Doctor Who/Firefly Crossover Fic: Apocatastasis

[intrikate88]

Title: Apocatastasis
Author: intrikate88
Disclaimer: I tried to seduce RTD and get him to give me Doctor Who rights, but he's not into women, and I tried with Joss for ownership of Firefly, and his wife didn't like that, and Joss said it would only bring me heartache anyway, so as it stands now, I own nothing.
Spoilers: "Doomsday" for Doctor Who, and possibly "Lazarus Experiment" if I really get plotty and ambitious. Post "Objects in Space", pre/during-BDM for Fireflyverse.
Rating: PG? There's nothing really heavy, but just to be safe.
Prompt: Two prompts! 1) Ten is intrigued. Inara is suspicious. There is banter. And eye sex. 2) "You don't want to wait until it's too late."
Notes/Warnings: One traveller (that strokes bits of his ship) is missing his companion, while one Companion is missing travelling. Then things begin to explode, several people are taken hostage, the Doctor is mistaken for another doctor, and a good deal of fun suspense is had by all, as the Operative tries his hardest to get to one little girl, River Tam.

In case  you're wondering about the title, dictionary.com defines it as: the state of being restored or reestablished; restitution. 

Beta'd by the fantastic goldy_dollar. Written for the sonic_teaficathon.

Inara tossed, twisting her sheets; she had not slept peacefully since leaving Serenity. Her room was too silent. Not that the engines had ever been loud –Kaylee kept them too well-tuned for that- (a sudden pang; oh, how she missed Kaylee), but the vibration and living hum, the cycle of air and temperature control regulating her days in ways she hadn’t even realized she was accustomed to. She didn’t realize how much it soothed her until she returned to the gong that woke her every morning and the chant of evening prayers before bed each night.

 

Resolutely she closed her eyes, and it was then that she heard the engines, suddenly and very near. Blinking, she wondered if this was one of those instances of four o’clock in the morning delusions. She rolled over and pressed the pad that brought her lights on. The sound continued, horribly grating; and Inara could imagine the look of cringing horror on Kaylee’s face.

 

The sound wasn’t coming from her room. She wrapped a robe around herself and went out into the dark halls of the Companion House, a gas lamp in her hand. The halls were empty; her girls were asleep. There was some construction going on at the far end. The wall was being rebuilt after an incident with some explosive incense. Inara had confiscated the remainder of the incense and the girls were punished with laundry duty for two weeks.

 

Inara’s attention, however, was completely absorbed by a blue box partly obscured by the curtains hanging across the damaged wall. Even hidden in the shadows of the hallway, it was impossible to miss the creak of the doors as they swung open and the man in the pinstriped suit who stepped out.

 

She quickened her step, standing in front of him. She held her lamp up to his face. It blinded him, but allowed Inara to see him perfectly: dark eyes, ruffled hair, and a young face with unexpected lines. “Who are you?” she demanded. “And how did you get in here?”

 

He rubbed his eye with two fingers. “I’m the Doctor,” he said, pulling a leather wallet from his pocket. He flipped it open. “Doctor Smith,” he hazarded, looking around, and then flipped the paper towards him. “Eh, wall and structural inspector.”

 

“In the middle of the night?” Inara asked skeptically, drawing the lamp away from his face.

 

“Eh, yeah. For when the structure’s had some time to settle.” He waved her away with his fingers. “Now, go on back to bed, nothing to fuss about. Just going to… inspect, present my findings in the morning…” he said vaguely, and turned away.

 

She snatched the wallet away from him before he could put it away. “Men are not precisely a mystery to me,” she told him, sharply. “Your paper’s blank.”

 

He looked closer at the paper. “Really? Ah, you’re right! How singular. The ink’s faded, I’d guess. Still, best get back to work.”

 

Inara shoved the wallet back at him. “Who are you?” she demanded again.

 

“Oh, you’ve got me, can’t fool a bright woman like you-“

 

“I’m waiting.”

 

“I’m- the Doctor. Just the Doctor. I’m a traveler. I’m just passing through, really.”

 

“Passing through here? In the middle of the night?”

 

“I don’t sleep well?”

 

The grim set of Inara’s mouth suggested this wasn’t enough of an answer.

 

“Really, I was just wandering, Miss-”

 

“Serra.”

 

“Sarah, ooh, pretty name.”

 

“No, it’s Inara. Inara Serra. You can call me Miss Serra.”

 

“Well, Miss Serra,” he said, stretching the words out, “if you’ll just let me be on my way, I’ll get out of your exceptionally lovely hair.”

 

“How?” asked Inara. A little of the hostility had faded from her tone, but not much. Something occurred to her. “It’s that box, isn’t it? It wasn’t there earlier.”

 

“Miss Serra, you are remarkably perspicacious,” the Doctor said approvingly. She raised her eyebrows and then marched over to the box. Holding the lamp high to light the hallway, she pushed open the blue door.

 

“Now you can get back in your box, Doctor, and not wander around my girls here…” She trailed off as light spilled from the box and she looked inside. She turned, sticking her head inside. Her eyes went wide.

 

“If you’re going to exclaim that it’s bigger on the inside,” said the Doctor, shoving his hands in his pockets and looking rather bored, “it’s been remarked upon before. Repeatedly. At great length, and, occasionally, quite loudly. But the point is that I know it’s bigger. I want to make this very clear, so you don’t try to surprise me by wondering if I’ve ever noticed how it defies physics and all that.”

 

“Well, I should hope you had noticed,” Inara said, a smile finally gracing her features. She put a hesitant foot inside. “Oh- may I?” she added, conscious of the concept of private quarters. (Mal had rubbed off on her a little, it seemed. Don’t think of Mal rubbing- oh, too late.)

 

“Oh, yeah, sure, take a look around. Don’t mind the jacket- I forgot to put it away.”

 

“A girl’s jacket?” Inara asked. But she didn’t judge. Many men she had been with had far stranger tastes.

 

“It belonged-” the Doctor pulled at his ear. “Belonged to a friend of mine, she was traveling with me a bit. Left some stuff, just… sundries, I expect.”

 

“She went home?” Inara asked softly. A lump rose in her throat. But this wasn’t her own story. She fell back on the habits ground into her after years of Companion training and the lump receded. “I can see you miss her very much.”

 

“I do, at that,” he said quietly. “She’s home- well, close enough. I probably should get around to putting her things away…”

 

Inara laid a hand on his arm. “You don’t have to. Not until you’re ready.”

 

The Doctor looked at her, his dark eyes unreadable. Inara had the impression that he was looking at her like she was a child or a flower or something very small that wouldn’t last long, and then the strange sensation passed and he pulled his arm away, only to wave it around expansively. “This, Miss Serra,” he announced, “is the TARDIS, my home.” Then, as an afterthought, he asked, “So where am I? Your home?”

 

“No,” Inara answered; then, “yes. Yes, my home. The Companion Training House.”

 

“A Companion Training House, eh?” the Doctor asked, his eyebrows raised. “Never been to one of those before. Tell me, do you really have those things where-“

 

And thus it was, according to the laws of narrative causality, the Doctor was interrupted by everything outside the TARDIS exploding.

Comments

[ninamazing.livejournal.com]

Dude, AWESOME. I AM SO EXCITED FOR CHAPTER TWO. THIS WAS AMAZING.

Seriously, best banter ever. I loved it. You've got a truly fabulous Ten voice. And I love your descriptions of Inara, I love how she immediately snaps into Therapist Mode.

So much pure genius. This bit was fucking fantastic:

“If you’re going to exclaim that it’s bigger on the inside,” said the Doctor, shoving his hands in his pockets and looking rather bored, “it’s been remarked upon before. Repeatedly. At great length, and, occasionally, quite loudly. But the point is that I know it’s bigger. I want to make this very clear, so you don’t try to surprise me by wondering if I’ve ever noticed how it defies physics and all that.”

LOLOLOLOL. Also I liked when he said "perspicacious."

XD

[intrikate88.livejournal.com]

THANK YOU. I AM GLAD YOU THINK IT IS AMAZING AND ARE EXCITED.

:P

Perspicacious is a good word. People should use it more often. It seems a very Doctor-ish sort of word. I suspect Terry Pratchett inspired me wtih it, though I can't remember which book would have...

Anyway, I should be having chapter two up soon. I plan to post on Wednesdays, I guess.

[noblealice.livejournal.com]

First of all, I love that the Doctor gets her name wrong the first time, because it seems like a normal thing to do, but I've never read it before in a Firefly fic.

This line:
If you’re going to exclaim that it’s bigger on the inside,” said the Doctor, shoving his hands in his pockets and looking rather bored, “it’s been remarked upon before. Repeatedly. At great length, and, occasionally, quite loudly. But the point is that I know it’s bigger. I want to make this very clear, so you don’t try to surprise me by wondering if I’ve ever noticed how it defies physics and all that.
CLASSIC TEN! Perfectly in character!

Also, the mention of Rose's jacket shattered my heart a little.

I can't wait for more chapters!

[intrikate88.livejournal.com]

I'm so glad you're loving this and the way I'm trying to portray the Doctor. It's good to know I'm doing it right ;)

More chapters will be coming soon!

[goldy-dollar.livejournal.com]

He looked closer at the paper. “Really? Ah, you’re right! How singular. The ink’s faded, I’d guess. Still, best get back to work.”

I really love when Ten screws up and then tries to hide it. "Wall inspector." LOL. You write HILARIOUS dialogue.

I really love this fic. It's just so much fun! :D

[intrikate88.livejournal.com]

I... apparently can't get around to writing replies? I don't know what's up with that. *knocks head a bit*

I'm so glad that you're liking it, which of course is beyond helpful when you're betaing it for me and all... :D

Let's just hope David Tennant sticks around long enough for me to be writing Ten dialogue for him. ;)

[ohvienna.livejournal.com]

Fun start!

I loved his cutting her off about the inside of the TARDIS. Poor guy must get so tired of hearing that. :)

The opening paragraph is excellent. I can just see and feel that for her--trying to adjust to the Training House, that it doesn't feel like home and missing the sounds of Serenity. So sad.

Rose's jacket...*wibble*

Plus, cliffhanger! Looking forward to reading more :D

[intrikate88.livejournal.com]

Hahah, yes, EVERYBODY says the same damn thing about how it's bigger on the inside. I feel like this is some joke on Russell's part about David Tennant's trousers that we're just not all fully getting, but who knows.

And yes, I thought it would be hard for Inara to go back to the training house, much in the same way it's difficult for Rose now- both of them are back where they supposedly belong, but... it's not right. So in the future chapters I'm trying to explore that comparison.

You just know Ten sits in the console room for hours cuddling Rose's jacket and whimpering. Poor guy.

Yes, cliffhanger ;) Mostly, though, I just wanted to blow things up?

[ohvienna.livejournal.com]

I feel like this is some joke on Russell's part about David Tennant's trousers that we're just not all fully getting, but who knows.

Laughing. Laughing so hard right now. And I totally think this is true, too. :)

You just know Ten sits in the console room for hours cuddling Rose's jacket and whimpering. Poor guy.

ACK! *wibble* I need therapy from all of this Doctor/Rose emo.

Mostly, though, I just wanted to blow things up?

Blowing things up = always win. :D

[intrikate88.livejournal.com]

Laughing. Laughing so hard right now. And I totally think this is true, too. :)

It IS true, it must be.

"Doctor, can I get in your pants?"
"They're bigger on the inside, you know."

Um.

ACK! *wibble* I need therapy from all of this Doctor/Rose emo.
You're telling me. It. Just. Doesn't. Go. Away. Where is the happiness? We need more happy. Let's go back to the giggliness that was Tooth and Claw or Fear Her, plzkthx.

Blowing things up = always win. :D

Good words to live by.

Also, mind if I friend you? I just noticed that we have many of the same interests and are both named Katie, which seems a semi-valid reason to have you on my flist.

[ohvienna.livejournal.com]

"Doctor, can I get in your pants?"
"They're bigger on the inside, you know."

LOL. ... There needs to be some fic with this dialogue involved, methinks. :)

Where is the happiness? We need more happy. Let's go back to the giggliness that was Tooth and Claw or Fear Her, plzkthx.

I know! It's just misery and sadness and pain everywhere. Gah. I miss the frolicking and the hugs. :(

Also, mind if I friend you? I just noticed that we have many of the same interests and are both named Katie, which seems a semi-valid reason to have you on my flist.

We have tons of interests in common! I'm adding you right now. Also, it's a perfectly valid reason, and even more valid since I just saw the facebook link on your user info page, and we both spell Kathryn the same way, too. :D