Yowzah Oneshot Collection (2)

142(G)

            Elephant in the Room

                     sonictrowel

[Darillium]

It all started as a series of igloos and tunnels and little burrows for Athena to play in, carved into the decades’ worth of solid, hard-packed snowfall.  Only, River and the Doctor never could do anything in half-measures.  Inevitably, they began reconstructing meticulously detailed, scaled-down versions of some of their favourite bits of historical architecture instead, bickering cheerfully over the particulars of the Great Wall and Versailles as they built.

The months wore on and, much to the Doctor’s dismay, the anachronistic mishmash of snow edifices in their front garden was becoming something of a local attraction.  Likely for tourists who’d come to see the towers and then realised there was nothing else interesting on probably the entire planet.  Someone in town must have been tipping them off.  Gaggles of them would wander up the cliffside and circle around with their cameras— at least, until a scary, cross old man with attack eyebrows emerged from the house, shouting at them to fuck off.

But it was quiet now, not another soul to be seen.  The night air smelled of ice, and River’s cheeks burned from the biting wind as she looked out over the tiny parapets of Gravensteen Snow Castle.  One of Darillium’s moons shone gold in the dark channel between the distant silhouettes of the towers.  Their bittersweet song rang out over the frozen landscape, echoing off of cliff faces and rolling slopes of glittering white. 

What she wouldn’t give to never have to leave this stupid, dark, boring, freezing, wonderful planet.  What she wouldn’t give to see it transformed by sunlight and know that they could stay.  Or really, anywhere would be fine.  So long as they were together.

She climbed down from the castle and crunched through the snowy path back to the TARDIS, feeling stiflingly warm in her coat and scarf as soon as she stepped inside.  In theory, Athena was already in bed, but the pitter-patter (okay, more like STOMPSTOMPSTOMP) of little feet and squealing giggles emanating from down the corridor, mingled with the Doctor’s soft, coaxing grumble, told her otherwise.  River smiled from ear to ear as she shed her coat.

“Mummy!” Athena cried, stampeding into the hall, bright-eyed and breathless with laughter, the Doctor a few steps behind her.

“Now who could this be?” River asked theatrically, scooping up her little squirming, pyjama-clad monster.  “Couldn’t be Athena, because Athena’s already gone to bed, hasn’t she?  I distinctly remember three bedtime stories, a tucking-in, and turning off the lights.  So what little creature have I got here?”

“Mum-myyy!” she laughed.  “Need ’nother story.”

“You’ve already had another, kitten,” the Doctor said patiently.  “You’ve had two ’nothers, in fact.”

“Any little Time Lady would be asleep after five stories,” River said.  “So you must be… an Ood!”  She wiggled her fingers at Athena’s chin as she squealed with laughter.

“No-oo!” Athena shouted amidst giggles.

“No?  What do you think, darling?”

“Well,” the Doctor said, stepping closer, “based on cuddliness, I’d say she must be Catkind.  Not very furry, though… perhaps an Adipose?”

“Nooo, Daddy!” Athena laughed.

He rubbed at his chin.  “Then, I suppose you are just a very sleepy little girl who needs to get to bed.”

“No-no-no,” Athena trilled, not laughing anymore.  “Not sleepy.  Thir-ty.”

“You go on back to bed with Mummy,” the Doctor said indulgently, “and I’ll bring your cup.  And then it is sleeping time for Time Ladies and kittens and Oods.”