DISCLAIMER: This is obvious- I don't own any of the characters, quotations
or any thing else. Wish I did, but only the BBC have that right!
Time Takes It's Toll
"Hand me that sonic screwdriver, Peri." "Please." "Please what? Did you want something?" "Never mind."
The Doctor grinned, his whole face brightening at his companion's displeasure. Peri shook her head and rolled her eyes. He was never going to throw off this exasperating habit of getting the last word. But by now, she was used to it- and besides, she had other worries. When she had first joined the Doctor on his wild time-travelling escapades, they both agreed that it would only be for three months, as Peri was due back in America to complete her botany course. Now, the three months was almost up, and Peri wasn't sure if she wanted to go back to studying plants under microscopes. There was one small comfort- the regeneration of the Doctor she currently travelled with seemed to have a tendency to forget things. Only little things- but anything that would mean she didn't go back was more than welcome.
"Peri- I've been meaning to ask you something."
Peri grimaced. Great. Trust the Doctor to remember the one thing she didn't want him to. However, she was willing to accept her fate with dignity- at least until he'd actually left her behind.
"You never knew my other companions, did you?"
The question threw Peri completely. This wasn't what she expected at all- yet she managed to stammer out an answer.
"N..No. I didn't have the pleasure."
The Doctor gave one of his rare nostalgic smiles. His eyes glazed over as he reminised on friends from the past.
"I wonder what happened to all of them.. Susan, Jamie, Liz and the others."
Peri stared in fascination at the almost tearful expression on the Doctor's face. She'd never seen him like this before. It was so.. vunerable. At least, it was compared to his usual nature. Peri suddenly clicked.
"You miss them, don't you?"
She'd touched a tender spot. The Doctor closed his eyes in sadness, his mournful expression plain and clear. Peri felt his sadness wash over her, as if she had a connection to his feelings. Eventually, but with a quietened voice, he replied.
"More than anything. I hated to see them all leave. I hated it more when one of them sacrificed himself to save the rest of us..."
Peri knew he was referring to Adric. She'd already heard of Adric's mathematical genius and his brave decision to sacrifice himself to save the Doctor and his other companions. She knew it was only one of the many stories which brought a tear to his eye. He looked so doleful that she had to do something. Taking him gently by the arm, she pulled him away from the mess of circuitry which he had tried so many fruitless times to repair. With an experienced flick of her arm, she pushed in the lever to open the main doors. Leading him gently and sympathetically, she drew him out onto the rocky landscape of whichever planet they had alighted on. Carefully brushing a nearby flattened boulder, she pulled him to sit down.
"Tell me. About your other companions."
He looked into her eyes. There was genuine feeling in them, so warm and affectionate. He seemed lost in them for a moment, but eventually sighed and began."
"If I could go through the infinity of time, I could not tell the tales of all my companions to as much justice as they deserve. " "Well, just tell me about some. Save the rest for the next time you feel nostalgic."
He managed a half-smile. Peri smiled back, which gave him strength to continue.
"Liz Shaw. She was the most.. I can't describe it. But Jaime, my old Scottish friend, he was.. And Susan, my 'granddaughter', she was just... Then there was Tegan, she was.."
He trailed off after every sentence. Peri realised that it was going to be harder than she thought.
Time Takes It's Toll
"Hand me that sonic screwdriver, Peri." "Please." "Please what? Did you want something?" "Never mind."
The Doctor grinned, his whole face brightening at his companion's displeasure. Peri shook her head and rolled her eyes. He was never going to throw off this exasperating habit of getting the last word. But by now, she was used to it- and besides, she had other worries. When she had first joined the Doctor on his wild time-travelling escapades, they both agreed that it would only be for three months, as Peri was due back in America to complete her botany course. Now, the three months was almost up, and Peri wasn't sure if she wanted to go back to studying plants under microscopes. There was one small comfort- the regeneration of the Doctor she currently travelled with seemed to have a tendency to forget things. Only little things- but anything that would mean she didn't go back was more than welcome.
"Peri- I've been meaning to ask you something."
Peri grimaced. Great. Trust the Doctor to remember the one thing she didn't want him to. However, she was willing to accept her fate with dignity- at least until he'd actually left her behind.
"You never knew my other companions, did you?"
The question threw Peri completely. This wasn't what she expected at all- yet she managed to stammer out an answer.
"N..No. I didn't have the pleasure."
The Doctor gave one of his rare nostalgic smiles. His eyes glazed over as he reminised on friends from the past.
"I wonder what happened to all of them.. Susan, Jamie, Liz and the others."
Peri stared in fascination at the almost tearful expression on the Doctor's face. She'd never seen him like this before. It was so.. vunerable. At least, it was compared to his usual nature. Peri suddenly clicked.
"You miss them, don't you?"
She'd touched a tender spot. The Doctor closed his eyes in sadness, his mournful expression plain and clear. Peri felt his sadness wash over her, as if she had a connection to his feelings. Eventually, but with a quietened voice, he replied.
"More than anything. I hated to see them all leave. I hated it more when one of them sacrificed himself to save the rest of us..."
Peri knew he was referring to Adric. She'd already heard of Adric's mathematical genius and his brave decision to sacrifice himself to save the Doctor and his other companions. She knew it was only one of the many stories which brought a tear to his eye. He looked so doleful that she had to do something. Taking him gently by the arm, she pulled him away from the mess of circuitry which he had tried so many fruitless times to repair. With an experienced flick of her arm, she pushed in the lever to open the main doors. Leading him gently and sympathetically, she drew him out onto the rocky landscape of whichever planet they had alighted on. Carefully brushing a nearby flattened boulder, she pulled him to sit down.
"Tell me. About your other companions."
He looked into her eyes. There was genuine feeling in them, so warm and affectionate. He seemed lost in them for a moment, but eventually sighed and began."
"If I could go through the infinity of time, I could not tell the tales of all my companions to as much justice as they deserve. " "Well, just tell me about some. Save the rest for the next time you feel nostalgic."
He managed a half-smile. Peri smiled back, which gave him strength to continue.
"Liz Shaw. She was the most.. I can't describe it. But Jaime, my old Scottish friend, he was.. And Susan, my 'granddaughter', she was just... Then there was Tegan, she was.."
He trailed off after every sentence. Peri realised that it was going to be harder than she thought.