Chapter Text
Chapter 2: Reunions
The Doctor had felt better then what she had for a while. She had been given an opportunity for a shower and had her signature outfit provided for her. She felt more like herself now and with River by her side.
“Nice look Sweetie”, River tells her.
The Doctor preens, “You think?”
“It is…interesting”, River teases her smirking at her pout.
“What does that mean?” the Doctor asks.
“It means your outfit is as interesting as Bow Ties was”, River replies.
“That’s good”
“If you say so”, River replies smirking.
“Oi…”, but she was cut off by a kiss from her wife.
“Come on we don’t want to be rude to our hosts”, River says distracting her.
The Doctor pouts but nods. She was interested in knowing who had gotten who out of a prison she had not managed to escape yet. No like she really had been trying.
They leave the bedroom hand in hand and head down a long hall. Following the voice who gave them directions.
“I wonder where we are and what is behind all those doors”, the Doctor muses aloud.
“I’m sure we’ll get a chance to explore later”, River replies squeezing her hand, “What do you think this place is?”
“I don’t know. I doubt it is a torture chamber…”, the Doctor shivers at that remembering her confession dial.
River squeezes her hand in comfort catching her thoughts.
“…if it was, I believe we would know by now and the fact they let us see each other and be together does suggest that this place is not entirely bad”, the Doctor continues, “And I believe I have heard the terms White Guardians before but I can’t place it at the moment”
“Last door on the left. Be prepared to reunite with some old and recent friends”, the voice tells them.
“That is not ominous in anyway”, the Doctor mutters.
They get to the last door, and they look at each other.
“Ready?” River asks her.
“As ever. Given this situation”
“A situation that you normally get in every other Sunday”, River points out.
The Doctor pouts at that but knew she really could not argue with that. When they open the door, they were greeted by the sight of dozens of people seeming to be arguing and others talking in small groups at the side.
The Doctor’s jaw drops as she takes note of many of the people who were gathered here. This was not possible! Half these people were meant to be dead! A few were meant to be trapped in a parallel universe or in the past!
“River!” a familiar Scottish voice calls.
“Amy”, The Doctor whispers seeing the familiar red head that was coming over to them with Rory and two others.
“Mother, Father…”, River says greeting them as she was pulled into a tight hug.
“What is going on?” Rory asks.
“Amelia? Rory?” The Doctor asks, “Is that you?”
Both look at her and see the joined hands.
“Doctor?” Amy asks her, “Raggedy Man?”
“Yes”, the Doctor confirms, “And wouldn’t it be Raggedy Wom…”, but she didn’t get a chance to finish as Amy pulled her onto a tight hug.
Rory joins them and the pull River into the group hug.
“Oh, we have missed you! We have been so worried about the pair of you!” Amy tells them.
“Amy has been worried”, Rory corrects looking teary eyed.
Amy elbows him, “Like you haven’t been worried!”
“My Little Amelia Pond and Rory the Roman, the Girl and Boy-Who-Waited how are you both here? You were taken by the Angels and Amy we saw Rory’s grave!” the Doctor asks them.
They share a look.
“We do not know. There was a bright light and then we and Anthony, Anthony is your brother River, were here with all these people. We only know Vastra, Jenny and Strax…oh and Canton and Kate”, Amy informs them.
“And my Dad”, Rory adds nodding to Brian who was standing awkwardly next to them.
“Brian it is good to see you again”, the Doctor says looking just as awkward.
“River meet your adopted Little Brother Anthony…Anthony meet your Big Sister River aka Melody and THE Doctor”
The teen smiles at them.
“I have always wanted to meet you both! I am so glad I get that chance!” Anthony says excitedly.
“Doc?” a familiar voice calls.
She turns to see Graham, Ryan and Yaz walking over to her.
“Graham! Ryan! Yaz! My Fam! Your alright”, the Doctor exclaims.
“Of course we are!” Ryan exclaims.
“Where the hell have you been?” Yaz asks shoving her, “We were worried about you!”
The Doctor winces and flinches at that and she felt River stiffen as Yaz shoved her.
“We thought you were dead!” Graham tells her.
“How long has it been? A week? Two?” the Doctor asks them.
“Ten months”, Ryan states.
The Doctor winces at that. That was not good.
“Where. Have. You. Been?” Yaz asks going to shove her again.
But was stopped by a familiar figure.
“Settle down. She would have had a good reason. Let us just settle down then”, a familiar American accented voice starts firmly but amusement danced in his eyes.
“Jack!” the Doctor exclaims.
She was really happy to see the Immortal. Jack scoops her into a hug and spins her around. To his surprise it makes the Doctor laugh and hug him back tight.
Jack puts her down and kisses her.
“Hello Gorgeous I knew I would like this regeneration”, he flirts smirking.
“Jack! Stop it!” the Doctor grumbles but couldn’t seem to get the smile off her face.
Jack could see past the smile through. There was deep saddens and grief hidden. And a deep weariness. And the way the Doctor stood spoke volumes to the Immortal. But he knew better then to bring it up. At least for now.
“Are you ok Doctor?” Jack asks concern lacing his words.
“I’m the King no Queen of…”, she starts.
But River, Amy, Rory, and Jack give her a look.
“I’m fi…”
They give her another look.
“Never better”, the Doctor tells them.
They look at her exasperated. She gives them an innocent look that does not fool them.
“Doctor?” a familiar voice asks.
The Doctor turns to see a face he never though she would see again.
“Clara”, she says softly.
“You remember me?” Clara asks her for brown eyes soft.
“I got my memories back not too long ago”, the Doctor confirms.
Clara’s face lights up and she rushed over and pulled her into a tight embrace.
“I’m so sorry for how we parted ways”, the Doctor says to her holding her Impossible Girl close.
She was happy to realise she at least was taller than her.
Clara whacks her arm hard.
“Ow! What was that for?” the Doctor complains.
“For being an idiot. Yes, you went too far. But what happened leading up to our parting was MY fault. I got reckless…”
“I let you!” the Doctor bursts out.
Clara glares at her, “You’re a stubborn idiot”
“We can agree on that”, River, Jack, and Amy mutter.
As Graham, Ryan and Yaz watched confused.
“Didn’t we already discuss this?” another familiar voice asks rolling her eyes.
“Ashildr”, the Doctor states trying to remain neutral, “I believe it is still a small world”
“Doctor”, Clara warns and sounds exasperated, “Can we not do this again?” she asks with a weary sigh.
The Doctor smiles, “Of course My Clara, My Impossible Girl”
That makes Clara smile.
“It has been a long time since I have heard that. Did you Run You Clever Girl/Boy and be a Doctor?” Clara asks.
The ones that heard what they were saying were confused. Amy and Rory’s eyes widen at those words.
“I have been running faster then I have ever done”, the Doctor replies.
Clara seemed to still be able to read her. Even in this knew body. As the Doctor could tell Clara had noticed something like River and Jack had. She knew she was going to have to work harder in hiding her feelings.
Suddenly before she could say anything to try and distract Clara, she was pounced on by a person she believed she had failed as much as Clara and River and had been her fault she had been converted into a Cyberman.
“Bill”, the Doctor chokes out.
“Doctor. Loving the upgrade”, Bill tells her smiling as she pulls back and takes another woman’s hand.
“Heather, right?” the Doctor asks hoping he got the name right.
“Doctor, Bill has told me lots about you”, Heather replies with a shy smile.
“I have heard things about you too”, the Doctor replies, “I’m sor…”
“Hello Ladies, I’m Captain Jack Harkness”, Jack flirted cutting the Doctors apology off.
“Jack!”
“Sorry you're not our type Captain maybe if you get an upgrade like the Doctor, we will consider it”, Bill teases.
Jack pouts, “That’s no fun”
“Your still Captain Cheesecake”, a familiar voice teases.
The Doctor and those around her see Mickey Smith and Martha Jones coming up.
“That is Captain Beefcake to you”, Jack teases back, “And Martha Jones a voice of a nightingale still”
“That you Boss?” Mickey asks.
“Yes, Rickey it is me. Martha it is good to see you…both of you again”, the Doctor says to them.
“You should have visited us. The last time we saw you, you scared us half to death!” Martha scolds her.
The Doctor looks sheepishly at them.
“Sorry about that”, the Doctor says to them.
Martha rolls her eyes but pulls her into a hug and Mickey was quick to hug her next.
“Are you ok?” Martha asks looking at the Doctor worriedly.
“Never better”, the Doctor lies.
River, Jack, and Clara snort at that.
“We are going to have a chat later”, Martha tells her sternly.
“Looking forward to it”, the Doctor mutters inconveniently.
“Doctor, you regenerated”, Sarah Jane states coming over with her son.
“Sarah Jane! It is good to see you. This is the second body from then”, the Doctor admits hugging her.
“That always seems to be the way at the moment”, Sarah Jane states pointedly.
The Doctor just shrugs at that.
“Good to see you again Luke. You too Doctor”, Luke agrees.
“You remember Clyde and Rani don’t you Doctor?” Sarah Jane asks him.
The Doctor has to search for a minute before remembering.
“Oh, course I do! They were big help with the Shansheeth”, the Doctor replies beaming, “And who is that?”
“I am Maria Jackson. Are you really the Doctor?” Maria asks.
“I am”
Maria doesn’t look convinced.
“I’ll explain it to her while you greet everyone else”, Sarah Jane tells her.
“Thank you”, the Doctor states gratefully.
She moves on.
“Tegan, Melanie, Jo Grant, it has been a long time”, the Doctor says smiling at two of her old companions.
“Not nearly as long for us”, Melanie states.
“Not me just them”, Jo pipes up after kissing her cheek.
“What?…”
“Tegan, Melanie you two are from the Doctor’s future the same as Dan Lewis. We know this will make things difficult but you both are not allowed to give the Doctor or Donna any major hints of your reunion”, the Guardian calls out.
“Who are you?” Tegan asks.
“An old friend”, the Guardian says.
The Doctor was introduced to Dan Lewis, and she was interested on how they meet. She expected it to be an eventful story. (It always was).
She said quick hellos to her old friends Winston Churchill and Edwin Bracewell. Craig Owens was surprisingly here too. Along with Canton Delaware, Harriet Jones, Liz 10, Elizabeth the 1st and Tasha Lem. The last three making her blush and look at River who was standing with Jack looking amused.
The Doctor had to stop herself from crying over the Brigadier. Kate and both Osgoods greeted her warmly.
“My, my Doctor this new regeneration is sexy”, a familiar voice of Vastra teases.
“Oi! Married!” Jenny Flint scolds her wife.
“Hello Sir, may I take your coat?”
“The Doctor is a girl Strax”, Clara comments from nearby in fond exasperation.
The Doctor has to laugh at them. She always knew if she saw Vastra this regeneration it would be interesting.
She greets Anita, River’s Grad-Student again and was surprised the alive and human version of Charlotte Lux was really here.
“Doctor! I should kill you!” a familiar redhead shouts.
The Doctor winces, “Donna how are you feeling?”
“IS THAT ALL YOU HAVE TO SAY TO Me!?”
“I’m sorry”, the Doctor squeaks out at the angrily redhead.
Much to many’s amusement.
“Donna, love leave the poor guy…sorry girl along”, Wilfred says butting in.
“Thank you, Wilf!” the Doctor exclaims in appreciation.
“Oh, alright come here Missus’s I’ll save the slapping for later”, Donna says with a smile and pulls the Doctor in for a tight hug.
She then moves and hugs Wilf tight with a few tears leaking from her eyes.
Oh, how the Doctor had missed Donna and Wilf.
Rose greeted her somewhat warmly with the Metacrisis now named John at her side. And the Doctor knew she only avoided a slap from Jackie because she was a woman now. Pete greets her warmly and she gets to meet Rose’s younger brother Tony.
Jack then introduces his Torchwood Team. Gwen Cooper and her husband Rhys. Ianto Jones, Owen Harper and Toshiko Sato.
Tosh looked surprised that the Doctor remembered her from the incident in London.
Actually, the Doctor had surprised many of them by remembering their names. She wasn’t going to tell them how long she had, had to think about all of them.
The last three she could see were hard for her to greet. Her so-called brother Brax was just as cold as she remembered. She would have to remember to ask him if he knew the truth about her.
Her Granddaughter hugs her tightly as they try into each other’s arms. And Romona was as calm as ever and said a female regeneration looked good on her.
“Ok everyone before explanations and getting yourselves comfortable I have two other current guests at this time to introduce. Don’t worry while you are here neither of them will be able to hurt any one of you”, the Guardian tells them.
The Doctor has a sinking feeling in her gut.
“Who?” Clara asks her eyes narrowing in suspicion.
Two people come in. And a few of them begin to growl or look at the pair in fear.
“Hey, I see you have finally afforded the upgrade it has been a while since the Colony Ship, hasn’t it?”
“And how long has it been since I revealed the truth to you Doctor. Does it still hurt?”