A/N: The Chibi's Are Stalking Me, Cordelia-Lear, GSRgirlforever, Isis the Sphinx, Jessa L'Rynn, Kathryn Shadow, NewDrWhoFan, Olfactory-Ventriloquism, Rynne, SilverWolf7, andTardisIsTheOnlyWayToTravel are proud to present the Second Annual Doctor Who October Project.
Each author has one character assigned, in the mode of the Canterbury Tales. Jessa L'Rynn edits. Well... tonight, she just tacks on a bit at the end.
Disclaimer: Today, we received Doctor Who in the mail. Unfortunately, it was just an ad for the new logo, and they're not even letting us own it!
The Companionable Tales
Chapter 7: Additional Archetype
Today's Author: Isis the Sphinx
"Well, this is certainly different."
All the heads in the hotel lobby turned to the new voice, except for Isleen, who was still asleep and had a bit of drool gathering at a corner of her mouth. "Where are we?"
"Don't exactly know." Martha shrugged. "You're Luke, aren't you?"
Luke nodded. "It's nice to finally meet you in person."
"Oi, wait a minute, I don't remember him! The rest of you seem to!"
"Sorry, Donna, can't tell ya." Mickey sighed. "Spoilers."
Jackie patted the sofa next to her chair. "Sweetheart, come sit next to me and tell us what happened."
"I had gotten into bed, rather early because Sarah Jane insists on it--even though Clyde says that I should be able to stay up longer—and had just about fallen asleep. Next thing I know, I'm here."
There were raised eyebrows, but nothing more than that. No one knew what to make of it.
"Don't you live with Sarah Jane, Luke? How'd you get mixed up with the Doctor then?" Mickey leaned forward towards Luke.
"Mixed up? What do you mean by that?"
Mickey blinked.
Luke slumped. "I'm sorry, not everyone knows that I have problems with what Sarah calls 'idioms'. But I'm working on it."
"Eh…How'd you get involved with the Doctor?"
"I haven't really traveled with him, but I've seen him a lot."
They were small, squishy, walking marshmallows, and they were everywhere.
Mr. Smith had told Sarah Jane that there was an anomaly and she had promptly gotten in the car, taking Luke with her, and driven straight toward the city, following K-9's instructions.
They had left the car an hour and five blocks back when Luke and Sarah came across a line of the things, all going in the same direction. It wasn't hard to follow the large group.
They heard his mutterings before they saw him. Speeding by, eyes glued to the device he was holding instead of where he was going, the Doctor ran by Sarah and Luke and didn't even notice them.
"Well. That settles things." Sarah said.
"She just let him handle it. Sarah Jane sometimes does, and sometimes she takes care of everything herself before the Doctor is ever involved." Luke frowned and considered.
"That must've been the Adipose," Donna said with a shrug and a shudder. "They weren't marshmallows – they were fat. Cutest fat ever, but fat."
"I thought… Even Lucy here has traveled in the TARDIS," Martha said. "As far as I know, you haven't. I'm fresh out of patterns."
Luke nodded. "But time travel eliminates the validity of the pattern recognition, Martha. I know or know of everyone here, except the lady sleeping, but most of you don't know me. I don't know her at all; there aren't even any pictures. But Sarah Jane has pictures of everyone else and even a list of people I'm supposed to run away from." He frowned. "She's on that list, actually," he added, gesturing rather discreetly at Lucy.
"As she should be," Jackie said firmly, "according to what everyone's said. You're a clever little boy." She stared at Luke intently. "You kind of look like…"
"Jackie, just don't go there," Mickey said. "Please, not right now." He turned all of his attention on Luke. "I was just noticing what you said. You were asleep, right?"
"I think so," Luke agreed.
"I think I was, too," Martha exclaimed, excited. "Donna?"
"I'd just escaped the Star-hustler for the night, yeah," she agreed. "And you probably wouldn't know where you were, would you?" she added quite hotly to Lucy.
"I'm dreaming," Lucy said honestly. "I thought you knew."
"Right," said Martha. "So we're back to the pattern. Everyone thinks they were asleep when this started."
"No, wait," said Mickey. "I forgot. She said she was awake when this started – she said something about the Doctor and his other companion having an argument."
"I wish Sarah Jane was here," Luke said.
"I wish she was, too," said Martha. "She's probably known the Doctor longer than just about anyone."
"Except for the Brigadier, I think so," agreed Luke.
Martha's eyes brightened and sparkled. "I met him once," she said proudly. "But isn't it weird who is here, and who isn't?"
"I've been thinking about that," said Mickey. "I'm not sure what I'm thinking yet, but I'm working on an idea."
"I'm working on an idea, too," said Jackie, hotly. "And that idea is that this is all the Doctor's fault – as usual!"