#astrid pith

[awindylife-writes]

Voyage of the Damned Part 3

Relationships: the Doctor x reader, Astrid x reader (platonic), Astrid x Doctor (platonic)

Summary: Voyage of the Damned rewrite. The Doctor and you find yourselves on the Titanic, space edition. You meet Astrid and get ready for a wonderful day, but then a meteor shower hits the ship and it starts falling towards Earth.

Author's notes: There was a number of things l didn't like about this Christmas special so again, l rewrote it.

Warnings: a ship crashes, multiple mentions of dearth bc a lot of people die, Astrid dies

"It's for the Doctor!" Astrid yelled at Midshipman Frame over the comms. She needed to teleport NOW. "Y/n and him are down on deck thirty-one, alone, against all the Host and Gods know what else and they're doing it for us!" Silence on the other end. "It's time we did something for them," she ended her speech with a finallity.

A moment passed and she feared she'd failed.

But then, "Giving you power," came through the comms.

~

"Only one person could have the power and the money to hide themselves on board like that. And l should know, 'cause..." the Doctor trailed off. You stared at the strange compartment you had found on deck thirty-one.

"My name is Max," a voice finished for him. A strange machine with a head in it came through the smoke.

"Who the hell are you?" it demaned.

"I'm y/n, and this is the Doctor," you pointed at your friend with false cheerfulness, "Hello!" you wiggled your fingers in greeting.

~

"You wreck the ship and the board find their shares halved in value." The Doctor was spelling out Capricorn's plan.

"But that's not enough," you interjected. From what you've learned about them, mad billionares who were losing all their money didn't do things half-way.

"Oh yes,"  the Doctor went on. "'Cause if a Max Capricorn ship hits the Earth, it destroys an entire planet. Outrage back home!" he growled. "Scandal! The buisness is wiped out!"

The billionare's head nodded. "And? The whole board is thrown in jail, for mass murder!" His eyes shone with revenge.

"While you sit here, safe in the- what's it called?" you turned to the Doctor.

"Impact camber," he filled in.

"I have men," Capricorn gloated now, "waiting to retreave me from the ruins. And enough off-world accounts to retire me to the beaches of Enhaxico Two where the ladies, so l'm told, are very fond of... metal."

You were going to puke.

"So that's the plan," the Doctor growled in rage. "A retirement plan. Two thousand people on this ship, six billion underneath us, all of them slaughtered and why? Because Max Capricorn is a loser."

"I never lose," the billionare's head scowled in threat and your voice immediately rang out, mocking, "You can't even sink the Titanic!"

"Oh but l can, pretty girl!" he laughed. "I can cancel the engines, from here!" Red lights and alarms were suddenly flaring everywhere before you could spit in his face.

The Doctor yelled behind you, "You can't do this!"

"Host, hold them!" Caprocorn ordered in turn and began the Gloat 2.0. "Not so clever now, are you? Shame we couldn't work together, you two are rather good. All that banter and yet not a word wasted." The head sighed. "Time for me to... retire."

Ugh, you thought as you furiously tried to get free. That pun alone would be enough to kill a buisness.

"The Titanic is falling, the sky will burn, let the Christmas inferno commence!" Capricorn yelled in victory and called his minions. "Kill them!"

The robots brought up their halos and went for the Doctor's neck.

"NO!" You fought with everything you had but you were late, you'd be too late!

"MISTER CAPRICORN!" a voice you knew cut through your fear.

And it ignited terror. It was Astrid, sitting in a forklift. "I resign," she told the head and drove forward, ful throttle.

"NO!" the Doctor and you screamed, "ASTRID STOP!" "ASTRID DON'T!"

She didn't listen and rammed into the life support system, but its engine was too strong. They were equal and couldn't move each other.

You bit, kicked and screamed, anything to get free.

But then she caught your eyes with hers and everything stopped. There was an eternity in her face. She looked at the Doctor too but you still stared at her.

Then she turned away and stepped on it. The life support lifted and she drove on.

There was no sound. The world was mute as you watched Astrid go over.

You were suddenly at the edge, looking at her disappear into the fire. Someone was screaming. Someone was screaming and you wanted to calm them, help them.

Then you realized it was your own voice.

The world came back into focus. The ship was falling apart and the Doctor was silent at your side. He was staring at the spot where Astrid had disappeared. His face was pale and his eyes blank. You laid your tears aside and took his hand.

"We need to go," you told him, your voice wet with tears. He didn't move.

"Doctor, we need to go,"  you told him again calmly. You thought that was why he looked at you suddenly, and then stood up.

He rewired a Host with lightning speed. It took you each under one arm and off you went.

When you broke through the ceiling of the bridge, you were still in one piece. Arms you had used to shield your head were a bit bloody and you were sure there were at least two splinters in them. You don't look the gift horse in the mouth, even though you would prefer a different Christmas miracle.

"What's your first name?" the Doctor asked the injured Midshipman Frame.

He answered in confusion, "Alonzo."

"You're kidding," the Doctor breathed as a shocked smile spread on his face. You didn't know. You just didn't know anymore. You were drowing in the emptiness inside you but his name was Alonzo.

"Allons-y, Alonzo!" the Doctor yelled and you held on tight. You didn't scream. You didn't even open your mouth. There was nothing anymore.

The Doctor whoohooed when he managed to right the course of the ship and you were just there. Were you there? Astrid wasn't. And that was what mattered in the end.

~

"TELEPORT!" the Doctor yelled and it didn't matter. "Y/N, SHE WAS WEARING A TELEPORT BRACELET!!!"

That woke you up. You ran faster than ever before, to the main deck where the teleport was.

"Brixton, sonic," the Doctor demanded from the billionare and caught it as it was thrown. "Mister Copper, the teleports, have they got an emergency setting??"

"I don't know, they should have?"

"She fell, Mister Copper, she fell!" the Doctor told him while pulling apart the machine like a madman. "What's the emergency code?"

The billionare interjected, "What the hell are you doing?"

"We can bring her back!" you yelled with everything in you.

The historian explained, "If a passenger has an accident on shore leave, their molecules are automatically suspended so they're in stasis, so if you just trigger the shift..."

"THERE!!!" the Doctor screamed and flicked the switch.

And there was your Astrid.

"Falling..." You could hear her voice!

"Only halfway there, come on!" The Doctor wasn't finished with the teleporter.

"I keep falling!" She was scared. Your friend was scared and you wanted nothing but to calm her. You carefully walked up to her and took hold of her hand. It felt like holding warm smoke.

There were tears on your cheeks already, again.

"If l can find the molecule grid, boost the restoration matrix and-" The computer snapped and threw sparks. "NO-NO-NO-NO-NO!!" the Doctor screamed in desparation, "need more phase containment-"

You sobbed, but you knew what was coming. You just looked at your Astrid Pith, into her crystal blue eyes and sushed her. "Hey, hey Astrid, it's alright. It's me, it's y/n, remember? You're alright. l've got you," you promised with a voice as soft as sunlight.

She didn't look as scared as before. Then, so slowly you thought you were imagining it, she looked at you.

"Let her go," you could hear the historian and you sobbed again.

But then Astrid's voice cut through. "Stop me falling?" she asked and you nodded. You found her gaze with yours and promised her, "Anything."

"She's just atoms," you heard Mister Copper from behind you. "An echo with a ghost of consciousness."

"She's stardust," you concluded as your voice broke. "You hear that Astrid?" you asked, still looking into her blue eyes."You're stardust."

She didn't seem to hear, so you did the only thing you could think of.

"There's an old tradition," you told her and softly kissed her cheek. Then you kissed the other, and then her forehead.

"You dreamt of traveling," the Doctor came to stand beside you. You were still sobbing when you pulled away from her and you didn't try to stop. There was no one there you needed to save face for.

"Now you can travel forever," you told her. You knew what the Doctor would do, and your eyes didn't leave hers for a moment.

You heard him soothe her, "You're not falling Astrid."

"You're flying," you both said in one voice.

You watched as she floated away, through the window into the universe.

Then you turned to the Doctor and buried your face in his chest as you both cried.

~

"I transferred all my shares to Max Capricorn's rivals. It's made me rich," the billionare Brixton admitted, disbelieving.

You were empty, and you were tired. That was the only reason why you didn't tear this man limb from limb. Astrid was dead.

"Mister Copper," the Doctor's voice woke you up. "I think, you deserve one of these."

You turned around and saw him holding a teleport bracelet out to the historian. Then, after the latter took it, he slipped one on your wrist. He took your hand and suddenly you were standing in the snow.

~

"But l can have a house, and a garden and-" You couldn't help but smile a little. At least Mister Copper would be alright.

The Doctor yelled after him, "Where are you going?"

"I have no idea!" the man replied in joy.

"Well, we don't either," your alien smiled gently at you and you tried to smile back, you really did. He looked at you, his brown eyes full of sorrow, and pulled you to him. You held onto him tightly as he hugged you.

"But! Y/N!" the historian yelled and you turned in his direction.

"I won't forget her," he promised you. You were tired, so so tired, so you just nodded. "Thank you," you told Mister Copper for her. "We won't either."

"We won't," the Doctor assured you softly, just to be sure.

Then he opened the TARDIS door and stepped into your home after you. You walked up the way and then stood in front of the controls, lost.

The Doctor walked up behind you and decided he would do anything, anything to keep away the blank look in your eyes. He turned to you and pulled you to him again. You let him, your movements sluggish and dazed.

"I've got you," he assured you. "I've got you, y/n. You aren't alone, and you aren't lost. You've got me." And that was enough. You sobbed into his chest, you didn't know for which time today.

But this was different. This was yours, and you clung to the Doctor as everything in you came to the surface.

His tears joined yours. He'd lost Astrid too, and he hated seeing you in pain. He slowly brought both of you down to kneel when you were too tired to stand.

And that was it. That was what you needed and that was what you had. You would be alright. In time, you would be alright.

[somehow-on]

Notes - 2020

Wiping your ass is next to godliness.

I'd throw a fat man in front of a train for you.

I'm alone in the center of the universe, everyone else is just increasingly complex epicycles.

Everyone plans to empathize until they're punched in the mouth.

I'm always on time, I'm a true punc.

Do I talk to myself? I do everything to myself.

Stay woc.

Nihilist in theory, pragmatist in practice.

Vectorian Grey.

H2650-1, J-bend, 1.25 inch. Compression Washer.

Full grown, adult sized, bangeroos.

How about instead of doing everything shittily all at once, you do one thing well?

Third Riech Feminist.

Lee Moses - she's a bad girl

If I'm going to die on a hill it's going to be frigging mount hillaminjarro.

Never compromise nor coordinate.

Dump sack.

Tracing paper.

Sex, the world's oldest commodity.

Arm Q's: infection vs bursitis, bone spur, IV soreness, basketball, drinking, elevation, some reason antibiotics aren't working

I'm no racist, I voted for Biden.

I'm not a socialist, I'm a social distancer.

I'm a Hooverist.

Other people's money.

Stop taking my chances.

Beautiful/fertile, ugly/sterile.

Get good at hitting your target, or get good at coming up with excuses for why you missed.

Life is for the risk tolerant.

Never regulated.

Sicker than sars-cov'ers, higher than Mars rovers.

60 Watt, 75 Watt

No one has a clearer vision of the absence of truth at the center of existence.

The meek and the brash.

I'm jewlatto.

Your amazing ability to invent clever new ways to be miserable.

Barry White - I'm gonna love you just a little more baby

Admiral Sissy Mary.

Imagine sisyphus getting prizes.

social darwining not distancing.

Wyatt Dykeman.

My life in bits.

You should see the other 7 billion.

Eyes are the windows of the cell.

The Heat of Composition.

The arrows of time.

It's not free will that is the illusion, physical cause and effect itself is illusory, all there is is brain chemicals and/or qualia.

My life as a trophy case to my disillusionments.

Theories on life list.

What is a superstition but an illusion of control?

This country's been in the toilet ever since we elected that Catholic Kennedy.

X is a religion, but not because it's a ethics, but because it's an explanation. Nothing can be explained.

What does the urkel tv show have to do with anything?

Was the most popular girl out behind the school. - 2013

puts the miscue in promisuous. - 2013

It doesn't bother me that people call me fat; I'm just thick-skinned. - 2012

Parezewsky, Mozca.

Vanguard Commodity Fund. VCMDX.

Gleeconomist.

I'm just a tall, hairy, little girl.

Diligence. Due diligence. Owed diligence.

Get yur kit off.

Smart as a button.

Sysiphus laughing.

Bluff the devil.

To sugar in our boogers and cream in our jeans.

The one inch of spacetime in front of my face.

The matrix but it's your own brain simulating your life one second at a time.

God gave his only son as a false flag operation.

Shitposting cannot be refuted, it can only be repeated. - TIB

Can't be arsed.

Breath spilled.

To me, every bumper sticker is basically a swastika. Tattoo.

S. J. Perelman. Mort Sahl. George S Kaufman.

Wide eyes nights late lying awake.

I just wish I could do less.

Meaningless, purposeless, alienating, novelty.

You don't have to hold so tightly to your ideas of how the world ought to be. If you relax just a little it's not going to fall apart. It will still keep getting a little better every day, and you'll have given yourself some room to enjoy what is good in it.

Ethically-Sourced Sadism.

Pathos-Aggresive.

The answer to every question is either everything or nothing.

People are always trying to help me find my wallet.

For a while I was living in my car dealership.

Avoid work, acquire orgasms.

The real reward is the silence and nothingness you make along the way.

Our relationship is purely physical, she's my aerobics instructor.

Pogo - Walt Kelly

Ameianto - super combo. Liniker

MMT is just communism with extra steps.

Crown of mud.

Don't count other people's status.

The emperor is fully clothed but is actually just a homeless weirdo off his meds.

Repeater.

Blackface is offensive, I only ever do African-American-face.

We must protect the children and coincidentally my social status.

Jeff Bezus Christ.

Born and bred and dipped in butter.

VMBSX - mortgage backed securities

Your son is going to grow up loving me, so who's the real cuck after all?

Avarice.

The dead infant is fulfilled. Baby coffin.

Chiaroscuro.

Data Based God.

Laugh while you burn.

Boredom is gravity always pulling you back to earth. Comedy is ramp that tricks your penchant for boredom in to launching you for a brief moment into the sky and closer to God.

Nihilists know the price of everything and the value of nothingness.

Acquisitive.

Speak less, smilf more.

The world is my cloister.

Breads Benedict.

Hose down, pimp up.

Health, wealth, and mirth. Birth, worth, and mirth.

London Fog.

I don't want to be in any club that wouldn't have me as their president.

Recognize the future.

You only do two weeks anyhow, the week you go in and the week you go out.

Use my time machine to go back and kill clippy before he is ever shipped.

It's not about the size of the boat, but the ocean of lotion.

The weight room is where we determine the proper weights for our pitch randomizer.

Failed Utopia. Utopia of the failed.

South of the wall.

Mektoub, my love. Movie.

She wants me to take her to the pound town county courthouse to apply for a liquor license, if you know what I mean.

I only do two things, break hearts and chew gum. And I'm delivered a monthly subscription of gum.

Beckett-head Wendy. Wundy.

I'm a consummate consumer.

Billy Joel: The father of hip hop.

Bask & wallow.

There's nothing to be done. I'll do on. Call that doing, call that on.

Hell and madness: trying to control that which you cannot.

Only reason anyone does anything: to make friends.

We are all united against the past, but in a war against all for the future.

Elena ferrante, the lost daughter.

Paul oster, hunt for herman miller.

Reality is plastic - hypnotism book

Fund the police! Coming straight from the underground.

My life's just a $10M bit.

There's a method to my badness.

Good fences make good neighborhoods.

Someone's gotta keep the bad world from the door.

Dom-text.

Isolate your favorites.

Huey Newton and the Lootings.

Too hasty by far!

Drinking my Soylent, doing my thang.

We only like the beginning of things.

Johnnie Ray.

Having sex astride a grave, the love gleams an instant and then it's dark once more.

Give us this day our daily death.

Live small & petite mort.

There's no small lives, just petite morts.

Gems in the mud.

Mud-miner.

I let you lose.

Air, water, food, hugs.

Shut up, show off.

Friendship is forever, romance is by the hour.

A shoulder to sigh on.

Pithetic. Inspires pith.

Everything is dim, inapparently.

Cum-dumptruck.

Mr. Smarty.

Moist with meaning.

Covid-wife.

Cuddle to completion.

I'm a very adorable pervert.

Still chasing my perfect compliment. Ultimate.

You don't pay me to be doing something all the time, you pay me to do the right thing at the right time, and to know what and when that is.

Melo-chromatic.

Go with Goethe. Go with Godot.

Off-black.

Peddling my piddling wares.

Godot waits for me.

Thick-stick thespian. Dipstick lesbian.

To want something is beautiful, to get it is obscene. Cloying. Nauseating.

I'm not smart enough to say little, I have to say a lot.

Papa Pill.

Pall.

Patience Zero. Seize the delay. It gets better, then worse.

Worrier-Princess. Golden State Worrier.

I'm looking for someone out of my league physically, intellectually, and morally; who I will try desperately to hide all my shortcomings and flaws from until one of us dies, hopefully me.

Greylord.

[ao3feed-hijack]

The Burning Cold

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/2JwFC5k

by baisley

Between the Dragon Riders' war against the Dragon Hunters, a new evil lurks in the fringe of Midgard and threatens the very life of the realm itself. A prophecy reveals a hidden world. Creatures once in the shadows step into the light. Memories of long past surface and Hiccup Haddock finds himself stuck in of a war in two worlds, desperate to keep them from colliding. In the pith of it all, a young spirit, whose glacier eyes pierce his soul, holds the key to ending the battle, once and for all.

An epic tale of adventure, tragedy, romance and- of course- dragons.

Words: 3158, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Fandoms: How to Train Your Dragon (Movies), Rise of the Guardians (2012)

Rating: Explicit

Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence

Categories: M/M

Characters: Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, Toothless (How to Train Your Dragon), Jack Frost (Guardians of Childhood), Astrid Hofferson, Stormfly (How to Train Your Dragon), Ruffnut Thorston, Tuffnut Thorston, Barf and Belch (How to Train Your Dragon), Fishlegs Ingerman, Meatlug (How to Train Your Dragon), Snotlout Jorgenson, Hookfang (How to Train Your Dragon), Dagur the Deranged, Heather (How to Train Your Dragon), Tsar Lunar Lunanoff X | The Man in the Moon, Stoick the Vast, Gobber the Belch, Berkians (How to Train Your Dragon), Gothi (How to Train Your Dragon)

Relationships: Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III/Jack Frost (Guardians of Childhood)

Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Fantasy, Magical Creatures, Norse Mythology - Freeform, Mythical Beings & Creatures, Magic, Romance, Action/Adventure, Blood and Violence, Realistic Vikings, No Guardians, Eventual Romance, Original Character(s), Minor Original Character(s)

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/2JwFC5k

[prairiesongserial]

Once John was awake, there was no time to waste. He packed what needed packing--bandages, ammunition, food and water for two. Cody kept offering to help, but even if he’d been uninjured, he wouldn’t have been much help. John refused to tell him where anything was, and Cody grouched about it--out of nerves, or pain, or maybe just need of a good breakfast.

As John returned to the barn with a bite to eat, he caught Cody nervously extending a hand to Lightning. Lightning licked him, which was apparently enough excitement for the day, because after that she trotted off to hide under her mother.

“I see you’re introduced,” John said, flatly.

Cody looked up, saw the plate coming toward him, and grabbed for it. John watched him shovel raisins and nuts and hunks of crusty bread into his mouth. Cody paused only to gulp down the bottle of milk John had brought him, then attacked his food anew. John sat next to him, ate his own breakfast, and considered the route they were to take. According to Cody’s map, the fastest way to Vegas was to angle southeast. Though they were near the Nevada line, the drive would still take the full day. If they were lucky, they wouldn’t run into trouble, and they’d be in the city by nightfall.

When he and Cody were finished, John almost caught himself clearing the dishes back to the main house. He steeled himself. With careful, deliberate movements, he pushed Mister Thomas’ nice porcelain under the hay. He paused. He knew there was good reason to hide the plates--when the gang came sniffing around, John didn’t want to make it easy for them. But he couldn’t shake the feeling that it wasn’t the Dead-Eyes he was afraid of. He forced himself to look away. No one cared. Mister Thomas wasn’t waiting behind the barn doors with a switch. John rubbed Thunder’s head, fighting the urge to watch over his shoulder. He clicked his tongue at Lightning, but she stayed under her mother.

“We should go,” he said to Cody.

They departed Chokecherry quicker than they’d entered it. John sat astride the bike, Cody behind him.

“I don’t need to be tied down,” Cody said.

It was true that Cody had been much more alert this morning. Able to eat, even, which was more than he could have done the day before . It must have been difficult on him, holding himself on the bike with two missing fingers and a lot more missing blood, but he was insistent.

“Okay,” John said quietly.

Where the Pith track met the main road, John paused. The bike idled, grumbling at him that he was wasting gasoline. It was silly. He half expected Marguerite to be sitting in the road with a shotgun trained on the track. But of course the Dead-Eyes wouldn’t be there. They may well have been on their way, but the one thing a gang didn’t do was wait politely for you to come to them.

They were halfway to Vegas when John spotted it in the mirror.

They had made good progress through the waste of northern Nevada. The road Cody had chosen was easy driving, which John was thankful for. It was an old road, and wide, left over from days of travel and traffic. It cut through ranges of mountains and hills, curving along the sides of them, or barreling straight through. John had never seen anything like it. It was as if a giant had drawn his finger through mountains made of sand, carving an impossible path for the ants below. John’s wonder kept him going, that first five hours. At some point, Cody had fallen asleep, and now rested against John’s back. Tied down.

He’d gotten worse. Two missing fingers had a way of traumatizing a body. Yesterday, John had wondered if Cody would live. A night of sleep and something to eat had done Cody good, but now John could feel the fever radiating off Cody’s skin. Fever meant infection, probably. The dust of the road was poison in the wound, but there was no way to keep it clean, not in the hurry they were in.

And they had to hurry, now.

John chose not to wake Cody when he spotted it in the mirror, the black dot on the horizon behind them. He couldn’t say for sure how far behind them the rider was, or if the rider was even a Dead-Eye. Surely Ethan wouldn’t have come alone--though he might have sent a scout. John tried to talk himself down. He probably had nothing to worry about. Most travelers got around by bike, after all. It was efficient, inexpensive. Yet John kept checking the mirror. All he knew for certain was that there would be no more stops from here on out. He wouldn’t lose an inch of their head start.

He tried to push the bike faster, but it wouldn’t go above 60. That made some sense. It had two riders, their supplies, and a hulking instrument that Cody had flatly refused to leave behind. John wasn’t one for arguments, not even with strange young men delusional with fever, so the guitar had come, too. Only, it meant that the rider might gain on them.

John had trouble keeping his eyes on the road. Every minute or two he caught himself checking, searching for any sign that the rider had drawn closer. It was impossible to tell. If the rider really was Ethan’s scout, if this was the worst case scenario, John’s only hope was to reach Vegas and lose them in the city. Cody seemed to think it was a big enough town that there’d be no shortage of doctors, and John had to have faith that Cody knew what he was talking about. Any town with a doctor was big enough to get lost in.

Vegas snuck up on John. The bike left the mountains behind, and, where before there had been nothing, suddenly there was a jagged black line on the horizon. The sun was setting on John’s right, and the glare in his mirror made it impossible to judge the position of the rider. John hadn’t seen them in a while, come to think of it. He turned his head to really look behind him, and almost tipped the bike. It was possible he’d lost the rider on the mountain road. Or perhaps they had turned back to report their position to Ethan. It was obvious where John and Cody were headed, after all. John hadn’t done anything to disguise their destination. They hadn’t had time to meander. All John could do was hope that it wouldn’t cost them.

Seven hours on the bike. One more, maybe even less than an hour, and they would be in the city.  They could make it.

John cleared his throat.

“Cody,” he said.

Cody didn’t stir. John hadn’t spoken loudly enough. He tried again.

“Cody. We’re almost there.” He wanted to ask, Where do I go? I don’t know what safe looks like, here.

Cody only mumbled an annoyed sound, and went back to sleep. John wouldn’t get any help from him. He gripped the handlebars and set himself to the task. The black line of Las Vegas flowered into buildings, painted signs and symbols too far away to signify anything, yet. John took a deep breath of dusty air. Then, suddenly, above the bike’s engine, he could hear it. A dull roar of cars, carts, chatter, and shouts that grew just as the buildings grew before John. Enough to overwhelm. And just like that, they were lost.

On the chance the scout was still behind them, John tangled himself up in Vegas. He turned down every street he came to, left, right, right, left - quickly, but not quickly enough to draw attention. He had been worried, at first, that he and Cody would stick out. A pair of strange travelers, injured, carrying as much luggage as they were--in John’s little town, they would have been talked about for weeks. But here, they weren’t particularly out of the ordinary.

The streets were busy with bikes just like Cody’s, travelers in goggles with large packs on their backs, strangely dressed locals wearing glittering metal and bright clothes, hawking wares with all the flash of a pop gun. Some of them may have even had pop guns. The street was deafening.  It was more noise than John had ever heard in his life. He very nearly ran over the toes of a woman selling dried apricots, he was so distracted by the noise, color, and crowd.

John spent at least a half hour getting as lost as he could get in Vegas.

He didn’t see the symbol for a doctor, not matter what street he turned down, but symbols varied from state to state, and Oregon’s may not have been the same as southern Nevada’s. John scanned every building for crossed green lines, and cursed himself that he didn’t know his letters. Cody might. He would stop somewhere and try to wake him again.

The sun had nearly vanished beneath the earth. John pulled the bike into the next alley and untied Cody from himself.

“Wake up,” he muttered, shaking Cody gently by the shoulder.

Cody blinked at him.

“Why are we stopped?” he asked.

“We’re in Vegas. I can’t find it. The doctor.”

Cody tipped his head around, surveying their dimly lit surroundings. On the main road, shopkeepers were lighting candles and lamps, hoping to squeeze in the last few customers of the day.

“Have you tried looking outside of this tiny, dark alley?” Cody said, tersely. He leaned back against the wall and shut his eyes tightly.

John decided not to answer. He dug in his bag for a moment, then found the thin tarp he had brought for a tent. He tied it down over the bike and their bags, and when he was done, the whole parcel looked just like the rest of the garbage in the alley.

John examined Cody for a moment. Every few seconds, Cody slid down the wall an inch, jerked up, and began the process again.

“Okay,” John said.

He put his shoulder under Cody’s and, above surprisingly energetic protests, dragged him out of the alley and up the steps of the building next to them. A church. It was worth a try. Any native to the city would be able to tell them where to find a doctor, but there was always a risk when you identified yourself as a newcomer. He was just as likely to be robbed as to receive genuine advice. A preacher, though, that was a risk John was willing to take. There wasn’t a church in Pith, but every few months the travelling preacher would come to town, making his way along the Oregon circuit in exchange for a place to stay and a few hot meals. He had told stories. Been one of the few really nice people John had ever met.

John imagined the quality of preacher varied from town to town, but if he was going to take a chance on anyone, it was going to be a man of the cloth. Even so, the preacher didn’t need to know how much John and Cody had on them. Especially that guitar. That would sell for a penny, here.

John pushed open the door of the church. He dragged Cody up the aisle of pews, toward the pulpit, running more on desperation than rational thought. His heart sank. It was dark. The gas lamps lining the walls were unlit. Of course no one would be here at this time of night. If no one had come to greet him—or shoot him--when he thundered through the door, no one was coming. John set Cody down on a pew, not yet knowing what he intended to do. To spend the night here? To explore? To find someone else to help?

While he had been driving, he had had a purpose--get to Vegas. He had been comforted, knowing that he was doing all he could to get Cody help. But now that they had arrived, he was shutting down. Everything was up to him, but he was lost. He was too tired from the drive, the panic, the strange, loud city. He couldn’t carry Cody around the city, begging strangers for help, not when that would make them both an easy target for robbers, con men, and traffickers. But he couldn’t leave Cody in an abandoned church, either. John sat down on the pew, next to Cody.  He hesitated, then touched a finger to Cody’s wrist. Cody was burning up, but his pulse was strong. For a minute, John could sit next to him on the pew and rest. He could think for a minute.  

John didn’t remember falling asleep.

epilogue 1 || 2.2

[everything-lightly]

[awindylife-writes]

Voyage of the Damned Part 2

Relationships: the Doctor x reader, Astrid x reader (platonic), Astrid x Doctor (platonic)

Summary: Voyage of the Damned rewrite. The Doctor and you find yourselves on the Titanic, space edition. You meet Astrid and get ready for a wonderful day, but then a meteor shower hits the ship and it starts falling towards Earth.

Author's notes: There was a number of things l didn't like about this Christmas special so again, l rewrote it.

Warnings: a ship crashes, multiple mentions of dearth bc a lot of people die

"Oi, Steward! I'm telling you, the shields are down!" a new man yelled.

"LISTEN TO HIM! LISTEN TO HIM!" the Doctor desparately screamed in the Steward's face. The two crewmen let him go and you didn't know it, but it was too late.

A moment later the ship started rocking like it was being torn apart, because it was. You lost your footing and fell back as everything turned sideways.

"Y/N!!!!" you heard the Doctor's terrified scream through the noise of the ship's destruction and the cries of other passengers. You couldn't even get a good look at where he was before something in the walls exploded and you threw yourself away.

You found Astrid near you and thank god for that. "I've got you!" you yelled over the noise and gripped her tight as you tried to shield her from the hell around you.

Then there were arms around you too, holding you up and protecting you. You knew those arms.

The Doctor had found you and the three of you clung to each other in that madness. You could feel each shudder of the ship like a wave of an earthquake. You tried to keep yourself steady and upright but you were the snow in a snowglobe someone was shaking. Balance was a mith and everything was being ripped apart. Various pieces of equipment were falling on all sides, there was fire burning all around you; you could feel its heat on your skin and you breathed its smoke. You felt sick from being thrown around but you were too terrified to hurl.

You couldn't close your eyes even though you wanted to. Everything in you was screaming to watch out for danger, but there was so much of it around you you didn't know where to look. You stared at disaster over Astrid's shoulder and the Doctor's arm. Shadow and light mixed into a disorienting mess and the shades the fire threw joined the dance. You coudn't distinguish what was near and what was far but you still looked.

The only thing you could do was clutch Astrid and the Doctor with all the strength you possessed and wish they wouldn't be harmed.

Finally you were thrown to the side in one last bang and then it stopped. You were lying on the floor and partly on the Doctor. He was on his back, still holding you and Astrid.

After a breath he let go, then stood up and swiftly looked around. You sat up, thankful you were still in one piece. You let go of Astrid enough to check her over and relief washed over you when you found out she was unharmed. You were about to yell if everyone was okay but the Doctor sushed you. After a moment of absolute silence he quetly declared, "It's stopping."

He then looked down at you in worry and offered you a hand. "You alright?"

As you quietly nodded, he looked over at your friend. "Astrid?"

She nodded too and took the hand he'd offered her. He pulled both of you to your feet.

"Bad name for a ship," he told you, scowling. "Either that, or this suit is really unlucky."

"We'll get you a new one and then we'll test that theory," you smiled weakly at him.

He looked at you, grateful, and then you heard Astrid suck in a breath.

The three of you looked down at the unlucky officer who was on the ground close to you. The Doctor kneeled to check him over. You saw him shake his head at the Steward and your stomack turned to stone.

~

The Steward was dead now too. You looked out the door with the Doctor, at the wreckage and the distant Earth. Still beautiful, you thought to yourself. You were a bit dazed, nothing felt real and everything was too real at the same time.

You knew you never wanted to feel so powerless again, but you also knew that drive was in you still. You would help where you could.

You gathered yourself and asked, "What happened?"

"How come the shields were down?" Astrid demanded a second later. You jumped, you hadn't noticed her there. She smiled gently at you, blue eyes kind, and caressed your shoulder. You managed a small, grateful smile in return.

"I don't think it was an accident," the Doctor growled. You figured that.

"How many dead?" Astrid and you asked in one voice, both looking at the Steward's body out in space. She was indignant though, while you were simply sad.

"We're alive," the Doctor answered her and then looked at you. "Focus on that," he told you gently. He knew what people being hurt did to you.

"I'll get you out of here," his voice was soft but firm. Then he turned to Astrid and you followed his eyes. She was trembling, still looking out at the result of the hell you all had endured. You took her hand into yours and squeezed it.

"I will get you both out of here," the Doctor assured her. "Astrid, l promise. Look at me." He held her shoulders and when she found his eyes, he assured her again, "I promise."

You were glad, because when the Doctor promised something, it happened. You needed her to live. Even if she'd want nothing to do with you after this, you needed her to live. Even if she had been anyone else, you would have done your damnest to ensure she survived, but Astrid was extraordinary. To think about the universe without her?

No. No.

After she nodded shakily, he concluded, "Good," and turned around. He went on about reception but you tuned him out. Instead, you looked Astrid in the eye and then pulled her closer. She gratefully accepted the hug.

"You heard what the Doctor said and l'll say it too. I promise we'll get you out of here." You squeezed her shoulder in emphasis.

She breathed deeply and slowly let go. Then she smiled and her bright eyes crincled. "Thank you," she told you gratefully. You nodded and swung your still joined hands.

"You know, l met you about two hours ago, but now l think l've known you for years," she said in wonder.

"Yeah?" you asked her and she nodded, still smiling. "I feel that way too," you told her, giddy in this moment. You both grinned at each other.

"Oh," the Doctor's sad voice cut through.

You whirled around. "What is it what's wrong?"

"That's the TARDIS over there," he told you and you desparately searched for the blue box with your eyes. He was right, it was spinning in zero gravity, so close but still out of your reach.

"What is that?" Astrid asked in confusion.

"It's our ship," you told her, throat tight. "It's our home."

"And it's programmed to lock onto the nearest centre of gravity, and that would be the Earth."

~

You took care of the other passengers with Astrid as the Doctor talked to the bridge. You overheard enough to know the picture.

"Are we going to die?" Foon asked and everything started going downhill.

The Doctor sushed the frightened passengers. "First things first," he began in a determined voice. "One, we're gonna climb through this ship. B, no, two, we're gonna reach the bridge. Three, or c, we're gonna save the Titanic. And, coming in a very low four, or d, or that little iv in brackets they use in footnotes, follow me."

Good, that was good, you thought to yourself. Always good to establish a goal.

"Hang on a minute." The fricking billionare decided to show he's an ass. "Who put you in charge?" he demanded. "And who the hell are you anyway."

"I'm the Doctor. I'm a Time Lord." Sparks flew behind him and he was suddenly bigger than everyone in the hall.

"I'm from the planet Gallifrey in the constellation of Casterbourus." You were grinning like mad. You could almost hear magestic music playing.

"I'm nine hundred and three years old, and l'm the man who's gonna save your lives and all six billion people on the planet below. And she's gonna help," he interjected, looking at you. "Have you got a problem with that?" he asked the billionare.

"No," the man admitted, baffled.

The Doctor turned to you. "In that case..."

"Allons-y," you said for him with a smile and started walking. You turned back, grinning at the group as the Doctor fell into step with you. You found Astrid with your eyes and nodded your head for her to join you.

~

"This whole thing could come crashing down any minute!" the billionare whined as he helped you clear the staircase of debris.

"Oh, Brixton, did you get that message?" you asked him sweetly.

He frowned in confusion. "No, what message?"

"Shut up," you told him, not covering up your annoyance.

Then you heard from above, "Bannacafalata, made it!"

You climbed up behind Astrid. You weren't about to leave her alone on this bloody ship.

~

Foon's screams echoed in the chasm. Death, death, all around you death, whywhywhywhy WHY?!?!

~

"Alright, when it's ready, that blue light comes on there," the Doctor pointed at the spot on the battery Bannacafalata had given you. Another person you hadn't been able to save.

Astrid frowned. "You're talking as if you two aren't coming with us."

"There's something down on deck thirty-one," you told her, "and we're gonna find out what it is."

"But what if you meet a Host?" She was worried about you and the thought melted your heart.

"Well, then we'll just..." The Doctor wiggled his eyebrows at you, smiling, "have some fun."

"Sounds like you two do this kinda thing all the time," Astrid added nonchalantly.

"Not by choice," you assured her, voice soft.

"Yeah, all we do is travel," the Doctor pitched in.

"Imagine it," you told her, suddenly wishing with all your heart you were out there, with her in the stars. "No stakes, no bills, no boss. Just the open sky." The wonder you felt when you thought about all you've seen seeped into your voice. There was all that space out there, so much room to wonder, so many skies to see.

"I'm sort of, uh, unemployed? Um, now," she answered as you looked at her expectantly. "I was thinking that blue box is, kinda small," she raised her eyebrows, "but l could... squeeze in? Like a stowaway!" Her eyes were so full of hope and your heart was bursting.

"It's not always safe," the Doctor's voice cut through the feeling. And you remembered. You remembered Foon and Morvin and Bannacafalata. How could you have forgotten???

"So you two need someone to take care of you," she protested. "I've got no one back on Stoe, no family. Just... me." She looked at you, blue eyes pleading. "So what do you think? Can l come with you?"

The Doctor smiled and looked at you. You were already grinning and nodding at Astrid, so incredibly happy. It was decided. "Yeah, we'd like that," the Doctor answered while you nodded on enthusiastically.

Her lips stretched into a wide grin and you pulled her close. You hugged her tightly, with a bright future ahead of you.

And then all three of you fell to the ground as the room shook.

~

"All charged up!" the Doctor yelled as the blue light came on. You all hurried back to the two waiting men. "Mister Copper, look after her; Astrid, look after him." He pointed at them. "Brixton, um..." he trailed off at a loss for words. "Look after yourself," he finally finished.

"We'll see you again," you reassured Astrid. "I promise." You steadily held her gaze so she knew you meant it.

And then you were off, running to the door on the other side of the hall.

"Hold on!" she called after you. "There's an old tradition on Stoe!"

"We've really got to go," the Doctor told her and you swatted his arm.

"Just wait a minute!" she yelled as she ran up to you.

She stopped in front of you, cradled your face and deftly kissed your cheek. "You'll get the other when you come back," she told you, smiling, then turned to the Doctor and did the same.

"See you later!" she called after you when you turned to leave.

"Not if l see you first!" you told her over your shoulder, a huge grin splitting your face.

"What she said," the Doctor joined in.

After seeing Astrid smile in turn, you were gone.

[awindylife-writes]

Voyage of the Damned Part 1

Relationships: the Doctor x reader, Astrid x reader (platonic), Astrid x Doctor (platonic)

Summary: Voyage of the Damned rewrite. The Doctor and you find yourselves on the Titanic, space edition. You meet Astrid and get ready for a wonderful day, but then a meteor shower hits the ship and it starts falling towards Earth.

Author's notes: There was a number of things l didn't like about this Christmas special so again, l rewrote it.

Warnings: a ship crashes, multiple mentions of dearth bc a lot of people die

You were ready to go to sleep for the night after Martha left. The events that had transpired were physically and emotionally exhausting. You were so glad she gave you a lifeline back to her, you didn't know what you would have done with yourself otherwise. And she wasn't gone forever, you had to keep reminding yourself. It still felt like losing her though, it still hurt.

You really couldn't lose any more people.

You were thankful things had gone the way they had though, or maybe that they hadn't gone worse. Even though the Master was dead and the Doctor was yet to process it. He had broken open when his friend had refused to regenerate. You had gone to him after a minute or two, unable to leave him alone in a chasm that deep, you knew what it was to lose someone that close. (You still ached for Rose.)

But after he'd cried himself out, he pretended like nothing had happened and something tensed in you at that. The Doctor avoiding his grief brought even more pain when he finally broke down again. It set you on your guard. You decided to give him a little more time, it had been less than a day since the danger had passed, but after that, you'd be having a hard conversation with him.

And then the fricking Titanic ran you over. Or more accurately, it ran the TARDIS over.

Well, that was one hell of a distraction, you granted the universe that. And oh, alright, a grand historical party in space wouldn't hurt. You knew the Doctor, and you too, needed to push some things out of your minds for now.

You headed towards the TARDIS' closet to pick out a dress.

~

"You'll be sorry when it comes out of your wages sweetheart!" the man yelled at the waitress and you and the Doctor shared a look. You were personally ready to clobber the man over the head, but the woman he had been berating needed help. You were not about to ignore that.

So, as the man stalked away, the Doctor and you kneeled across from her and started picking up the glass shards.

"Careful, there we go," said the Doctor as a way of entrance.

"Thank you sir, ma'am, but l can manage," she told you both decidedly.

"Never said that you couldn't," the Doctor replied.

You smiled warmly at her. "I'm y/n by the way, and this is the Doctor," you pointed at your friend as he grinned.

"Astrid, ma'am. Astrid Pith," she repiled, now looking a bit easier.

"Nice to meet you Astrid." You were glad she didn't mind you there. "Merry Christmas," you added, because apparently it was Christmas today. Who knew?

"Merry Christmas, ma'am," she replied with a smile, now visibly pleased. "And you, sir," she turned to the Doctor.

"Just Doctor, not sir,"

"Oh no please don't-" him and you both said at the same time.

"You enjoying the cruise?" Astrid changed the subject.

"Yeah l suppose,"

"Oh yeah, l think so," you both stumbled out a reply. You had been here for exactly ten minutes.

"What about you?" you asked her akwardly. "I mean l know it's not great," you quickly amended, "getting people drinks, but you are a long way away from home?"

The Doctor chimed in, "Yeah, planet Stoe, that's five point six billion miles..." He turned around, orienting himself, "that way." He pointed to the left, towards the band.

"Doesn't feel that different," Astrid admitted. "Spent three years working at the port diner, travelled all the way here," she leaned in conspirationally, "still waiting on tables."

She walked off then and you both followed her to the window.

"No shore leave?" the Doctor asked.

Astrid sighed, "We're not allowed. They can't afford the insurance." You winced inwardly. So far away, so strange, but it was all the same in the end.

"I just wanted to try it," Astrid admitted. "Just once." She looked at the Earth below wistfully. You joined her in that feeling, you would never get tired of seeing your home like this.

"I used to watch the ships going out to the stars and l always dreamt of-" She cut off and you wanted her to go on so much.

She shook her head, rejecting the thoughts. "Sounds daft," she told you both as much as herself.

"You dreamt of another sky," the Doctor went on for her. You were so glad he wanted to hear her too. "New sun, new air, new life. A whole universe, teeming with life."

You saw Astrid's face and you knew he was right, you and the Doctor were both right. She wanted the same thing as you, to travel.

He turned and leaned on the windowsill. "Why stand still when there's all that life out there?" he looked between the two of you, smiling slightly.

Astrid stepped back now, as if waking from a spell. "So you travel... together?" she changed the topic, eyebrows raised and unsure.

"All the time," the Doctor grinned.

"Just for fun," you joined him. "Well..." you began to correct yourself.

"That's the plan," he looked up you, brown eyes gleaming and his grin even wider. "Never quite works," he shook his head.

"Must be rich though," Astrid ventured a guess, looking at your clothes.

"Ha!" you snorted and smiled to yourself.

"Haven't got a penny," the Doctor admitted and looked at the crowd. Astrid's face haltered in surprise.

Excited to be making a friend, you wispered, "Stowaways," to her conspirationally.

Her eyes widened in disbelief. "You're kidding."

"Seriously," you told her, both the Doctor and you grinning like idiots.

She joined you in laughter, "No!"

"Oh yeah," the Doctor assured her as she frowned at you. "How'd you get on board?"

"Accident," the Doctor explained. "We've got this sort of- ship, thing, l was just rebuilding her. Left the defences down, bumped into the Titanic and here we are." He shrugged his shoulders.

You jumped in, "Saw a party, thought why not." 

Astrid was silent for a moment. "I should report you," she told you, but she was holding back a smile.

"Go on then," the Doctor said with a straight face. You couldn't keep your lips out of a grin.

She looked around the party a bit, then back at you two. "I'll get you a drink," she told you decidedly and then whispered, "On the house," with a small smile.

The Doctor and you watched her as she left, then giddily turned to each other. You squeezed his arm with both your hands as he grined. This was so-

You could suddenly hear laughing. When you turned around, you saw a bunch of toffs obviously ridiculing the pair sitting at the adjacent table. The Doctor and you jointly decided to intervene.

You sat down beside the pair and he made the toffs' champagne bottle explode, which sprayed the whole snobbish table. You so loved this man.

~

And you so wanted to show Astrid your home planet, all of it. After this night, you were sure you'd be able to.

Her excitement was contagious. You were just standing in a street in London and it was brilliant because she was there. It was also amazing to see Earth from an alien's perspective. There was so much you wanted to tell Astrid.

But then you were suddenly transported back to the Titanic, never mind that you were in the middle of a conversation with the nice man who had been selling newspapers. And so, trouble started.

~

You could see the SHIELDS OFFLINE sign blinking red on the screen as your blood froze. The meteor shower was right there.

The Doctor was talking to the bridge, fast and loud.

"We need to get them out," you said quetly to yourself and turned around. You hurriedly took in the fancy hall full of people and ran up to the nearest group.

They weren't listening. "Look out the windows!" you yelled, desparate, and ran to the next gathering. "There's a meteor shower coming for the ship and the shields are down!"

Nobody was listening. You could hear the Doctor yelling through the microphone but the crew started dragging him away almost immediately.

Everyone thought this was a joke. The history is repeating itself, you thought to yourself. I'm literally rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic. You wanted to start crying, despair and grief for these soon-to-be-dead people welled up in you. But there wasn't time.

You saw Astrid not too far from you. She looked at the Doctor being dragged away, then found you with her worried blue eyes. Your gazes met. You nodded to her, pain clear on your face.

Then you ran after your friend and the men who had apprehended him with Astrid right behind you.