The two children sat cross-legged on the bed. Their chins rested in their hands expectedly. As they watched, the woman sit down in the rocking chair. She had a thin gray streak at her temples, but her kind face and smile were years younger.
"Are you ready for the next part of the story?"
"Definitely," said the girl, Megan, whose auburn pigtails bounced as she squealed and squirmed.
"Come on already!" pleaded the boy, Andrew, his hazel eyes wide with anticipation.
"Well alright then..." she said before beginning the next chapter of the tale.
"You have already been told the tales of the travels. As I said before, legend has it this is true.
You know what happened after the year that disappeared. When you are older, much older, I will tell you that story. You are not ready for it now.
Anyway, at the end of that year, the lady had decided she wanted to rest. She wanted to be with those who would pay attention to her. Even though it hurt her, she made the decision to leave. She had hoped the man would say something to stop her, but he did not.
She went back to her life, never forgetting the fantastical journeys. As I heard it, she never stopped hoping he would figure out that they were better together than apart. He wasn't the easiest person to show the truth to. Getting him to admit feelings was as difficult as getting you two to eat brussel sprouts."
The two children interrupted her with giggles.
"She went back to her work as a doctor. She had people who depended on her and appreciated her time and compassion. Two years passed. Even though she had never forgotten him, she had moved on, accepting the fact that chapter was closed.
One day, when she went into work, a fellow doctor asked her to discuss a patient. He wanted a second opinion. As her colleague led her to the room, she read the patient's chart. The symptoms were so varied, it was quite difficult to pinpoint anything. She was going to suggest this person may have been experiencing these symptoms only in belief.
As she entered the room, the other doctor asked the patient how he was feeling. As the patient began to speak, she froze. She knew that voice anywhere.
She looked up and stared into the eyes of the man she had loved so much, but had lost forever, or so she assumed. The other doctor introduced her and explained he had brought her for a second opinion. He excused himself after advising he would be back in ten minutes or so.
The lady walked over to his bedside and asked him what he was doing there. He told her visiting her of course. She stood there, before leaning over to hug him. Then she punched him in the stomach, feisty one she was.
He yelped and asked her was that the new way to say hello. She told him for him, it was as nice as she would be.
He told her he was fine and that he made all those symptoms up so he knew he would not be discharged. She asked him why he did that. He told her that he had felt it would be a bit intrusive to just show up at her home. She knew he meant he wanted to see her in a public place to feel protected in case she gave him the beating he deserved.
He told her the only thing he had been suffering from was a broken heart and he had come to see her one last time to tell her he did love her the way she loved him, but he had been afraid to say it. You see, he had suffered more loss than other people and every loss tore a bit of his soul away. He didn't want to lose another.
His rationalizations, as expected, proved ridiculous. Running away from love does not make it disappear. That one was a daft one, he was. He was a walking contradiction, a brilliant idiot.
She told him she could not do this. She could not have him appear anytime he wanted to and tell her he loved her only to leave again. She had feelings just as he did.
He reached for her and told her he was not there to hurt her. He wanted to be with her, even if it meant being a bit more domesticated. He told her he could never give up his travels completely, but if she could cope with him taking a holiday once in a while, he would try to stay in one place for more than an hour.
She looked at him in disbelief before telling him he must have gone completely mad. He laughed before responding that she had thought that in the beginning and he truly thought she believed it throughout their time together."
"What happened. You have to tell us! Please!" the little girl squealed.
The woman laughed,"You know I would never keep that part from you!"
The woman continued, "She told him he could not play with her emotions like that. She made it very clear that if this was some act of confusion and he changed his mind in two hours, she would make him suffer great pain, even though she would feel badly for doing it.
He looked at her and told her that he had gone everywhere he could think of to take his mind off her, but his traveling on made him realize he was missing a part of himself. He told her he did not want to do anything if she was not there to share his experiences with him.
She eventually warmed and smiled. She told him to get out of the hospital and stop playing mind games with the doctors and nurses. He laughed, that maniacal cackle that was infectious, and promised he would be a good boy and stop playing with his new puppets. He then pouted and asked if he could do it just until the end of her shift.
She glared at him, but finally compromised. She gave him until the end of her shift to annoy her coworkers, if he promised to make one doctor's day especially difficult. He was mean and nasty to everyone else and this was her chance to see him taste his own medicine. The man's eyes twinkled as he told her he would do anything for her.
She laughed and left.
About fifteen minutes before she was due to leave, she found that mean doctor in the lounge. He was crying. She placed a concerned face on and asked him what was wrong. Through his blubbering, he told her about a patient who had made him appear stupid in front of his colleagues. He said he had never been so humiliated in his life. She smirked and quickly left, telling him he needed time to himself.
She finished her duties and was walking through the doors, on her way home, when she heard his voice, saying she was too beautiful to be allowed to wander alone. He offered his arm and she accepted. From that day on, they never wandered anywhere without the other."
"Grandmum, I loved that story! But it isn't over!" Megan stated with conviction.
"Sure it is," the woman said convincingly.
"Grandmum, it isn't. What did you do after that?" Andrew asked.
"What?" came the question, filled with mock shock.
"That story is about you and Grandpop. We aren't stupid, you know," Megan explained, emphasizing with an offended sigh.
Her Grandmum stared at her, with pride dancing behind her eyes. She was a quick one.
"Explain your reason for thinking so."
Andrew jumped in," That man has to be Grandpop. I figured that out a long time ago, when you began telling us the story about all those places they visited after they met. When you told me about his hopping about in the hospital and tossing his shoe, I knew it was him. Who else is that weird?"
"Yea," Megan agreed," The suit with trainers? Only he would dress like that and go in public! He still does that!"
Martha began to laugh," I never doubted you would figure it out. If you knew so long ago, why not say something?"
"Because we love the way you tell the story, Grandmum!," Andrew answered while Megan giggled.
"You enjoy listening to her make me appear daft and insane!" came a voice from the door, just before the Doctor entered.
"But Grandpop, we already knew that!" Megan pointed out before rolling her eyes.
"See, Doc, I told you you were weird," Jack said before making his way into the room, laughing. "She does tell a great story."
"Oh, shut up!" the Doctor commanded before shoving his hands in his pockets and pouting.
"It's cute," Martha offered.
"It's insulting." Pout.
"It's funny shit!" Andrew shouted, then immediately covered his mouth.
"Where did you learn that?" Martha demanded.
Andrew's eyes darted to Jack, who was backing out the room, but said nothing.
"Jack!" the Doctor and Martha said with the same threatening tone.
"He didn't mean for us to learn it. Honest. Uncle Jack just slipped..." Megan tried to get her uncle out of the trouble he was facing.
"Don't bother," Martha pointed a finger at a scared Megan, who told her Uncle Jack one word."RUN!"
The Doctor and Martha were closing in Jack when he touched his watch and teleported, getting the hell out and fast.
Martha and the Doctor were already on their way to the basement, with the kids following right behind.
"Cool, it worked," Andrew whispered to Megan.
"Yea, he said it would!"
Martha and the Doctor were discussing where he had gone. When they reached the TARDIS, the Doctor held the door for Martha and his grandchildren, before entering.
He made his way over to the console and pressed a few buttons before looking at Martha,"The TARDIS found him. Orlando, Florida in the United States in March of 1996. What would he go there for?"
"Doesn't matter. He can go anywhere he likes. It won't get him out of this!" Martha promised.
They never looked over at their two smirking grandchildren who did a high five.
While their grandparents discussed Jack's fate, the two kids discussed their luck.
"He promised it. Uncle Jack is the man!" Andrew praised in a hushed, yet ecstatic tone.
"How did he know they would chase him and not just wait for him to come back?"
"Grandmum? Wait? Rightttt."
"This is so cool. I can't wait!" Megan giggled.
Both of them whispered excitedly at the same time,"DISNEY WORLD!"
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I hope you liked it. I don't know where it came from or why it appeared, but it did.