Checkmate (Doctor Who fanfiction)

"Mistress"

So how many of you recognize this one? I know a few of you who do...

"Hey," Chase hurried up to me. "Uh, there's someone here to see you."

"Who?" I asked.

"Uh, a customer."

"Another one?"

"That's how restaurants work, Ruby."

I set down my book. "Right."

He pulled me to my feet, and kissed me softly. I smiled.

Yeah, I know what you're thinking. How could I? How could I cheat on The Doctor?

But here's what you don't understand. The morning after we'd fallen asleep on the couch, we'd had breakfast at my house. Laughs, and platonic smiles, reminiscing about past adventures. When I'd tried to romantically feed him a bite of pancake, he refused to open his mouth. We wrestled playfully, and I managed not to even poke out his eye with the fork that I was trying to force into his mouth. Which was an accomplishment. I'd ended up stradling him as he sat on the sofa so he couldn't move, and pinning his neck against the couch. He'd let me feed him then, just so that I would get off of him.

After breakfast, I'd begged him to stay a little longer. He refused. I persisted. He called me childish. Of course, it wound up with him storming out, with me on my knees in the middle of my kitchen, crying.

After that, I started thinking about seeing that look of coldness in The Doctor's eyes on Christmas night, when he looked up at me on that couch. Like me being near him was hurting him. That afternoon, it dawned on me that he had no reason to come back. Nor did he.

For months.

And then, a year.

And then, two. Then, three.

So I forced myself to stop waiting. I couldn't let him tease me by dancing outside of my waiting fingertips again. It would ruin me. So I gave myself permission to do anything. Anything at all, to move on from my Raggedy Man. So, I started a restaurant. I got a boyfriend, and actual friends. For once, I focused on my own life.

The Ponds grew distant as they saw my heart hardening, and when their marriage fell apart, I just turned my back coldly, as they had done to me. I lost contact with Rory. Amy and I barely spoke. River stopped visiting.

My family was no longer a place of sanctuary and unrequited love. It was a subject I avoided in conversation, and refused to think about in private.

Was it so wrong to find someone besides The Doctor, even if it didn't feel natural? I needed someone who didn't constantly abandon me.

"What are we doing later?" I asked, looking straight into Chase's eyes.

"Mmm," he considered, putting his hands on my back. "I was thinking movie night at my place. Good?"

I bit my lip with a smile. "Yeah. Good. And you'll be there? Like, you'll actually, properly be there."

"What is with you?" He laughed. "You're always asking me that. 'Are you sure you're going to be there?' Of course I am. I wouldn't miss it for the world."

"I guess I have a bit of a history with being left out in the cold," I said quietly.

"Well then, I promise," he said, "I will be there."

"You aren't lying, are you?"

He only laughed. He folded his hands behind the small of my back. The exact same gesture The Doctor used to use, when I walked up and demanded attention. It was the most loving gesture he would bestow, since he didn't like being mushy. It felt like Chases hands were in a place where someone elses belonged. Like my body simply associated this gesture with The Doctor, and was fighting back against someone else making it.