chapter five ; the girl in the fireplace
✰☾✰
IT WAS, IN FACT, A MALE HORSE WITH A WHITE MANE that followed the Doctor and Luna around the ship.
"Strange," Luna muttered. "I mean, the Clockwork men have outfits like 1700's France, and there's a horse aboard..."
"Good point," The Doctor complimented. "Oh, that is — that's perspective."
Luna smirked. "I know, you're in love with me, it's okay, you can admit it."
He laughed but didn't respond, bumping his shoulder into her own. "But really," she started again. "Why is everything themed? And why are they so hellbent on Madam de Pompadour?"
The Doctor shrugged. "I'm not sure, really. Could be any number of reasons, could be they just picked open a pocket of someone and—"
"—Right, but why her? And why now? Why haven't they taken her yet? What do they even need her for?"
"You're asking the right questions." He turned around to the horse with a sour face. "Will you stop following me? I'm not your mother!"
Luna smiled, resting her hand on the horse's head. "I'll be your mother, sweetheart," she cooed, much to the Doctor's dismay.
"Oh, come on," he groaned. "Really?"
She shrugged. "Shut it, I'm keeping him. I'll let you name him..."
He pouted for a second, taking a sniff before turning his head and scratching the back of his neck. "Arthur."
Luna grinned. "Good name for a horse."
The Doctor fought the smile, but grinned when his eyes met hers. "Great name, yeah."
They came across a couple of wooden doors, opening them to find a field of green; Dyffryn Gardens.
"So this is where you came from, eh, horsey?"
Luna smiled. "His name is Arthur," she sung playfully, following alongside the Doctor.
Reinette was laughing along with another woman, their arms latched together. Luna leaned on a stone wall next to the Doctor, her arm resting against his own.
"She's so happy," Luna commented quietly. "And pretty."
He hummed in response, shaking from his reverie when a peacock sounded near their hiding spot. They both ducked down, hiding from sight. She giggled at his face and he grinned, the pair shooting back up a moment later.
✰☾✰
"Blimey, look at this guy," Mickey shook his head as Luna and the Doctor came up behind he and Rose. The pair stared into a window revealing King Louis talking to two men. "Who does he think he is?"
"King of France," The Doctor and Luna said together, and Luna gave him a look.
"Oi," she slapped his arm. "Don't take my joke."
"Oh, here's trouble," Rose smiled at the pair. "What've you been up to?"
"Oh, this and that," The Doctor started nonchalant. "Became the imaginary friend of a future French aristocrat, picked a fight with a clockwork man."
Luna snorted, mumbling quietly enough for the Doctor to hear. "More than a friend."
He elbowed her in response and she grinned cheekily. Arthur neighed and Luna smiled. "Oh! And we met a horse. He's a good boy."
"What's a horse doing on a spaceship?" Mickey asked curiously.
The Doctor frowned. "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 in the window, giving a curtsey to King Louis, and Luna tiled her head, watching the young woman. So effortless, so comfortable and confident; she wished she could be like that. So sure of herself, so capable. But Luna could never -- she was, and always would be, the awkward, quirky girl who's jokes borderlined strange.
"Hers," The Doctor finished. "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?"
"Who is she?" Rose asked.
Luna spoke up next. "As I said earlier, that's Jeanne-Antoinette Poisson, known to her friends as Reinette. One of the most accomplished women who ever lived. Big fan of her, honestly. She's incredible -- the things she did during a time when women didn't amount to much..."
"So has she got plans of being the Queen, then?"
The Doctor shook his head. "No, he's already got a Queen. She's got plans of being his mistress."
"Oh, I get it," Rose laughed. "Camilla."
"I think this is the night they met," The Doctor spoke again. "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."
King Louis left the view and moved back into the hallway, as Reinette turned around, checking herself in the window, which must have been a mirror, assuring she looked good.
"The Queen must have loved her," Rose joked.
"Oh, she did," The Doctor responded. "They get on very well."
"The King's wife and the King's girlfriend?" Mickey looked shocked.
"France. Who fucking knows what they're thinking," Luna shook her head.
Suddenly, Luna spotted something in the corner, nudging the Doctor and pointing. He grabbed her hand, pulling her back to the fireplace, where they entered with the fire extinguishers.
"Hello Reinette, hasn't time flown?" The Doctor asked as they turned into the room.
Reinette turned around with wide eyes. "Fireplace Man! Moon Girl!"
Luna frowned. "Moon girl?" She questioned softly. Really?
The Doctor sprayed the fire extinguisher on the clockwork man, tossing it back to Mickey. "What's it doing?" Mickey asked as it whirred and clicked.
"Switching back on. Melting the ice."
"And then what?"
"Then it kills everyone in the room. Focuses the mind, doesn't it? Who are you? Identify yourself. Order it to answer me."
Reinette looked at him surprised, stepping closer to Luna. Luna felt honored the woman decided she was safer. "Why should it listen to me?" She questioned.
"I don't know," The Doctor shrugged. "It did when you were a child. Let's see if you've still got it."
"Answer his question," Reinette ordered shakily. Luna grabbed her hand and she held on tightly. "Answer any and all questions put to you."
"I am repair droid seven."
"What happened to the ship, then?" The Doctor questioned. "There was a lot of damage."
"Ion storm. Eighty two percent systems failure."
Luna's head titled. Interesting. "That ship hasn't moved in over a year," she asked. "What's taken you so long?"
The Doctor glanced at her, surprised by her question -- he'd probably meant to ask it himself.
"We did not have the parts."
"The parts..." Luna mumbled as her brain tried to come up with an explanation. "They didn't have the..."
"Always comes down to that, doesn't it?" Mickey smirked. "The parts."
"What's happened to the crew? Where are they?"
Luna's eyes widened. "Oh my god..." she shook her head, grasping Reinette's hand tightly as she turned to the Doctor, giving him a look. "Doctor, they didn't have the parts."
"We did not have the parts."
"There should have been over fifty people on your ship," The Doctor looked between the clockwork man and Luna. "Fifty people don't just disappear... Where.." His eyes widened. "Oh. You didn't have the parts, so you used the crew."
"I just said that," Luna shook her head, giving Reinette a look. "He never listens."
Reniette smiled, though she looked disturbed by the entire conversation.
"The crew?" Mickey asked carefully.
"We found a camera with an eye in it," Rose shook her head in shock. "And there was a heart wired in to machinery."
"Gross," Luna shook her head. "That's so wrong."
"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. What did you say the flight deck smelt of?"
"Someone cooking," Luna answered, looking sick to her stomach at her former words. Sunday roast? More like cannibalism. Disgusting, absolutely disgusting.
"Flesh plus heat," The Doctor breathed in through his teeth. "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."
"Then why haven't you taken it?" The Doctor asked the droid again.
"She is incomplete."
"What, so, that's the plan, then?" The Doctor asked suspiciously. "Just keep opening up more and more time windows, scanning her brain, checking to see if she's done yet."
"Why her?" Rose asked. "You've got all of history to choose from. Why specifically her?"
"We are the same."
Reinette grew angry, letting go of Luna's hand and moving forward. "We are not the same. We are in no sense the same."
"Reinette," Luna tried to get her to move back hopelessly. Reinette glanced at her, but continued speaking after the dried replied.
"We are the same."
"Get out of here," she ordered. "Get out of here this instant!"
"Reinette, no," The Doctor warned, but it was too late. The droid teleported away and Luna walked up to Reinette, pulling her into a hug.
Reinette wasn't accustomed to their world, full of flying bats and clockwork robots using human parts for a ship. No, Reinette was an aristocratic woman raised to be polite and poised. "You okay?" Luna asked gently.
Reinette nodded. "I will be, thank you."
"It's back on the ship," The Doctor started. "Rose, take Mickey and Arthur. Get after it. Follow it. Don't approach it, just watch what it does."
"Arthur?" Rose asked dubiously.
The Doctor nodded, taking Luna's words from earlier. "Good name for a horse."
Luna smiled, but it fell when Rose spoke again. "No, you're not keeping the horse," she shouted.
"I let you keep Mickey!" The Doctor rebutted. "Now go! Go! Go!"
The Doctor closed the door behind the pair, turning back to Luna and Reinette.
"Reinette," He spoke softly, moving towards them as Luna let go of 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 rested his fingertips on her temples, and Luna watched, leaning against the wall as they closed their eyes, speaking quietly to one another. She was happy the Doctor had never been inside her head. Too many demons -- she didn't want him to see them.
"Fireplace man, you are inside my mind," Reinette gasped in suprise.
"Oh dear, Reinette. You've had some cowboys in here."
"You are in my memories. You walk among them."
"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 stuttered and Luna smiled.
"Guess she doesn't mind showing you everything," Luna joked, getting no response from either of them.
"To walk among the memories of another living soul. Do you ever get used to this?"
"I don't make a habit of it."
"How can you resist?"
"What age are you?" The Doctor asked and Luna could practically see the wheels turning in his head. Good question. Perhaps they had so many doors and windows and gaps open so they could get her at a certain point -- but why?
"So impertinent a question so early in the conversation. How promising."
Luna smiled. A part of her felt jealous by the divine attraction and undeniable connection between the Doctor and Reinette, but Luna knew better. They were people who could have worked, in another life, but Luna found herself smiling despite it all. Reinette was such a beautiful person, inside and out, and the Doctor deserved to be happy.
If, even just for a short time, Reinette made him smile -- she'd be happy for them. Honestly, she was more jealous that Reinette wasn't trying to go after her.
"No, not my question, theirs. You're twenty three and for some reason, that means you're not old enough," Reinette flinched as the Doctor continued. "Sorry, you might find old memories reawakening. Side effect."
"Oh, such a lonely childhood," Reinette murmured.
"It'll pass," the Doctor assured her. "Stay with me."
"Oh, Doctor," Reinette shook her head and Luna's eyes widened. She wasn't talking about herself. "So lonely. So very, very alone.
"What do you mean, alone? You've never been alone in your life. When did you start calling me Doctor?"
Luna stepped forward, trying to decide if she should do something.
"Such a lonely little boy. Lonely then and lonelier now. How can you bear it?"
The Doctor stepped back, breaking the link and staring intently into Reinette's eyes. "How did you do that?"
Luna tilted her head. "She's so cool. Reinette, you are so cool."
Reinette smiled, directing her attention to Luna. "Oh, moon girl, how familiar you've become. The saving grace in my darkest nightmares, the light at the end of the tunnel." She smiled, glancing between Luna and the Doctor. "Not only my light, I've come to realize."
The Doctor frowned. "How did you do that? How do you know all this?"
"A door, once opened, can be stepped through in either direction. Oh, Doctor. My lonely Doctor. Dance with me."
"I can't," the Doctor glanced at Luna. "This is the night you dance with the King."
Reinette smiled. "Then first I shall make him jealous."
"I can't."
Reinette grabbed his hand. "Oh Doctor, my lonely Doctor, not so lonely anymore, are you?"
The Doctor blinked. "What do you mean?"
Reinette glanced at Luna, who watched the pair with wide eyes, turning back to the Doctor. "Doctor who? It's more than just a secret, isn't it?"
"What did you see?" The Doctor settled finally.
Reinette smiled. "Luna, do you not wish to see how the French dance? Come, both of you, there comes a time, Time Lord, when every lonely little boy must learn how to dance." She pulled the Doctor along with her and Luna shook her head, trailing behind them.
"So cool," she muttered. "So fucking cool."
✰☾✰
Luna leaned on the Doctor, a little tipsy from the drinking, but not enough to be obnoxious. They were at the party for hours, she danced with so many French men and he spent time with Madam de Pompadour. Only when the King had finally had enough did Luna jump in and snag the Doctor. Her heart raced and her stomach had butterflies but she continued dancing.
He was a wonderful dancer. She tripped over her feet but he held her steady, looking into her eyes the entire time.
The Doctor had brought a banana and...things went in a direction Luna genuinely couldn't fathom. Her laughter rang through the room as he invented the banana daiquiri, stuttering when he realized he'd done it.
"You're mad," she'd told him as they finally headed out. "Absolutely mad, you know that, spaceman?"
He kissed her head. "Absolutely, Moon Girl."
Luna rolled her eyes. "God, why does she call me that?"
He shrugged. "I don't know, I think it's cute, though."
Luna raised her eyebrows. "You calling me cute, Doc?"
His eyes widened. "No," he stuttered out. "No, no, no, no, no, you're -- you -- well, I, shut up."
"Only teasing," she winked, snuggling further into him as he wrapped an arm around her. She was a cuddly drunk, snuggled up to whoever she was nearest -- typically why she didn't drink that often -- and he pulled her along.
"I could have danced all night!" He sung and she joined in with a laugh. "I could have danceddd all night!"
"And still have begged for more --"
"--I could've spread my wings and done a thou!"
Luna giggled as he let her go, moving closer to Rose and the clockwork man. Rose gave Luna a look, eyes narrowed in something -- Luna's heart dropped. That's the look she gave Sarah Jane before. Great, now Rose hated her.
"Have you met the French? My god, they know how to party."
Luna nodded. "So much dancing," she giggled.
"Oh, look at what the cat dragged in," Rose said bitterly. "The Oncoming Storm."
"Oh, you sound just like your mother," he retorted, the tie around his head shaking a bit. Luna smiled, watching him with his dark glasses and tie around his head. He looked like a complete fool.
"What've you been doing?" Rose demanded. "Where've you been?"
"Well, among other things, I think just invented the banana daiquiri a few centuries early," he began, moving around the clockwork man. "Do you know, they've never even seen a banana before?" He laughed, leaning close to Rose and holding the banana to her face. "Always take a banana to a party, Rose. Bananas are good." He turned to the clockwork man, shaking his head with a bright smile. "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." He stood back a bit, turning to Luna.
"Luna! What they were scanning Reinette's brain for?"
Luna smiled. "Her milometer. They want to know how old she is."
The Doctor beamed. "Brilliant, that's why you're my favorite, do you know why they were scanning her millometer? 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."
"The brain is compatible."
The Doctor nodded. "Compatible? If you believe that, you probably believe this is a glass of wine." He poured it on the clockwork man and it seized up. He headed to the control panel and flipped a switch down. "Multigrain anti-oil. If it moves, it doesn't."
"Right, you two, that's enough lying about. Time we got the rest of the ship turned off." He let Mickey and Rose go, adjusting his tie and glasses.
"Are those things safe?" Mickey asked, looking around the room at all the clockwork men.
"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."
Luna held her hand out, giving him the Zeus plugs and he smiled at her. "Thanks," he appreciated, and Rose spoke up again.
"Why didn't they just open a time window to when she was thirty seven?"
"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?"
A bell rang and the group glanced around nervously.
"What was that?" Rose asked.
"I don't know. Incoming message?"
"From who?"
"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."
The android with the multigrain-oil awoke itself, reactivating the other androids as the lever pulled itself back up.
"Bollocks," Luna shook her head. "That blows."
"Right. Many things about this are not good. Message from one of your little friends? Anything interesting?"
"She is complete. It begins."
The androids teleported off the ship and Luna sighed. "That's not good," she shook her head. "Really not good."
"What's happening?" Rose asked.
The Doctor pursed his lips. "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 took Rose and Mickey with him to try and get the audio for the time window, and he sent Luna down to talk to Madam de Pompadour. Rose offered, but Luna volunteered instead, explaining she might hear it better from someone she trusted.
"Reinette," Luna called as she entered the room with a sad smile. "We haven't got a lot of time. I've come to warn you that they'll be here in five years, I'm so sorry, sweetheart."
"Five years?" Reinette asked shakily and Luna nodded, moving closer to her.
"A bit after your thirty seventh birthday. I can't give you an exact date, honestly I'm not sure myself. But that's when it's going to happen, when they attack. You have to be ready, love."
"How can you be so sure?"
Luna sighed. This was the hard part. "That's a bit hard to explain, but, imagine...there's a ship in the sky, a ship in space."
Reinette nodded. "Alright, what does this have to do with me?"
"On the ship, there's rooms, windows, mirrors, places I can see you. Where the Doctor can see you. The clockwork men come in those windows, check your age, and if you're not thirty-seven, they leave. But we've been there every time they've checked and the Doctor will be there on your thirty-seventh, I swear it."
Reinette nodded. "Will you be there as well?"
Luna nodded. "If you want me to be, I can."
Reinette sighed. "So there is a vessel in your world where the days of my life are pressed together like the chapters of a book, so that you both may step from one to the other without increase of age while I, weary traveller, must always take the slower path."
Luna gave her a sympathetic smile. "Yes, and I'm so sorry."
"So, in five years these creatures will return. What can be done?"
Luna shrugged. "The Doctor says keep them talking. They're programmed to respond to you, like when you were a kid and we asked it questions?"
Reinette nodded.
"We'll come as soon as we can and do the rest."
Reinette took a breath, pulling Luna into a hug. "Thank you, for all kindness you have shown me," she pulled back and looked into Luna's eyes. "I know you feel emotions that cannot be explained, but you must understand I meant no offense."
Luna smiled. "I know, Reinette, don't worry. He's in love with another, though, I think a part of him will always belong to you."
Reinette looked away. "I wish he could have given the news to me with you. You have always revealed yourselves as a pair."
Luna shrugged. "He'll be there when you need him, but he's got to make sure future you stands a chance right now."
"It's the way it's always been. The monsters and the Doctor. It seems you cannot have one without the other. But you know all about that, Moon Girl, don't you?"
Luna nodded. "More exciting that way, I think."
Reinette held her face for a moment before pulling back and grabbing her hands.
"Why do you call me Moon Girl?" Luna asked.
"You bring light wherever you travel, and your name is that of the moon. Simple, really. You are the light in my nightmares."
Luna smiled, tears filling her eyes. "You are remarkable, Reinette. Truly."
"Luna!" Rose called from the hallway in the ship behind the curtain. "The time window where she's thirty seven. We found it. Right under our noses."
Luna looked at Reinette. "Do you want to see?"
Reinette hesitated, squeezing her hand as Luna led her to the ship. "You can't wonder, but this is our side of things. Those screams --"
"Is that my future?"
Luna nodded. "I'm sorry. You've got to back so we can help you. Are you alright?"
"Are you there? Can you hear me? I need you now. You promised. The clock on the mantel is broken. It is time."
"That's my voice," Reinette swallowed, looking at Luna fearfully. Luna squeezed her hand.
"I'll be right there, Rose, hang tight."
Rose nodded, looking between the pair again before leaving and heading down the hallway.
"Talk to me, Reinette, how are you feeling?"
Reinette shook her head. "I'm very afraid. But you and I both know, don't we, Luna, the Doctor is worth the monsters."
Luna smiled. "All the pain, all the monsters, it's so worth it."
Reinette hugged Luna once again before moving back behind the tapestry, and Luna rushed down the hallway to where everyone else was.
"Talk to me, Doc," Luna told him as she ran up next to him.
"They knew I was coming, they blocked it off."
"So what can we do? I promised her we'd be there."
He glanced at her. "We will be."
"I don't get it," Rose spoke up. "How come they got in there?"
"They teleported. You saw them. As long as the ship and the ballroom are linked, their short range teleports will do the trick."
"Well, we'll go in the Tardis!" Rose exclaimed, but 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 and Luna touched the glass, shaking her head.
"Hyperplex this side, plate glass the other. We need a truck."
The Doctor glanced at her, staring at her for a moment. "Surprises," he muttered. "Full of surprises."
"We don't have a truck," Mickey stated.
The Doctor groaned. "I know we don't have a truck!"
"Well, we've got to try something," Rose encouraged.
"Smash the glass, smash the time window," The Doctor shook his head. "There'd be no way back."
Luna nodded. "Look at her," she nodded to Reinette, who was speaking to the clockwork men, showing no fear. "She's so brave."
It was quiet for a moment as they watched Reinette and Luna gasped. "Arthur! Doctor, we can take Arthur!"
He turned quickly, grinning from ear-to-ear. "Oh, you're brilliant, Luna!" He whistled and the horse came around, allowing him to climb onto it. He reached a hand out for Luna and she took it, climbing on the back of the horse, resting her hands on the Doctor's hips.
"You're going through on a horse?" Mickey asked dubiously.
"It's all we've got," the Doctor replied as the horse galloped through the glass, shattering it effectively.
"Madame de Pompadour. You look younger every day," The Doctor beamed, hopping off the horse and offering a hand to Luna, who took it as she got down.
"What the hell is going on?" The King asked.
"Oh," Reinette waved to the King. "This is my lover, the King of France."
"Yeah? Well, I'm the Lord of Time, and I'm here to fix the clock."
"Men," Luna mumbled, shaking her head at Reinette. "Always showing off."
The Doctor took the mask off the main android, revealing the clock work underneath as everyone gasped, and the android pointed it's blade at the Doctor.
"Forget it. It's over. For you and for me. Talk about seven years bad luck. Try three thousand."
"Damn, I'll have bad luck till I die. What a morbid thought," she gave the Doctor a look. "Thanks a lot," she told him sarcastically. He smiled at her.
"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."
The androids all winded down, shutting off and Luna sighed. "Guess I'm spending the rest of my life in 1758. Not bad, if I do say so myself."
The Doctor grabbed her hand. "We'll have each other," he told her quietly. "Though you're terrible company, I'm not sure how I'll do it."
She slapped his arm. "Shut it, spaceman, before I rip you a new one." She turned to Reinette. "Are you okay?"
Reinette nodded. "What's happened to them?"
"They've stopped. They have no purpose now."
✰☾✰
Luna leaned against the windowsill with the Doctor and Reinette.
"You know all their names, don't you?" Reinette asked the Doctor. "I saw that in your mind. The name of every star."
"What's in a name? Names are just titles. Titles don't tell you anything."
"Like the Doctor?"
"Like Madame de Pompadour."
They both laughed and Luna stared up the sky, her eyes drifting to the moon. Her mother named her after the moon, always talking about how the moon watched over her, providing light in dark times. Luna sighed heavily. She missed her mother.
"I have often wished to see those stars a little closer. Just as you have, I think."
Luna glanced at Reinette. "You'd love them. I haven't been to another planet yet, just a ship, but I think you'd love it. I always wanted to see the stars and then I met the Doctor and it all made sense."
"Have you been traveling together long?"
The Doctor shook his head. "No, no," he answered. "But it feels like forever."
Luna smiled at him, touched by his words. Reinette looked at the two. "In saving me, you trapped yourself. Did you know that would happen?"
"Mmm. Pretty much."
"Yet, still you came."
Luna nodded. "Got nothing better to do," she gave Reinette a smile. "Besides, no one up there for me. Just the Doctor, Rose, and Mickey."
She frowned. "No family? No one to miss you?"
Luna shook her head, glancing back at the moon again. "No. No one." She felt both of their eyes on her, but ignored them the best she could.
"There were many doors between my world and yours," Reinette asked. "Can you not use one of the others?"
"When the mirror broke, the shock would have severed all the links with the ship," The Doctor explained. "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?"
"So, here you are, my lonely angel, stuck on the slow path with me."
"And me!" Luna chirped. Reinette handed her a glass of wine.
"How could a person ever forget you, Luna?"
"Yep, the slow path," The Doctor agreed. "Here's to the slow path." They all clinked their glasses together and Luna took a sip, grimacing at the drink. So strong.
"It's a pity. I think I would've enjoyed the slow path."
Luna tilted her head. "What do you mean? We're on it, with you, Reinette."
"We're not going anywhere," the Doctor agreed.
"Oh, aren't you?" Reinette smiled, reaching a hand out to the Doctor. "Take my hand." He took it and placed the glass on the windowsill, grabbing Luna's hand with his own free one.
✰☾✰
"It's not a copy, it's the original," Reinette explained as they entered a bedroom exactly like the one when she was a child. "I had it moved here and was exact in every detail."
"The fireplace. The fireplace from your bedroom. When did you do this?"
Luna squeezed the Doctor's hand, excitement filling her. As much as she loved history, she didn't exactly want to live in a time when women couldn't vote and there weren't any toilets. Plus, it was France.
"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?"
"You broke the bond with the ship when you moved it, which means it was offline when the mirror broke," The Doctor explained excitedly, walking towards the fireplace, pulling Luna with him. "That's what saved it. 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 knocked on the fireplace, grinning madly. "Ah ha!"
Luna smiled, standing next to him. "What, did you figure it out?"
"Loose connection," he explained, using the sonic screwdriver. "Need to get a man in, but yeah. I did."
"Wish us luck!" He knocked on the fireplace, as it turned, revealing the spaceship. Luna and the Doctor beamed at each other, hugging in excitement before they bent down to the fireplace.
"Reinette!" Luna called. Reinette bent down and the Doctor smiled.
"Madam de Pompadour, still wanna see those stars?"
"More than anything!"
"Give us two minutes," the Doctor told her. "Pack a bag."
Luna grinned, overjoyed at the idea of traveling the universe with Madam de Pompadour. Oh, the things they would do.
"Am I going somewhere?"
"Go to the window. Pick a star, any star."
The Doctor stood up, grabbing Luna's hand as they raced back to Rose and Mickey. He let go of her hand when they were in sight, pulling Rose into a big hug. Luna raced to Mickey, hugging him close.
"You scared me," he told her softly. "Thought I'd never get the chance to really know you."
"Can't get rid of me that easy," Luna grinned, pulling away and waving at Rose, who crossed her arms, standing close to the Doctor.
"Where've you been?" Rose asked them.
"Explain later. Into the Tardis. Be with you in a sec."
Rose and Mickey headed into the TARDIS, Rose hesitating a moment and looking between the two, before slowly walking in. Luna turned to the Doctor but he spoke before she could.
"Luna, I'll be right back with her. Hang tight for just a moment, okay?"
Luna frowned. "But I--"
He shook his head. "No time, I'm going to grab her. Be right back."
Luna nodded, relenting, and he ran off, leaving her to enter the TARDIS. They all stood around the console for a moment and Mickey rubbed his ear nervously as Rose watched Luna.
"Have you got a problem or something?" Luna asked. "Because I thought we were alright."
Rose smiled -- the same fake smile she'd given the Doctor when Mickey asked to come along -- and shrugged. "We're great, yeah, don't worry."
"Okay, just make sure to act like it because I'm not trying to step on your toes, Rose, I just want to travel."
Rose shook her head, letting out a laugh. "Really? You followed him along like a puppy dog--"
Luna scoffed. "Yeah, you're right. I did. Because he's a lot of fun and I met one of my favorite historical women to have ever lived -- of course I'd follow him around. You could have come to, I'm not claiming him, he's a person and --"
"--Oh, thanks for giving me the option. Yeah, didn't feel like it when all he talked about was you."
Luna raised her eyebrows. "I'm not dealing with this right now. I'm not interested in smooching him or something, God, Rose, if you want him then take him. But leave me out of it. And maybe don't treat Mickey like he doesn't matter."
Mickey's eyes widened. "Oh, I don't want to--"
"--Shut up, Mickey," the girls said at the same time.
"Mickey does matter, I've known him longer than you have. I've known the Doctor longer. Matter of fact, you just started traveling with us. You don't even really matter yet."
Luna blinked. "That's rude. You're also acting like a child. I don't want to argue, I don't want to take something from you. I just want to travel and see the stars and history. I thought we were friends, I wanted to do it with you too, but obviously, I got the wrong idea."
Rose shook her head, setting her jaw. "Fine, whatever."
Luna rolled her eyes, settling back against the TARDIS console, hearing a light whirr as her hands connected with it. The TARDIS doors opened and Luna perked up, eyes filling with tears when she noticed no one followed the Doctor in.
"Where is she?" Luna asked.
The Doctor closed his eyes, shaking his head. "Gone," he said simply, moving past her and setting the ship to go.
"Why her?" Rose asked. "Why did they think they could repair the ship with the head of Madame de Pompadour?"
"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."
"Are you all right?" Rose asked the Doctor after a moment, watching how he moved a bit closer to Luna. She frowned. Why didn't he seek comfort from her? He'd only just met Luna.
"I'm always all right," the Doctor answered with a small smile.
Mickey grabbed Rose's arm. "Come on, Rose. It's time you showed me around the rest of this place."
They left the room and Luna watched the Doctor for a moment, tears falling from her eyes. She wiped them away quickly -- she didn't want him to see her cry.
"King Louis said she wrote to us," he said softly. "Here," he handed her a letter.
She took it, watching his face for a moment. He wasn't looking at her. "It's not your fault," she told him, feeling as though he was blaming himself. "You know that, don't you? I don't blame you, and she wouldn't either."
He nodded but didn't reply. Luna sighed, opening the letter and reading it's contents.
My Moon Girl.
Time is blending more often than not, my dear. And I fear I will not have a chance to speak with you again. Reason tells me that you and the Doctor are unlikely to return, but I think I shall not listen to reason. After everything you have shown me, I choose to listen to my heart. As should you. He is so lonely, Luna, but he feels whole with you, I saw it. I fear this is the last letter I shall write to you, but probably the most important. Be with him. Don't ever give up hope. You bring light to him, just as you did to me. God speed, my moon girl. See the stars for me.
Reinette
✰☾✰
okay this isn't quite the end of this, but we'll start with the next episode in the next chapter. this will still come into play and they'll have a conversation about everything that happened -- the Doctor has a LOT of questions for her. thank you guys for reading this and let me know what you think! I love reading your comments SO MUCH they literally make me so happy. tell me your favorite things that happened and anything you want to happen! I love you guys so much!! stay safe!!! -osw