Lost In Time: A Doctor Who Fanfiction

Chapter 11 - The Pandorica Opens, Part 1

Lyssa opened her eyes with a start. She was no longer on her comfortable bed in the TARDIS. Instead, she was sitting on a stone floor against a wall. Furrowing her brow, she looked around the room, trying to figure out where she was. 

It was a small, plain room, with only a few personal effects and a bed to testify to the fact that it was a bedroom at all. Three of the walls were made of what looked like concrete, and where the fourth would have been was simply made up of steel bars and a locked door that looked out onto more of the cold, plain walls.

A slight rustling noise from the bed drew her attention. Slowly crawling over to the back of the bed, she carefully peered over the top. The concrete walls and barred door had given her a good idea of at least her general location, and she really didn't want to attract any negative attention, particularly from the occupant of the cell. She caught sight of the woman sitting on the bed and blew out a sigh of relief when she recognized her.

"River?" she breathed, letting out an incredulous laugh as she stood.

The curly-haired woman reacted immediately. Dropping the book she had been reading onto the bed, she flew to her feet and assumed a battle ready stance before catching sight of Lyssa. She relaxed, a soft smile lighting up her face. "Pixie!" she exclaimed happily, moving over to take Lyssa's hands in hers and giving them a fond squeeze. "It's been too long since I've seen you last, how are you doing?"

Lyssa laughed, returning the gesture. "I think it's been longer for you than it has for me, but I've been doing pretty good. Bit, you know, startled, though. Last thing I remember, I was in bed, and all of a sudden, I'm here." She looked around at their surroundings, then back at River. "I'm assuming this is Stormcage?"

The older woman nodded, giving her a smirk as she released her and stepped back. "Yes. I was getting ever so bored, but you're here, so I assume that trouble will be soon to follow."

"Hey!" Lyssa protested, pretending to be offended.

She probably would have been, if that hadn't been the pattern for all of her jumps so far.

"Oh, no, I didn't mean you, dear," she assured her. "I only meant that where you go, the Doctor will sooner or later show up, and ten times out of eleven, that means trouble. It's just a matter of when."

Lyssa couldn't help her smile, conceding the point. She wasn't wrong.

"All right," River said, looking her over with a studying eye. "How far along are we? You're familiar enough with me that we've met before, but your eyes are younger than I've seen for quite some time, and your jewelry definitely indicates that you're still pretty new to all of this."

Lyssa looked down at her silvery necklace, the only jewelry she was wearing. "My necklace?" she asked. "What do you mean? How does that say anything about how new I am?"

The older woman only gave her a secretive smile. "Spoilers."

 Lyssa rolled her eyes. "Fine. Keep your secrets. If you must know, I've only met you once before. Have you done the picnic at Asgard yet?" 

River grabbed her journal from her bed and rifled through the pages before shaking her head with a frown. "You are very early, then," she realized, sounding pained.

Lyssa sighed, feeling guilty and knowing she shouldn't. "You and the Doctor both look upset each time I arrive and tell you that I don't know you. Why?"

River sat down on the bed and indicated the space beside her, waiting until Lyssa hesitantly joined her to speak. "I can't give too much away, dear, but perhaps this will help. Imagine that your best friend in the whole world was to show up at your door... and they don't know you're friends. All they know of you, they read in a book. Everything you've shared, everything you've done... doesn't exist for them."