Lost Soul

The Girl in the Fireplace

"Yet, still you came." She asked, sadden. Silenced followed. "You're thinking of her aren't you?" She asked, referring to Raelle.

He looked at her, a sad smile on his face. "Yeah" He sighed. 

"There were many doors between my world and yours. Can you not use one of the others?" She offered, desperately wanting to help the man.

He shook his head. "When the mirror broke, the shock would have severed all the links with the ship. There'll be a few more broken mirrors and torn tapestries around here, I'm afraid, wherever there was a time window. I'll, I'll pay for any damage." He paused, cringing. "Er, that's a thought, I'm going to need money. I was always a bit vague about money. Where do you get money?" He asked, scrunching his eyebrows. 

Reinette shook her head, smiling softly as she looked out the window. "So, here you are, my lonely angel, stuck on the slow path with me." 

"Yep, the slow path." He sighed. He held his drink out to Reinette. "Here's to the slow path."They drink a toast.

"It's a pity. I think I would've enjoyed the slow path."

"Well, I'm not going anywhere." He reminded her, a sad looked on his face as he was reminded of the circumstances.

She looked over to the man to see him upset. She took his hand. "Oh, aren't you? Follow me" She led him into her old bedroom. "It's not a copy, it's the original. I had it moved here and was exact in every detail." She gestured over to the fireplace on the other side of the room.

"The fireplace. The fireplace from your bedroom." He gasped. He turned to look at her. "When did you do this?"

She smiled. "Many years ago, in the hope that a door once opened, may someday open again. One never quite knows when one needs one's Doctor. It appears undamaged. Do you think it will still work?"

He walked over to the fireplace, inspecting it. "You broke the bond with the ship when you moved it, which means it was offline when the mirror broke. That's what saved it." He scanned it with his screwdriver. "But the link is basically physical, and it's still physically here. Which might just mean, if I'm lucky. If I'm very, very, very, very, very, very lucky." He tried, as he taps the fireplace surround. "Ah ha!" He exclaims, laughing.

"What?"

"Loose connection." The Doctor says, using his sonic screwdriver. "Need to get a man in." He told her. He gives it a thump and there is a clunk. "Wish me luck!" The fireplace turns, taking the Doctor away.

Back on the side of the ship, The Doctor calls back through the fireplace. "Madame de Pompadour! Still want to see those stars?" He smiles. 

"More than anything." She told him, eyes wide. 

"Give me two minutes. Pack a bag."

She laughed. "Am I going somewhere?"

"Go to the window. Pick a star, any star." He told her excitedly, running off to find the others. He neared another corridor, bumping into them. Without hesitation, Raelle runs up to the Doctor, pulling him into the tight hug, as she tucked her head into the crook of his neck. He was taken aback by her, not realising how upset she was, but he simply returned it, both sharing a silent moment of comfort. 

"How long did you wait?" He asked the girl as they broke apart. 

"Five and a half hours." Rose told him, glaring at the man. She was frustrated with him for upsetting her sister. 

"Great." He replied awkwardly. "Always wait five and a half hours." He laughed. The Doctor shakes Mickey's hand. 

"Where've you been?" Raelle asked.