Sorry- this was meant to be out yesterday but instead I social lifed. Anyway- here now- next chapter should be up on the 19th of August. Hope you enjoy.
After everything has been explained Kate sits somewhat uncomfortably at the table next to the second Osgood with a mug of tea.
She's not so used to having contact with the Doctor's companions despite her research on each of them and certainly not when they've already died. Fortunately Bill herself seems unaware of this and more than capable of smoothing any tensions in the room just by being there and herself.
It's strange- the sight of the woman who used to be her boss seems right in the kitchen with the other Osgood but with all of them it's too full.
It's like Osgood doesn't fit right here anymore. She doesn't know how long she has been, well, dead, but somehow it doesn't feel like her home now.
There's a need for movement which she never experienced so intensely before but she can feel it below the surface, coded into her DNA. She had always wanted to travel with the Doctor- hell she'd been offered it- but this is so much more than that.
It must be some kind of side-effect of whatever she is now. If Heather has these incredible powers- not magic as Osgood is well aware that very advanced technology can seem like magic at first- and she brought Bill and herself back to a semblance of human life surely that could account for the drive to move, a lingering part of that ability to travel translated across into the two of them.
This place is still home- she still knows where the tins are stored and which corner of which cupboard holds that old fondue pot they were given for a present and have never used and where there's a slight scratch on the wall from when she had dropped a hardback for some reason or another- but she doesn't feel as tied to it now.
Bill and Heather talk to Kate more about what they do and can do and her sister sits beside her, only inches away and formulating tests they can do on a worn book with ruled pages and more than a few tea stains on the surface.
Osgood sees Kate glance down at the other Osgood's work as she pauses to think of more questions and smiles at what she sees in the gesture.
Kate isn't in love- not yet- but Osgood can tell that she's interested in the very least and thinks highly of the other Osgood.
Osgood thinks it should feel weird, watching a very attractive woman who is kind of her boss be interested in someone who is essentially her twin or her clone (whether she is the original or the other is), but it's surprisingly nice to know that there will be someone to look after her sister even if nothing does happen between them.
Osgood asks for one more night in the house from Bill and Heather. Just one last night to remember this place because who knew how long before she came back.
The two women leave, dissolving into water.
The way they are pressed together, arms around each other and each leaning into the other leaves little doubt for what they are going to do before they come back and erases any doubt either Osgood or Kate has on the matter.
Before she leaves and while the second Osgood is washing the used mugs in the kitchen Kate grabs Osgood in the corridor.
"I'm really glad that you're still alive." She says warmly with a deep layer of guilt and fear and regret beneath it.
Osgood smiles at her old boss.
"I'm glad you are too- you'll look after her, won't you?" Osgood replies, rhetorical question spilling from her even though she already knows the answer.
"Yes- I can't let my best scientist go, can I?" Kate replies, smirking a little.
Osgood can't help but smile a bit wider, almost laughing.
"Thank you." She says simply but her old boss seems to get all that she means by it.
"I'm sorry we lost you but I hope you come back to visit." She says honestly, "U.N.I.T isn't the same without both of you. Hopefully knowing you're alive will change thing but..." Kate trails off, grimacing.
"Yeah." Osgood says with a nod, understanding.
That night the Osgoods sleep in a single bed in silence, the other empty.
It's the best night of sleep the other Osgood has had since she's died even if they are pressed back to back and spend at least one dark hour just talking about nothing.
The next morning brings another goodbye and a promise to come back for testing when U.N.I.T has penciled it in.
The Osgoods hug and tell each other to stay safe and then it's done and they're leaving, Bill holding onto Heather and Heather with a hand on Osgood's shoulder.
There's the strange tickling sensation as she melts down and Osgood smiles, waving at her sister who grins back at her.
They reform in a quiet field of blue grass which seems to grow taller around them as if curious. Bill loosely grabs some which curls around her wrist but no further and seems happy enough to part when she moves a few steps away.
Osgood looks around in pure amazement at this grass which stretches on as far as she can see in every direction.
"This is- this is an alien planet!" She says excitedly, looking to Heather, "It's really- I'm standing on a planet which isn't Earth. There are so many tests I want to do! This is amazing!" She continues, excitement growing as she notices the purple tint to the sky and the small creatures skittering about her feet.
"This is- wow!" She says again as Bill turns to laugh at her.
"Said she would like it." The woman comments, grinning widely.
"It's amazing. What is this place called?" Osgood asks, still looking around and trying to take everything in.
"It doesn't get another name for more than a few million years at least." Heather comments.
She stands perfectly still in the grass, eyes almost eerily fixed on the scientist. Slowly she smirks, head tilting to the side.
"Why don't you name it?" She asks, stepping backwards with one foot to keep an eye on Bill who seems to be inspecting the grass with wonder as it curls around her fingers.
"Me? But I'm just me- I can't name a planet!" Osgood splutters, feeling her cheeks redden and having a resurgence of gratitude for the fact she doesn't need her inhaler anymore.
One of Heather's eyebrows leaps up as she folds her arms and once again stares into Osgood's eyes in a way which is completely challenging and also too attractive for Osgood's good.
"Aren't you a scientist? I thought you named things all the time. I looked you up- you've made quite a few discoveries." She comments.
"I- well- those are small things- bacteria- the principles by which a piece of alien tech works. Not a whole planet. How could I name something so big?" Osgood exclaims, diverting her gaze from the far too intense look on Heather's face.
"How did you know about those anyway? The discoveries made by U.N.I.T are locked away until it's decided that the public would be able to cope with the information that aliens are real. The archives are locked down so tightly even I cannot get in and out again with any written information and a memory wipe to get rid of any remembered information." The scientist says with a frown, squinting at the woman with suspicion.
Heather smiles.
"I don't need doors." She says simply, letting one hand turn into water then back.
Osgood feels distinctly uncomfortable at the rather obvious revelation.
They both pause and somehow Osgood thinks that Heather anticipates the question she is about to ask.
"Why did you bring me back? I don't understand the motivation behind it. We never met." Osgood says solemnly, feeling as if just by addressing it Heather could realise she had made a mistake and just undo it and leave her dead again.
Instead Heather just smirks again in that way which seems like mocking.
"You'll have to ask Bill- that's her question to answer." She says, turning to walk after the other woman.
Osgood follows, worry and confusion creasing her face behind the other women's turned backs.
They spend possibly hours or days exploring the planet- it's hard to tell when there is no hunger or need to sleep to divide up the time by. Osgood spends the whole time thinking, wondering about why Bill had wanted to bring her back to life, theorising on the reasons for the grasses possible sentience or appearance of it and trying to figure out what the planet should temporarily be called because sine Heather mentioned it she can't get the idea of naming it out of her head.
