to his home planet being brought up.

That said, I should mention a couple of things. In the episode “Smith & Jones” the Doctor kisses Martha to mark her with some of his DNA. This is done on the fly and while the Doctor had a plan, I dislike how this puts Martha in danger. Now, she doesn’t get into any serious trouble but considering how trigger happy the Judoon platoon upon the moon are, things could have gone real bad. This kiss does start Martha’s infatuation with the Doctor so there’s that.

Wait, don’t snog her, you idiot! Now she’s in danger!

The Doctor’s indifference to cool and hot Martha does make him in return look cooler. Martha is essentially the Doctor’s cheerleader which, despite sounding as not complimentary, really is that. You need the audience to root for the main character and this is partly achieved through supporting characters singing their praises. Of course, the characters still have to earn that praise. You can’t just have characters emotionally validate themselves or others to the audience.

Though it doesn’t hurt when Shakespeare himself is singing your praises.

The downside to the Doctor’s indifference is that he does come across as a jerk at times. Now this can be either a good or a bad thing based on the audience. While Martha is perfect as a supporting character, you don’t want neither her or the protagonist to be perfect. The Doctor missing Rose, as annoying as that can be to some, is keeping true to the character. The Doctor is in mourning. It’s his grief period and Martha is there to help him through it. In doing so, Martha learns that she doesn’t want to wait forever for another person to notice her.

In one of the best episodes in New Who’s history, “Utopia” draws a parallel between Doctor and Martha and the Professor and his assistant Chantho. Much like Martha, Chantho is smart, kind and caring. Based on her interactions and demeanor, Chantho adores the Professor and like Martha with the Doctor, she has a crush on him. Both the Professor and the Doctor don’t notice these signs. For an individual episode this is all well and good, but given the secret about Professor Yana, this parallel is much more impactful than it seems at first.

Spoilers to a Series over ten years old; Yana is actually the Master. This twist alone, the callback to the concept of a fob watch allowing a Time Lord to masquerade as a human was a brilliant touch. Martha of course recognizes Yana’s fob watch instantly and again, Freema sells the feeling of terror and dread so damn well.

Later in the episode Martha recognizes the Master’s voice as Harold Saxon. The name we’ve heard all throughout the Series. A lesser show would not have given Martha’s character such insight. It’s one of the numerous details that make her character clever and likeable.

Unfortunately, likeable characters aren’t always the most compelling ones. This makes Martha an underappreciated companion in the series history. While Martha is my favourite, I can’t really blame the detractors. Martha Jones served her purpose on the show which meant couldn’t shine as brightly of a star of her caliber. I’d still take her any day over Clara Oswald who was such a bad supporting character that it encroached on becoming the Clara Who show. And I say this as someone who loved the past and future Claras and Jenna Coleman playing the character(s).

Anyway, back to the actual episodes. While context is key, I find it interesting how the Master kills Chantho, showing no regard for her life. Now, the Doctor does care about life and he’s risked his own life for Martha many times. Still, being around the Doctor, much like with the Master, is dangerous. Neither can truly love their companions the way they want. That parallel is fascinating and I’m glad Martha was allowed to walk away from it of her own free will. Definitely one of the reasons this Series has the best writing out of New Who.

One of the few times the Doctor rewards Martha’s loyalty and bravery. Her reaction to receiving a key to the TARDIS is everything!

Speaking of writing. Before Martha says her goodbye, she has to walk the Earth and spread the gospel of the Doctor to the people of the world. Many have criticized how the show made the Doctor out to be a god who regains his power through prayer essentially. Rightfully so because even in context the twist does feel outlandish albeit totally awesome. Subjectively I’d say it’s one of the best moments in New Who.

Basically, the people have been subliminaly made to vote Master/Saxon into office. Now the Doctor has tapped himself into the same telepathic field and receives prayers, the word “Doctor” across the world. This turns him basically invincible for a time. Time enough to defeat the Master.

Because the telepathic field had been established in a prior episode and its effects had been reincorporated over and over again in the form of a drumming that the Master himself heard inside his head, I find that the twist is properly set up. That and because Martha has spent a whole year travelling around the world acting as a cheerleader for the Doctor.

The best cheerleader you could ever hope for!

Though how the Doctor’s orders relayed by Martha never reached the Master’s ears is a mystery. Martha was aware of a traitor though and she spoke to her accordingly, feeding false information. I doubt she told the people about the telepathic field. The Master could not put two and two together when the Doctor himself told of the plan. To the Master it was just hope and prayer.

Suffice to say I have mixed feelings about the final twist. None of this detracts from Martha Jones as a companion though and that’s why I wrote this blog post about her. If you’ve managed to get this far I thank you.

Boy, that was a lot of out of order, wibbly wobbly rambling about a show that I love and a companion I adore. Started well, that blog post.

<3

[rcrantz]

Reviewing Doctor Who: What Have We Learned, Class?

Now that I’ve watched every Doctor Who there is to watch, you may be surprised to learn that I have some opinions! So, since you’re all here, I suppose I may as well share.

The Classic Era. You know that old cliche about the one constant characteristic of Doctor Who being change? It’s absolutely correct. It started its life as a low-budget show about a grumpy old man with a very inaccurate time machine and became . . . a lot of different things over the years. But it started to feel like Doctor Who pretty early on in its run--much like the character of the Doctor, the themes and faces change, but there is a core idea that never quite goes away.

As such, it’s hard to give the classic era one defining trait--each Doctor is very different from most of the others--but I think it’s safe to say that characters are handled differently. In the classic era, character arcs are less of a thing. We seldom meet the friends and family of our companions, and there are very few character-driven stories. That’s not to say there aren’t excellent characters and excellent character dynamics, but the focus is generally elsewhere. (There are, of course, exceptions.)

The interesting thing is how casual this makes some of the companions’ departures. Modern Who won’t let a companion leave without giving them a whole climactic episode (and Moffat won’t let a companion leave without having them pretend to leave six times, then have them seem to leave forever only to come back and travel through space and time with some random interstellar badass); in contrast, many of the companion departures in classic Who are fairly abrupt. The Doctor ditches Susan so she can get married to the dude she was hanging out with; he leaves Sarah Jane Smith in the wrong city because humans aren’t allowed on Gallifrey and he’s been summoned; Nyssa decides that she’d rather stay and help plague victims than keep traveling; and so on. Sometimes they decide to leave, sometimes the Doctor leaves them behind, but the show seldom dwells.

On the one hand, if you don’t like a companion this is fantastic. Classic Who relies much less on continuity (due, I think, largely to the format): if a character is gone, chances are we won’t hear about them again. But it does mean that some interesting character dynamics aren’t fully explored.

All told, I had a lot of fun with the classic era, and I think a lot of it is worth revisiting. Due to the episodic nature it’s pretty easy to just drop in wherever; you’ll probably figure out what’s going on without too much trouble. (I think Romana is the only companion who benefits from a bit of explanation, and even then all you need to say is “Romana is also a Time Lord.”)

The Davies Era. When I started watching, of course, Davies was all there was. I think I picked it up right after the End of Time had aired, before Moffat’s era started. Davies loves his character drama (see also my “rose is sad” tag), and lingers a lot on the effect the Doctor has on the lives he touches--and on the lives of their family and friends. Though this sometimes goes spectacularly badly (see: Father’s Day), for the most part I appreciate it. The companions feel more real, and it adds a layer of complexity to the Doctor’s character and his relationship with his companions.

He also likes big explosive finales where the fate of the world/universe is in balance, and meta-arcs which aren’t so much story arcs as they are a series of references that make you go “ah-ha” when you finally hit the finale. I actually like that, for the most part: if the finale is bad, you don’t feel that the whole arc is ruined; if it’s good, it adds a little bit of extra satisfaction to the resolution.

Early on in Davies’ run, the Doctor was usually an unknown character. He later starts running into people he’s encountered before, and of course the Daleks have a personal vendetta, but only once (during a Moffat-penned episode) during the Davies era does the Doctor save the day by just saying “I’m the Doctor, look me up.”

The Davies era is still firmly in the classic style: the Doctor and his companions live on the TARDIS. In the modern era they now visit their homes with some regularity, but they’re still primarily travelers. On some level, even if they’re expecting to be able to go home again, they give up their lives to travel with the Doctor.

The Moffat Era. I was actually pretty stoked to hear Moffat was the new showrunner when time rolled around, because his episodes thus far had all been top-notch. And while doing this rewatch I did not dislike it nearly as much as I’d remembered. So why was it frustrating my first time through?

I think most of it is that Moffat likes to set up interesting mysteries without having a good resolution in mind. Sometimes he simply fails to resolve them, sometimes the resolution is a cheap cop-out, and sometimes it’s just unsatisfying. And the seasons are now woven into the meta-plot to some degree or other, making it harder to extricate.

Moffat’s meta-plots are more involved than Davies’ were, which also means they’re less subtle. They will regularly feature brief segments, usually at the end of an episode, where the ongoing mystery happens: In Series 5, it would be a shot of a Crack in Time; in Series 8, we had Missy; etc., etc. I didn’t like most of these meta-plots, as you can probably see from the fact that I gave most of their conclusions relatively poor grades.

Moffat is also much more focused on the Doctor as a character, and especially early on it’s focused on the Doctor as the Most Important Being In The Universe. This leads to some really goofy situations (the Pandorica Opens), and there’s a lot more reliance on “I’m the Doctor, look me up” as a resolution to plot devices. (There’s also a lot more reliance on “time travel!!!” as a resolution, which Doctor Who actually usually tries to avoid, I think because it’s usually not as clever as Moffat thinks it is.) He tries to back away from this later on, but there are still some lingering traces. (He literally makes the Doctor the President of Earth. This is wrong on so many levels.)

It also seems Moffat does not particularly like two-part episodes. So, so many of these stories I’ve had the thought on initially watching them that “if this had a second part, it would have been great.” The pacing feels rushed. Worse, often when we do have two-parters, they frequently follow the “part one is a completely different story from part two” formula. This is fine occasionally, but often it makes it feel like, rather than resolving the cliffhanger from the previous episode, we’re just assuming that was resolved off camera and we’ve got a new, related story going on. 45-ish minutes is not a very long time to tell a good story; it’s doable, but many of the stories want us to care about characters we’ve hardly had time to get to know.

For some reason partway through Amy and Rory’s time on the TARDIS, Moffat decided that his companions now lived primarily at home, and the Doctor only stops by occasionally for Adventure Purposes. I don’t think this decision made anything better.

Still, though I have many critiques of the Moffat era, it’s still Doctor Who. It produced some fantastic episodes, and Twelve is probably my second favorite modern Doctor (despite a seriously rocky start).

Stray Thoughts. Doctor Who experiments. I think that’s at the heart of the show. Sometimes those experiments fall flat, and sometimes they accomplish great things, but despite being a show with a strong formula, it’s never afraid to innovate. It’s true we’d probably have missed out on some of the less enjoyable stories if the show had been more conservative, but we also wouldn’t have stories like Midnight. (Hell, we probably wouldn’t even be here. I don’t know if I would have made the decision to have the Doctor transform from a grumpy old man into a bumbling clown way back in the day, and I think that change, more than anything else, helped bring us to the modern era.) It’s a show with the spirit of an explorer, and even when it falls flat it doesn’t diminish the effort.

By the time this gets published, it’ll only be a few months til the Christmas special airs, which will be the end of the Moffat era and the end of Twelve, and very probably will be our first “official” glimpse at Jodie Whittaker as the Thirteenth Doctor. The show’s about to change--that’s what it does. That’s why it’s still here, fifty-odd years later. I, for one, am looking forward to it.

[perfectlyrose]

Up In Flames (3/10)

Summary: In the year since they decided to become a team, John Smith and Rose Tyler have made quite the names for themselves as Team TARDIS, bank robbers extraordinaire. Newspapers the world over run headlines about The Doctor and the Bad Wolf and their latest heists. They’re practically unstoppable.

Then their world spins to a halt with a phone call. Jack’s in trouble again and a formidable enemy from John’s past has emerged from the shadows to try and destroy the bank robbing couple once and for all. Will they be able to survive this new threat intact or will the life they’ve been building together go up in flames?

A sequel to Watch it Burn, a Nine/Rose bank robbers AU

Word Count: 2748

Rating: Teen

Note: so it looks like my terrible updating skills that plagued Watch it Burn have migrated with me to this story. sorry for being gone for two months.

also welcome Clara and Amy to the story! :D

Read here: tumblr // ao3 // tsp // ff

John finished making his tea and took it to the desk where he’d set up his laptop. He may not know exactly how to take down the Master while keeping Rose safe and Jack from being killed but the only way to possibly accomplish it was to try.

He opened his laptop and navigated to one of the chat rooms on the deep web that he knew Clara frequented. He sent up a virtual flare that he hoped she would see and then started the waiting game. John half-listened to what he was fairly sure was Rose’s third phone call and third different accent as he took his first sip of tea. He grimaced and barely managed to swallow the liquid. This was why he and Rose always found a flat to stay in where they could easily set up a kettle. Making tea in the microwave was barbaric.

He was halfway through his cup regardless when Clara messaged him back with a link to a secure private chat.

John quickly explained that he needed help with a hack because the target was familiar with his methods. He kept it as vague as he could on the details but made sure to tell Clara that this was a risky job if she took it. The target was likely to try and backhack her at some point and there was also the threat of him physically tracking her down and trying to do her harm.

Clara flippantly wrote back that her girlfriend was a soldier and would take anyone out that tried to hurt her and then asked when they were starting.

He let her know that he wasn’t ready quite yet and was without his normal secure equipment and then started filling her in on the basics of his plan, including the fact that he would be distracting the target while she slipped in and got whatever information she could lay her digital hands on.

Clara made sure to clarify a few things and then gave him a method of contacting her directly so he could let her know when he was ready to start.

John thanked her and logged off.

He shut his laptop and walked over to the bed that Rose was lying on, still talking on the phone and typing notes on her laptop. He quickly shed his leather jacket, tossing it on the end of the bed before crawling onto it and leaning against the pile of pillows by the headboard.

Rose glanced over at him with a raised eyebrow, asking a question without ever pausing her conversation. He just offered a small smile in return and then closed his eyes, willing himself to relax.

A few minutes later, Rose wrapped up her conversation and hung up her mobile. He listened as she set her phone on the nightstand and finished typing a few things before her laptop closed with a soft click. The bed shifted as she leaned over to set the laptop on the floor and then there was a soft weight on his chest.

John cracked an eye open to look down at the blonde who was resting her head on his shoulder. She curled in closer, draping an arm over his chest and pressing against his side as she let out a soft sigh.

“We’re going to pull this off,” she said, words slightly muffled by his jumper. “We always make it work.”

“I know,” he answered, hoping that he sounded sure enough to convince her that he really meant the words.

She leveraged herself up so she would be looking him in the eye if his eyes were open. “Hey, look at me.”

John reluctantly opened his eyes.

“I mean it. We can do this.”

The hacker swallowed hard, tried to swallow the ball of fear that had seemed to be living in his throat since Jack called and didn’t succeed. Maybe he needed to spit it out instead. Rose would understand.

She always understood.

“I’m scared, Rose,” he admitted. The ball of fear didn’t dissipate because he’d spoken of it aloud. It remained lodged in back of his throat, making it hard to breathe.

She settled back on his chest, knowing that it was easier to talk when they weren’t looking at each other. “I am too. This guy who has Jack is terrifying.”

You have no idea, John thought, a desperate laugh almost escaping his throat. Out loud he just made an affirmative noise.

Rose pressed a kiss to his collarbone through his jumper. “We’ll make it through this and get back to robbing banks.”

This time he did huff out a laugh. “Bank robbing seems like child’s play compared to this.”

“Pretty much is,” Rose agreed. “It’s not like the coppers have even gotten close to us yet.”

John leaned down and dropped a kiss to the crown of her head before wrapping an arm around her and pulling her closer, holding on to her tighter than normal.

He wasn’t telling her, but he was terrified that taking on Koschei would lead to him losing her, one way or another. Either his old partner would get his hands on her and take her out just to watch him suffer or he would be forced to reveal some of the past he had worked so hard to put behind him and he was positive that Rose would turn from him in disgust and disappointment if she ever found out the whole truth.

Rose tightened her grip when John did, trying to silently tell him that she was with him, that she wasn’t going anywhere. She wasn’t sure what had him this unsettled and worried but she was going to do her best to soothe him and let him tell her in his own time.

She had to be confident that he would tell her whatever she needed to know.

She had to hope that he would trust her enough to share everything else.

They stayed wrapped up in each other for a few more minutes, taking and giving what comfort they could. Rose pulled away first.

“I promised Amy I’d call her in a few,” she said apologetically before leaning in for a quick kiss.

“That’s the ginger grifter, right?” he asked once she’d pulled away.

“The tall one,” Rose clarified since she was friends with a couple of people that fit his description. “She’s not really in the game anymore since her fiancé is more or less on the straight and narrow but she’s still got her ear to the ground.”

“I should probably start getting things ready for the hack with Clara,” he admitted. “Got distracted earlier.”

“But she said she’d help?” Rose asked.

“Forgot I hadn’t told you. She’s definitely willing to help. I’m supposed to contact her when I’m ready to go.”

“Sounds good. Let me know when you’re about to start too. I’ll pack up our things and be ready to leave.”

John nodded and looked like he was about to say something else but the loud ring of Rose’s mobile cut him off before he could start.

Rose looked at it and rolled her eyes with fond exasperation. “It’s Amy, must’ve thought I forgot that I was going to call her. Go do your hacker thing.”

John could only shake his head slightly, smile quirking the corners of his mouth upwards. It never failed to amuse him that Rose knew so much about every aspect of committing a crime and could put together an intricate plan for breaking the most difficult targets without breaking a sweat but could never get a handle on what it was he did with computers.

She tended to call it magic. He tended to tease her about being computer illiterate, a claim she always refuted hotly, telling him that she was as perfectly capable of using a computer as the next person and he shouldn’t judge her by his hacker standards.

He rolled off the bed and headed back to his laptop as Rose answered her call.

“Hey Ames, I didn’t forget about you.” Rose said immediately, smiling as she settled back on the pile of pillows against the headboard.

“I’d be offended if I thought you’d forgotten about me! Just thought you might’ve gotten distracted and I’m bored since Rory’s out of town this week.” Amy’s Scottish voice rolled over Rose like a balm. It had been too long since she’d talked to her friend.

“I was talking to John but I was about to call you.”

“You do tend to get distracted by him but since he makes you happy, I’ll let it slide,” she said.

“Generous of you,” Rose retorted dryly.

“I know. So, what’s going on? Been awhile since I’ve heard from you. Still off traveling the world and stealing things?”

“It’s a good combination,” Rose said. “And yeah, we’re in America right now.” She hadn’t told Amy that she and John were the bank robbers who had been making headlines, just that they were traveling.

“Isn’t it like really early in the morning over there?” Amy asked.

“Earlier than I usually like to be awake.”

“Guess this isn’t a social call then.”

“You’d already guessed that, Amy,” Rose said with a sigh.

“I had, but I’ve always been a better conman than you,” she teased gently.

“That’s because you refused to teach me all of your tricks!”

“Had to keep something to myself! Needed to stay in business!”

“Of course,” Rose said, smile audible in her voice.

“But really, Rose. What’s going on? You’re dancing around the point and that’s never good.”

Rose sighed again. “In a bit of trouble, Ames.”

She snorted. “Aren’t you always?”

“Not like this. This is bad and it involves me and John.”

“Right. So, I’m assuming you called to ask for help so what do you need?” Amy immediately switched to being all business.

“Is there anythin’ weird going down in London right now? Anything that seems off?” Rose asked.

“I haven’t heard anything. Just the normal weirdness of the city and its resident criminals.” She paused. “Is there anything specific I should be on the lookout for?”

Rose chewed on her bottom lip as silence stretched over the connection.

“Rose?”

“Sorry, was just thinking. But yeah, if you hear anything about someone calling himself ‘The Master’ or Koschei or Harold Saxon, let me know and keep an eye on it. Might have ties to the Agency but I can’t be sure.”

“Master, Koschei, Saxon. Got it. Don’t think I’ve run across any of those names, though there was a Harry Saxon running for Parliament last year I think. I don’t think he won the seat and I haven’t heard anything about him since.”

“Still good info though. Gives me somewhere to start digging.”

“What else do you need? I know I’m an excellent source of criminal gossip most days but you have other connected acquaintances you can get this stuff from,” Amy said.

“I need you to get some things from John’s flat,” Rose admitted. “There’s a good chance that it’s being watched so we can’t go ourselves.”

John turned away from his laptop to make eye contact and nod in agreement, letting her know that he agreed with her plan.

“That mean you’re coming back to London finally?”

“More like being forced back to London, but yeah.”

“Good, it’s been too long since I’ve seen you. I mean, not good that you’re being somehow forced back here but you know what I mean.”

Rose cracked a smile, picturing the pacing and gesticulating that was undoubtedly accompanying Amy’s words. “I know what you mean. So, you’ll get stuff from the flat for us?”

“Of course! What do you need?”

Rose rattled off a list of her equipment and where in the flat it was as soon as Amy told her she had paper to make a list. By the time she was done with that, John handed her a list of his own that he’d scribbled down on the hotel notepad for her to relay to Amy.

“Got all of that?” Rose asked when she came to the last item.

“Think so! Will it all fit in a duffel bag?”

“Should.”

“Perfect. Do you know when you’re going to be back so we can meet up and I can give you your stuff?”

Rose glanced over at John but he had his headphones on and was laser-focused on his laptop which meant he was preparing for the hack.

“Don’t know for sure but definitely within forty-eight hours,” she said.

“I’ll go over there tonight then. Do you have door codes for the building?”

“Yeah, and there’s a security system in the flat itself.” Rose gave her the necessary codes and instructions for disabling the flat security

“Sounds like a bit of overkill,” Amy said.

“It is but John’s a security nut.”

“Most hackers are.”

Rose hummed in agreement.

“And how are you doing, Rose?” Amy asked, voice uncommonly gentle for her. “Are you okay?”

“I was doing brilliantly until last night or this morning or whenever we got the bad news,” Rose admitted. “Having the time of my life travelling with John and breaking laws in multiple countries.”

“That’s my girl.”

Rose laughed weakly.

“Is there anything you can tell me?” Amy pressed. She knew her friend well and she knew Rose didn’t fare well when she bottled everything up and let it fester.

“Not a lot,” she said apologetically.

She paused and then just let words spill from her mouth. “I’m just so worried. This Master guy has John more tense than I’ve ever seen him and he’s closing off in ways that he hasn’t in months. I’m worried that we won’t get a win here with what we’re trying to do and I’m worried that we won’t make it through in one piece even if we do.”

“Rose, the two of you are solid. You’ll get through this,” Amy assured her.

“What if we don’t?” Rose exhaled roughly, a bad facsimile of a laugh. “I feel silly for worrying about this when there’s so much danger lurking around but I can’t help it. I’m worried about John and what this is doing to him and what it might do to us and --” she broke off with a frustrated noise.

“Rose, take a deep breath for me.”

She did as she was instructed and let Amy calm her down over the phone.

When Amy continued, it was with her signature blend of kindness and bluntness that made her one of Rose’s closest friends. “Now listen to me. You’re being stupid but not for the reasons you think. It’s completely okay to be worrying about John and your relationship. I’d be worried about your relationship if you weren’t, honestly! But you’ve got to talk to him about it.”

“It’s not that easy…”

“It is that easy. You love him. He loves you. Talk about it.”

“Amy…”

“Nope, don’t want to hear it. Tell him you’re worried and why and maybe he’ll start talking more too. You don’t get to complain about him being all bottled up when you’re the exact same way. Two way street there.”

Rose groaned. “I hate it when you make sense.”

“Lucky for us I don’t do it very often.”

Rose looked over at John again, just in time to see him take his headphones off. “I’m about to start. Clara’s ready.”

She nodded and he turned back to his screen, slipping headphones back on again.

“Okay Ames, I’ve got to go. I’ll let you know when and where to meet us as soon as I know, okay?”

“Sounds good. Take care of yourself, Rose, okay?”

“You don’t have to mother me. I’ll be fine.”

“You need so much mothering. Make sure to eat some vegetables. Maybe have some stress-relief sex with that hacker of yours.”

Rose groaned. “I’m hanging up now.”

“I’ll see you soon!”

“Yep! See ya soon.”

Rose rang off and stared at the ceiling for a moment, composing herself. She took a deep breath and then swung her legs over the side of the bed and starting gathering the few things they had unpacked during their short stay.

By the time John said thanks and goodbye to Clara and powered off his laptop, Rose was by the door and ready to go. When the door swung shut behind them, there was no trace in the anonymous hotel room that they had ever been there at all.

[riversofmars]

Chapter 10: The Lesser Evil

Tranzelore

“Don’t go, please my love, it’s too dangerous.“ River pleaded, grabbing her husband’s arm as he headed for his time stream that pulsed and flared in the middle of his supposed tomb.“You can’t cross into your own time stream.“ It was done, Vastra, Jenny and Strax where back, so were Amy and Rory. Clara had done it, jumping into his time stream, she had stopped the Great Intelligence at every turn, keeping the timeline intact. There was nothing left to do.

“I’ve got to get her out.“ He insisted stepping closer to his time stream.

“You could die, you could cease to exist.“ River argued trying to stop him.

“She’s always there, all over my time stream, that is why she is important.“ The pieces were falling into place. This was why they had been encountering Clara over and over again. He had been so intrigued and finally, he had figured it out. “Run you clever boy and remember.“ He echoed the words she had said to him many times over.

“Darling.“ River could sense she wasn’t getting anywhere, her husband was in a world of his own thoughts.

“Finally I’ve worked her out.“ He grinned, pleased with the accomplishment. Initially he’d only kept her close out of curiosity, trying to work out how she could be appearing and dying again and again but what a nice surprise that she was actually a loyal friend all along. Sacrificing herself by jumping into his time stream, he could hardly think of a greater proof of loyalty.

“Then leave it at that.“ River tried to reason with him. “We’re safe, the timeline is intact, don’t risk it now, making her sacrifice pointless.“

“I won’t fail.“ He reassured her, a confident smile on his handsome features.

“But what if you do.“ River exclaimed. “You can’t risk your life for hers!“

“Why not?“ He looked back at her confused.

“Why not?!“ River echoed his words in disbelief.

“There are only very few people we can truly trust River, we need to keep them close. She’s just proven her loyalty.“ He looked back to the pulsing energy as if he could see Clara within it. “I owe her to get her out of there.“

“Is that all? Loyalty?“ River’s words were sharper than she had intended, revealing more than she meant to.

“River.“ He groaned in annoyance. Jealousy was not an attractive quality.

“I think it’s a fair question, you’d make me a widow of me in a pointless attempt at saving her?“ River retorted accusingly. Surely he had to know how this would make her feel.

“River, I love you, you must know that.“ He started reaching for her hand, trying to reassure her.

“Then listen to me!“ River insisted, her expression one of both anger and fear. What if he did, in fact, lose himself in there? She couldn’t bare the idea of losing him.

“I always listen.“ He told her and pulled her into his arms. “You’re the one that always here by my side, you’re the first thing I see when I wake and the last when I go to sleep. And I always listen.“ He pressed a kiss to her hair. “But sometimes, you have to listen to me too when I tell that this is what I have to do.“ He took her face in his hands and kissed her, hoping to convey his love and devotion. “Trust me?“ He asked softly as they parted.

“Always.“ River smiled. That impossible, infuriating man.

“See you in a minute, Professor Song.“ He gave her a wink, straightened his bowtie and jumped into his time stream.

——

“Now isn’t that a bit forward, seeing as you’re still fully dressed, Doctor?“ River smirked as she grabbed the Doctor by the collar and ripped her shirt open, buttons flying everywhere. The Doctor jolted back, colour draining from her face. She was too shocked to respond and River took advantage of her stupor. She pulled her around, knocking her into the wall face first. The Doctor tried to pull away but River pinned her against the wall with her own weight. “What? Should I not have said anything? Would you like to keep going and we pretend I don’t know who you really are?“ River hummed against the shell of her ear as she pressed herself against her. She brushed her hair aside and pushed her other hand around her, fumbling with the button of her trousers.

“You knew.“ The Doctor groaned as River trailed kisses up the side of her neck. She tried to pull away from her touch. This had been a terrible idea. She was already regretting her moment of weakness. “When did you realise?“

“About five seconds in.“ The amusement was audible in River’s sultry voice.

“Then why did you…“ The Doctor tried to throw her off, anxiety building as River succeeded in unbuttoning her trousers. She should have realised this was a trap, she should have questioned why River had fallen for her act so completely. She should have known she wouldn’t be able to imitate the Emperor well enough to fool her own wife.

“It got you here, didn’t it? Also… I was curious to see how far you’d go…“ River chuckled as she buried her hand in the Doctor’s hair and pulled her head back. “Maybe I should have let you carry on, now we will never know.“ She ran her hand along the waistband of her Doctor’s pants, clearly enjoying the Doctor’s near-panic as she fought against her. “But alas, I couldn’t do that to my wife.“ Unexpectedly, she let go of her and took a step back, tying up her nightgown. “I didn’t think that I would have to be the one to stop.“ She tilted her head in amusement as she watched the Doctor turn around quickly doing up her trousers, she tried to pull the shirt shut to cover herself up but the buttons were all but two ripped off. Her eyes darted around the room for a way out as River regarded her like a lioness her prey. “Don’t even think about it. I triggered a silent alarm ages ago when I went to get changed.“ River smirked, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

“Of course you did.“ The Doctor groaned, annoyed by her own stupidity, she really should have known.

“Well, I didn’t know how much time I would have. How was I to know you were that easily to keep close.“ River chuckled. “The guards are outside the door and my wife should be home any minute. You think you had a hard time last time? Just wait till she finds out what you’ve been up to.“

——

“Fine, no more games.“ Clara chuckled, there was no need for theatrics now that she had got River out of sight of anyone else. “I think that’s quite enough of that.“ Somewhere in the other room the squark of a raven sounded making River look around for a second. As she looked back to Clara, her tattoos began to blur, rising up into the air.

“A quantum shade.“ River jerked back, immediately realising what she was dealing with.

“Aren’t you the perceptive one.“ Clara replied patronisingly as she pushed River’s hand with the knife away. “Now, I suggest you stop this.“ She tried to shove her off and River obliged, she got to her feet and stepped back, keeping the swirling darkness in her sights. She knew when something could be fought and when it was better to take a step back and reevaluate her options. “There’s a good girl.“ Clara got to her feet as River tried to formulate an escape plan.

“You’re trying to use me to get to the Doctor. Is she even here?“ River tried her best to control her anger, as she realised what was going on. She wanted answers. She didn’t do well at the mercy of others. She threw the butter knife across the room in anger.

“Oh she’s here alright.“ Clara said softly. “And yes, I am going to use you to get her help.“

“Her help? If you need help, you just ask for it! You don’t have to blackmail the Doctor, the Doctor always helps if…“ River exclaimed but Clara started laughing, interrupting her.

“The Doctor always helps.“ She mimicked her. “I bet she does as well… You’re so naive. Both of you are. It’s laughable. Just between us girls, River, I don’t think it’s the sort of help she’ll want to give.“

The Raven burst out of the other room making River take a step back. It landed on Clara’s shoulder as she held out the note she’d written earlier.

——

“Alright, fine, shouldn’t have done this, I get it.“ The Doctor tried her best to steady her voice. “Brain short-circuited, physically you could be my wife after all.“

“Yes yes and since she’s dead, it’s not really cheating, is it? You tell yourself that. I thought you were someone who would be kept up at night by this sort of thing but maybe I underestimated you after all. Or I overestimated your devotion to your wife.“ River hummed with no small measure of gratification in her voice. “Do you still want my hand between your legs, Doctor?“

“That’s quite alright, I can sort that out for myself later.“ The Doctor bit back, trying to give as good as she got and gloss over how much her words stung.

“I very much doubt you’ll get the opportunity.“ River grinned briefly glancing to the door. The Doctor couldn’t be sure if she actually expected her wife to return any moment now or if she was only trying to intimidate her by acting like she would. Either way, she needed to get out of here now.

“You really are remarkably like my River, witty, determined, strong… but there’s just one thing, one mistake my River never would have made.“ The Doctor said as River returned her attention to her.

“Yeah? And what’s that?“ River laughed.

“My River never let’s me keep my sonic when she doesn’t want me to get out of handcuffs.“ The Doctor grabbed her sonic screwdriver from her back pocket and blasted River with it. It wasn’t much, not harmful, not debilitating but for a moment, she blinded her, disoriented her, scrambling the signals from the nerves in her eyes to her brain. A moment was all the Doctor needed to bolt and rush to the TARDIS. River screamed, not in pain but in anger as she needed a moment to recover. The Doctor wasn’t even paying attention to her anymore, she didn’t look back, when she found the TARDIS wasn’t locked. She rushed inside and the lights came on. It wasn’t the warm golden light she knew, it was red and garish against the black walls.

“Really bloody cheerful.“ The Doctor mumbled to herself as she hurried to the console. She started pressing buttons and pulling levers but the TARDIS revolted. The humming and wheezing was loud, unhappy, the Doctor got an electric shock and she pulled her hand back. The TARDIS knew she wasn’t the Emperor and she was refusing to cooperate.

“She won’t let just anyone fly her.“ The Doctor whirled around to see River heading for her. The diversion had been even less effective than she had hoped. “You’re going to regret this, Doctor.“ River snarled.

“Emergency teleport then!“ The Doctor used her sonic to blast the TARDIS console. Sparks flew and River lunged forward but the TARDIS control room around her disappeared. It wasn’t ideal, she didn’t have the TARDIS like she had hoped, but it was a way out.

When the Doctor materialised she looked around panicked, trying to orient herself.

“Great, it worked!“ She exclaimed as she recognised Clara’s quarters. “Clara! We need to talk!“ She looked around for Clara but froze when she found a second person with her. “River…“ The Doctor’s eyes widened in shock. There was no way the Emperor’s wife would have been able to get here before her. She wouldn’t have known where the teleport went and this River was wearing the environmental suit she had worn in the Library. There was only one explanation. The Doctor’s head was spinning, she felt sick as her emotions overwhelmed her. The extraction chamber had worked, River was here.

River looked back at her in surprise. This woman had just appeared out of thin air and judging by the look on Clara’s face, she hadn’t expected her sudden appearance either. The blonde looked at her as if she was a ghost or perhaps a wish come true? There were all sorts of emotions painted on her soft features and tears were welling up in her big eyes that were so impossibly deep and old, not at all matching the youthfulness of her pretty face.

“Doctor?“ River asked slowly remember what Clara had told her. The Doctor was a woman now and this woman looked at her as if she was her sun and stars.

“River, you’re alive!“ The Doctor exclaimed and throwing caution to the wind she rushed to her, flinging herself around her neck. River was overwhelmed, she nearly knocked her off her feet but she pulled her close, held her, reflex more than anything else, as she tried to wrap her head around what she already knew to be true.

“Is it really you?“ She asked tentatively as she pulled back and looked the blonde up and down.

“Oh right, you haven’t seen this face before.“ The Doctor smiled as she took a step back and wiped away a few stray tears in embarrassment.

“Can’t say that I mind…“ River chuckled. “What have you been up to?“ She raised her eyebrows at her barely buttoned shirt.

“Ah… uhh…“ The Doctor blushed and a crushing wave of guilt came over her, overshadowing her joy for seeing her. What had she done? How could she? She struggled to breath as she was searching for the right words.

“Sorry to interrupt this touching moment, but you are in my quarters.“ Clara interrupted at last, fed up of being ignored. She scrunched up the note she had been about to give her Raven. There was no need for it now. This was even better than she could have imagined.

“Clara.“ The Doctor pulled River behind herself as she turned to face her.

“How nice of you to join us, Doctor.“ Clara smirked, observing her protective gesture with amusement. Yes, this would work very well indeed. “It seems as though you forgot something in the extraction chamber.“

“What’s going on here?“ The Doctor demanded to know.

“What’s going on is that I was just trying to work out what exactly happened when you came here, Doctor, and as I was having my look around the extraction chamber, your wife appeared.“ Clara explained with a smug smile.

“River, are you okay, are you…“ The Doctor glanced to her wife and grabbed her hand to assure herself she was here.

“Alive? I think so. As alive as one is coming out of an extraction chamber…“ River replied giving her hand a squeeze. “I know what it does Doctor, you sentimental idiot, you couldn’t just let me die, could you? I’ll have to go back eventually, you know, unless you want a paradox ripping time apart… again…“ She knew the sad truth behind what the Doctor had done. As much as she appreciated the sentiment, there was more heartbreak to come for them, it couldn’t be avoided. And yet, she was grateful for every moment she got to spend with her husband… wife.

“But not for a while. How about we deal with all that when we get out of here.“ The Doctor suggested, trying not to think about what she was implying.

“Sounds like a good idea.“ River nodded looking around for an escape route again.

“You are not going anywhere, Doctor, not just yet. Mind you, we probably haven’t got long to have this conversation. Your teleport, I’m sure they’ll be able to trace it.“ Clara pointed out.

“I don’t think there are any guards at the door.“ River said and the Doctor nodded, having come to the same conclusion.

“Run?“ The Doctor suggested as they inched away from Clara.

“Let’s.“ River agreed and they bolted to the door but Clara had other ideas. The Raven took off and sailed in front of them, barring the door.

“I don’t think so.“ Clara hummed and the tattoos dissolved, swirling into to air and jolted forward. The dark smoke struck the back of River’s neck forming a quantum lock.

“No!“ The Doctor shouted whipping back around to Clara.

“Do I have your attention now, Doctor? I said we need to have a conversation.“ Clara crossed her arms in front of her chest expectantly.

“Take it off her.“ The Doctor yelled taking a threatening step towards Clara who grinned:

“I will, eventually, if you agree to help me with a little something.“

“What?“ The Doctor asked and looked to River with great worry. River touched the back of her neck her expression darkening. Of course it wasn’t going to be that easy.

“I would like your help, Doctor. Your wife assures me one only needs to ask for your help? Well, I thought it would be more convincing if I had your wife as collateral.“ Clara revealed and the Doctor squared her jaw.

“What do you want?“

“You’ve been here long enough now to know, Doctor, that this is not a nice place. You’ve been to the streets, you’ve seen the poverty, the state of the Empire? Perhaps you will reconsider what we talked about before?“ Clara smiled.

“You want to topple the Emperor.“ The Doctor concluded with a sigh.

“I’d never be able to do it by myself as you know and it’s unlikely I’ll ever be able to convince her that I am a far more suitable match for her… so I’m left with few options.“ Clara confirmed with a shrug.

“I won’t kill anyone, not even her…“ The Doctor retorted firmly.

“I realise that and I don’t expect you to. What I do need you to do is play a role. It looks like you have been having a practice run already. There is a ceremony tomorrow, celebrating the Emperor’s return to Gallifrey, it’s the most important holiday. That is why the Emperor has been so eager to get information out of you so quickly, I presume she was trying to announce the next big chapter for the Empire tomorrow.“ Clara explained crossing her arms in front of her chest.

“That’s never going to happen, I would sooner die than tell you how…“ The Doctor shook her head. River looked on in confusion. Who was this mysterious Emperor they were referring to? It sounded like the Doctor had been here a while already and was one step ahead of her.

“Oh I know and I’ve accepted that. I want you to announce the next big chapter in the history of the Empire in her stead tomorrow.“ Clara clarified and the Doctor understood:

“Transfer power to you.“

“Exactly. Not so difficult, is it? Small price to pay for your wife’s life isn’t it?“ Clara glanced to River who still had confusion painted all over her face.

“And how are you going get rid of the Emperor?“ The Doctor asked which seemed to be the one big catch.  

“You leave that to me. You just be back here tomorrow at noon. I would keep you here but you’ve ruined it now with your teleport trick. It they find you here we’re both done for, they need to see you fleeing the palace so the don’t suspect me.“ Clara sighed, what an inconvenience. Likelihood was they had traced the teleport by now and were on their way here. She had to wrap this up.

“And what if I don’t agree?“ The Doctor huffed.

“You will do this for me, Doctor, or your wife, who was so very fortunate to get a second lease on life, will die.“ Clara shrugged as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. “It’s really a very easy decision to make. I will contact you with the details, my Raven will find you.“

“Take off the lock.“ The Doctor demanded, her voice firm.

“Once I can be sure of your cooperation.“ Clara smiled giving River a wink.

“Fine, alright, I’ll do it, but you leave her alone.“ The Doctor threatened.

“I’ll take the mark off her once it’s done.“ Clara clapped her hands together in excitement.

“No! You take it off her and you take it off her NOW!“ The Doctor yelled jabbing her finger at her.

“Alright, fine. Just remember I can put it back whenever I please.“ Clara huffed and with a wave of her hand, the chrono lock disappeared from River’s neck. River gave a sigh of relief.

“And you take it off the Monk.“ The Doctor went on, remembering why she had come here in the first place.

“The Monk?“ Clara frowned confused.

“Sign of good faith. If you want my help, do it.“ The Doctor insisted.

“Alright, fine, don’t care about him either way.“ Clara gave another wave of her hand. It wasn’t like the Emperor had any way of finding out about this.

“Doctor, you can’t help her…“ River spoke up. She wasn’t sure what exactly was going on but the Doctor was being blackmailed into doing something she didn’t want to do, and that in itself was enough information for her to protest.

“It’s a matter of the lesser evil, River. You haven’t met the Emperor yet… and her wife.“ The Doctor replied, hoping she never would come across them. “They deserve it.“

“Yes they do, Doctor. I’m glad you have come to your senses.“ Clara agreed.

“When it’s done, I’m taking the TARDIS. You can’t fly it anyway. I will need it to find a way home.“ The Doctor realised this was the right moment to bargain. If she wanted to find a way back to her own universe, the TARDIS would be her best bet.

“Fine.“ Clara smiled at her graciously. She had no use for the TARDIS anyway. The Emperor and her wife were the only ones that could fly her. She couldn’t imagine the Doctor would even find a way of using it. “See, the things we can accomplish when we work together.“

“Then you have yourself a deal.“ The Doctor nodded. Her best and only cause of action right now was to agree. She could reevaluate her options later when her and River had got to relative safety.

“Now, I suggest you go, before the guards turn up.“ Clara engaged a screen on the wall, surveillance of the corridor outside.

“River…“ The Doctor grabbed her wife’s hand again but Clara cut in:

“…will be my honoured guest until tomorrow. No harm will come to her, I need her as assurance and you know I wouldn’t harm her, else I would have nothing to pressure you with.“ The Raven squawked for emphasis. “You know I’m right.“ She extended her hand to River. “Unless you’d like that chrono lock back?“

“I’ll be fine, Sweetie.“ River gave her wife’s hand a squeeze before letting go and joining Clara though ignoring her hand. “I’m sure Clara and I have a lot to talk about.“ Perhaps she could find out more about this place.

“We’ll braid each other’s hair and drink champagne, nothing for you to worry about, Doctor.“ Clara smirked at the Doctor who balled her fists, feeling anxious. She didn’t like the idea of leaving River here but under the circumstances she might not have another choice. She glanced to the screen and spotted guards heading their way. They were running out of time. “Now be a dear and make sure they see you as you bolt down the corridor so they leave us alone in here.“ Clara said going her a little wave.

“Everything will be fine, River, I promise, I will come back for you.“ The Doctor looked to her wife who gave her a little smile.

“Well, you better, what good was all that business with the extraction chamber if you don’t.“ River winked. “Go before they catch up with you.“

“I will be back.“ The Doctor insisted. There was so much she wanted to say, she had played it out so many times in her mind of what she would say if she ever got to see River again, but now there was no time. And very little hope. But she took what she could from the little smile and nod River gave her. There was time for words later.

The Doctor had hardly pulled the door shut behind her, when she heard voices. She hurried towards the hidden passage way but hung on by the corner where she could still see the door to Clara’s rooms. She couldn’t allow for River to get caught. If they had in fact traced her teleport signal, they would be searching for her there. When she realised the guards indeed headed straight for the door, she knocked over a nearby bust that crashed to the ground and drew their attention. Calling “Oi! Over here.“ would have been too obvious, they couldn’t realise she was drawing their attention on purpose. When she was sure they’d seen her, she bolted down the corridor. Luckily, she knew more than one secret shortcut to the city below.

——

Clara knocked over a table and some vases, creating traces of a struggle. She picked up a shard from the broken vase and cut her own arm, barely flinching. River raised her eyebrows, concluding that she had to be very scared of the Emperor to go to such lengths to not be found out.

“I don’t think I have to explain to you what will happen if anyone finds you in here.“ Clara caught the questioning expression on River’s face and ushered her to a small room further into her quarters.

“No, you don’t but there is something you do need to explain to me: the Emperor, who is she? And why do you need the Doctor?“ River asked.

“Miss Oswald, please open up.“ There was knocking on the door.

“We haven’t got time for this, get in here and not a sound.“ Clara pushed her into the room and locked the door. River didn’t struggle, she didn’t trust Clara but she trusted the Doctor and if she was concerned for her safety should anyone find her, she know she should try her best to hide. She looked around the room, a small spare bedroom by the looks of it. Nothing much to it, nothing that she could fashion a weapon out of if needed. The vase on the dresser appeared to be her best bet so she grabbed it and stood against the door, pressing her ear to it. She had to find out more about what was going on here.

“Emperor…“ Clara’s voice was distant but clear.

“Don’t even start, Clara! We know she was here. Using my own TARDIS, she’s going to pay for that!“

River froze when she recognised a voice that sounded exactly like the Doctor’s, only with an icy edge to it. Suddenly, Clara’s demands were making a lot more sense. The puzzle pieces were falling into place and River didn’t care for the picture they were revealing.

[riversofmars]

December 1st  December 2nd  December 3rd  December 4th  December 5th  December 6th  December 7th  December 8th  December 9th  December 10th  December 11th  December 12th  December 13th  December 14th  December 15th  December 16th  December 17th  December 18th

“Well, Doctor, that’s an exciting new look.“ Clara hummed, a little more huskily than she intended. She, for one, had no trouble believing her identity. Suddenly realising what she had said, she back tracked quickly, looking around awkwardly while everyone else was still working through their shock. “Sorry, did I really just say that? Your wife is here so…“

River stared at the Doctor who got to her feet with the help of Ryan and Graham. She turned around, giving her a weak smile.

“Believe me now, Sweetie?“

“For the record, I believed her all along.“ Amy announced her hand shooting in the air.

“Why?!“ Bowtie exclaimed turning to her.

“Only you would wear something as ridiculous as that.“ She shot back, pointing at the Doctor’s clothes.

“Alright, rude.“ The Doctor huffed.

“I don’t want to be short, I like being able to put things on the top shelf and other people not being able to get to them.“ Eyebrows huffed, eyeing her up.

“That is your main concern?“ Sandshoes asked bewildered. “Really?“

“Nice braces though.“ Bowtie pointed out in an off hand sort of way.

The Doctor barely listened to the chattering of her past selves, she just looked at River.

“Everybody just shut up a minute.“ River snapped, shutting up her husbands who looked round a little offended. “You.“ River jabbed her finger at the Doctor who looked around to see if someone was standing behind her. Then went a little pale when she realised River meant her and walked straight over to her. “Why did you not say anything straight away, having us go in circles wondering how you might fit into it, acting suspicious!“

“I…“ She didn’t even know what to respond to that. Indeed, why had she lied and pretended? “It’s just… it was… too much…“ She looked at her friends, past and present, all of them alive and well, she felt a lump forming in her throat, she couldn’t carry on.

“I think I would have done the same, given the circumstances.“ Eyebrows came to her help. He understood, after everything he had been through, with Donna, with Amy and Rory, and River, of course. If he had been the one to find all his previous selves there and his long presumed dead wife… he would have done the exact same thing.

“Well, you did, she’s you, remember?“ Rory couldn’t help but point out.

“Okay, I know, this is all meant to be very normal by this point but are you all going to ignore that you’ve turned into a girl?!“ Donna exclaimed unable to hold it in any longer.

“Well… timelords aren’t exactly very clear on the whole gender thing…“ Sandshoes shrugged. “I’m just a bit gutted that none of you are ginger!“

“I think we’re getting closer though.“ The Doctor pointing to her light hair. She caught River’s glance. Her wife had gone very quiet, just looking at her. Her eyes full of conflicting emotions. There was some annoyance still, as well as joy, relief, longing… and a considerable amount of confusion.

“So you didn’t save me from the Library either then?“ She asked, resigned as she had already answered that question before they had believed her.

“Not just yet…“ The Doctor replied softly, almost like an apology. “But… I’ve been thinking about it, a lot, actually… so… soon, I hope.“ She confessed something she hadn’t told anyone. It had been one of the more productive ways to spend her time in prison, thinking up ways in which she could undo past mistakes. Not saving River was top of that list. Knowing she was here, being positive proof of her accomplishment, told her she could do it and she would. “I think maybe if we can all get out of here in one piece, I will have a go at it.“

“Then we better get ourselves out of here!“ Bowtie clapped his hands together. “We save you so you can save her. Well, we save ourselves.“ he rubbed his hands together in excitement.

“And you two, stop making heart eyes at each other, it’s making everyone very uncomfortable.“ Eyebrows waved his hand in between River and the Doctor.

“Not me, I’m here for this.“ Bill replied with great amusement, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

“So am I, actually.“ Clara smirked.

“You realise you’re jealous of yourself, right?“ Bill elbowed Eyebrows.

“I don’t like it either.“ Sandshoes shook his head.

“Is it not a bit pointless to be jealous of ourselves?“ Bowtie asked with a shrug.

“Well, she’s be going green with jealousy over you lot this whole time, so…“ Yaz couldn’t help but point out.

“Can everyone just shut up?!“ The Doctor exclaimed, the chatter was getting too much, when all she really wanted was a moment alone with her wife. Everyone looked at her slightly shocked at the outburst. “Uhh sorry, I didn’t mean… I just… You’ve all had your moment already, so…“ She looked to River, suddenly nervous.

“I’m still cross with you for trying to trick me.“ River said taking a deep breath.

“Noted.“ The Doctor gave her a half-smile. “I’m sorry about that, I shouldn’t have.“ It had been the cowardly way out. Now she looked around herself at the facing of people she missed with all her heart. And it hurt. Barely healed wounds ripped open but it also, it made her realise that somewhere, even if they were out of her reach, they were still there, having adventures. Donna was alive and well, and even without her memories, she was sure she was having a brilliant life. Amy and Rory were leading their life in Manhattan, they had each other, they always did. Bill was travelling the stars with Heather, a cyberman no longer, but free and with her love. And River… she was alive, their story was about to start again.

“I will admit, I am very relieved I wasn’t cheating on my husband earlier.“ River smirked taking a step towards her.

“Guys…“ Graham said slowly.

“Really?“ The Doctor snapped at him. “It’s taken long enough, can’t we just…“

“No, seriously, the lights are coming back on, we have to make a move.“ Yaz backed him up, pointing into the distance.

Slowly the lights were coming back on, section by section. They all looked around, looking for the best way out, it wouldn’t be long before the statues came back to life.

“The perception filter is off.“ The Doctor realised pointing down the road still shrouded in darkness, where a large building loomed that none of them had noticed before.