The Doctor's Wives

Summary:

Amy Pond: How come you can fly the TARDIS?
River Song: Oh, I had lessons from the very best.
The Doctor: [Looking smug] Well, yeah.
River Song: It's a shame you were busy that day.

Well if the Doctor did not teach River, then who did? Clara, maybe...

Clara recalls very clearly the first time the Chin tried to teach her how to drive his Tardis... even if she was not supposed to remember that day and the Tardis had hated her back then.

Anyhow, she remembers it (because of course he won't remember it anymore).

She also recalls all of the lessons she received afterwards when she had already jumped into the Doctor's timeline and the Tardis started to like her. And how these increased after his regeneration, in case he forgot how to drive the Tardis yes again.

And know, she can actually use these skills.

Because now she is running in her very own Tardis with her own companion on her way to Gallifrey, the long way 'round...

They are on one of their many adventures through time and space when it happens, River Song meets Clara Oswald and her companion, Ashildr, for the first time in some planet in some constellation far away.

Of course, at first it's awkward and it requires a lot of explaining on Clara's and Ashildr's part to make River understand the whole tale. And they decide that three could easily be a lot more fun then two and so Clara asks:

"So... all of time and space, everything that ever happened or ever will... where do you want to start?"

And then its the three of them for a while. The girl who has one heartbeat left, the girl who cannot die, and the girl who is already dead to the Doctor.

And Clara drives and uses the sonic sunglasses. And River explains and uses her sonic. And Ashildr writes their stories down, for their adventures are the stuff of legends.

Yet one day, their Tardis gets attacked and they struggle to get away and Clara realizes something key, they other two still are not trained to drive it.

And Clara remembers what her grumpy Doctor had muttered one day, something about River knowing how to pilot the Tardis. And so she asks:

"What do you say about learning how to drive this thing?"

"Really, now?" Ashildr grumps out, trying to hold on tight to the shaky Tardis.

"No, obviously not now, but after we kick their asses," Clara responds.

"Sure, why not? I'd love to show the Doctor some new moves," River answers from post at the Door as she shoots at the enemy.

When they have to drop River off a few adventures afterwards, it is a sad day for all. Especially when Clara has to remind her to never mention any of them, especially Clara for the Doctor must never know. But at least, this time around she'd have new moves to show that idiot Doctor's of theirs...

Amy Pond: How come you can fly the TARDIS?

River Song: [grins] Oh, I had lessons from the very best...

The Doctor: [Looking smug] Well, yeah.

River Song: It's a shame you were busy that day.

River does hope somewhere out there Clara can laugh about it.