AU } Maybe in another life, we wouldn't be alone tonight

[songofsong]

Saturdays were always big days, but today, well, it was even bigger.

The World Museum was open to the trawls of parents and children that flooded in every weekend, a spell of bad weather driving in an even bigger amount than normal. What also helped, was the fact that a new space exhibition had arrived on the science level, one that Melody Pond had been angling for some time, and today was the big opening.

It had taken a lot of hard work and a lot of money, but it was finally here, and Melody was practically bursting with excitement as she zoomed around the museum, making sure everything was going smoothly. She'd heard there might be some special guests making a visit later, the kind of special guest that could possibly see her head hunted. Therefore, everything had to be running perfectly.

Passing one of her colleagues, Melody stopped him with a hand on the arm, requesting in hopefully pleading voice that usually got her her own way.

"Malcolm, would you mind standing by for the 3D showing? Just make sure everything goes to plan? Thank you, sweetie."

He was all too happy to oblige, which was why Melody had asked him in particular, and she watched him go with knowing look, unable to feel much happier than she did in this moment. With her hands by her sides, she did a little spin on the spot before she bounced off to continue with her duties, nothing able to wipe the smile from her face.

Everything was going to plan.

Comments

[songofsong]

Once James left, Melody moved on, and she didn't think about him again for the rest of the day. Which, all in all, was a success. They'd had a good turnout, and the shop recorded an impressive takings for their exclusive space merchandise. All things she could happily file in her report. A report she would be working on as soon as she got back that is, because tonight she was catching the train to London to visit her son at university.

She'd left work as soon as she was able, making a beeline for the station. She was already cutting it fine for the train, and she hurries along the platform in her heels, her overnight case rattling quietly along after her. The train should've been boarding by now, but all she sees are a lot of annoyed commuters, and no train.

Confused, she looks around, the board telling her little, and no train guard in sight. Giving a frustrated sigh, she checks her watch - the train's due to leave in ten minutes. Supposedly.

[bowtimeandspace]

His phone is on 5%, it won't last long, and all the trains, one after another have been cancelled. He's been waiting for over an hour now, and it doesn't look likely at all that he'll get home tonight.

He curses to himself under his breath, shifting the plastic museum bag from the gift shop from one hand to another.

It's only when he turns his head that he sees her, and she's more than recognisable as the woman he met earlier that day.

"If you're after the London one you're out of luck," he calls over. "They're all cancelled."

[songofsong]

It takes her a moment to realises someone's calling to her, and she glances over to the man, needing a second look when she recognises him. But that fact is quickly pushed aside when she finds out the trains are cancelled.

"Cancelled?" she repeats, her surprise quickly making way for annoyance. "All of them?" She's not a woman who does well with cancellations and she huffs in annoyance, looking around to see if there's a staff member.

"Well, how are we supposed to get to London?"

[bowtimeandspace]

"Yeah good question," he replies, looking down at his phone as the battery dwindles away.

There's an echo above, an announcement with a muffled voice telling that all trains are now cancelled until further notice and no replacement buses will be offered.

"Well that's just fucking great," he mumbles, looking back to her.

"Don't know if there's a Travelodge around here, do you?"

[songofsong]

The announcement triggers annoyed murmurs across the platform, including a quiet curse from Melody. With a sigh, she walks over towards the man, perching down on the opposite side of the bench and taking a break from pulling her case around.

"Bloody ridiculous, this," she complains, then looking towards him again. "Yes, there's one on St Ann's Way," she tells him, looking sympathetic to his plight. She might not be able to see Toby this weekend, but at least she wasn't stranded away from home.

[bowtimeandspace]

"Right, great." He sighs. He's supposed to be at work tomorrow, and doubts this will go down well. He doesn't really have the money for a hotel, but he has to do something, right?

"Were you off somewhere?" he asks, glancing towards her.

"Good exhibit, by the way. Loved it."

[songofsong]

"Oh, I was supposed to be seeing my son this weekend," she says, waving it off with her hand. She knows she has far less to complain about that he does. "He goes to university there," she adds, as if that explains everything.

When he complements the exhibit, it cheers her up just a little, and she turns towards him slightly in interest. "Oh, I'm pleased!" she replies, brightening as she speaks. "What did you think of the moon landing section?"

[bowtimeandspace]

"Oh right, nice, yeah." James never went to university. Not that he knows. But then he's hardly the academic sort, his brain rushes around too quick to be able to stop and try and do anything like that.

"You don't look old enough," he adds. "To have a kid at uni, I mean."

But he moves on from that quickly, and smiles. "Yeah it was great, yeah! All that stuff is so cool, don't you think? Space travel. I mean can you imagine it?"

[songofsong]

She notes a compliment there, though she's not quite sure what to make of it. He's not the first to mention she looks good for her age. Not that he'd said that. But that's what he meant, surely?

She's distracted from her ponderings when he goes on the discuss the exhibit. "Oh, yes, it's all rather wonderful," she agrees. "It's fascinating to read about."

[bowtimeandspace]

"It is, yeah," he agrees, smiling slowly at her. "Just don't tell my mates that, right?" As if she would, or as if she could. Not that she could.

There's something about her he finds interesting. Curious. He can't pin it down, but whatever it is, he likes it.

"Hey, couldn't point me towards this hotel, could you? Not much point hanging around here all night."

[songofsong]

"I promise," she replies, giving him a smile of her own. It's strange, how she so easily falls into conversation with him. Not that she's a shy sort, but she doesn't normally go around striking up conversations with men twenty years her junior. Still, she's not minding the attention, that's for sure.

"Yeah, of course. It's not too far from here actually. We can walk it."

[bowtimeandspace]

"Cool," he says, pushing himself up to standing and looking back and forth down the platform before back to her.

"Oh do you want me to grab your bag or something?" he asks. An attempt at being a gentleman, at least. It's the least he can do after she offers to help him.

[songofsong]

"Oh, no, it's fine," she dismisses, but her expression is thankful all the same. It isn't much of a weight, and she doesn't want to burden him with dragging her stuff around. Getting to her feet, she swings the case behind her, making her way towards the exit.

"It's James, isn't it?" she asks as they walk, hoping she's got his name right.

[bowtimeandspace]

"That's right, yeah," he tells her with a touch of a sideways smile, watching her as she steps off. Maybe missing the train isn't so bad after all.

"And it's River, right?"

He thinks that's what she said her name was.

[songofsong]

She pauses somewhat at the response, giving him a confused little look. River was hardly a name to get mixed up with, but she did rather like it. "No, my name's Melody," she told him, giving an almost apologetic smile, as if she was letting him down on the interesting names front.

"Wish it was River though! Lovely name."

Stepping out of the station, she opened her umbrella once again, holding it above both of their heads in silent offer as they made their way through the misty rain. She hadn't thought to ask, somehow it just felt natural to do.

[bowtimeandspace]

"Melody, right, course, yeah," he frowns to himself. Of course it's Melody. But isn't that the same as River? Wait what? That makes no sense either, so he just dismisses it, as the mind tends to do with the things it ought to listen to most; it's usually the things that make the least sense that always do.

"Well so's Melody," he agrees, stepping under her umbrella and running a hand back through his hair. She might not let him take her bag, but he does take the umbrella from her, holding it for the both of them.

"Thanks for this," he says. "Phone died, so I'd have been a bit stranded. Don't really know the area. I'd have probably been wondering around half the night looking for somewhere to stay."

Though he's sure someone would have let him share a bed.

[songofsong]

"Lucky I found you then," she teases him with a small smile, looking over to him as he carries her umbrella for her. "It's not too far from here. I'll walk with you then get a taxi home." She doesn't particularly fancy staying out in the rain, and she figures he doesn't either. It's not too much out of her way, and it feels like the right thing to do. It really feels like the right thing to do.

[bowtimeandspace]

"Might be," he says, teasing a little in a way that's just natural to him. Not usually within minutes of meeting someone, perhaps, but it just seems normal here. Another thing he doesn't really note.

Another thing he really should.

True to her word, it isn't far at all, though by the time they get there the rain is well and truly pouring, both of them more than a little bit damp. Stepping through the door, James steps up to the desk and books into a room. That's eighty quid he didn't really have to spend, but it beats a bench at a train station in the rain.

"Got the last room," he says, stepping back towards her and waving his plastic key. "Christ you're soaked."

[songofsong]

Hurrying into the Travelodge, Melody is thankful to be out of the downpour. The umbrella hadn't been enough to save their lower halves from the rain, and her tights were soaked through, her skirt splashed. Feeling a little bit miserable about it, she stands near the heater, flipping through her phone as she goes to book a taxi.

When James steps over, she looks towards him, giving a self depreciating sort of smile at his words. "Oh, I'll be quite alright. Only a bit of rain," she tells him. "Good news about the room though!"

[bowtimeandspace]

"Yeah," he says as he pockets the key into his leather jacket.

"Think I need a drink after all that," he tells her with a slight nod, watching as she looks through her phone, slightly envious that he can't do the same. Bloody technology.

"There's a pub next door the receptionist said, can't buy you a drink to say thanks for helping, can I?" he smiles at her. Oh go on, Melody, how can you refuse that face?

[songofsong]

Having being about to book her taxi, Melody pauses at being offered a drink. She'd hardly expected that turn out for the evening, especially from the man she'd met in the museum all those hours ago. She considers him for a moment, somewhat surprised he would even what to spend more time with her.

There's something in that smile that makes her wonder, makes her curious. She only has home to go to, and the idea of spending an evening with a good looking man like him is both ridiculous and tempting.

"You can if you like," she agrees, apparently going ahead with, whatever this was. It can't hurt after all, it's only a drink.

[bowtimeandspace]

Maybe in truth he didn't expect her to say no. People don't tend to say no. Maybe it's that cheeky smile of his, or maybe it's the fact he's genuinely interested in people, but one way or another, he's rarely heard a 'no' to a question like that.

Just a drink, of course. Of course.

"Great," he says, gesturing his hand out for them to go back into the rain, albeit briefly as they move next door and into the rather hectic pub. It's nothing special, a little tired around the edges, some chain with menus with unspecified stains on, and sticky patches on the floor. Probably the sort of place he usually finds himself.

"You get us a table," he tells her, "I'll get the drinks in."

[songofsong]

Worth getting a drink while she waits out the rain. At least, that’s what she tells herself as she allows herself to be led to the pub next door. Closing her umbrella, she shakes it out in the doorway, looking around curiously at the very busy interior. It’s not the kind of pub she usually finds herself in, but a pub’s a pub, and she’s not going to be rude about it.

“Ok,” she agrees cheerfully, watching him go before she makes her way further inside, looking for a spare table. There’s a family corner that’s full of noisy kids, and another corner full of men watching the football - neither are appealing, so in the end she has to settle on a small table lost somewhere near the toilets.

Perching herself down in her seat, she thinks twice about putting her coat around the back of her chair, and instead keeps it on, tucking her suitcase under the table. Seeing her reflection in the nearby framed picture on the wall, she tries to make some adjustments to the curls that haven’t responded favourably to the damp weather, neatening that wild hair as much as it would allow.

It’s just then that James arrives back at the table, and she quickly looks up at him, dropping her hands and smiling.

“Ah, best one I could find I’m afraid,” she says apologetically, referring to the choice of table.

[bowtimeandspace]

James doesn't take long to get the drinks, charming the girl behind the bar easily with a warm smile and a teasing comment or two. It's all in good humour of course, and he shoots her a small wink before he steps away.

Turning, he looks to see where she's gone, spotting her over by the corner, looking a little out of place, far more suited to somewhere upmarket. He imagines her as the wine bar sort, or some place with a piano gently playing while she sits at the bar in a cocktail dress. All very Pretty Woman. Just without the hooker bit.

Drinks in hand, he steps over. It doesn't occur to him that he never asked what she wanted, and he sets his bottle of beer down, her glass of gin and tonic (that's possible a double) placed out before her.

"So you're the head honcho at the museum, eh?" he asks. "Nice gig you've got there."

[songofsong]

"Oh, thank you," she says gratefully as the drink's placed down. She notes his choice, and approves of it. At least he hadn't gone for some kind of alcopop.

Taking a testing sip of the drink, she returns it back to the table, looking to him with a small laugh at his choice of words.

"Yes, I suppose you could say that," she replies, absently brushing some curls away from her face. "I've been there about, oh, must be fifteen years now."

Ever such a long time and yet no time at all.