Lost In Time: A Doctor Who Fanfiction

Chapter 3 - Picnic At Asgard

"River Song?" the Doctor asked incredulously, poking his head out of the TARDIS. "How did you get here?"

She shrugged with a coy smile, her loose curls bouncing with the movement. "A future version of you two picked me up and brought me here, saying I had something that needed to be done. And since you're here, I'm guessing it involves the two of you. Hello, Doctor."

The Doctor raised his eyebrows, stepping out of the TARDIS to stand by Lyssa, hands in his pocket as he leaned up against the frame of the ship. "Well then. Hello, River. Where are we at?"

River smiled, pulling her blue journal out of her bag and flipping through the pages. "You tell me. Jim the Fish?"

He smiled and shook his head. "Crash of the Byzantium?" he tried.

She flipped to a particular page and stopped, reading it before smirking. "One of my more recent adventures. The Pandorica Opens?"

He nodded. "Last I saw you was the Impossible Astronaut. Space 1969."

She laughed. "Oh, that one was tricky. Delightfully fun, but very difficult." She turned to Lyssa, who had been silently watching the two with amused awe. "And what about you, pixie? Where are we at?"

"Er, River," the Doctor tried to forestall her.

Blinking at the new nickname presumably addressed to her, Lyssa smiled awkwardly. She supposed it only made sense that River knew her as well. Or at least, some future version of her. And for that, she felt bad for the older woman. "Sorry, but, uh, I've never met you before."

River's face fell. "Oh," she whispered, grip tightening slightly on her diary. "I was afraid this day would come."

Lyssa shrugged uncomfortably. "Yeah. Sorry. If it's any consolation, this was my first time meeting him as well," she said, tilting her head towards the Doctor. "And apparently I do this a lot?"

River's eyes widened. "This is your very first adventure here, isn't it?" she breathed.

Lyssa bit her lip. "I guess? I mean, the last thing I did before this was survive a plane crash, so..."

River smiled. "Well, then. I know exactly what I'm supposed to do here." Reaching into the shoulder bag that matched her tan dress, she pulled out a deep blue journal, similar in size to hers, and handed it to Lyssa. "It doesn't quite look like yours yet, but you'll get there soon enough. The rules are simple. You write down what you know will happen in the back, and your personal adventures in the front. And you never let him, or me, read the book. Those are the rules. Your rules."

"Oh." Lyssa took it with surprise and flipped curiously through the pages. It was empty, and had white lined pages that were just waiting to be filled. She tucked it into her pocket. It didn't quite fit, but it would work for now. "Thanks, I guess. And even though we both technically know who the other person is, I might as well introduce myself. It's only proper, yeah? I'm Lyssa Devons." She tentatively offered her hand to the other woman, hoping it would be well received.

Eyes filling with surprised amusement, River gracefully shook her outstretched hand. "Doctor River Song, archaeologist. Pleasure to meet you."

Lyssa grinned. "Ha. Still can't quite believe that I'm really standing next to you. Not gonna lie, I'm half tempted to ask for your autogra- wait." She cut herself off as a flash of blue in the corner of her eye caught her attention. "Hold on. There's something that I forgot to do. I can't believe I haven't done it already."

Stepping away from the Doctor and River, she went back to the TARDIS and peered inside at the massive room, then circled the ship from the outside, keeping one hand on the box the entire time. Finished with her circuit, she stepped inside the box, then back out, a look of marvel on her face.