The Memory Cabinet
"You've got a screwdriver, go build a cabinet!" she had told him. So that's what he did.
"Sexy, are there any books in the library about how to build a cabinet?"
Yes, Doctor. What do you want to build a cabinet for?
"I want to make one as a present for River."
Then you'd better stop calling me Sexy, she teased. Your wife will get jealous. The Doctor chuckled and went off in search of the library. Thankfully, it was not in the swimming pool this time. He soon found a book that would do just fine. Then he remembered his sonic didn't do wood. "I'll just build it with my hands. That makes it all the more special," the Doctor said to himself. So he set off to work, pouring every ounce of his love into this mundane task.
***
"Hello, sweetie!"
"Happy birthday, River." They kissed for a long time.
"So what surprise have you got for me this time?"
"Spoilers!"
"Hey, that's my catchphrase! You thief!" She pointed at him accusingly.
"You're a worse thief than me- you stole both my hearts!” the Doctor protested. River laughed.
"It's good to be flirting with you again."
"Good? It's amazing to be flirting with you again! Especially with you, my love."
"I flirt now. Flirting is cool."
"Now who's stealing catchphrases?"
"And we're even," River replied with a smile. "So, what have you got for me? I can't wait any longer."
"Remember when you told me to go build a cabinet?" the Doctor asked with a cheeky smile. River's eyes widened in shock.
"You didn't!" The Doctor said nothing. He simply led her to a room with a suspiciously cabinet-shaped present wrapped up. River opened it and it was indeed a cabinet. “Oh, sweetie!” she said, clearly disappointed.
“Open it up,” he insisted. River sighed and opened the first drawer.
Inside was a book titled “Let’s Kill Hitler”. On the cover was an image of Hitler in a cupboard. River’s eyes widened.
“It may not have been our best time together, but it was the first time you met me, and it is there to remind you that you are forgiven. Open the next one,” the Doctor told her. She did. It had an astronaut’s helmet inside it. River slowly picked up the helmet, and a ring fell out. A wedding ring. It was a duplicate of the one she already wore. River took a moment to kiss the Doctor, then opened the next drawer, sensing a theme. She found a beautiful painting of Asgard. It was so lifelike she almost thought it was real. The next drawer was a strange one, covered in grass with a few fake bones inside. The Bone Meadows. River laughed when she opened the next drawer and saw a photo of Jim the Fish. He was such a funny guy. After that, she opened another drawer and saw a small statue, just like the ones on Easter Island. The drawer she opened next had two items: a book telling the story of Pandora’s Box, and a book about the Big Bang theory. The next drawer also contained a book, and this one had a detailed cover. It showed demons running from a man, and it said “Demons run when a good man goes to war”. The final drawer had a copy of the book that had given River all that useful information about the Weeping Angels.
River looked up at the Doctor. “You collected all this?” He nodded.
“I made the cabinet, too. And, contrary to popular belief,” he looked at River with a sort of flirtatious accusation, “it can’t be built with a sonic screwdriver. My sonic doesn’t do wood.” River gasped.
“You did this all by hand - for me? Oh, sweetie, I love you!” She hugged the Doctor as hard as she could, until he had to kiss her so she’d focus her energy on something other than crushing his ribs. “So why did you make all this?”
“Well, you did say I should build a cabinet…” They laughed. “But no, really, I made this because this is my diary. It’s my way of keeping track of what we’ve done together, and it’s something we can share.”
“Speaking of keeping track, how did you know all the stuff that’s happened? Our times go in the wrong order!”
“Spoilers,” the Doctor said again.
“If you steal my catchphrases again, I’ll call the catchphrase police. And don’t say they don’t exist; I’m sure they do in some reality. Do they?”
“Spoilers!”
“How dare you! I’m out of here! Geronimo!” The Doctor followed her, until he was within speaking distance.
“Hello, sweetie.” River slapped him, but being River, somehow managed to do it playfully.
“When will you ever learn?” she asked with a sigh.
“Oh, fine. I promise not to steal your catchphrases and you won’t slap me. Okay?”
“On one condition.”
“What’s that?”
“You make me have the best birthday ever.” River thought for a moment. “You’re certainly off to a good start with that present.” the Doctor smiled.
“I’ve got lots more to show you. Are you ready to have a great time?”
“Always.”
***
"Hello, sweetie!"
"Happy birthday, River." They kissed for a long time.
"So what surprise have you got for me this time?"
"Spoilers!"
"Hey, that's my catchphrase! You thief!" She pointed at him accusingly.
"You're a worse thief than me- you stole both my hearts!” the Doctor protested. River laughed.
"It's good to be flirting with you again."
"Good? It's amazing to be flirting with you again! Especially with you, my love."
"I flirt now. Flirting is cool."
"Now who's stealing catchphrases?"
"And we're even," River replied with a smile. "So, what have you got for me? I can't wait any longer."
"Remember when you told me to go build a cabinet?" the Doctor asked with a cheeky smile. River's eyes widened in shock.
"You didn't!" The Doctor said nothing. He simply led her to a room with a suspiciously cabinet-shaped present wrapped up. River opened it and it was indeed a cabinet. “Oh, sweetie!” she said, clearly disappointed.
“Open it up,” he insisted. River sighed and opened the first drawer.
Inside was a book titled “Let’s Kill Hitler”. On the cover was an image of Hitler in a cupboard. River’s eyes widened.
“It may not have been our best time together, but it was the first time you met me, and it is there to remind you that you are forgiven. Open the next one,” the Doctor told her. She did. It had an astronaut’s helmet inside it. River slowly picked up the helmet, and a ring fell out. A wedding ring. It was a duplicate of the one she already wore. River took a moment to kiss the Doctor, then opened the next drawer, sensing a theme. She found a beautiful painting of Asgard. It was so lifelike she almost thought it was real. The next drawer was a strange one, covered in grass with a few fake bones inside. The Bone Meadows. River laughed when she opened the next drawer and saw a photo of Jim the Fish. He was such a funny guy. After that, she opened another drawer and saw a small statue, just like the ones on Easter Island. The drawer she opened next had two items: a book telling the story of Pandora’s Box, and a book about the Big Bang theory. The next drawer also contained a book, and this one had a detailed cover. It showed demons running from a man, and it said “Demons run when a good man goes to war”. The final drawer had a copy of the book that had given River all that useful information about the Weeping Angels.
River looked up at the Doctor. “You collected all this?” He nodded.
“I made the cabinet, too. And, contrary to popular belief,” he looked at River with a sort of flirtatious accusation, “it can’t be built with a sonic screwdriver. My sonic doesn’t do wood.” River gasped.
“You did this all by hand - for me? Oh, sweetie, I love you!” She hugged the Doctor as hard as she could, until he had to kiss her so she’d focus her energy on something other than crushing his ribs. “So why did you make all this?”
“Well, you did say I should build a cabinet…” They laughed. “But no, really, I made this because this is my diary. It’s my way of keeping track of what we’ve done together, and it’s something we can share.”
“Speaking of keeping track, how did you know all the stuff that’s happened? Our times go in the wrong order!”
“Spoilers,” the Doctor said again.
“If you steal my catchphrases again, I’ll call the catchphrase police. And don’t say they don’t exist; I’m sure they do in some reality. Do they?”
“Spoilers!”
“How dare you! I’m out of here! Geronimo!” The Doctor followed her, until he was within speaking distance.
“Hello, sweetie.” River slapped him, but being River, somehow managed to do it playfully.
“When will you ever learn?” she asked with a sigh.
“Oh, fine. I promise not to steal your catchphrases and you won’t slap me. Okay?”
“On one condition.”
“What’s that?”
“You make me have the best birthday ever.” River thought for a moment. “You’re certainly off to a good start with that present.” the Doctor smiled.
“I’ve got lots more to show you. Are you ready to have a great time?”
“Always.”
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