ignite ➝ Doctor Who¹

XXVI

"Great. Always wait five and a half hours."
— The Doctor, The Girl in the Fireplace

They stood quietly at a window, the Doctor and Penelope, sipping on drinks they stole from the ballroom. It was a peaceful quiet, each of them enveloping themselves in the feeling of being with the other.

"I missed you. Every time I had to look in a mirror I wondered what you were doing the other side."

"Do you regret it, staying with Reinette for 5 years." There was quiet as she thought about it, bathing the both in blissful silence once again.

"No. I don't. We couldn't have known that another one wouldn't have popped up. And while they didn't, I'm glad I got this time, this experience has been unimaginable." He seemed unhappy with the answer, so she bumped her shoulder into him, forcing him to look over. "Plus my French got pretty good, and the outfits are amazing."

"I promised to show you the stars, but instead I wasted 5 years of your life. And got you stuck in France after it all, I-"

"Would you stop focusing on the '5 years' it is all I have heard from you. I volunteered myself when I joined you, and if that means giving up my own time then that is what I would do. It was 5 years well spent."

"Penelope-"

"And the next 5 years will be spent even better, welcome to the slow path Doctor." She held her glass out for him to hit with his own. He did with a smile, a little weight pulled from his shoulders. Reinette came over, smiling but a little dull behind the eyes. Walking up to the two, she looked out at the stars.

"Penelope told me once, Doctor, that you could name all the stars in the sky." He looked over at the ginger woman who nodded in pride.

"What's in a name? Names are just titles. Titles don't tell you anything."

"Like the Doctor."

"I got her hooked on the stars, told her all the stories I know. You should've seen the paintings she created as I told them."

"I suppose I'll have the time now."

"Yeah, oh and I can show you my area in the gardens. Goodness, Reinette really put me to work." The woman piped up again, interrupting the two.

"In saving us, you trapped yourself. You knew that would happen. And yet, still you came."

"I did, Penelope never would've let me live it down. And I had to bring Arthur back, couldn't have him roaming around back there, could've eaten something." He smiled at his ginger companion, guilt creasing his face. "Sorry about borrowing your horse by the way Penelope."

"I knew it, y-"

"Bur there were many doors between this world and yours. Can you not use one of the others?"

"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?" Penelope laughed into her glass, trying to take a sip.

"I'll provide for you Doctor, don't worry, I'm a Lady of the Court."

"Sorted then, I'm not going anywhere, I'll stay with Penelope." Reinette let out a heavy sigh, one that her ginger friend hadn't heard from her in a long time.

"Aren't you? Take my hand." She immediately gets a response from Penelope, who places down her cup before holding onto her friend. It takes the Doctor a little longer but he's spurred on by Penelope's eagerness.

She led them to her bedchambers, the original mantle against the wall. "It's not a copy, it's the original. I had it moved here and was exact in every detail." Penelope stood in shock as she realised what this could do.

"The fireplace. The fireplace from your bedroom. When did you do this?"

"Many years ago, before Penelope, 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?" Penelope races past Reinette to get beside the Doctor. The dress made it particularly hard to get in close enough to the fireplace and she cursed herself for not changing.

"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 both of them work on looking for the connection. Penelope laughs triumphantly.

"I got it!"

"What?" Reinette is quieter than before, knowing that once they left she probably wouldn't see them again, she knows now that the time works differently. She was mentally preparing herself for goodbye.

"Loose connection." The Doctor pulls out his sonic screwdriver, grinning at the ginger woman next to him. "Need to get a man in." She whacks the mantle and something falls into place, making a loud click. Penelope turns and smiles as the Doctor reaches for the switch.

"Wish us luck!" There was a flicker of sadness in Reinette's eyes as she watched her closest friend disappear behind the wall, likely to never return.

"No." Watching Penelope's face fall at the response hurt more than she could possibly describe as she, too, finally realised this was goodbye.