[oom] With Your Shield Or On It

[hell_in_highheels]

[ after this ]

There's a fumbling at the door and no small amount of cursing in some ancient tongue.  The key jangles in the lock and River opens the door, closing it behind her with her hip.

She's cradling one hand against her chest and she looks like she's been crying.

Being angry is easier than acknowledging the ache in her chest, so she's going to go with angry.  For just a little bit longer.

Comments

[captainryan.livejournal.com]

Richard's in the study putzing with his computer.

"Hello, love!" He's a little distracted, but who else has keys to the flat?

Damocles, of course, is thrilled to see her.

[hell_in_highheels]

"Hello, love," she calls, bending to wrap her arms around the dog and press her face against the side of his neck.

"Good boy."

This is where she belongs now. This is home.

[captainryan.livejournal.com]

Hi River! Wag wiggle wag.

"Is the bar still sane?"

It's a joke. Kinda. This is Milliways, after all.

Richard minimizes all his windows and heads to the front to say hello himself.

[hell_in_highheels]

Hi Dam. She pulls back to mirror his grin.

To Richard, she answers, "Not in the least. Do we have any ice?"

She holds up her swollen hand in explanation.

[captainryan.livejournal.com]

Both eyebrows go up.

This is followed by a worried 'wolf crossing the room and taking her arm to inspect her hand.

"What happened?"

[hell_in_highheels]

"The Doctor's back. Didn't recognise me. Again. I'm afraid my temper got away from me." She laughs a little. "I hit him."

He can see she's broken two fingers, probably by catching a man's chin right at the point.

[captainryan.livejournal.com]

It takes a moment to equate 'The Doctor' with that Doctor.

"You hit a time traveler for not knowing you," he clarifies, finishing his inspection and heading to the freezer to grab some ice. "Sit down. You'll need to have A doctor look at that eventually."

[hell_in_highheels]

She takes a seat in the chair, resting her mangled hand on her good one. For a woman who prides herself on her rationality, there's not a lot of rational thought going on in her skull right now. There's a deep simmering anger in her voice and her scent is a confused mess of hurt and rage and sorrow and disappointment.

"It was the Doctor, surely, but he was not himself. Claimed he was one John Smith, a history teacher. And don't tell me it might have been a doppelganger. I'd know that man if a thousand years had gone passed, in either direction."

[captainryan.livejournal.com]

Richard arches an eyebrow at her, taking pains to stick his head past the freezer door so she can see it.

"So you hit him because he didn't know himself, let alone you."

[hell_in_highheels]

She looks at him, frustration furrowing her brow.

"He bloody well deserved it."

She sighs, her eyes closing in pain and embarrassment, and she swears again, at length. Eventually the words taper off and her voice gets quiet.

"I wish I could explain, but it doesn't make sense, even to me."

[captainryan.livejournal.com]

Richard lets her let off some steam while he finishes putting together an ice pack.

"It makes sense if it's some sort of prank I'll admit, but that would require him remembering himself and you."

Beat.

"How does he know you? Companion?"

[hell_in_highheels]

She won't lie to him. Not that she could, but she won't. She's staring at her hand, not really seeing it now.

"Wife, actually." For some reason, saying the word takes the power out of it. "We were married, for a few months. Before -- that little -- scene in the Library. It was a few months for him, but for me it was ten years."

"Ten years of not knowing when he was going to show up again, and if he'd remember the things we'd done together when he did show up. Until the last time, when he didn't know me at all. Because we hadn't met yet."

"And then he uploaded me to the Library. And -- left." Her voice is flat.

"I suppose he took that 'till death do you part' clause literally."

[captainryan.livejournal.com]

She was married? To the Doctor?

He covers his surprise by pulling another chair up so he can apply the ice pack to her hand.

Then he keeps his head bent over her hand to hide the smile that's trying to grow on his face.

[hell_in_highheels]

She expects him to be incensed, and really, she wouldn't blame him if he was.

"I'm sorry, truly. I probably should have mentioned this to you on day one, but it never seemed relevant. It was over and done the day I died. The only reason I approached him at all was to tell him about you. About us."

She hisses through her teeth as the ice hits, but she doesn't pull away, as much as she wants to. "Fuck, they're broken, aren't they?"

[captainryan.livejournal.com]

"You're only now figuring that out?" It's mostly rhetorical and the mirth is plain in his voice. He glances up at her.

"Remind me not to get amnesia. Or for my younger self to time travel here. And please don't hit Maguire. I'm rather fond of the man if only because he shares my face."

He also gets the feeling Maguire might hit her back and then he'd have to kill the man. Frankly, he'd rather not.

[hell_in_highheels]

"You have a doppleganger? Oh good heavens, that's useful to know."

She's relieved at his reaction, and while there's a part of her that would like very much to continue being hurt and angry, the touch of his hand makes it hard to hold onto that.

"I really am an idiot. And he was such a gentleman about it. Apologised, even. Ruddy bastard."

[captainryan.livejournal.com]

He's trying to be gentle! Really! Playing medic was never really his strong suit, though.

"Are you sure it was him? All I smell is human on you, but I haven't met a Gallifreyan."

He has, actually. He just doesn't know it.

[hell_in_highheels]

"That's like asking me if I'm sure you're you," she answers a bit tersely. "As sure as I can be about anything in this madhouse."

He's doing a fine job as medic, and she'll be sure to thank him for it. Later.

"So you're not upset with me?"

[captainryan.livejournal.com]

"For breaking your hand?"

[hell_in_highheels]

"For not telling you I was married before."

"Honestly, it wasn't something I intended to keep from you. It was just -- it happened in another life."

[captainryan.livejournal.com]

"And nearly, what, a hundred years ago?" He gives her a soft smile.

"I don't think you'd lead me on like that.

"Still not sure why you decided to hit the man, though."

[hell_in_highheels]

She looks down, eyes closed, a fleeting smile on her lips.

"Told you. My temper got away from me."

"Imagine that we met, and I did not recognise you. And then imagine I'd left, for a century. Imagine meeting me again and this time, not only did I not recognise you, I swore I was someone other than myself. Tell me you wouldn't be a little upset."

[captainryan.livejournal.com]

That sort of happened actually.

"Upset, yes," he admits, "but not particularly violent."

[hell_in_highheels]

She's not proud of that fact, and it shows, both on her face and in her scent.

"He has a certain -- knack -- for making me feel powerless. It's not a feeling I enjoy."

"I did apologise. And next time will be different. Easier. I promise you."

[captainryan.livejournal.com]

"You'll only break a finger, I suppose," he says a little flatly.

He sighs a bit.

"I'm going to teach you how to hit properly. Once that heals."

[hell_in_highheels]

She grins across at him.

"I think I'd enjoy that."

[captainryan.livejournal.com]

"You say that now," he rumbles.

He's trained humans before.

[hell_in_highheels]

"True. I've never been much of a physical person. Might be an interesting experiment."

"I'd pester you with all sorts of questions, you know."

[captainryan.livejournal.com]

He smirks. "You say that now," he says again.

That human? Was Deitmar.

[hell_in_highheels]

She quirks a brow at him. "Are you saying I'd be too out of breath to question you?"

[captainryan.livejournal.com]

He smiles easily. "It's a distinct possibility." Head tilts. "Either that or too sore.

"I think you'll like trin tea, though."

[hell_in_highheels]

She smirks, shakes her head.

"It's not like you haven't made me sore before," she teases, her finger idly tugging at his sleeve.

[captainryan.livejournal.com]

"That's true.

"I could argue that this works an entirely different set of muscles?"

[hell_in_highheels]

"You could. And is perhaps less enjoyable. But I'll try not to shame myself too badly."

She looks back at her hand.

"CAL can probably fix this. Sector specific restore. I hate sector specific restores." There's something in her scent, a memory of excruciating pain.

[captainryan.livejournal.com]

He frowns.

"You could try the infirmary and hope a healer is in." If she had a decent sense of smell, she could tell his scent's gone frustrated.

"If the infection had taken, you'd just have to wait a few days."

[hell_in_highheels]

She looks up into his face, searching his eyes. She doesn't exactly need a sense of smell to get that.

"I didn't go to the Infirmary for fear of ending up in the cells. I'm sorry, I should have taken care of it before I even came home. My judgement seems to have just gone right out the window today."

[captainryan.livejournal.com]

"I thought you said he apologized? I highly doubt Security here would press the matter after that."

In his experience, good luck with getting them to press anything.

[hell_in_highheels]

She has had no experience with Security. And pointing that out makes her feel another level of stupid. River is not having a good day.

"Well, regardless. I should go and get this seen to."

[captainryan.livejournal.com]

That wasn't his goal, but it's a valid reaction.

"I'll come with. In case the idiot changed his mind."

'Idiot' being the Doctor, though Richard has his doubts about that as well.

[hell_in_highheels]

She catches his hand in hers before he can move away, gripping his hand tight.

What she wants to say is that if had been him, she'd have waited a hundred years, knowing that he was coming back for her. She'd have waited a thousand years. What she wants to say is that what she feels for him makes her marriage pale in comparison. In this sea of intense emotion, and feeling like an utter fool, she can't find the words

When she does speak, her voice is quiet and fierce. "He's harmless."

[captainryan.livejournal.com]

He raises both eyebrows, surprised.

"I'm not going to beat him up, if that's what you're thinking."

[hell_in_highheels]

She shakes her head, laughing, looking down at where their hands are linked.

"No, no that wasn't what I was thinking at all."

[captainryan.livejournal.com]

"All right."

He quirks an eyebrow at her.

[hell_in_highheels]

He makes it look so simple.

She settles for bringing his hand to her lips and kissing his fingers.

"Put your shoes on and you can show me where the Infirmary is."

[captainryan.livejournal.com]

He smiles at her. "Yes ma'am."

He lets her finish her own ministrations before he grabs his own boots.