DISCLAIMER: All Doctor Who characters belong to whomever created them. Im just borrowing them.
AUTHORS NOTE: This story is the final chapter of my Nyssa/Tegan romance series, it concludes the events of The Secret Journal, Finding Love, and Friends To Lovers. It contains elements from the PDA novel, Asylum, and the never broadcast television story, Shada. Due to guidelines, I had to edit parts of this story.
1. SEPARATION (CONCLUSION OF TERMINUS)
"I can't believe you're doing this, Nyssa. I just can't!" Tegan said with despair as she watched Nyssa move about their room in the TARDIS, packing her belongings. "Why do you want to stay here at this horrible place?"
"Tegan, we've been all through this." Nyssa replied as she finished packing. "They need me here at Terminus. I can help these people, I can make a difference."
"This is not fair!" Tegan cried as she moved up behind Nyssa and wrapped her arms around Nyssa's waist. "What about us? Doesn't what we have together mean anything to you anymore?"
"Tegan, please don't do this." Nyssa said as she turned to face Tegan, her face wet with tears. "Don't make this any harder than it is!"
"Dammit! I love you, Nyssa! I thought you loved me!"
"Tegan, I do love you. More than you can ever imagine." Nyssa replied as she took Tegan's hands in her own. "However, this is bigger than both of us. I cannot in good conscience just walk away and leave these people to die when I have a chance of helping them. Can't you understand that?"
"I can understand it." Tegan said. "That doesn't mean I have to like it."
"I don't like it either, Tegan. I know we've only been together romantically for a short time, but you've shown me so much in that time. You awoke feelings I never knew I had. I will always treasure those feelings, Tegan. That will never change."
"Okay, if you won't change your mind about staying on the TARDIS, then I'll come with you." Tegan said with resolve.
"No, Tegan, you can't do that." Nyssa replied sadly.
"Why not!?"
"Because you still have family, friends, a life, back on 20th Century Earth. You might want to go back there someday. If you stay on Terminus, you'll never be able to return home." Nyssa shook her head slowly. "That is one sacrifice I cannot, and will not, ask you to make, Tegan."
"But... But..." Tegan stuttered. Deep down she knew Nyssa was right, but that still didn't make the hurt go away.
"Tegan, I wish there was some way we could stay together here on Terminus, but we can't." Nyssa said. "We have to accept what fate has dealt us."
"Dammit, I hate this!" Tegan said and hugged Nyssa tightly. Both women were crying now, knowing that this was good bye.
"I hate it too." Nyssa sobbed.
"So I guess this is it then." Tegan said as she wiped her eyes and blew her nose.
"I guess so."
"Wait, just a second." Tegan said and removed a gold locket from around her neck. "Take this with you." Tegan said as she placed the locket on Nyssa.
"Tegan, I..." Nyssa began, but Tegan placed a finger on her mouth, silencing her.
"Please accept it, Nyssa." Tegan continued. "That way you'll always carry a part of me with you, wherever you go."
"Thank you, Tegan." Nyssa said as emotion threatened to overwhelm her yet again. "I'll never forget you."
"Me neither, Nyssa." Tegan replied as the two women hugged for the last time. "Me neither."
INTERLUDE
Nyssa. Upon leaving the TARDIS, Nyssa immediately threw herself into her work on Terminus. As the years passed, she slowly turned things around. Fourteen years after she had arrived, Nyssa realized she had done all she could on Terminus. It was a far better place now than when she arrived. Nyssa then set out into the galaxy, roaming from place to place, helping out where she could. Finally, after six years of wandering, she found a home on a distant planet, where she took a teaching position at a local university. For a while, all was well, but soon other trials and tribulations presented themselves. Nyssa faced then all, but she was growing tired. Then she had encountered the Fourth Doctor and had taken a brief journey with him to 13th Century Earth. It was that journey that made Nyssa take a good hard look at her life and consider past choices made. However, wherever she went, Nyssa always wore the locket Tegan had given her, a reminder of her lost love.
Tegan. Things were not so easy for Tegan, because, unlike Nyssa, she had no great task to occupy her mind. She was heartbroken over Nyssa's departure, but kept up the appearance that everything was normal whenever the Doctor and Turlough were around. Since she and Nyssa had vowed to keep their romance a secret, Tegan could not confide in anyone about her feelings. Whenever she had a chance to be alone, Tegan wept for the lover she had lost. Finally, after that horrific encounter with the Daleks, Tegan had reached the breaking point and fled the Doctor's side forever. The main reason was because of the death and destruction the Daleks had caused. However, deep inside, she also knew that another reason was that she could no longer bear travelling on the TARDIS with Nyssa gone, for their were memories everywhere she looked. So, now that she was back on 20th Century Earth, Tegan moved forward and began to put her life back together again. However, there were a few bumps and bruises along the way...
2. UNEXPECTED SURPRISEEARTH. LONDON, GREAT BRITAIN
MARCH 25, 2005
"Meow!" The hungry voice of her cat, Dudley, greeted Tegan as she arrived home at her apartment from work. The big black cat began to rub up against his owners legs, letting her know he was there.
"Okay, keep your fur on." Tegan said as she reached down to pet Dudley. "I'll get you some food in a second." She placed her briefcase down on a nearby table and headed for the kitchen, Dudley following close behind. Once Dudley was happily chomping away at his food, Tegan headed for the living room and was about to turn on the television set, when the phone rang. Quickly, she picked it up. "Hello?"
"Hi dear." the voice of Elizabeth Jovanka, Tegan's mother, replied. "How are things at the PR firm?"
"They're fine, Mom." Tegan said, knowing full well that her mother was not just calling to inquire about the situation at Tegan's workplace.
"I was just wondering about that man, Joseph, who works there. I remember you telling me that..." Elizabeth began, but Tegan cut her off.
"He and I are just friends, Mom, nothing more."
"I see." Elizabeth replied, barely hiding the disappointment in her voice.
"Mom, I wish you'd stop trying to fix me up! I'm fine. It's been eight years since Randy and I divorced, after all." Tegan said, rolling her eyes. In the fifteen years since her parents had moved here to Britain from Australia, Tegan's mother always seemed to be looking over her shoulder. Although Tegan had appreciated it during the hard times, sometimes it did get a little annoying.
"I know that, Tegan. I'm just looking out for you. You're not getting any younger."
"Thanks a lot! I'm only in my forties, Mom!" Tegan replied with a sigh.
"That's not what I meant." Elizabeth continued. "It's just that I hate to see you alone like this. I believe that there must be someone out there for you."
Yeah, there is. Tegan couldn't help but think. However, she's light years away and centuries in the future! Not for the first time, Tegan imagined telling her mother about Nyssa. You see, Mom, not only am I in love with a woman, but this woman comes from another planet! Tegan smiled as she imagined the look on her mother's face.
"Tegan? Are you still there?" Elizabeth asked.
"What? Oh, sorry, Mom, my mind must have wandered for a second or so." Tegan replied. "Listen, Mom, please stop worrying about my love life. I'm fine on my own."
"I'm your mother, it's my job to worry about you. So, will you be here for Sunday dinner?"
"Of course, I'm always there." Tegan said. "Anyway, I have to go now, Mom. I'll talk to you later."
"Okay, bye dear." Elizabeth said.
"Oh boy." Tegan sighed after she had hung up the phone. I suppose I can't blame Mom for worrying about me. Tegan thought to herself. After all, she and Dad have been married now for nearly fifty years, while my own marriage barely lasted a decade. It seems that couples like Mom and Dad are becoming as rare as... Tegan's thoughts got no further as someone knocked on her apartment door. Who on Earth could that be? Tegan wondered as she headed for the door. Quickly, she opened the door and froze when she saw who was standing there. "I... How... But..." Tegan stuttered, unable to put sentence together.
"Hello Tegan." Nyssa said. She was standing in the doorway, wearing a matching blue outfit and carrying what looked like a packing case. "It's so wonderful to see you again!" The look on Nyssa's face turned from joy to concern when Tegan fainted dead away. Oh my! This was not the reaction I was expecting. Nyssa thought as she stepped forward to aid her former lover.
Slowly, awareness came back to Tegan and she opened her eyes. She found herself lying on the living room couch. As she sat up and looked around, she saw Dudley curled up on a nearby chair. The cat was sleeping like nothing had happened. "What did happen?" Tegan asked herself.
"You fainted." Nyssa said as she emerged from the kitchen with a glass of water. "I'm so sorry, Tegan. I didn't mean to shock you like that."
"Okay, what's going on here?" Tegan asked as she slowly took the glass of water from Nyssa. "Either this is a dream or I've gone mad!"
"Tegan, I can assure you that neither has happened. It's me, Nyssa." Nyssa reached under her blouse and produced the locket Tegan had given her when she had left the TARDIS, so many years before. "Remember what you told me when you gave me this locket? You said that I would always carry a part of you with me. Well, I have, for twenty years now."
"Twenty years?" Tegan asked. "It's been the same amount of time for me. Actually a little longer than that now." She stopped, and looked deep into Nyssa's eyes. "It is really you, Nys?"
"Tegan, it is me." Nyssa said as she took Tegan's hands in her own.
"Oh, God!" Tegan shouted and embraced Nyssa in a huge hug.
"Oooofff!" Nyssa grunted, caught a little off guard, but was soon returning the hug.
"Nyssa, this is wonderful!" Tegan said, without breaking the hug. "How did you get here? How did you find me?"
"Well, that's quite an interesting story." Nyssa replied. "Would you like to hear it?"
"I sure would!" Tegan said. She patted a spot on the couch next to her.
"Okay." Nyssa said as she sat down next to Tegan. "Here is how it happened..."
3. THE DECISION
UNDISCLOSED PLANET
MAY 23, 3489. SIX MONTHS AFTER THE PDA NOVEL, ASYLUM
"Good evening, Nyssa." Home said as Nyssa arrived back at her abode. The semi-sentient computer was busy, as always, taking care of things. "How were your classes today?"
"They were fine, Home." Nyssa replied. "My students are doing well. It's a shame they'll be graduating soon. I'm going to miss them." Nyssa paused and then added. "Has there been any change in the Staktys system?"
"I'm afraid not, Nyssa. Tensions remain high."
"You'd think that after six months of talking, they would have made some progress." Nyssa sighed.
"I agree." Home said. "However, the politics of organic beings can be confusing at times."
"Hmmmm..." Nyssa muttered and once again found herself fingering the locket Tegan had given her so long ago. Nyssa had been thinking about Tegan a lot more often lately. It was that visit the Fourth Doctor made . Nyssa thought. He brought back memories and feelings I thought I'd lost. He made me realize that I still love Tegan and how much I miss her. Six months previously, the Fourth Doctor had turned up here at Nyssa's home. Despite the paradox of this, the Doctor in question not having met Nyssa yet in his time stream, the two of them had then taken a journey to 13th Century Earth, to correct changes in the time stream. It was that journey that made Nyssa take a good look at her life, consider the path not taken, and begin to conceive the decision she was now about to make. "Home, I have a new assignment for you." Nyssa said.
"As always, I'll do my best." Home replied.
"I need you to find out all you can about an Earth women named Tegan Jovanka. She lived towards the end of the 20th Century. You can start your search in the nations called Great Britain and Australia." Nyssa then gave Tegan's age, height, the colour of her hair and eyes, and other details that gave a good description of her. Home had access to databases all over the galaxy. Hopefully, something would turn up.
"You asking me to go back more than a thousand years, Nyssa." Home said, once Nyssa had finished her instructions. "This could take some time."
"It doesn't matter, there's no rush."
"Very well, I'll get started at once." Home said and quickly went to work.
"Thank you, Home." Nyssa replied and headed for the bedroom to get changed.
It was several hours later, when Nyssa was eating her dinner, that Home spoke again. "I've found the information you requested, Nyssa."
"Thank you, Home." Nyssa replied. "Please put it up on the screen." As Nyssa looked on, information began to flow across the view screen that occupied the far wall. The data included several pictures of Tegan, taken during various times of her life. Oh Tegan! Nyssa thought as she stared at the pictures. I miss you so much, but if all goes well, we'll be together again soon.
"I regret I could not find more information." Home went on. "Many of the records from that time period were lost during the Dalek invasion of Earth during the 22nd Century, in which..."
"Thank you, Home. The information you've provided is fine." Nyssa jumped in and held up the laptop like device. "Please download the information into my office."
"Download in progress." Home said and soon the device, Nyssa's portable office, beeped. "Download complete."
"Now please open a subspace channel to Professor Chronotis, Home." Nyssa requested. A few months previously, Nyssa had begun corresponding with Professor Chronotis, an eccentric scientist who lived on a planet called Patred, which was located about forty light years from the world Nyssa now called home. The Professor had some interesting theories about time travel and Nyssa was eager to learn as much as she could about them. As Nyssa looked on, the image of the scientist appeared on the view screen. "Hello, Professor, I hope I haven't taken you away from anything important."
"Nyssa!" Professor Chronotis said. "For you, nothing is more important. I'm just flattered that you've taken such an active interest in my work. Most people tend to laugh at me."
"Most people do not know what I know." Nyssa said. "What I mean is that I have a more open mind about time travel than most others." Nyssa had decided, for the time being, to withhold her own experiences in the TARDIS from the Professor.
"I just wish others could be as open minded." Chronotis sighed. "So, what can I do for you, Nyssa?"
"I have a favour to ask of you. However, I cannot do it over subspace. I must meet you in person."
"In person?" Chronotis asked. "Sure, Nyssa, I've been dying to meet you ever since we started corresponding. When can you be here?"
"Well I need a few more weeks to tie up my affairs here." Nyssa replied. "Would a month from now be okay on your end?"
"That'll be fine, Nyssa, I look forward to finally meeting you in person."
Over the next few weeks, Nyssa wrapped up all her affairs. When her class graduated, Nyssa was there to see them off into the real world. After that, she tendered her resignation to the university. Soon she was packing her belongings, getting ready to leave. "It has been a pleasure knowing you, Nyssa." Home said.
"Thank you, Home." Nyssa replied. "I'm going to miss our conversations."
"I'll miss them too." Home said. "However, I hope you find what you're looking for, Nyssa."
"Me too, Home. Me too." Nyssa said as she continued to pack.
Even on the fastest passenger shuttle, it still took Nyssa almost a week to get to Patred. Before she had left, Nyssa had Home download some files about the history of Earth into her office. She read these to pass the time. After all, if I am going to be spending the rest of my life on Earth, it will help to know a bit about their history. Nyssa thought.
Upon arriving on Patred, Nyssa had no trouble getting directions to the Professor's home. Soon she was standing at his front door, waiting. I hope he's home. Nyssa thought to herself. Soon, the door opened and Nyssa found herself facing Professor Chronotis himself.
"Nyssa!" Chronotis said. "I'm glad to see you finally made it. Come in!"
"Thank you." Nyssa said as she entered the residence.
"Follow me, my study is this way." Chronotis said as he led Nyssa through his home. Soon they entered a room that contained furniture that looked like it came from 20th Century Earth. "Please forgive the look of the place, but I am somewhat of a traditionalist."
"That's fine." Nyssa said as she looked around the room. "It looks nice."
"Thank you." Chronotis said as he gestured to a chair which stood in front of an old fashioned oak desk. Nyssa sat in that chair, while Chronotis took the chair behind the desk. "So, what can I do for you, Nyssa?" Chronotis asked, after both of them were seated. He spotted the packing case Nyssa had brought with her. "Are you planning on going somewhere?"
"Actually it's not a question of where as it is when." Nyssa replied. "I hope to travel to a city called London, in the country of Great Britain." Nyssa stopped to consider. Since I've aged twenty years or so since I last saw Tegan, I guess I should arrive when the same amount of time has passed for her. she thought. "I would like to arrive in the first decade of the 21st Century, hopefully within the first five years of that decade."
"I see." Chronotis said. "What makes you think I can arrange to send you there?"
"I've read your papers on time travel, Professor. They are more than just theory, at least that is how it looks. The way you've written it, you sound like you've actually time travelled yourself."
"Hmmmmm..." Chronotis muttered. Suddenly, a panel on his desk beeped. Quickly, Chronotis checked it, and then turned back to Nyssa. "Well, Nyssa, it seems you've been holding out on me."
"What do you mean?" Nyssa asked.
"For reasons I cannot discuss, I've rigged this house with scanners. These scanners probe the DNA of anyone who comes to visit. I just got the result from the scans of you, Nyssa, and they say you're a Trakenite."
"So what?"
"Well, considering that Traken was destroyed over a thousand years ago, and a long way from here, I find it strange that a Trakenite found her way to this part of space." Chronotis leaned forward and added. "In fact, the only explanation I can come up with is that you got here in a TARDIS!"
"What!?" Nyssa gasped, caught totally off guard. "How could you know? I mean..." she trailed off, unsure of what to say next.
"I am going out on a limb here and say that the owner of said TARDIS was none other than the Doctor!" Chronotis added.
"What? You know about the Doctor?" The astonished Nyssa blurted out. "How?"
"Simple, he and I are of the same race." Chronotis replied.
"You're a Time Lord?"
"Guilty as charged." Chronotis said. "Also, the Doctor is an old friend of mine." He paused and looked at Nyssa. "You must have been one of his Companions. He rarely travels anywhere without a Companion or two along."
"That's right, I was a Companion of his." Nyssa said and went on to recount her adventures with the Doctor. "Finally, I decided to stay at Terminus because I knew I could help out there." she concluded.
"You sure did." Chronotis said. "I've kept track of the news around the galaxy. You're quite a legend at Terminus. You really did make a difference there, Nyssa. I'm curious, why do you want to go back to 21st Century Earth?"
"If you don't mind, Professor, that's a personal matter." Nyssa said.
"Not at all." Chronotis replied. "Well, Nyssa, I'll be happy to help you. The Doctor helped me out once, when I was living in the city of Cambridge on 20th Century Earth. It's a long story. Anyway, since you are a friend of the Doctor's, I owe it to him to see that you get to where you want to be."
"Thank you." Nyssa said, smiling. "When do we leave?"
"No time like the present, Nyssa. Follow me." With that, Chronotis got up and headed over towards what appeared to be a hug wardrobe, which stood in the corner of the study.
That must be his TARDIS. Nyssa thought. Her thought was confirmed a second later when Chronotis produced a key and opened the wardrobe. He gestured and Nyssa stood, picked up her packing case and headed for the wardrobe. Once she had stepped inside, she found herself in a TARDIS console room. Although very similar to the Doctor's console room, this one looked somewhat more advanced. Must be a later model of TARDIS than the Doctor's. Nyssa thought as she looked around the room.
"Please make yourself at home." Chronotis said as he entered the room himself and headed for the console. After closing the doors, he started to set coordinates. "Okay, Nyssa, would the date of March, 25, 2005 suit you?"
"That'll be fine, thank you."
"Right." Chronotis said and returned his attention to the console. "Okay, the date is set. Now for the geographical coordinates. London, Great Britain, planet Earth, and away we go!" With that, the Professor activated the console and Nyssa saw the center column begin to rise and fall, signalling that they were in flight. "You seemed impressed with my TARDIS, Nyssa." Chronotis said after a few seconds.
"Well it does seem somewhat more advanced than the one the Doctor has." Nyssa replied. "So, why are you here anyway, on Patred, I mean?"
"Well, let's just say that the Doctor is not the only one to leave Gallifrey for less than official reasons, and leave it at that." Chronotis said.
"I see." Nyssa said, nodding her head.
"It shouldn't take too long to get there, Nyssa."
"No, I guess not." Nyssa replied. After all, we are dealing with travel through time and space. Not exactly a conventional means of travel. she thought.
EARTH. LONDON, GREAT BRITAIN
MARCH 25, 2005
The public park was quiet and deserted, because it was raining. At the edge of the park, a row of drink machines stood, one of them being a Coke machine. No one was there to hear a strange wheezing, groaning sound, and then see a second Coke machine materialize right beside the first one. The front of the new Coke machine opened and Nyssa and Chronotis stepped out. "Well, here you are, Nyssa, right where you wanted to go." Chronotis said.
"Hmmmm, a TARDIS that actually gets you to your intended destination." Nyssa said as she looked around.
"Pardon?" Chronotis asked.
"Nothing." Nyssa replied. "Thank you very much, Professor. I owe you one."
"Think nothing of it." Chronotis said. "However, if you ever run across the Doctor again, please tell him to come and see me. It's been far too long since his last visit."
"I'll do that."
"Good luck, Nyssa." Chronotis said and headed back into his TARDIS. As Nyssa looked on, the fake Coke machine dematerialized, leaving only an empty space behind. Picking up her packing case, Nyssa turned and headed out of the park.
4. A NEW BEGINNING
"...and here I am!" Nyssa said as she finished telling the story to Tegan.
"I... I don't know what to say, Nyssa." Tegan said with astonishment. "You sure came a long way."
"It wasn't easy." Nyssa replied. "So many records of this time period were lost when Earth was invaded by a species called the Daleks in the 22nd Century..." Nyssa broke off when she saw Tegan shudder. "Tegan? What is it? What's wrong?"
"The Daleks. I've met them. They were the reason why I left the TARDIS, well, one of the reasons." Tegan went on to describe the horrific encounter with the Daleks and the aftermath of that encounter.
"Tegan, I'm so sorry." Nyssa said, once Tegan had finished. She wrapped her arms protectively around Tegan, comforting her.
"I was in a pretty bad place at that point, Nyssa." Tegan continued. "I even had a nervous breakdown. A few years later, after I had gotten myself together again, more or less, I met Randy."
"Randy?"
"My ex-husband." Tegan said. "For a while, things seemed to settle down for me. I got a good job at a PR firm, my parents moved here from Australia to be closer to me, and I had a new husband. However, things didn't last with Randy."
"What happened?" Nyssa asked.
"He developed a drinking problem and couldn't hold down a job." Tegan replied. "Finally, after nearly ten years, I'd had enough. We divorced soon after that." She looked at Nyssa. "How about you, Nys? Did you find anyone?"
"If you mean if I was romantically involved with anyone, the answer is no." Nyssa said, shaking her head. "Oh, I did have the occasional lover, but for the most part I was much too busy to have a long term relationship."
"Yes, I've been meaning to ask, Nyssa, what did happen on Terminus? Did you manage to help them?"
"Yes, I did." Nyssa replied. "It took a long time, but I did managed to turn things around there. Lazar's Disease is all but extinct now."
"Congratulations, Nyssa, I knew you could do it." Tegan said as she hugged Nyssa again.
"I'm just sorry that things ended so badly for you in the TARDIS." Nyssa said.
"Yeah, me too." Tegan replied. "However, I've managed to move on, Nyssa. However... However, I just want you to know, Nyssa, is that... " she trailed off, took a breath, and continued. "I never stopped loving you, Nyssa."
"Tegan, I feel the same way." Nyssa said. "For years I tried to bury it, because I thought I'd never see you again. I threw myself into my work on Terminus, and then when that was done, I ventured out into the galaxy, always keeping myself occupied." She recounted her adventures to Tegan, ending with her job at the university. "It was at that point that the Doctor showed up."
"The Doctor!?" The astonished Tegan asked.
"Yes, but not our Doctor. It was the Fourth Doctor, some years before we met him." Nyssa said. "At that point, I was questioning my decisions of recent years. So when he turned up, I hid in the TARDIS and took a trip to 13th Century Earth. He and I had a little adventure back there."
"You took quite a risk, Nyssa." Tegan said. "After all, you were travelling with a Doctor that hadn't met you yet."
"I know, but it all worked out in the end. That adventure made me realize that my feelings for you hadn't gone away after all."
"So you crossed light years of space and centuries of time to be with me." Tegan said, her eyes misting up.
"Yes, Tegan, I did. I love you."
"Would you like to kiss me now?" Tegan asked.
"I sure would." Nyssa replied and their lips met. The two women pressed together as each of their tongues probed the other.
"Wow!" Tegan said after the kiss had ended. "I've been waiting twenty years for this." She felt the heat of sexual arousal building up inside her.
"So have I." Nyssa said, her breath deep and husky, for she too was suddenly very aroused.
"Come." Tegan said and took Nyssa by the hand and led the Trakenite into the bedroom.
Later, the two women were laying under the covers in each others arms. "I'm glad you still have the locket I gave you." Tegan said as she fingered the locket that still hung around Nyssa's neck.
"I never take it off." Nyssa said. "Thank you, Tegan, for giving it to me. It was a wonderful gift." She smiled and snuggled deeper into the arms of her lover.
"I'm just glad you came back to me, Nyssa. That's the best gift anyone could get me."
"Same here." Nyssa replied and yawned. "I'm sleepy."
"Me too. Sex takes a lot out of you." Tegan said. "However, it sure is worth it."
"I couldn't agree more." Nyssa replied.
The next morning, Tegan was the first to wake up. She turned her head and saw Nyssa lying beside her, still sound asleep. She looks so peaceful. Tegan thought and slowly slipped out of bed, so not to disturb Nyssa. Slipping on a robe, Tegan headed for the kitchen to start breakfast. She was just getting things ready when Nyssa, clad in another robe Tegan had left for her, appeared in the bedroom doorway. "Good morning." Tegan said as she set the breakfast table.
"Morning?" The still sleepy Nyssa asked.
"Yes, it's morning." Tegan replied. "We slept through the rest of yesterday and all night as well." She indicated the breakfast table. "Are you hungry, Nyssa?"
"Yes, I am. Thank you, Tegan." The two women sat down and began to eat the breakfast of French Toast, eggs, and pancakes that Tegan had prepared. "I've never slept as long as we did last night. That incident on Deva Loka notwithstanding, of course." Nyssa said.
"Well maybe you had jet lag." Tegan suggested. "Or time lag, you could call it, I suppose."
"So what happens now?" Nyssa asked.
"Well for one thing, you'll live here with me, Nyssa. Now that I have you back, I don't intend to let you go again anytime soon. Today we'll head to the store and get you some clothes that don't look too out of the ordinary."
"Still I should try to find some kind of occupation." Nyssa pointed out.
"Nyssa, you could probably handle any job you could find here, since you come from a more advanced culture." Tegan replied. "However, you should stay low key, Nyssa. We don't want you drawing too much attention to yourself. Questions might get asked that we don't want asked."
"I understand." Nyssa said, nodding her head.
"Why don't we just take it one day at a time and see what happens." Tegan suggested.
"Sounds good to me."
"Still there is one thing I'd like to do, Nyssa, if you'll bear with me."
"What is it?" Nyssa asked.
"Well every Sunday I have dinner with my parents." The smiling Tegan replied. "My mother has been after me for ages to find a romantic partner. I think it's only fitting that I reveal that her wish has finally come true."
"I don't think I'm what your mother expected." Nyssa said.
"True, but that doesn't matter. All that matters is that I've found my soul mate. Or rather, I have found her again."
"Thank you, Tegan." Nyssa said as she reached over and took Tegan's hands in her own.
Well there is one thing I am sure of. Tegan thought as she gazed into Nyssa's eyes. My mother is in for a big surprise!
THE END