Beyond The Void || doctor who

Chapter Seven: Wardrobe Predicaments

**this is dedicated to @GirlInTheStars_ for being my #1 fan**

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Jess simply couldn't get used to the idea that the TARDIS was actually real. Like, really real. Actually, physically, real. Never mind get used to the size of the thing. It was enormous. Completely infinite. Nothing compared to TV.

Although she almost got lost in the endless corridors, Jess was in heaven. She wanted to take pictures of everything and flaunt them off on Tumblr, but she knew she'd get in heaps of trouble – or, nobody would believe her, which seemed more likely.

"Wardrobe ... wardrobe ... wardrobe ..." she muttered to herself, crossing her fingers as she opened another door.

And at last, she found it. The gigantic hall filled to the brim with a trillion different fabrics. Clothes for men, women, humanoids, non-humanoids, parties, dances, galas, weddings, get-togethers, future places, past places, foreign entertainment, anything. It was everything she could imagine, and she didn't have a clue where to start.

She thought about something practical to wear to a Christmas party: Jeans? A skirt? What kind of top?

Seeing that rational thinking wasn't working, she roamed instead. The first thing that caught her eye was a long, flowing, magenta gown, with a medieval-like collar and bursts of faint light travelling in various highways, resembling veins.

Too alien, she thought, letting the silky fabric fall between her fingers.

What she found next was more out-of-the-ordinary, but that didn't stop her from admiring the wrap-around fabric that took the form of the sea – and the smell, too, she thought, bringing it to her nose. It smelled like this one tiny beach she used to visit when she was little, with a rusty swing set and a fire pit never with any fire. It was right beyond her grandparents' summer cottage (although they'd lived in it year-'round). When they died, Melissa sold it to pay for the mortgage, and other things a single mom couldn't afford on her own.

Jess never went to the beach again.

She found only ten suitable outfits in the crammed abundance. Two were immediately thrown back into a disarray pile in the nearest corner because they wouldn't seem to fit, one was far too showy to go anywhere near another form of life, and four more were discarded because they weren't appropriate for her century. Now, she had three to choose from.

As she'd decided on wearing a dress – and, having shaved her legs in a super awkward shower the night before only increased her chances of not looking horrible – one more flew behind her.

That left two.

The first one was a lime green color, with tattered edges and a chevron pattern around the waist. A thick strap held it up, but she was worried about the length. It fell an entire six inches above her knee.

Jess was always insecure, ever since she learned what the word meant. She liked to wear normal things, like jeans and sweats and tees, because she was afraid of what she'd look like if she didn't wear those things.

She never wore anything above her ankles because of the thickness of her thighs. She never wore open-toed shoes because of her weird looking toes. She never liked to put her hair up, because she was afraid her face would look too fat without her messy curls. She wouldn't wear tank tops alone, and she definitely didn't wear bathing suits.

Jess was always insecure. But not today.

She threw the lime green dress aside and held the crimson one up to her body, admiring everything about it. Although there were no straps (her breasts would just have to make do), everything else was flawless. She didn't even bother sucking her gut in as she pulled it over her head.

She peeled off her jeans and pulled the dress down to her knees, sauntering bare-foot towards the closest mirror. She twirled and watched the material swish mesmerizingly.

There wasn't anything special about this particular dress – there were no patterns or any accessories that came with it – it was absolutely simple, but beautiful nonetheless. And that's the best kind of beauty, she thought, simplicity.

Now that she'd found the perfect dress, she needed shoes. Converse wouldn't work, and she was definitely not getting into a pair of heels. Too cold for sandals, and flats hurt her feet.

Jess balanced on her tiptoes to see if she could find a shoe section or something.

She chuckled to herself; she felt like she was at the mall, hanging on the racks and trying on everything out of her budget range.

After quite a bit of crawling over piles of clothes, she reached a half-opened cupboard with a combat boot sticking out. She took it out and looked at it skeptically, then held it against her dress.

Maybe I could pull it off, she slipped her foot inside, with a smile, and a hell of a lot of willpower.

She opened the door all the way, tossing mismatched shoes behind her hurriedly. She went to check her phone, but realized it was in her jeans pocket, which was all the way across the room. She groaned, staring up at the gravity bulb hanging from the domed ceiling, illuminating the entire hall.

She hoped she wouldn't be late for Elaine's party. In fact, if she didn't find the matching boot right then, she'd have gone to her house with only one shoe.

She zipped them up, glanced in the mirror one last time, gathered her clothes, and dashed out of the room, maneuvering through a million corridors and stepping foot on solid ground once again.

Running up the stairs as fast as she could, she dumped her previous attire in her laundry and sped down to the lounge, where the Doctor was looking the same as he did an hour before, but instead of his normal burgundy bowtie, he was sporting a navy blue one.

"Hm," the Doctor murmured, probably just for Jess' amusement, a grin spreading across his face. "Nice look."

Jess's face turned red with embarrassment, and she slightly placed her hands on her stomach self-consciously.

A look of confusion crossed his face for a fraction of a second, but the two of them pretended that nothing was wrong.

"So," Jess said, breaking the soon-to-be-awkward silence. "What's the plan?"

"What plan?" the Doctor asked, pushing himself off the sofa.

"To get there? I mean, we no longer have a properly functioning time machine, and I've only got my learners permit – and yes, you're far beyond twenty-one, but still, I don't have a car." She realized how much she didn't think this over and mentally smacked herself in the face.

"Who said we needed a car?" His face lit up like the Christmas tree behind him, and he sprinted out the back door. Jess followed, sticking her head beyond the entrance of the TARDIS. A vrooming noise blasted throughout the control room, and the Doctor skidded to a stop in front of her, his leg swinging over the seat of the bike and a helmet in his hand.

She laughed.

"We're taking this to a party?" she questioned, incredulously.

"Of course. What's cooler than a motorbike?" She strapped the helmet to her head and rolled her eyes.

"Nothing, I suppose," she answered, moving her leg around the seat and wrapping her arms around his waist.

He started the bike, and with a short laugh, he bellowed, "Geronimo!"

A/N Hi, again! I can't believe it's been an entire month since this was updated (it feels like three days), but here it is :3 I'm super proud of how this book is coming out, and of all you readers being awesome! 

(Eh, mind the mistakes, if there are any. It's midnight, and I'm tired xc)

I've added some more changes in the first few chapters, so if you'd like to know why things aren't adding up, I suggest you skim the first couple chapters, just to be sure you haven't missed anything.

Also, be expecting more chapters sooner: I've only got a month left of school, and then I'm all yours :3

(Jess's outfit is on the side c: And check out the copyright page for the soundtrack made by the wonderful @mydearcaptain )