For @thefugitivedoctorweek2025 day 4, I took inspiration from the "companion swap" part of the prompts! Ryan needs more fic love so he gets swapped!
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
The Doctor ends up with an unexpected companion on board her TARDIS, and learns a bit about her present and future selves in the process of returning him to where he belongs.
Entry for the Fugitive Doctor Week (@thefugitivedoctorweek2025) for the prompt
You’re gonna love this
Psychic Link
Showing Off
Chameleon Circuit
New Friends
ao3
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the
Organization for Transformative Works
Warnings: Major Character Death
Rating: M
Words (1st chapter): 3k
Summary:
The Doctor is looking for some peace and quiet away from the TARDIS's nagging concern in a bar. That's when a gorgeous stranger tries to hire her for a coup. She's not about to take her up on the offer - she's got enough on her plate, frankly - but that's when things take a turn for the weirder.
Soon, the Doctor and River are pulled into an adventure of escaping bounty hunters, getting lost in the TARDIS and searching the perfect date spot all while struggling to trust each other and find the answer to the question: Is it all just a dream?
I'm a couple of days behind because it's the busiest week of the year at my work and I've been too exhausted to focus on anything, but I wanted to wrap up @thefugitivedoctorweek2025 with a little bit of fluff. Once life chills the fuck out a bit I'll be going back and filling in the prompts I missed.
Anyway, Fugitive-Karvanista reunion with a touch of writer's wish fulfillment, anyone?
She's free.
She didn't believe it at first.
But then she watched as a squad of Judoon, once again hired to track her down and capture her, suddenly backed down, their commander confused about why they'd cornered this random civilian. They'd catalogued her like they did every other person in the village…and they'd left.
Her new future self—a handsome Black man with oddly impeccable fashion sense and the biggest smile she'd ever seen—had been waiting for her at her TARDIS, and explained with staggering self-confidence that he'd fixed it.
Her timeline. His timeline. Able to coexist in tandem, rather than his timeline depending on the termination of hers.
She's free.
It's an odd feeling, traveling through space without worrying about where she's going, whether anyone's chasing her, having to make seventeen different strategic decisions before she even thinks about landing on a planet.
She's not sure if she'll ever get used to it.
After the initial shock wears off, there's a new feeling to confront: the deep, soul-crushing loneliness of someone who's been forced to go it alone for a very long time. She used to take her empty console room as a comfort, because at least if Division managed to catch up with her, no one else would have to suffer.
But now, the emptiness feels so wrong.
If only she knew how to interact with people enough to convince someone to come travel with her.
It's not long before the solution to her problems hits her.
Literally.
The TARDIS is having an off day, sluggishly responding to her commands, like a child who doesn't want to get out of bed. And that means when they emerge from the Time Vortex, they do so right in the path of another ship.
The Doctor manages to dematerialize just in time to avoid the worst of the damage, and rematerializes on the ship's bridge.
She's considering her next move when someone pounds on the door.
"Whatever you're up to, I'm having no part of it!"
The voice hits her like a ton of bricks, and before she even registers that she's moving, she rushes to the door and yanks it open.
Karvanista stands on the other side, laser axe aimed squarely at her chest. "You've got a lot of nerve," he growls. "Showing up here again is bad enough, but wearin' that face?"
The Doctor raises her hands in a placating gesture. "It's me, Karvanista," she says.
Karvanista's aim falters for a second. "Yeah?" he says. "Prove it."
"The last time we saw each other was when you and Lee helped me escape a forced regeneration," the Doctor says. "I begged you to come with me but you and Lee said there was another plan."
Karvanista tightens his grip on his weapon. "And you never showed up at the rendezvous point," he says. "I waited for you. I waited so long that Division caught up to me."
The Doctor's stomach turns. "Oh, Karvanista, I'm sorry," she says. "We knew Division was watching the rendezvous point. We couldn't risk it. We had to run."
Karvanista scoffs, but there's an ever so slight softening in his eyes.
The Doctor keeps her hands up and takes a careful step forward. "I had to hide myself," she says. "I had to use a chameleon arch to turn myself human and Lee and I had to hide on Earth. Do you know—"
"I bloody know where Earth is," Karvanista says. "I got species recalled there four years ago. Species bonded to the most irriating human to ever exist."
The Doctor does the math in her head. No, she would have already been restored and on the other side of the universe by then.
A long silence falls, and finally, Karvanista lowers his weapon. "It's really you," he says.
The Doctor nods. "It's me."
"And Lee?"
The Doctor shakes her head. "Gat got to him," she whispers. "He died protecting me."
Karvanista mutters a curse under his breath. "Always knew it was gonna go like that," he says. He gestures at her. "So what's this, then? Friendly visit before you take off running again?"
The Doctor shakes her head. "I'm not running anymore," she says. She's surprised at the way her voice trembles. "I don't know how he did it but a future me fixed the timelines. I'm free of all of it."
"So you…"
"I came to find you because you were my best friend and I hated myself for leaving you behind like that. I want to make things right."
Karvanista hesitates, and the Doctor can tell there's a war going on behind those eyes. Finally, he lets out a deep exhale, punctuated by a quiet sob. "Damn it, I missed you," he says.
The Doctor makes a sound that's half laugh, half sob, and crosses the distance between them to hug him.
"I didn't say you could—" Karvanista starts to protest, but then he gives in and hugs her back.
They stay like that for a long time, long enough for both of them to shed a few tears without having to acknowledge it.
Finally, the Doctor pulls away. "So, what now?"
Karvanista shrugs. "There is the small matter of the small explosive that our old bosses stuck in my head," he says. "Care to help me figure out how to get rid of it?"
The Doctor brushes aside her anger at learning about yet another Division atrocity. There will be a time for vengeance later. For now, she has a whole lot of years to make up for.
Happy fugitive doctor week!!! Here are 2 of my drawrings following the "weapons" and "on the run" prompts for today.
( weapons as shown on the left features the fugitive doctor holding her gun in the fugitive of the judoon episode which I used a screenshot for as reference to draw and on the run features her costume as seen in the story and the engine as it is kinda? Or at least in my head implied that that's what she wore when she was on the run) I am a beginner artist who kinda lacks an artstyle 😅 and has little clue how tumblr works but enjoy!!!
More for @thefugitivedoctorweek2025 we have “Sleep Deprivation” This is the darkest one I wrote for this week so bear that in mind.
No Time to be tired, still work to do out there: Sleep Deprivation
The Doctor woke up in a start. Her eyes were bleary as she looked down at the smoking laser rifle she had apparently been cradling.
She made a few grumbling noises as she got up. Her hair was in a mess and she was in a nightie.
Her ship was seemingly acting all on its own. The various noises that usually sparked excitement and adventure in her were right now like a drill going through her head.
Then she started hearing it. It was like a whisper. Or a distant voice. Or an echo. Or none of those.
Outside, the atoms are rushing towards each other. Fusing, coagulating
She didn’t recognise it the voice. Or maybe she did but she wasn’t sure.
And then another voice, distorted, stretched out.
Tiiiiiiiiiiime Looooooooords
“What is it? What are you?” The Doctor growled
I am he and he is me!
“Thanks for that!” She snapped back at the voice.
I walk in eternity
She sighed…”I need to sleep”
She slumped back down against the console.
Feels different this time
ALIEN SPIES
It’s thinking
The Doctor began to hyperventilate…maybe if she went to one of the bedrooms…
Zagreus sits inside your head
I create myself
I don’t want to go
It all just disappears doesn't it?
She closed her eyes tightly as the voices swirled around her, surrounding her.
they'll get it all wrong without me
I've missed you.
I am the one that brings death
The Doctor woke up in a start. She sighed. She turned to the gun again. The barrel smoking again. She looked at the hole in the ceiling and said “Sorry, old lady” to the ship. She then caught herself. She might have slept okay if she’s apologising. She lurched and looked around. The ship seemed to be running as it should. The sounds were no longer giving her a headache. She sighed again, this time with relief. And the voices seemed to have halted. Or at least had gotten quieter.