All the Days She Stayed Dead

Blank Space

The tea, apparently, was special tea from some faraway rock called Clarabora in the Medusa Cascade. It did things that were good for you, which is what the Doctor told her in far too many words. Something about enzymes and biotechnology. It tasted all right, sort of herbal, and she sipped it quietly. The Doctor walked in with an enormous blanket, which he draped over her while she held the mug aloft. He returned to the other end of the sofa and resumed his closed-fan position, and she rolled her eyes.

"C'mere."

Lorena lifted up the blanket and beckoned him.

"I'm all right, I'm-"

"I wasn't asking."

He sighed endearingly and moved over a bit, settling under the blanket. Gradually, he grew more relaxed. By the time the movie was over, he had his jacket off and slung over the back of the couch, and Lorena had fallen asleep against his shoulder in a way he suspected was intentional. He held her tea; as she drifted off, it had begun to tilt out of her grasp. The credits rolled as Grace Kelly Grace-Kellied away, and Lorena stirred in her sleep. The Doctor watched her for a moment, the way her nose had a little bump in the middle and her hair that threw itself wildly about her cheekbones. He sighed and gently jostled her shoulder.

"Lorena?"

She rubbed her eyes and yawned.

"God, I had this dream. There was this man-god, he was gorgeous, and there was this big blue-thingy, and-"

She cracked an eye open to see the Doctor himself, struggling to contain laughter.

"Shut up, I'm tired."

Is all she said, a smile playing at her lips.

"Yeah, sure. That's what it is. Just fatigue."

"Dear god."

"Only fatigue. It's crazy, what tiredness will do to a person."

She rolled her eyes and rose to her feet unsteadily.

"You're absolutely insufferable."

"Yeah, but I'm gorgeous."

He gave her this shit eating grin and she couldn't decide whether she wanted to smack him or kiss him. 

She ended up washing her dishes instead. Y'know, nice middle ground.

He walked up and plucked them out of her hands.

"Nope, stop it. I'll do the washing up. Go to bed."

She frowned.

"We're not-we're still at the Not-Earth place."

He turned the water off.

"Right, yes, we are. Why don't I get you home."

He disappeared down the corridor and Lorena pulled on her shoes. The whole room began to shake, but it wasn't nearly as severe as the console room. She folded the blanket as neatly as she could and walked back, where she found the Doctor with his head out the door.

"Yep, right place."

There was shouting in Italian, and a lot of it.

He pulled back and shut the door.

"Not the right time, though."

She giggled and he jogged back, fiddled with some things on the console. The floor shook and after a few seconds, she looked out the door, eyes locking on her bed.