Yowzah Oneshot Collection (3)

27(M)

Your body like a blanket thrown on a warm bed at night

                          Amie33

“We won’t go further.”

“It can’t be! Try again.”

River sighed and complied. It was useless but maybe showing him another time would make him understand. She started the car up, gripping the wheel tightly as she tried to speed up, without any result but the deafening noise of the engine. The car slipped a few centimeters, fighting against the snow, before it gave up and stalled.

“See?”

The Doctor replied with a groan, looking around him as if he could find a solution there. They were in the middle of the countryside, it was snowing and it didn’t seem like it would stop soon. It had started about an hour ago, just a few snowflakes at first that had turned into a real storm and covered the road quickly. Now they couldn’t move anymore. It was already dark, and the only thing she could see with the lights of the car was the snowflakes swirling endlessly and covering even more the already completely white road.

“We should have taken the TARDIS,” the Doctor grumbled, and River forced herself to tear her gaze away from the hypnotic sight.

“We always take the TARDIS. I wanted to take a car. Plus it looked a little less alien...”

“You wanted to steal a car...” He pointed an accusing finger at her, ignoring the alien mention. She smiled innocently.

“I didn’t steal a car. I borrowed it. Like you did with Sexy.”

There was nothing he could say and she knew it. So he didn’t reply and kept pouting with his arms crossed over his chest like a little boy who had been refused an ice-cream.

Of course River knew it was her fault, even if she would never admit it. They had landed in London, twentieth century, in the morning. They were tracking an alien signal, and when they realized they had to reach a village a hundred miles from the City, she had insisted they take a car - it would be funny, and a bit adventurous, and she hadn’t driven for ages. She really missed it. She had always been fond of cars, but what they called cars in the fifty-second century didn’t really fit the word anymore. The engine didn’t purr like they used to, there wasn’t the harsh smell of gas filling the vehicle when it accelerated, you couldn’t feel every piece of rock on the road and it didn’t give you the impression that you’re flying while jumping on some bump on the road a bit too fast... No. The fifty-second century cars were boring and flat and there was no thrill at driving them; there was no driving anyway, you just chose the destination and let the vehicle do everything else.

“What are we gonna do now?” the Doctor asked, and River stopped her trail of thoughts. She had plenty of reasons to take a car. Even the excitement to borrow it. But it was too late to think about it. The thing was, she didn’t check the weather; neither had the Doctor and now they were stuck in the middle of nowhere while the snow kept falling.

“I think I saw there was a village in a mile or so. Maybe we should try to reach it and find a place to spend the night.”

The Doctor looked outside again and she followed his gaze. If they focused past the snowflakes they could see something else, some trembling lights in the night. She was right; they shouldn’t be at more than a mile from the first houses. If they hurried, and if the snow didn’t turn heavier, they could make their way to them. If they were lucky, they could even find an inn or a Bed and Breakfast to host them for the night.

“Don’t you have your vortex manipulator?” the Doctor asked again, sounding reluctant to walk in the cold wind and the snow.

River winced. “I left it in the TARDIS.” Thinking back, it wasn’t a good idea. It wasn’t a good idea at all. Everything would have been more simple if she hadn’t left it in the ship. Next time she was so eager to have a car, she swore she would check that there wasn’t any storms coming.