Magnolias and White Roses
A blistering cold wind blew, scattering dozens of crimson, ginger, auburn and golden leaves swirling through the air in a patchwork quilt that blanketed the rows of tombstones. They were in millitary-type straight lines, clean cut as rows of corn. Off to the side, away from the other departed, rested two other graves newly dug within the past several months. Neither headstone was particularly impressive and certainly more modest than the majority of the tombstones, but at the same time, they seemed less neglected. The grass had been recently cut around them and dried flowers had been rested upon them. Stubbornly the wind blew harder and the dried magnolias on the left grave were borne heavenwards.
They were arrested in their destination when a wild-haired man in a brown overcoat caught sight of them and, with inhuman speed, leapt up to snatch them in mid-air. He continued over to the two sidelined graves, rubbing the white velvety leaves of the magnolias between his fingers and breathing in the fragrant scent. Standing over the graves, he noticed magnolia petals scattered around the grave and bent down to arrange the wayward flowers so they wouldn't blow away again. His eyes glanced up at the name.
Anna Marie
He turned at a slight noise, which a normal person wouldn't have noticed, to see another man behind him. His hair was dark and shaggy coupled with thick sideburns and piercing eyes. As if in protest to the cold, his brown leather jacket was worn loosely with shabby dark pants and shirt. And in his hand was a bouquet of white roses.
"Think you dropped these, bub" he mumbled around the cigar he was chewing. A hand disappeared in his interior jacket pocket and he produced a fresh bouquet of magnolias. "Thanks fer catchin' those"
"Likewise for mine," said the main in the overcoat as he accepted the roses and scooted over to strategically place them on his dearly beloved's grave so the wind wouldn't carry them away. Leaning back on his heels, he reached up to run his fingers over the name engraved on the tombstone.
Rose Marion Tyler
"Miss her?"
He started slightly, as if torn from a montage of memories, and faced the other man. "Yeah. Seven months today, but we had our time together…however short it seemed."
"I know the feelin'" said the other man. "But I'm glad fer the time I had with her. Even though…" A glint from a silver dogtag shone between his fingers as he rubbed it absentmindedly. "…even though we both knew I'd long outlive her. My curse, I s'ppose. An' you?"
"I don't age," said the man in the overcoat bluntly and with a touch of bitterness. "I regenerate. Curse of my kind…to go on alone while I watch everyone I ever loved grow old and die around me."
"Sometimes I think they're the lucky ones. Goin' to rest while we gotta keep on fightin'…"
"And we're left with nothing but memories"
The other man sighed, the tired sigh of a soldier, turning his head slightly as he blinked rapidly a few times.
"Was it just you and her?" the man in the overcoat as softly, as it not wanting to pry.
"Yeah" the other man said heavily "yeah. She and I couldn't…I mean…cause she was afraid of hurtin' me. Well, we tried once, 'lmost killed me, but our kid died a stillborn an'…" he stopped suddenly. "Dunno why I'm tellin' this to a stranger. Somethin' diff'rent about you, I guess"
"I'm sorry, so so sorry," murmured the man in the overcoat apologetically.
"No, it's okay…so just you then?"
"Yep…just me. Same story as yours actually except I didn't want to hurt her, and when she almost died…" he shook his head. "Might've been for the best though" he managed a small wry grin "seeing as we didn't exactly live a kid-friendly life."
"Us neither. Always gettin' scuffed up by another bad guy and dodging the darn Friends of Humanity that'd pick us off left an' right if we weren't careful an' them blasted Sentinels always getting' sent after us by the gov'rment," he growled under his breath as he clenched and unclenched his hands. "An' just cause we're different! An' even though we're the ones savin' the rest of humanity whether they care or not!"
"Ah, alien hunters" the man in the overcoat murmured in a knowing tone.
"Could say that, I guess. Anyways, it's what they seem to be thinkin'…that we're not human. An' you aren't either…" he glanced significantly at the other. "Don't bother denyin' it. All my senses are sayin' you're not."
"Then I won't. Whereas..." he began with a knowing glint in his eyes "you won't deny that there's much more to you than meets the eye"
The other man snorted softly. "That's one way to put it" he said as he gathered up the dried magnolias and stuffed them in his pockets.
The man in the overcoat was silent as he gathered together the dried pink roses and it was difficult to determine whether his silence was due to being deep in thought or memories.
The other man cleared his throat. "Were those her favorite?"
"Always loved roses" the man in the overcoat said reminiscently. "Especially white ones, but I got her pink last time for a change. It didn't help of course that I couldn't find a single white rose last week…ten different stores and not a single white rose! I haven't the slightest idea what was going on that would prompt everyone to have a sudden desire for white roses. Though, come to think of it, the red roses were gone first…and I suppose after them go the white ones…really it's strange."
"Yeah, sounds like it"
"Which would you have bought for her?" he said nodded to the headstone.
"The white ones prob'ly, cause they're like the magnolias. And fer her, it always had to be good southern magnolias." He paused a moment. "I like keepin' some around cause they remind me of her."
The man in the overcoat nodded. "Same with the roses. I always keep one for myself" he plucked a single rose from the bouquet "because I know she's want me to."
Another burst of wind blew, this time chillier and both men noticed the sun was fast setting.
"Well, better be goin'. I should be back at the school by dark," said the other man, rising to his feet. "Nice meetin' you, stranger." He gave the man in the overcoat a firm-as-steel handshake. "Be seeing you around again. Name's Logan, by the way."
"Nice to meet you. I'm the Doctor."
Exchanging smiles, Logan headed off to the entrance and, a few seconds later, the sound of a motorcycle engine burst the silence.
Not long after, the odd sound of a grating engine could be heard and if you'd been walking by, you would've seen a police box vanish.
The next morning when the caretaker came to do maintenance work, he suppressed a sigh for all the hundreds of elaborate gravestones that lacked attention from the deceased persons loved ones. Then he happened to walk by the two simple gravestones off to the side.
Fresh magnolias and white roses had been added since last night.
"Like old faithful those two," he murmured, smiling at the sight. "Whoever those women are, they're the luckiest I've ever seen."
And when he started his work, as usual, it was around those two graves first.
~Al Final~