"It's a spaceship. Brilliant! I got a spaceship on my first go." Mickey said excitedly
"congratulations" Morgana drawled as she looked around at the messy ship there were lots of bits and pieces of equipment scattered around.
"It looks kind of abandoned. Anyone onboard?" Rose asked
The Doctor shook his head "Nah, nothing here. Well, nothing dangerous." Morgana gave him a look "Well, not that dangerous." She rose an eyebrow and he looked sheepish "You know what, I'll just have a quick scan, in case there's anything dangerous." He shuffled off
"So, what's the date? How far we gone?" Rose questioned
"About three thousand years into your future, give or take." The Doctor explained as he found the light switch on a console, part of the ceiling showing the stars, Morgana smiled up at the pretty view
"Fifty-first century. Diagmar Cluster, you're a long way from home, Mickey. Two and a half galaxies." The Doctor said
"Mickey Smith meet the universe. See anything you like?" Rose propped her chin on his shoulder and smiled
"It's so realistic!" Mickey exclaimed
Morgana moved over to The Doctor looking over his shoulder as he looked at the computer screen "Dear me, had some cowboys in here. Got a ton of repair work going on. Now that's odd. Look at that. All the warp engines are going. Full capacity. There's enough power running through this ship to punch a hole in the universe, but we're not moving. So where's all that power going?" he asked
"Where'd all the crew go?" Rose asked
The Doctor hummed pressing some buttons "Good question. No life readings on board."
"Well, we're in deep space. They didn't just nip out for a quick fag." Rose joked and Morgana snorted
The Doctor shook his head "No, I've checked all the smoking pods. Can you smell that?"
"yes," Morgana said quietly having smelt the scent of burning flesh before
"Yeah, someone's cooking." Rose didn't realise how on the nose she was
"Sunday roast, definitely." Mickey determined
"No, it really isn't" Morgana disagreed as the Doctor used the console to open a door behind them
Morgana glanced over and spotted that the far wall is panelled, and contains a blazing fire in an ornate fireplace, with an ormolu clock on the mantlepiece that was intricately carved probably custom made.
"what's that?" she asked
The Doctor brightened "Well, there's something you don't see in your average spaceship. Eighteenth-century. French. Nice mantle. Not a hologram. It's not even a reproduction. This actually is an eighteenth-century French fireplace. Double-sided. There's another room through there."
Morgana perked in interest and followed him over to the fireplace as Rose looked out of a porthole into space
"There can't be. That's the outer hull of the ship. Look." Rose said
"Hello." The Doctor greeted
"Hello little one" Morgana smiled at the young girl who was dressed in a high-quality nightgown, she knelt in front of the fireplace on the other side
"Hello." She greeted Morgana recognising it as French causing an odd dissonance for her.
"What's your name?" The Doctor asked
"Reinette." She answered shyly
"what a beautiful name" Morgana complimented
"Reinette, that's a lovely name. Can you tell me where you are at the moment, Reinette?" The Doctor asked
"In my bedroom." She said tilting her head
"And where's your bedroom? Where do you live, Reinette?" The Doctor probed
"is it somewhere in France sweetheart?" Morgana questioned
"Paris, madame" Reinette smiled
"Paris, right!" The Doctor said
"Madame, Monsieur, what are you doing in my fireplace?" she questioned them
"Oh, it's just a routine fire check. Can you tell me what year it is?" The Doctor diverted
"Of course, I can. Seventeen hundred and twenty-seven." She said proudly and Morgana's eyes widened at the possibility
"Right, lovely. One of my favourites. August is rubbish though. Stay indoors. Okay, that's all for now. Thanks for your help. Hope you enjoy the rest of the fire. Night, night." The Doctor said
"sweet dreams" Morgana smiled at her
"Goodnight Monsieur, Madame" she beamed back at them
"You said this was the fifty-first century." Mickey accused
"I also said this ship was generating enough power to punch a hole in the universe. I think we just found the hole. Must be a spatio-temporal hyperlink." The Doctor rambled
"What's that?" Mickey questioned confusion written on his face
"oh, he has no idea" Morgana said, "he makes things up, likes sounding clever" Morgana replied absently
The Doctor laughed "I didn't want to say magic door"
"And on the other side of the magic door is France in 1727?" Rose asked
"Well, she was speaking French- "The Doctor started before getting distracted
"right period as well" Morgana carried on
"She was speaking English, I heard her." Mickey looked at Rose for an explanation
"That's the Tardis. Translates for you." Rose said
"Even French?" Mickey seemed shocked
"Yeah." Rose nodded
"Gotcha!" The Doctor said in triumph as he pressed down on a button Morgana yelped as the fireplace spun around taking them with it
"Doctor! Morgana!" Rose called
Morgana glanced around spotting Reinette who was asleep, it was odd seeing her old friend looking so young, looking out the window she noted, it is snowing outside. Reinette woke with a start.
"It's okay. Don't scream. It's us. It's the fireplace man and fireplace woman. Look. We were talking just a moment ago. We were in your fireplace." He said as he lit a candle with a sonic screwdriver
"Monsieur, Madame, that was weeks ago. That was months." Reinette argued glancing between them
Morgana moved and sat with the girl on the bed offering a soft, reassuring smile
"Really? Oh. Must be a loose connection. Need to get a man in." The Doctor said
"Who are you? And what are you doing here?" Reinette asked them
"we're the fireplace people and we check to make sure people are safe" Morgana replied as The Doctor looked at the clock on the mantel, the ticking noise was fairly loud.
"Okay, that's scary." The Doctor said and Morgana stiffened as she wrapped an arm protectively around Reinette
"You're scared of a broken clock?" she asked as she curled closer to the nice woman
"Just a bit scared, yeah. Just a little tiny bit. Because, you see, if this clock's broken, and it's the only clock in the room, then what's that?" The Doctor fell silent as the noise of the clock sounded through the room "Because, you see, that's not a clock. You can tell by the resonance. Too big. Six feet, I'd say. The size of a man." He looked to Morgana who nodded back
"What is it?" Reinette whispered
"Now, let's think. If you were a thing that ticked and you were hiding in someone's bedroom, first thing you do, break the clock. No one notices the sound of one clock ticking, but two? You might start to wonder if you're really alone. Stay on the bed. Right in the middle. Don't put your hands or feet over the edge." He warned and Morgana shuffled Reinette further onto the bed her eyes scanning the room
"it's alright, I'm here and so is fireplace man we'll protect you" Morgana reassured the girl who had wrapped her hand into Morgana's shirt, The Doctor waved the screwdriver under the bed. Something knocked it out of his hand.
"Reinette" he whispered, "Don't look round."
A figure in a smiley mask is standing behind her.
"Morgana" he called, and she nodded launching herself at the man and knocking him back as The Doctor pulled Reinnete close to him "You, stay exactly where you are. Hold still, let me look" as he held her head and looked deep into her eyes "You've been scanning her brain. What, you've crossed two galaxies and thousands of years just to scan a child's brain? What could there be in a little girl's mind worth blowing a hole in the universe?" he demanded of the man, Morgana keeping herself between the intruder and the other two.
"I don't understand. It wants me? You want me?" Reinette demanded
"Not yet. You are incomplete." A mechanical voice replied
"Incomplete? What's that mean, incomplete? You can answer her, you can answer me. What do you mean, incomplete?" The Doctor questioned and Morgana backed up as the mechanical man walked around the bed with a blade coming out of its hand.
"Madame, Monsieur, be careful." Reinette warned
"Just a nightmare, Reinette, don't worry about it. Everyone has nightmares." The Doctor reassured and both of them dodged as it slashed its blade "Even monsters from under the bed have nightmares, don't you, monster?" he glared as the blade got stuck in the mantelpiece
"What do monsters have nightmares about?" Reinette asked as The Doctor activated the mechanism and the fireplace rotates again.
"us!" he cried as they disappeared
"Doctor! Morgana" Rose cried
The Doctor grabbed a tube from a nearby rack and fired its contents over the android. It seized up stopping all motion.
"Excellent. Ice gun." Mickey grinned
The Doctor rolled his eyes "Fire extinguisher." He explained
"Where did that thing come from?" Rose asked
"Here." The Doctor said
"So why is it dressed like that?" Mickey questioned
"the clothing is a match for France in that period" Morgana informed him
"Field trip to France. Some kind of basic camouflage protocol. Nice needlework, shame about the face." He mused as he removed the android's face to reveal clockwork, Morgana moving forward in fascination he carried on excited "Oh, you are beautiful! No, really, you are. You're gorgeous! Look at that. Space-age clockwork, I love it. I've got chills! Listen, seriously, I mean this from the heart, and, by the way, count those, it would be a crime, it would be an act of vandalism to disassemble you. But that won't stop me." He warned darkly and the android beamed away
"where did it go?" Morgana wondered
"Short-range teleport. Can't have got far. Could still be on board." The Doctor frowned
"What is it?" Rose looked at The Doctor
"Don't go looking for it!" The Doctor ordered
"Where're you going?" Rose asked
"Back in a sec." He said tugging Morgana over to the fireplace as it rotated again
"you know she's going to go look right?" Morgana asked him
"no, she won't rule one don't go wandering off" The Doctor replied "Reinette? Just checking you're okay."
"she will," Morgana said as he played a few notes on a harp.
"won't" The Doctor argued.
"hmm bet?" she asked, and he nodded
"Ahem." A woman's voice broke into their conversation
"we'll discuss terms later" Morgana murmured
"Oh. Hello. Er, I was just looking for Reinette. This is still her room, isn't it? we've been away, not sure how long." He rubbed the back of his neck
"he's terrible with being on time" Morgana explained
"Reinette! We're ready to go." Another woman's call came
"Go to the carriage, Mother. I will join you there. It is customary, I think, to have imaginary friends only during one's childhood. You are to be congratulated on your persistence." She smiled at them
"I do try" Morgana preened
"Reinette! Well. Goodness, how you've grown." The Doctor said in shock
"And neither of you do not appear to have aged a single day. That is tremendously impolite of you." Reinette replied and Morgana laughed, Reinette had always complained to her about her never aging, especially when she got some grey hairs.
"Right, yes, sorry. Listen, lovely to catch up, but better be off, eh? Don't want your mother finding you up here with strangers, do we?" The Doctor said
"Strange? How could you be strangers to me? I've known you both since I was seven years old." She laughed
"Yeah, I suppose you have. we came the quick route." The Doctor grinned
Reinette reached out and brushed her fingers against Morgana's cheek "You seem to be flesh and blood, at any rate, but this is absurd. Reason tells me you cannot be real."
"Oh, you never want to listen to reason" The Doctor grinned
"Mademoiselle! Your mother grows impatient." A servant called
"A moment! So many questions. So little time." She said before she lunged at The Doctor who quickly dodged
"Nope! No! no, no, no" he denied backtracking and hiding behind Morgana "absolutely not! That mistake has occurred before and I am not doing it again," he said, Morgana tried not to look smug.
"I, I apologise Monsieur I did not realise..." she apologised blushing profusely as she looked between them
"Mademoiselle Poisson!" The servant called again, and she turned and left
"Poisson? Reinette Poisson? No! No, no, no, no, no way. Reinette Poisson? Later Madame Etoiles? Later still mistress of Louis the Fifteenth, uncrowned Queen of France? Actress, artist, musician, dancer, courtesan, fantastic gardener!" he turned towards Morgana "you knew her! You knew it was her!"
"Who the hell are you two?!" a servant demanded as they went back to the fireplace
"I'm the Doctor, and this is Morgana and we're the imaginary friends of Madame de Pompadour. Ha, ha!" he pressed the button and the fireplace turned
"Rose! Mickey! Every time." He complained as Morgana grinned "Every time, it's rule one. Don't wander off. I tell them, I do. Rule one. There could be anything on this ship."
"I win!" she sung
"yes, yes, what is it you'd like?" he asked, and she hummed teasing him
"Mardi Gras, New Orleans, second date," she asked grinning widely at the idea of showing him, her home.
The Doctor grinned taking her hand "sounds perfect...would Rebekah and Marcellus be there?"
"Well, yes but we wouldn't have to interact with them or anything" she replied nervously understanding that while he had met her siblings meeting someone she had raised, her own son might be a bit soon.
"I'd like to see Rebekah again and you've told me a lot about Marcellus, it'll be fun to meet him" The Doctor soothed rubbing his thumb over her knuckles.
"Rose?" he asked before turning to the horse that they had found, Morgana cuddling the horse and cooing at him "Will you stop following me? I'm not your mother and neither is she!" he glared
"aww, what a gorgeous horse you are," Morgana said petting him gently as the Doctor opened a pair of white wooden doors and bright light floods in.
"So, this is where you came from, eh, horsey?" he asked as he and Morgana wandered through, they spotted Reinette with another dark-skinned woman and they hid behind some bushes
"Oh, Catherine, you are too wicked." Reinette laughed
"Oh, speaking of wicked, I hear Madame de Chateauroux is ill and close to death." Catherine simpered
"Yes. I am devastated." Reinette replied
"Oh, indeed. I myself am frequently inconsolable. The King will therefore be requiring a new mistress. You love the King, of course?" Catherine stared at her expectantly
"He is the King, and I love him with all my heart. And I look forward to meeting him." Reinette said
They watched from behind a stone urn on a wall. A peacock calls and Reinette turns around. They quickly ducked down to avoid being spotted
"Is something wrong, my dear?" Catherine asked
Reinette shook her head with a small smile "Not wrong, no."
"Every woman in Paris knows your ambitions." Catherine pointed out
"Every woman in Paris shares them." Reinette retorted
"You know of course that the King is to attend the Yew Tree ball?" Catherine asked
"As am I." Reinette said coyly
"Blimey, look at this guy. Who does he think he is?" Mickey questioned as Morgana and The Doctor snuck up on them
"The King of France." The Doctor replied
"close personal friend of mine" Morgana commented "very flirty"
"was he now?" The Doctor's eyes narrowed on her figure
"he's French" Morgana shrugged
"Oh, here's trouble. What you been up to?" Rose quickly interjected
"Oh, this and that. Became the imaginary friend of a future French aristocrat, picked a fight with a clockwork man." The Doctor said relaxing, the horse then neighed as if to remind him of his presence "Oh, and we met a horse, Morgana's very fond" the horse nuzzled up against Morgana as if to reciprocate the affection
"What's a horse doing on a spaceship?" Mickey asked
The Doctor rolled his eyes and snarked "Mickey, what's pre-revolutionary France doing on a spaceship? Get a little perspective. See these? They're all over the place. On every deck. Gateways to history. But not just any old history."
Reinette entered the room and curtseyed to the King.
The Doctor jerked his head towards Reinette "Hers. Time windows deliberately arranged along the life of one particular woman. A spaceship from the fifty-first century stalking a woman from the eighteenth. Why?" he frowned
"Who is she?" Rose asked
"Jeanne-Antoinette Poisson, known to her friends as Reinette. One of the most accomplished women who ever lived, she was incredible, witty, compassionate, intelligent and one of a kind" Morgana explained
"So, has she got plans of being the Queen, then?" Rose looked between them
"No, he's already got a Queen. She's got plans of being his mistress." The Doctor explained
"and she was successful, she was a close friend of mine, it was heart-breaking when she passed," Morgana said the Doctor taking her hand in comfort
"Oh, I get it. Camilla." Rose said to hopefully lighten up the mood
"I think this is the night they met. The night of the Yew Tree ball. In no time at flat, she'll get herself established as his official mistress, with her own rooms at the palace. Even her own title. Madame de Pompadour." The Doctor said, "didn't your friend Frederick the Great not like her?" he looked at Morgana
"yes, it was mutual, he enjoyed being a troll, he liked playing the gardener when guests visited, and he drew a cartoon of her as a 'wanton bitch' in his words" she replied
"really?" Mickey asked
She shrugged "it was a rough time and Frederick had a very rough life, he ran away as a boy-never wanted to be royalty- his father had him and his best friend dragged back and as punishment, he was imprisoned for several years and his friend was beheaded in front of him, it was hard to get close to him but well worth it" Mickey and Rose looked horrified
She watched the King and his servants leave, Reinette checked her appearance in the mirror/window.
"The Queen must have loved her," Rose said sarcastically
The Doctor nodded "Oh, she did. They get on very well."
"The King's wife and the King's girlfriend?" Mickey asked
"France. It's a different planet." He shrugged
Morgana watched Reinette as she turned to see a woman with her back to her in the corner.
"How long have you been standing there? Show yourself!" Reinette demanded and it turned to show that it was a clockwork android. The Doctor grabbed the fire extinguisher from Mickey and rotated the mirror, Morgana following.
"Hello, Reinette. Hasn't time flown?" The Doctor greeted
"Fireplace man!" Reinette cheered
"you look beautiful, Reinette" Morgana complimented
"thank you" Reinette replied as The Doctor sprayed the android and threw the extinguisher back to Mickey. The android creaked.
"What's it doing?" Mickey asked nervously
"Switching back on. Melting the ice." The Doctor explained
"And then what?" Mickey asked
"tea and cake Mickey what do you think?" Morgana stated sarcastically
"Then it kills everyone in the room. Focuses the mind, doesn't it? Who are you? Identify yourself. Order it to answer me." The Doctor said
"Why should it listen to me?" Reinette wondered
The Doctor shrugged "I don't know. It did when you were a child. Let's see if you've still got it."
Reinette squared her shoulders and addressed the android "Answer his question. Answer any and all questions put to you."
"I am repair droid seven." The Droid answered
"What happened to the ship, then? There was a lot of damage." The Doctor said
"Ion storm. Eighty-two percent systems failure." Droid replied
"That ship hasn't moved in over a year. What's taken you so long?" The Doctor questioned it looking confused
"We did not have the parts." The droid said
"Always comes down to that, doesn't it? The parts." Mickey joked
"What's happened to the crew? Where are they?" The Doctor demanded
"We did not have the parts." The droid repeated
"There should have been over fifty people on your ship. Where did they go?" he asked
"We did not have the parts." It reiterated
"Doctor, the smell on the ship...it was burning flesh" Morgana informed him
"didn't have the parts, so you used the crew." The Doctor said in alarm
"The crew? Are you sure?" Mickey asked Morgana looking horrified
She pressed her lips together and nodded "I know the smell; trust me it was the smell of burnt flesh"
"We found a camera with an eye in it, and there was a heart wired into machinery," Rose said looking alarmed
"It was just doing what it was programmed to. Repairing the ship any way it can, with whatever it could find. No one told it the crew weren't on the menu" The Doctor said grimly "Flesh plus heat. Barbeque. But what are you doing here? You've opened up time windows. That takes colossal energy. Why come here? You could have gone to your repair yard. Instead, you come to eighteenth-century France? Why?"
"One more part is required." The Droid said
The Doctor frowned "Then why haven't you taken it?"
"She is incomplete." It answered
"never going to happen," Morgana said flatly
"What, so, that's the plan, then. Just keep opening up more and more time windows, scanning her brain, checking to see if she's done yet." The Doctor spat seeing how upset Morgana was getting
"Why her? You've got all of history to choose from. Why specifically her?" Rose asked
"We are the same." It said
"We are not the same. We are in no sense the same." Reinette spat
"We are the same." It repeated
"Get out of here. Get out of here this instant!" Reinette shouted upset and overcome with this situation, Morgana moved over to comfort her
"Reinette, no." The Doctor warned before the droid teleported away.
"It's back on the ship. Rose, take Mickey and Arthur. Get after it. Follow it. Don't approach it, just watch what it does." The Doctor ordered
"Arthur?" Rose asked
The Doctor shrugged "Good name for a horse."
"No, you're not keeping the horse." Rose denied
"why not?!" Morgana pouted
"I let you keep Mickey. Now go! Go! Go!" The Doctor replied
Morgana squealed "I love horses" she beamed at the Doctor
The Doctor closed the mirror door behind Mickey and Rose.
"Reinette, you're going to have to trust me. I need to find out what they're looking for. There's only one way I can do that. It won't hurt a bit." He promised and Morgana watched intrigued as he gently placed his hands on either side of her temple and closed his own eyes
"Fireplace man, you are inside my mind," Reinette said in wonder
"Oh dear, Reinette. You've had some cowboys in here." The Doctor frowned slightly
"You are in my memories. You walk among them." Reinette was in awe
"If there's anything you don't want me to see, just imagine a door and close it. I won't look. Oh, actually there's a door just there. You might want to cl. Oh, actually, several." The Doctor said flustered
"To walk among the memories of another living soul. Do you ever get used to this?" Reinette asked
"I don't make a habit of it." The Doctor replied he would like to try it with Morgana however...he shoved those thoughts aside for later.
"How can you resist?" she questioned
"What age are you?" The Doctor diverted the subject back on topic
"So impertinent a question so early in the conversation. How promising." Reinette said in a flirty tone opening her eyes to glance at Morgana and wink cheekily, she smiled back in amusement
The Doctor shook his head, lips twitching in amusement "No, not my question, theirs. You're twenty-three and for some reason, that means you're not old enough. Sorry, you might find old memories reawakening. Side effect."
"Oh, such a lonely childhood," Reinette whispered
"It'll pass. Stay with me." The Doctor reassured
"Oh, Doctor. So lonely. So very, very alone." Reinette mourned for him
The Doctor's eyes opened "What do you mean, alone? You've never been alone in your life. When did you start calling me Doctor?" he asked as he looked over at Morgana
"she's always done as she pleased" Morgana replied cryptically
"Such a lonely little boy. Lonely then and yet you found a kindred spirit...someone to help you bear the burden, how perfect you two are for each other" Reinette glanced over at Morgana and she cursed her old friend's perceptiveness
"How did you do that?" The Doctor asked stepping back and breaking their link
"A door, once opened, can be stepped through in either direction. Oh, Doctor, you need to dance" Reinette said
"I can't." The Doctor denied looking over at Morgana
"Not with me," Reinette said putting emphasis on 'me'
"This is the night you dance with the King; you should focus on that "The Doctor pointed out
Reinette smirked "I am capable of doing more than one thing at a time and I want to help my imaginary friends who came anyway to save me from the clockwork people"
"We can't, we need to focus- "The Doctor was cut off
"Doctor. Doctor who? It's more than just a secret, isn't it? Only for one to know" Reinette challenged him
"What did you see?" The Doctor asked in a panic, that secret had to be kept for the right moment
"That there comes a time, Time Lord, when every lonely little boy must learn how to dance." Reinette said in determination "tonight is that night" she walked over and grabbed Morgana's hand before starting to walk off "we shall see you at the ball within the hour!" she called over her shoulder
Morgana had forgotten just how terrifying Reinette was when she was determined and had a single-minded focus, she had been shoved into a perfumed bath with her hair piled atop her head, dragged out, rubbed down with oils, had her hair pulled back and bejewelled, makeup placed on her face and shoved into an ostentatious ball gown and the corset tightened until her ribs creaked in protest.
The Doctor had refused the clothes they tried to give him and had snuck off and sneaked into the yule ball where he waited for Morgana and Reinette.
"announcing Lady Jeanne Antoinette Poisson and her companion Lady Morgana Mikaelson" a voice called and the Doctor stood straight and started walking towards the staircase that Reinette and Morgana were walking down, he was sure that a lot of eyes- and attention- was on Morgana dressed in a light pink ball gown with ruffles, when she reached the bottom steps he moved into position and held out his arm which she took sending him a sweet smile.
"My Lady," he said
"My Lord" she playfully returned neither noticing that Reinette had slipped away with a satisfied and slightly smug smile
Morgana followed The Doctor as he led them to the dance floor, falling into a waltz, easily keeping up with the other dancers.
"you look beautiful" he complimented
"thank you, I see you've kept your own clothes" Morgana smiled up at him
"don't mess with perfection" he replied playfully, and she laughed
"I do like the shirt," she said staring at the deep blue shirt he was wearing underneath his brown suit
"dark blue is your favourite colour" he replied before he spun her, and she ended up in someone else's arms
"Morrigan?" she heard her little brother's voice and she looked up at him
"bear cub? What are you doing here? I thought you were in Japan with Sage?" Morgana asked him
"oh, yes but she wished to head towards New Orleans for Mardi Gras so we were on our way" Finn explained as he spun on elegantly, Morgana following his lead
"yes, I remember do me a favour would you Fee? Don't mention this to me when you get to New Orleans", she said
"Why?" he frowned
"it's imperative I don't know that I was here as it's not happened for me yet, you can discuss it with our siblings but not me" Morgana informed him and he nodded if a bit unsurely but ever dutiful
"and who is that man you arrived with?" Fee scowled lightly at Morgana's blush
"he's...ah...my, um paramour" Morgana explained stumbling over herself tightly at his glare
"Why am I just now hearing of him? what's his name?" Finn demanded
"because he's relatively new and it's Doctor" Morgana replied
"Doctor? He's a physician? But what's his name?" Finn asked
"I mean probably but his name is Doctor, his people go by titles" Morgana explained
"stupid name" Finn muttered but suddenly straightened to his full, intimidating height "oh, it's you"
Morgana glanced over to see The Doctor bouncing on his toes, giving Finn a dopey grin
"hello, I'm The Doctor, how do you know My Morgana?" The Doctor held out a hand which Finn glared at
"The? Rather pretentious and why do you think you have a claim to MY sister?" Finn demanded petulantly
"well that's my title but usually people call me Doctor and I don't 'claim' her but I suppose I am hers and she is mine and she is my girlfriend....speaking off I have a bet going with a duke that I can dance the Sevillanas. Now, I can use my Zeus plugs as castanets, but I need a dance partner and you're the best okay?" he didn't wait for a response just grabbing her hand and dragging her into the middle of the dance floor which was quickly clearing, Finn watched in morbid fascination as his big sister, responsible, rule-following, dutiful, stubborn, petty and usually obstinate big sister was actually letting her hair down and having fun without thinking of consequences. He spotted his wife coming up to his side dressed resplendently in a green dress.
"is that your sister?" she questioned as she watched Morgana get tossed and caught by the man, she was dancing with
"apparently so" Finn replied as this Doctor proceeded to pull a banana out of his pocket and make a drink with it, impressing the crowd.
Morgana and The Doctor snuck off after watching Reinette dance beautifully with the King, they used the previous portal to make their way back onto the ship after Morgana had quickly gotten changed into her more modern clothing.
"right, we need to pretend to be drunk" he stated
"alright" she agreed before reaching up and sliding her fingers into his delightfully soft hair and mussing it
"Are you helping me look drunk or just playing with my hair?" he asked
"can't it be both? Two birds" she replied undoing a couple of shirt buttons, pulling one side of his shirt out
"fair enough" he replied happy to put his hands on her
"one more touch?" she said pulling his tie off his neck before tying it around his neck, popping one side of his collar and reaching into his pocket and pulling some sunglasses out and placing them on his nose.
He grinned cheekily at her, his dimples getting more obviously "good, we both look drunk, now follow my lead" he refrained from mentioning she also looked thoroughly snogged...not that he had a frame of reference but he'd like one...very much so.
"I could've danced all night, I could've danced all night" he sung loudly as he crashed into the wall, knocking some objects over with a loud clang
"They called him the. They called him the, the-"she heard Rose stutter
The Doctor swayed in leaning heavily on Morgana, one hand clutching a goblet in his hand which he sloshed as he sung "and still have begged for more. I could've spread my wings and done a thou. Have you met the French? My god, they know how to party." He slurred at Rose
"Oh, look at what the cat dragged in. The Oncoming Storm. And here she is, The Queen" Rose glared at them
"Oh, you sound just like your mother." The Doctor pouted as he stumbled around
"Aww, Wosie is *hic* upsssset" Morgana slurred rocking forwards and backwards on her feet as she blearily looked around
"What've you been doing? Where've you been?" Rose demanded and Morgana gave off a high pitched giggle at nothing in particular
"we h-had lotsss of fun Wosie, M-M*hic*-KEY, you loooook tied up or isss it down" she giggled as she swayed over to Mickey poking him in the cheek while he looked both disturbed and resigned
"Well, among other things, I met Morgana's brother also I think just invented the banana daiquiri a few centuries early. Do you know, they've never even seen a banana before. Always take a banana to a party, Rose. Bananas are good. Oh ho, ho, ho, ho, brilliant. It's you. You're my favourite, you are. You are the best! Do you know why? Because you're so thick. You're Mister Thick Thick Thickity Thick Face from Thicktown, Thickania. And so's your dad." Here he stopped due to Morgana's loud cackle of amusement "Do you know what they were scanning Reinette's brain for? Her milometer. They want to know how old she is. Know why? Because this ship is thirty-seven years old, and they think that when Reinette is thirty-seven when she's complete, then her brain will be compatible. So, that's what you're missing, isn't it, hmm? Command circuit. Your computer. Your ship needs a brain. And for some reason, God knows what, only the brain of Madame de Pompadour will do." He shrugged carelessly
"The brain is compatible." The Droid responded
"Compatible? If you believe that, you probably believe this is a glass of wine." The Doctor said, suddenly straightening removing the android's mask and poured the content of the goblet into its head. The clockwork seized up.
"Multigrain anti-oil. If it moves, it doesn't." The Doctor said smugly, and Morgana straightened and walked gracefully over to the console as The Doctor finds the android off switch.
"Right, you two, that's enough lying about. Time, we got the rest of the ship turned off." The Doctor said flipping another switch and freeing Rose and Mickey.
"finally," Morgana said smoothly looking forward to ensuring her friend's safety
"Are those things safe?" Mickey asked looking wearily at the droid
The Doctor nodded "Yeah. Safe. Safe and thick, way I like them. Okay. All the time windows are controlled from here. I need to close them all down. Zeus plugs. Where are my Zeus plugs? I had them a minute ago. I was using them as castanets."
"you put them down when you started making the banana daiquiri and then put them away for the juggling act" Morgana replied, and he smiled thankfully checking his other pockets
"Why didn't they just open a time window to when she was thirty-seven?" Rose wondered
"With the amount of damage to these circuits, they did well to hit the right century. Trial and error after that. The windows aren't closing. Why won't they close?" he frowned, and a bell rang
"What's that?" Rose asked
"I don't know. Incoming message?" The Doctor started looking at the computer screens
"From who?" Mickey said
"their little friends I imagine" Morgana said
"Report from the field. One of them must still be out there with Reinette. That's why I can't close the windows. There's an override." He glared at the console the first android reactivated and expeled the anti-oil out through its finger onto the floor.
"Well, that was a bit clever." The Doctor said impressed Morgana watched as the off switch moved itself to on again.
"Right. Many things about this are not good. Message from one of your little friends? Anything interesting?" The Doctor asked conversationally
"She is complete. It begins." The Droid said and all of them teleported out.
"What's happening?" Rose asked
"they're going to kill Reinette" Morgana replied horror mounting
"One of them must have found the right time window. Now it's time to send in the troops. And this time they're bringing back her head." The Doctor was equally as grim
"You found it, then?" Rose asked as Morgana and The Doctor looked through a portal directly into the ballroom, they danced in
"They knew we were coming. They blocked it off." The Doctor replied
"we have to get to Reinette" Morgana spoke urgently, if they didn't save Reinette now then past her would never have met future Reinette and then everything would be fucked.
"we will, I promise" The Doctor vowed
"don't get it. How come they got in there?" Rose said
"They teleported. You saw them. As long as the ship and the ballroom are linked, their short-range teleports will do the trick." He explained
"Well, we'll go in the Tardis!" Rose suggested
The Doctor shook his head "We can't use the Tardis. We're part of events now."
"Well, can't we just smash through?" Mickey asked
"Hyperplex this side, plate glass the other. We need a truck." The Doctor said
"We don't have a truck," Mickey said
"I know we don't have a truck!" The Doctor snapped seeing Morgana getting increasingly upset, they- while trying to help- weren't helping
"Well, we've got to try something." Rose said spotting Morgana's panicked state as well
"No. Smash the glass, smash the time window. There'd be no way back." The Doctor denied
"Could everyone just calm down? Please." Reinette called trying to keep her voice even as she tried to calm everyone else.
"I'll go and I can wait and catch up to you again," Morgana said desperately prepared to smash through the glass to get to Reinette, but the Doctor wrapped an arm around her waist
"No, you can't go alone you don't know how to stop the androids and you'd have to wait centuries to catch up while avoiding your past self and everyone else's past selves and ruin your personal history which will affect everything so No! just NO!" he grunted trying to knock some sense into her, he then spotted Arthur and grinned as a crazy thought entered his mind
They heard a horse neigh, then the sound of galloping hooves. The mirror over the mantlepiece is smashed as the Doctor jumps the horse through it, Morgana sitting behind him, He dismounted and then helped Morgana dismounted.
"Madame de Pompadour. You look younger every day." The Doctor smiled at her
"What the hell is going on? Morgana? Did you just break my mirror?" Louis asked looking at her confused
"Ah, Louis, Darling!" she greeted pleasantly leaning forward and kissing both of his cheeks "how are you doing love?" she asked
"I'm doing well, My Lady how is New Orleans?" he went with the conversation confused
"fantastic as always handsome! Oh, Doctor this is king Louis XV of France" Morgana introduced "Louis this is the Doctor"
"charmed" Louis greeted
"Yeah? Well, I'm the Lord of Time, and I'm here to fix the clock." He glared slightly at the king as he turned and took the mask off the main android. It pointed its blade at his throat.
"Forget it. It's over. For you and for me. Talk about seven years bad luck. Try three thousand." He frowned as he looked at the brick wall where once there was a portal to the spaceship.
"The link with the ship is broken. No way back. You don't have the parts. How many ticks left in that clockwork heart, huh? A day? An hour? It's over. Accept that. I'm not winding you up." He joked half-heartedly the androids' all wound down. One of them fell backwards and breaks apart.
"You all right?" The Doctor turned to Reinette as Morgana swiftly compelled Louis to never mention this to her
"What's happened to them?" Reinette asked
"They've stopped. They have no purpose now." The Doctor explained moving closer to Morgana for comfort
Later that night they were both stood on a balcony looking up at the night sky, enjoying the brightness of the stars
"You know all their names, don't you? I saw that in your mind. The name of every star." Reinette interrupted their silence
"What's in a name? Names are just titles. Titles don't tell you anything." The Doctor shrugged
"Like the Doctor." Reinette suggested
"Like Madame de Pompadour." The Doctor teased
"I have often wished to see those stars a little closer. Just as you have, I think." Reinette spoke wistfully
"From time to time." The Doctor demurred
"I knew there was something about you," Morgana said smiling at her "I always wanted to touch the stars when I was younger, when I met the Doctor he made that possible" her eyes softened as she looked up at him
"In saving me, you trapped yourselves. Did you know that would happen?" Reinette asked
"Mmm. Pretty much." The Doctor nodded
"Yet, still you came." She pointed out
"Yeah, I did, didn't I? Catch me doing that again, though the company's not bad" he nudged Morgana playfully and she leant her head against his shoulder
"you're worth it" Morgana replied simply
"There were many doors between my world and yours. Can you not use one of the others?" Reinette asked sadly
"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. 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 looking panicked
Morgana snorted "Don't worry I'll handle the money, the accommodation, the food...etc, etc" she trailed off teasingly and he relaxed, smiling.
"So, here you are, stuck on the slow path with me." Reinette smiled
"Yep, the slow path. Here's to the slow path." The Doctor said and the three drunk a toast together
"It's a pity. I think I would've enjoyed the slow path." Reinette said
"Well, we're not going anywhere." The Doctor reassured, well Morgana would have to duck out from time to time when her past self, turned up. Oh, this was going to get complicated.
"Oh, aren't you? Take my hand." Reinette smiled coyly taking their hands and leading them somewhere
She led them into her bed-chamber and began explaining as they spotted the fireplace.
"It's not a copy, it's the original. I had it moved here and was exact in every detail." Reinette explained
"The fireplace. The fireplace from your bedroom. When did you do this?" The Doctor questioned in excitement
"Many years ago, in the hope that a door once opened, may someday open again. One never quite knows when one needs one's, imaginary friends. It appears undamaged. Do you think it will still work?" Reinette wondered
"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. But the link is basically physical, and it's still physically here. Which might just mean, if we're lucky. If we're very, very, very, very, very, very lucky." The Doctor said
He tapped the fireplace carefully "Ah-ha!" he said in triumph
"What?" Reinette asked hopefully
"Loose connection." The Doctor replied as he used his sonic on the fireplace "Need to get a man in" he started fiddling with it to fix the connection
"Reinette I don't know what's going to happen but this is a just in case okay? God's know the Doctor has proven to be a terrible pilot time and time again" she said
She quickly cupped Reinette's cheeks and using her telepathic abilities to leave a gift for her, she sorted through her memories of travelling with the Doctor, the galaxies she had seen, the birth of a supernova, the death of a star, a meteor shower lighting up the darkness of space. All the beautiful celestial events she had seen, she gently pushed them into Reinette's mind, wiping them of her own personal attachments and making it her own, she placed it behind a silver door and gently ensured it was locked. Only to be opened if they couldn't return.
"Wish us luck!" The Doctor called
"No." Reinette cried
The fireplace turns, taking the Doctor away, Morgana using her speed to get through in time.
"That was close," he said to Morgana before crouching in front of the fireplace "Madame de Pompadour! Still want to see those stars?"
"More than anything." Reinette breathed
"Give us two minutes. Pack a bag." He instructed
"Am I going somewhere?" Reinette asked
"Go to the window. Pick a star, any star." He beamed at her, dimples deepening, they both moved away towards the TARDIS spotting Rose and Mickey
"How long did you wait?" he asked as Rose barrelled into them, hugging them
"Five and a half hours," Rose replied
"Great. Always wait five and a half hours." The Doctor nodded he reached out and shook Mickey's hand
"Where've you been?" Rose looked between them
"Explain later. Into the Tardis. Be with you in a sec." The Doctor said catching Morgana's hand and walking back towards the fireplace and using it to go back to Versailles
"Reinette? Oh, hello." The Doctor greeted Louis
"You just missed her. She'll be in Paris by six." Louis explained "you said you'd be here but then you weren't I didn't know what to think" he addressed Morgana
"I never break a promise darling" Morgana replied gently her eyes saddened
"Ah." The Doctor said in realisation
"Good Lord. She was right. She said you never looked a day older. So many years since I saw you last, but not a day of it on your face, I'm used to it with Morgana and her siblings but still, it shocks me" Louis explained before he took a sealed letter from a drawer and handed it to him "She spoke of you many times. Often wished you'd visit again. You know how women are." He joked feebly "it meant a lot to her when she met you, Morgana, of course, she was complaining when she had to meet you for the first time again and she was so jealous when you made friends with Frederick! The rants I had to listen to!" he bemoaned chuckling lightly
"There she goes." He said sadly as a hearse goes down the driveway in the pouring rain.
"Leaving Versailles for the last time. Only forty-three when she died. Too young. Too young. Illness took her in the end. She always did work too hard. What does she say?" he asked The Doctor stayed quiet as he put the unopened letter inside his jacket.
"Of course. Quite right." He nodded
"I will be there for you, I promise" Morgana whispered as she hugged him gently before heading off with the Doctor, back to the TARDIS, hand in hand.
"Why her? Why did they think they could repair the ship with the head of Madame de Pompadour?" Rose asked as they relaxed in the console room
"We'll probably never know. There was massive damage in the computer memory banks. It probably got confused. The Tardis can close down the time windows now the droids are gone. Should stop it causing any more trouble." He said
"Are you all right?" Rose asked in concern
"I'm always all right." The Doctor said cheerily
"Come on, Rose. It's time you showed me around the rest of this place." Mickey excused them leaving Morgana and The Doctor alone, The Doctor took out the letter and unseals it.
They both began reading it together "My dear Doctor, the path has never seemed more slow, and yet I fear I am nearing its end. Reason tells me that you and I are unlikely to meet again, but I think I shall not listen to reason. I have seen the world inside your head and know that all things are possible. Hurry though, my love. My days grow shorter now, and I am so very weak. God speed.
Morgana, My dearest friend, these years with you have meant everything to me, the friendship between us- despite Frederick's constant annoyances- have brought great comfort to me, I know you dislike my constant urging for you to find a paramour but seeing you with the Doctor versus alone has truly opened my eyes to what he means to you, how he brightens your very soul, don't let him go. I also wish to thank you for the gift you left me, it is perhaps not the same as seeing it in person but still more than I ever thought I would have. You have stayed by my side through my sickness, but I hope I see you again, hand in hand with The Doctor."
The fireplace is on the scanner, they both watched the fire going out.
A/N:
Bam! double upload 😁 I hated how Reinette never got to see the stars so I ensured she did, I hope you enjoyed feel free to vote/comment
I don't own anything