Scenic Route

Author's Note: This takes place shortly after Enlightenment and Mawdryn Undead. And I promise that will make sense by the end of this chapter. XD

Alistair Lethbridge-Stewart sighed and scrutinized the papers in front of him again.

He was in the middle of grading the midterm exams and for the most part, there had been no resounding successes among them. No perfect scores or even near perfect ones. Also there were still the usual utter failures from the students who did not seem to find any reason to care about the education.

Nevertheless, there was some improvement in the class averages and improvement was still improvement. Alistair figured he would have to continue to build on the modest successes he had had so far this year.

He had just finished writing some comments on the latest paper when a sound just outside his lodgings caught his attention. A familiar sound that brought a smile to his face. He waited about a minute before finally calling out.

"Come in, Doctor."

A few seconds later, the door opened and a young man with blond hair and a wide smile walked in. 'So, it's the latest one again,' Alistair thought as he rose out of his chair to meet him.

"Brigadier," the Doctor grinned at him, reaching over to shake Alistair's hand.

"Good to see you again, Doctor," Alistair replied. He waved a hand at the couch so they could sit down next to each other. "What brings you back this time? Not another alien attempting to impersonate you, I hope."

"No, no, nothing like that," the Doctor said. "I just came by to make sure there were no ill effects from running into your earlier self."

"Yes, I suppose that was a close shave. But as you can see, I'm as fit as a fiddle. By the way, how are your companions? Tegan and Nyssa?" The smile fell from the Doctor's face, a detail that Alistair did not fail to notice.

"Tegan is fine," the Doctor said. "She's on holiday on a lovely planet just a few years into your past."

"I can't say I blame her for that. Traveling with you is bound to be chaotic at the very least. A holiday should do her a world of good.

"Nyssa…she's no longer traveling," the Doctor said, his voice slow and hesitant. "She…found a place where she felt she belonged."

Alistair frowned. A definite chance came over the Doctor's demeanor as he spoke about Nyssa. There was a sadness that he hadn't seen in the Doctor's eyes ever since his exile on Earth had ended during his third incarnation. It disquieted him, but Alistair figured that it was best to not pry into something that might be best left alone.

Besides, he had another matter of his own that he needed to discuss with the Doctor.

"By the way, Doctor. That young man, Turlough. You did say that he made it off Mawdryn's ship unharmed."

"Yes," the Doctor said, suddenly becoming more animated again. "He's on holiday with Tegan, actually. I thought it would be good for him after some of our recent adventures."

Alistair noted how the Doctor had mentioned "adventures", but didn't comment on it. Although, for a moment, he wondered just how many places the Doctor had been to in the week since he had last seen him.

"Quite," he said. "However, I hope you haven't forgotten that he is still on the rolls here at Brendon. So far, I've been able to account for his absence the same way you are, Doctor. By saying that he's on holiday. But that won't last for long. He will be missed eventually."

The Doctor's face suddenly became solemn. "I can't bring him back, Brigadier. Turlough doesn't belong here."

"Well, I admit that he does have problems with fitting in, but I hardly think…."

"You don't understand," the Doctor interrupted. "Turlough is not of your Earth. He was brought here. Against his will, I suspect. He wants to go home."

"You mean…alien?" Alistair said. The Doctor nodded his head. "Well then. That does explain a lot. I always knew that there was something…different about the boy."

"I know that finding a way to explain this might create some complications for you and your fellow staff members at the school," the Doctor added. "But I had hoped you could understand why I can't force Turlough to stay here when this is not his home."

"Of course," Alistair said. "Quite understandable. As for complications, I may have retired from UNIT, but I still have plenty of contacts there. They will make the necessary arrangements to explain his disappearance. As a matter of fact, it will be easier to do this for Turlough than it might for most other people."

"What do you mean?"

"Well the only people who have actually asked about Turlough are that boy, Ibbotson and the solicitor who had arranged for Turlough to attend this school. Very odd chap that man is too."

"I see," the Doctor nodded. "Well, I'll leave it in your capable hands, Brigadier. Oh and by the way, Turlough wanted to inform you that Ibbotson wasn't the one who wrecked your car and that he was the one responsible for that chemistry lab accident with the acid."

Alistair's mouth fell open as he slapped the arm of his chair with his palm. "I knew it. I knew that Turlough was the one who was really responsible for that fiasco, but I couldn't prove it. Until now that is."

"Yes," the Doctor said. "Anyway, Turlough was hoping that you could arrange it so that his misdeeds would not get Ibbotson expelled. I think he is trying to make amends for his behavior of late."

"That's not much of an apology though," Alistair frowned. "He should have told me himself. And apologized to Ibbotson in person."

"Perhaps so," the Doctor replied. "But that would have meant bringing him back here to Brendon and I'm afraid he might have taken that as a breach of trust."

"I suppose you have a point," Alistair said. "All right, Doctor. I'll make sure that Ibbotson is taken care of as well. I just hope that young man will learn to make better choices in his friends after this."

"I doubt he'll run into anyone quite like Turlough again," the Doctor said with a rueful smile. He stood up and shook Alistair's hand again. "It was good to see you again, Brigadier. But now, I must dash. I imagine Tegan is about finished with her vacation. I'm fairly certain Turlough will be."

"Just a moment, Doctor. Might I have one last word with you about Turlough?"

The Doctor cocked his head to the side as he sat back down. Alistair could tell that he had piqued the Doctor's curiosity, a surefire way to get his attention.

"If this is still about having him stay, my mind is…."

"No, no of course not," Alistair assured him. "If he is indeed alien, then by all means, he should be allowed to leave. And I suspect that you are correct about his being brought here against his will. That solicitor I told you about, the one who handled Turlough's admission to the school along with the boy's finances? Turlough never did seem at ease around him. In fact, I'd go as far as to say that Turlough despised him. He never wanted to be left alone in the same room with him and often refused to see him."

"I see," the Doctor said with a nod. "Well, if it makes you feel any better, Brigadier, I suspect that you won't have to deal with this solicitor much longer. Once he realizes that Turlough is gone, I imagine he will pull a disappearing act of his own."

"You're probably right," Alistair said. "By the way, did I hear you correctly that you are planning on taking the boy home?"

There was a flicker of something Alistair thought he recognized, but couldn't quite place in the Doctor's eyes. "It's what Turlough wants. Why?"

"I was just thinking. This whole business with Mawdryn made me realize that there was a great deal I had forgotten about these last few years. One of them was something Turlough had said to me about a month after he started classes here. I had mentioned contacting his parents about a concern I had, and he said that they were dead. That he had no family, no one he belonged to."

"That was probably part of his cover," the Doctor replied.

"You weren't there when he said it," Alistair said. "I know that Turlough has a tendency to lie about himself and about the things that he's done. But when he said that, the way that he said it…Doctor, it's one of the very few times I was convinced that Turlough was telling me the whole truth. That boy has no one. On this world or any other."

The Doctor nodded silently while Alistair leaned forward, lacing his fingers.

"Turlough is many things, Doctor. He's selfish, devious, cowardly and can be quite cruel if he puts his mind to it. However, he is also highly intelligent, doggedly determined and quite adaptable. I also believe that there is something more to him beneath the surface. Don't ask me to define it. I doubt I could. But whatever it is, it is telling me that he has the potential to be an exceptional young man. If someone could reach him and give him the correct guidance."

He leaned forward, making sure to meet the Doctor's gaze. "It's your TARDIS, your travels, so it would be your decision, of course. But I do ask that you consider it."

"You mean take Turlough with me on my travels?" the Doctor said. "Make him one of my companions? Impossible. Turlough has already said that he wishes to go home. I can't make him stay if he doesn't want to."

For a moment, Alistair considered letting the matter end there. After all, the Doctor would be responsible for Turlough if he went through with it. If the Doctor wasn't willing, then it wouldn't be advisable at all. But then he saw that flicker again, and Alistair was finally able to place it. It was hope. Hope that was being besieged by doubt and regret.

It was then that Alistair was certain of what he needed to do.

"Of course, if that is what the boy wants, then you should take him home," he said. "You know more about these matters than I do. However, having talked to some of your past companions, I gathered the impression that a journey in your TARDIS is usually not as simple as going from point A to point B. That perhaps you get rather sidetracked."

"Side tracked? Is that what they said?" the Doctor replied with what could only be called a pout. "I'm certain that they exaggerated."

"Judging from my own experiences in your TARDIS, I doubt they embellished as much as you might think," Alistair smirked at him. "At any rate, when taking Turlough home, might I suggest taking the 'scenic route'?"

"Scenic route?"

"Quite. Perhaps a leisurely journey is just what the boy needs. A chance to gain a different perspective on things. After all, I believe it was you who told me that travel broadens the mind. Besides, you are always telling me that you can arrive at any point in time in your craft. So it's not as if you couldn't get Turlough to where he wanted to go no matter when you decided to do so."

The Doctor looked at him with an expression of disbelief at first, but then a twinkle appeared in his eyes followed by a smile. Then he hopped up to his feet. Alistair stood up as well.

"Goodbye, Brigadier," he said, shaking his hand again. "I will take what you've said under advisement. And thank you for your help, as always."

"Of course," Alistair said with a smile of his own. "Goodbye Doctor. I'm sure I will you see you again before too long. Safe travels….well, as safe as possible for you, that is."

The Doctor gave him another mock scowl before waving goodbye and rushing out of the cabin. A few seconds later, Alistair heard the usual wheeze of the TARDIS taking off.

He chuckled and sat back down to his papers. He would have to make a few phone calls tomorrow, but he didn't mind. Despite what the Doctor had said, Alistair was certain that there would be no "taking under advisement" for his suggestion. The Doctor had already made up his mind in regards to Turlough.

Alistair just hoped that he was right about Turlough and that the boy would be equal to the experiences he was sure to be in for.