13th Doctor x reader (3rd book)

Carving

You had finished off a simple macaroni and cheese dinner, filling up your belly before planning on going to bed. You were walking down the corridor, not really looking where you were going. In fact, you weren't completely sure where it was you were going. Because it certainly wasn't in the direction of your bedroom.

You were just taking a walk in the TARDIS. And to be honest, you were afraid to go to bed. You hadn't been in a bad mood for a while now. You were afraid that as soon as you close your eyes another one of those nightmares would haunt you. That was why you had hardly slept the past few weeks. You were so tired inside. But you couldn't fall asleep physically. And mentally as well, you were too afraid you were going to be dived right into the deep depths of your fears again. It always felt like you wouldn't be able to come out to breathe.

You sighed heavily, wondering what you were going to do tonight. You needed sleep, especially if you were going to be planning this whole date thing for Yaz and the doctor tomorrow. Maybe asking for the doctor for some sleeping pills would be a good option. Hopefully they'd give your body a rest. It felt like your eyes were hurting.

You sighed heavily, walking into a random room, not expecting to find anything interesting or unusual (relative to the TARDIS and the doctor that is) inside. Boy were you wrong.

You raised your brows when seeing the room. There were several carvings...statues or sculptures of people inside here. Wooden carvings of different people dotted around the room, life sized and all. They looked really, really realistic.

You stepped inside the room, taking a little stroll around. You looked at one of the carvings, taking in just how much detail they had. To think someone carved this life like, life sized piece, was just amazing to you.

You wondered who all these people were. They must have been someone important for the doctor to have sculptures and carvings of them in her TARDIS. Then again, the doctor did just collect loads of random things. But this seemed like something more. Each piece looked like the same person carved it, and lots of care was taken to making and preserving them. Like someone had varnished over these several times over the years.

You looked at one of the carvings. It was a woman, as most of the carvings were in this room. She had big, curly hair. And you were really in awe of the talent this person had to carve this. It made your artistic side go crazy. You were absolutely loving this.

"You've found this room then" you nearly jumped out of your skin when turning and seeing the doctor standing there.

"Yeah...I kinda stumbled across it. I was taking a walk and..found this place. Who are these people. Who carved these? Because this is some great talent" I said with a small laugh.

The doctor smiled at that, walking over to you and standing next to you, looking at the same carving of the curly haired woman.

"This is my wife" she said, making you look at her with wide eyes "that's right, I carved all these" she smiled lightly.

You gasped in shock at her, trying to register what she just said. The doctor...carved those?! You had no idea she was so talented. You didn't even know she could carve wooden figures?! Or carve at all for that matter.

You looked back over at the carving in front of you, taking in the carved woman's features more closely. The doctors wife! The doctor said...River Song was her name? Wow, you never thought you would put a face to that name. Or quite frankly even take the fact that she had a wife seriously.

"Why did you carve all these people? Who are they all?" You asked.

"My family" the doctor responded softly "everyone I travelled with." She explained "people I've lost along the way. I learnt to carve, perfected the skill over these years. So I could capture everyone's likeness. Just so that I could come in here whenever I missed them and see them again. Their faces. Like they're standing in front of me again" she smiled lightly "it helps"

You smiled lightly "everyone here is someone you cared about. This is just amazing" you said.

The doctor nodded in response "everyone. Rose, Amy, Rory, River, Donna, Martha, Clara, Bill..." she sighed "all of them"

"You get to see them" you smiled "it must really feel like you're with all your family when stood in this room"

She nodded her head "it does. I come in here every few nights. Clear my head. Maybe just stare at their carvings and cry for them" she said with a slightly more quiet voice "grieve for them, morn. But sometimes to just talk. Talk to them, ask them things. It helps to think what they would have said back when I see their faces" she explained.

You nodded your head thoughtfully, looking at all of these carvings. The doctor had lost more people than you would have thought. Seeing this place just put it all into perspective.

"No ones ever come in here before other than me" the doctor spoke up, breaking the silence.

You looked at her "do you want me to leave?" You asked.

She shook her head "no" she said softly "you can stay. It's nice to be looking at one member of my family in here and having them real. Alive, speaking back to me" she smiled lightly, though her eyes looking sad "I've spend whole nights just crying in front of these carvings before" she said quietly.

You sighed slightly "you have family always with you doctor. Whether it's in here or in your heart. Or...hearts in your case" you told her "it's good to cry sometimes. Or to grieve. It helps. It does with me anyways. But...I focus on the family I have now. You, Missy, Ryan, Graham...even Yaz" you smiled lightly "and at home..." you trailed off slightly, your face dropping at the thought of Jason.

The doctor nodded her head, putting a hand on your arm, to which you made sure not to flinch away from.

"You just need to remember this (y/n). Friends, and the family you choose. And you'll always be a part of my family. You have been since your first day her" she said with a small smile.

You smiled back at that, nodding your head. You liked that small phrase. Friends are the family you choose. And you couldn't have chosen a better family.