elisi: Living in interesting times is not worth it (Trust me (Doctor + TARDIS) by inkvoices)
elisi ([personal profile] elisi) wrote2011-09-29 01:20 pm
Entry tags:

Fic: Calling the TARDIS (or: And Marilyn Makes Three). Part 2

More fic. Am full of cold, and trying to sort out everything before I start my new job. Hence, procrastinating. Part 1 here. (Un-beta'd, all mistakes mine.)

Title: Calling the TARDIS (or: And Marilyn Makes Three)
Setting: S6, sometime post LKH.
Summary (this part): Getting Marilyn.
Characters (this part): Eleven, River, Marilyn Monroe.
Spoilers: LKH
Rating: PG-13.
Word count: 1800 words.
Feedback: Pretty please?
Genre: Fluffy, angsty crack (no really).

Part 2

“So... Marilyn Monroe. I hope you're happy with what you're wearing, because we are going now. No more wardrobe excursions.”

River was by now (having changed about 5 times already) wearing pale brown jodhpurs with a white shirt and brown boots, and looked very lovely indeed. She also looked nervous, which was utterly delightful, and with a mischievous smile the Doctor programmed the TARDIS. He knew just where to go...

(As he flipped a lever the TARDIS made a funny sort of almost-hiccough, with a strange ‘ding’ to it, like a ringing phone cut off instantly. The Doctor patted the controls, and paid it no mind.)

The second they landed he leapt down the stairs, listening out for River's reaction to what the screen would displaying. She didn't disappoint.

"Her bedroom? Oh you sly old thing..."

Grinning he threw open the doors, and then froze, at the same time that River called out: "Doctor! No!"

Marilyn was lying face down on her bed, one hand on a telephone, and a selection of pill bottles on the floor. For a few seconds he couldn't move, knowing what day this had to be and immobilised by painful memories...

(My Dear Doctor. The path has never seemed more slow, and yet I fear I am nearing its end.)

'No no no no no', his mind was screaming, as he wrestled himself out of stasis and moved to the bedside.

(My days grow shorter now, and I am so very weak.)

Not again. Not again. He couldn't do this again... Hand trembling he reached out, and with infinite relief felt that her skin was still warm, and there was the faintest pulse. On the brink, but not yet gone.

"I'm here," he whispered, brushing her hair out of her face. "I'm here. I came back for you. And you're going to be just fine."

Gently gathering her up into his arms he turned to take her into the TARDIS, but found the doorway blocked by a stony faced River.

"Doctor, no," she said - not without kindness, but with that edge of steel she was capable of whipping out at the most inopportune moments.

He took a deep breath.

"River. Move."

"No."

"River..."

"You can't do this. Doctor please, you of all people must see that!"

Closing his eyes, he resisted the urge to force his way past her, although he would, if he had to. All he could see in his mind's eye was a hearse being drawn through palace gates in the rain...

"I would advice you to move now!"

"Doctor you need to be less emotional-"

Fury rose inside him; the maddening, impossible reality of their relationship cutting him so deep he could barely breathe. 'You die', he thought, 'You sacrifice everything for me and I can't stop it or change it, and it hurts. I can’t save you. I can never save you. Not in the past, not in the future, not ever and living with that knowledge is hell sometimes. Let me have this. You have to let me have this. Why can’t you understand that?'

Marilyn's head slid down from his shoulder, and he had to shift her to get her comfortable.

When he spoke again his voice was clipped down to cold minimalism - he wasn't about to beg this time. She was River Song, she knew damn well who and what he was.

“You gave up immortality for me! Do you remember why?”

For a long moment they held each other's eyes in silence, then River let hers fall and stood aside.

Too angry and worried to do more than acknowledge her assent with more than a curt nod (‘I had to try’ hanging unspoken between them) he took Marilyn straight to the infirmary. Calibrating the detox to be human-specific was surprisingly complicated (although if he got it wrong she’d be dead even sooner, so he needed to be careful), and he only dimly noticed that the TARDIS took off again.

Finally, however, it all began working, and he could breathe a little easier, settling himself down by Marilyn's side, and tentatively taking her hand.

“You’re safe,” he whispered, and, for just a moment, everything was right with the world.

***

It was a beautiful ring.

Sitting in the swing, River carefully turned it over in her hands, the lights from the TARDIS refracting in the diamond. Idly she wondered where they had got it from - had it come from some forgotten nook in the TARDIS, or had one of Marilyn’s friends had diamond rings readily available?

The Doctor’s footsteps on the stairs were light and happy, and parts of her ached for how she would cause them to fall heavier. Yet what could she do? If he was going to steal people out of time, he had to face the consequences...

“River! What are you doing down here?”

She smiled, and held out the ring.

“I found this. I think she will probably need it now?”

Momentarily frowning he reached out and then slowly nodded. “Oh yes. That’s...”

He was obviously not quite sure how to discuss the whole bigamy issue, and River figured she might as well just get things over with. Oh she hated times like these...

“Doctor. Did you ever- did you ever tell her what you are? Ask her to come travel with you?”

He tapped the ring on his chin.

“I... did say I was a traveller, and she seemed to like the idea...”

She nodded slowly.

“Well that’s something at least. Not that she really has a choice anymore.”

For the first time he seemed to look at her properly.

“What do you mean?”

Closing her eyes she wondered how someone so clever could be so clueless.

“She was dying, Doctor. It was her time, and you changed that.”

His eyes narrowed.

“I believe we’ve had this part of the discussion already.”

“Doctor everyone dies, you can’t-”

She stopped, realising that she’d tackled the issue from the wrong angle as his face hardened. Taking a deep breath, she started over.

“What I mean is - she’s all yours now. Her story is over. You can’t take her back.”

The implications slowly sank in, and he reached up to grab hold of the cabling above him.

“Well... Time can be rewritten. Her death isn’t a fixed point, I could-”

“No you can’t.”

A beat, then he tilted his head.

“What do you mean, I ‘can’t’?”

“I mean, I... took care of it.”

She held his eyes, saw the growing apprehension.

“Took care of it?” he asked with deceptive lightness, but she didn’t flinch, instead letting her eyes drift to the ring he was still holding in his other hand.

“It’s funny, all those conspiracy theories... All that happened was you. Should have known. Well you and me. The missing glass, the phone records that were wiped... The reports were very helpful. There were even photos of the room, so I could get all the details right. The details including a Flesh avatar, dead from an overdose, which I left in her bed. Good enough to fool forensics at the time and more besides.”

The look on his face was very similar to the one his meta-crisis-half-human other had worn when he heard she was in Stormcage. A quiet sort of horror that he was obviously finding hard to articulate. Then he exploded.

“You what?”

She stood up, looked him straight in the eye.

“You have a wife, Doctor. To have and to hold till death do you part. Now would be a good time to remind yourself of Rule 7.”

He looked shellshocked, literally, and it only took seconds for her to take pity on him. She reached out, gently cradling his cheek.

“I’ll stay for a while, help her adjust. She’ll be... Well, we’ll make sure that she’s fine, OK?”

“OK, OK, yes, of course...” he said, faintly, his eyes as if of their own accord trailing from her face to the ring in his hand.

For a long moment he quite simply looked at it, as she held her breath, but then he wrapped it up in his fist decisively.

“Very well. New adventure. Can’t run forever, I suppose.”

She smiled, although there was a shade to his words that somehow made her worry and scan his face for hidden meanings - but all she could see was nervous determination.

***

Marilyn woke up in a strange place. This was not that unusual, but - although her surroundings looked vaguely medical - it reminded her mostly of some bizarre film set. Trying to get her bearings she sat up, and realised she was wearing a strange kimono that she had never seen before.

Slowly the previous night came back to her, and she wondered if someone had taken her away to some new kind of hospital or institution? Wherever she was, she felt better than she had in a long time...

When she looked out of the door, however, she only saw a long hexagonal corridor, and a gentle call didn’t produce any concerned nurses. Beginning to feel genuinely worried she stealthily tip-toed down the corridor, locating some vague noises and aiming for them. If she’d been kidnapped surely they’d have tied her up, or... something? Or maybe it was all a dream? Unless she had actually succeeded in killing herself... In which case the afterlife was not at all what she’d expected.

Her quest was quickly rewarded, as she turned a corner and was faced with a staircase leading down to... something fantastical-looking, which rather confirmed her suspicions of film sets. Taking another step forward, she saw a curly haired woman and - her heart suddenly beat faster - the Doctor! He was wearing tweed and a bow tie, and looked terribly British and comforting in the strange surroundings. She vaguely remembered trying to call him, maybe she had actually gotten through?

Looking up he caught sight of her and for just a moment froze, before his face split in a wide grin.

“Marilyn! You woke up. Come here, let me help you. I’m sure you must be a bit unsteady on your feet still.”

Bounding up the stairs he held out his hand to her.

“You saved me?” she asked, and his smile faded.

“Well, that’s the question we need to answer,” he said gently.

And nothing was ever the same.

(The Doctor would later, affectionately, refer to her as his 'Schrödinger's Wife', and she ended up adopting the surname as a handy alternative to 'Monroe' in places where her face was known. When River heard it for the first time she burst out laughing, and then declared that they really ought to make their threesome official.)


TBC.
promethia_tenk: (shippy)

[personal profile] promethia_tenk 2011-09-29 05:22 pm (UTC)(link)
*snerk* Well, I had to take a trip to Wikipedia, but lolololol! Yes, that works much better <3

[identity profile] rothas-writing.livejournal.com 2011-09-30 09:04 pm (UTC)(link)
I cannot believe I forgot to comment. I read it, and loved it. Especially Marilyn's nickname.
Edited 2011-09-30 21:04 (UTC)
owlboy: (Default)

[personal profile] owlboy 2011-10-03 08:15 pm (UTC)(link)
I keep meaning to comment...>_<

I feel... weird about the Doctor interfering with people's lives like that, you know? That's just me - I had the same uncomfortable feeling when he took Vincent to Paris. But I'm curious to see where this goes. <3 And you know how down I am with Doctor/River/historical celebrity type situations :]

[identity profile] cinderbella333.livejournal.com 2011-10-04 05:41 pm (UTC)(link)
This was definitely a very good piece too. But instead of it feeling like the same story, it feels like a series to me (which is not complaining at all!). My heart stopped when you had the Doctor walk into the room. And the reasoning you gave for him acting the way he did really, really worked. And then River's actions with the Marilyn history works really well too. I also really liked how your River handles the Doctor's other relationships. Good job!

Warning people! Possible spoilers for Let's Kill Hitler and The Wedding of River Song!

[identity profile] cinderbella333.livejournal.com 2011-10-04 08:46 pm (UTC)(link)
SPOILER ALERT! DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN LKH OR TWORS!

"Actually the common thread is death, really, the acceptance/refusal of..." Oh, I can see that now!

"She is, on the whole, a great deal more practical and sensible than he is" You know, I think this is very true. Really, it seems the only thing she was impractical about was killing him. And you know what? Everyone has a line that they just are completely ridiculous about, something that they just CAN. NOT. DO. And that seems to be hers. Which is understandable. I think in some ways, killing him would have been like killing off what she saw as the best part of herself. It would have been removing the choice she made in LKH about who she was going to be, independent of Kovarian. The Doctor represents so much to her. And in my head, I really see the Doctor, River Song, and the TARDIS as really extensions of one entity. For River to kill the Doctor would be a sort of suicide as well as murder. And then, the part of her that is from the TARDIS, I can imagine as being so definitely against it too. After all, when the Bad Wolf called him My Doctor and said she wanted to keep him safe, I think that was at least as much the TARDIS as Rose. So I can completely understand her irrationality on that one area. But otherwise, you are very right; she seems far more real-world about consequences than the Doctor. And I think that probably has to do with her background too. After all, she had a really, really hard childhood. Look at the things she went through. For god's sake, she died alone on the street as a child. And then when she decided to serve time in Stormcage, she had to live with the consequences of other people's choices and her own every single day. Really, one of the themes in River's life is that the Doctor does something and River is the one to step-up and take the consequences of it. The Doctor keeps saving other people. River keeps saving the Doctor. (Which is one of the reasons I see River as the Library and the Library as River. She spends all this time gathering all the information on the Doctor. She learns everything she can about him. Even the things he doesn't know yet. Even the bits of his story he never hears. Not to keep him safe, but to keep him saved.)


And yes, I completely agree; I don't see River as the jealous type at all. Because I just don't see her as feeling threatened.

Re: Warning people! Possible spoilers for Let's Kill Hitler and The Wedding of River Song!

[identity profile] cinderbella333.livejournal.com 2011-10-07 06:51 pm (UTC)(link)
I will definitely head over to the meta. :D If my stupid internet/netbook allows it. It's been giving me major trouble with LJ in particular ever since they started working on the site. If I can't get it to work. I will access it from elsewhere. I've heard your meta is fantastic!
promethia_tenk: (bigger on the inside)

Re: Warning people! Possible spoilers for Let's Kill Hitler and The Wedding of River Song!

[personal profile] promethia_tenk 2011-10-05 05:29 pm (UTC)(link)
Excuse me, you are fabulous. Most of this managed to cement itself immediately as Truth in my head and therefore doesn't really incite commentary. And I think your concept of Doctor/River/TARDIS as a trinity is really being borne out : )

Really, it seems the only thing she was impractical about was killing him. And you know what? Everyone has a line that they just are completely ridiculous about, something that they just CAN. NOT. DO.
The scene between River and the Dalek had always struck me as deeply incongruous and therefore deeply telling (also: scary, and not in a 'fuck yeah!' way). And if that was the tip of the iceberg, then TWoRS was . . . the iceberg. Really very, very not surprised at this episode. What's the opposite of surprised?

(Which is one of the reasons I see River as the Library and the Library as River. She spends all this time gathering all the information on the Doctor. She learns everything she can about him. Even the things he doesn't know yet. Even the bits of his story he never hears. Not to keep him safe, but to keep him saved.)
That is a fascinating way of looking at it. I think you might be on to something there.
promethia_tenk: (Default)

Re: Warning people! Possible spoilers for Let's Kill Hitler and The Wedding of River Song!

[personal profile] promethia_tenk 2011-10-05 06:20 pm (UTC)(link)
She is his protector. That's her role, that's how she defines herself. She has a gun so she can kill stuff that threatens the Doctor.
Oh, yes! (Things you should read: "Season of Grace." Things you should watch: Jekyll.) And, you know, I think it does fit with the idea of her being his Watcher too, albeit a more active take on the role. A lot of my favorite stuff with Giles was when he showed how much he worried that one day Buffy would end up dead because he hadn't protected her in the ways he's supposed to.

Yes, she's completely centered around him, but it's not a traditional female role at all.
That's a good point.

Not that obvious. Very. Very.

Re: Warning people! Possible spoilers for Let's Kill Hitler and The Wedding of River Song!

[identity profile] cinderbella333.livejournal.com 2011-10-07 06:58 pm (UTC)(link)
Thank you! *blushes*

And yes, I know what you mean about the dalek being the tip of the iceberg and TWORS being the iceberg. I wasn't surprised either. I was more... vindicated? reassured? validated? IDK. Part of the reason I had such a "FUCK YEAH!" reaction at the end of TWORS was because he looped in the River Song he'd been playing with for a couple episodes and explained her in a way that was finally in line with how I had always seen her character. That was the River Song I had been expecting and waiting for.

And I'm glad you liked my trinity and Library comments. :D

Re: Warning people! Possible spoilers for Let's Kill Hitler and The Wedding of River Song!

[identity profile] cinderbella333.livejournal.com 2011-10-07 07:25 pm (UTC)(link)
Too true!
promethia_tenk: (Default)

Re: Warning people! Possible spoilers for Let's Kill Hitler and The Wedding of River Song!

[personal profile] promethia_tenk 2011-10-08 01:00 am (UTC)(link)
I wasn't surprised either. I was more... vindicated? reassured? validated? IDK.
That's the words ; ) Like the feeling of winning a thousand frustrating fandom arguments all at once, retroactively. Victory feels good, oh yes. Not like older!River didn't have her crazy, but it was such an exceptionally focused crazy. Now we've got a nuclear explosion of exceptionally focused crazy to point at and and go "LOOK, SEE?!?!?"

And someday I shall manage to watch LKH without part of my brain going "Moffat, you ignorant peasant, what have you done?"

Re: Warning people! Possible spoilers for Let's Kill Hitler and The Wedding of River Song!

[identity profile] cinderbella333.livejournal.com 2011-10-08 04:54 am (UTC)(link)
Exactly! :D

Also: "And someday I shall manage to watch LKH without part of my brain going "Moffat, you ignorant peasant, what have you done?""

Should you one day accomplish that, will you please give me the number of your dealer or tell me exactly what you drank/smoke/snorted/injected/had sex with? Thanks. :D
promethia_tenk: (adelle drink)

Re: Warning people! Possible spoilers for Let's Kill Hitler and The Wedding of River Song!

[personal profile] promethia_tenk 2011-10-08 05:43 am (UTC)(link)
At the moment, I'm kinda enjoying it as a meta commentary on how most villains get written: senseless, incoherent destructiveness with a superimposed vendetta which does nothing to actually explain the character's actions because it's not actually connected to any recognizable motivation. And then the hero can go around saying "you can't do that--it's wrong!" whilst entirely ignoring the real problem at hand, which is that the character is apparently the victim of a radical lobotomy which nobody bothered to take note of. Moff loves to subvert his tropes, and he's got no great love for cardboard villain characters. I'd almost believe that's what he was going for.

OTOH, you might have the more sensible approach, altogether. Cheers.

Re: Warning people! Possible spoilers for Let's Kill Hitler and The Wedding of River Song!

[identity profile] cinderbella333.livejournal.com 2011-10-08 08:08 am (UTC)(link)
I've read some really great meta for it. And I've read that meta nodding my head and going, "Good point. Good point. Fascinating. Good point." But I just can't apply that to *watching* it. Every time I try, I end up growling and gesturing at the screen. Or, even worse, getting bored and walking away.

I have a feeling it'd be vastly improved if accompanied by a hit of LSD. Of course, it could also end up with me hiding behind the sofa from Hitler. Could you imagine the 911 call? "Can you state the nature of your emergency?" "Hitler's in the cupboard! And I think .... I might be a Tesselecta."
promethia_tenk: (rainbow dash laugh)

Re: Warning people! Possible spoilers for Let's Kill Hitler and The Wedding of River Song!

[personal profile] promethia_tenk 2011-10-09 01:13 am (UTC)(link)
Could you imagine the 911 call? "Can you state the nature of your emergency?" "Hitler's in the cupboard! And I think .... I might be a Tesselecta."
I feel vaguely like that watching the episode cold sober, so I shudder to think . . .

[identity profile] sahiya.livejournal.com 2011-10-10 01:38 am (UTC)(link)
Hee! Loved this, particularly Marilyn's nickname. Schrödinger's Wife indeed!