"I should've known you'd be in here, Krystal," the Doctor laughed while walking into the room I was in.
I had been walking around the TARDIS half an hour ago, bored out of my mind with nothing to do. What was the point in being able to travel anywhere in time and space with a Time Lord and his Human when we didn't do anything? I had been looking for something to do when I stumbled across this room. It was a library…with a swimming pool. How many libraries do you know of that have swimming pools? Not many, I'm sure. Maybe even none.
Well, knowing that the Doctor wouldn't mind if I messed around on my own, I ran back to my bedroom, pulled on my pink and purple striped bikini with one shoulder strap, and darted back down to the library in my swimsuit. With a loud laugh, I dived straight into the pool and started doing laps around the perimeter of the pool.
I came up to the side of the pool and grinned up at the Doctor. He sat down Indian style in front of me and took off his jacket, tossing it behind him and onto one of the chairs by the shelves. In his lap he had a TARDIS blue towel, ready for me to use when I got out.
I folded my arms on the floor beside his feet as he smiled back down at me. "What can I say, Doctor. I like to read and swim, though maybe not at the exact same time. This place is like a little paradise for me. It's perfect."
"I'm glad this room makes you so happy." His brown orbs travelled down to my hand. He nodded towards it. "How's your hand?"
I lifted it palm up for him to inspect. "See for yourself." Water dripped off of my fingers and landed on his pants as the Time Lord gently grabbed my hand to examine it. My eyes instantly changed to black as he scooted closer so he could bring my hand to his face.
"It looks better," he told me. "Still a little burned, though."
"Give it an hour or two and it'll be all healed up," I told him. "The good thing is that it doesn't hurt anymore, though."
The Time Lord released my hand and I brought it back to me, dipping my fingers in the pool water. "Is there any possible way that you know of to help heal your hand faster?"
I pulled myself out of the pool and sat beside him, grabbing the blue towel from his lap. My feet still dangled in the water. "Well, I've discovered over the years that if I treat any of my wounds like you normally would, it helps it heal a lot faster," I explained. "Sleep also does wonders."
We both grew quiet. The Doctor lay back on the floor with his arms folded behind his head. He stared up at the ceiling with a distant look in his eyes and a blank expression on his face. I wrapped the towel tightly around my body and leaned back on my arms. I stared at the Doctor out of the corner of my eye as I lightly kicked my legs in the water.
After a few minutes, I asked, "So, where are we heading next, Doctor?"
"Interesting question," he replied. The Time Lord paused. "You know, I'm not sure. Haven't decided yet, actually."
"Do you ever plan where you take people, Doctor?"
"It's usually a spur of the moment thing," he told me truthfully.
I laughed at him. "Well, that's encouraging to know!"
The Time Lord pulled at his earlobe with a huge grin on his face.
A few hours later I sat on the jumpseat reading A Tale of Two Cities with the Doctor fiddling with the console controls. I'm not sure what Rose was doing since I couldn't exactly see her. After I had changed into some normal clothes (some dark jean shorts, a long-sleeved blue plaid button up shirt, my white gloves, and grey fedora with light blue stripes), I found the Doctor leaning against the wall beside my door with the book in his hands. He smiled at me when I exited my room and handed over the book, explaining that he noticed back at the Tyler's flat that I hadn't quite finished the book. He thought I may be interested in his copy in order to finally finish the book. I grinned back at him, grabbed the book, and thanked him with a quick kiss to his forehead.
"What do you think of this? Will it do?" Rose stood up straight from behind the console and showed off her outfit. It was basically a mauve shirt underneath a dungaree denim short dress. Plain black tights covered both of her legs and black boots were on her feet.
The Doctor glanced up once at her before looking back at the device in his hands. I snorted quietly in laughter and turned the page of the book that the Doctor had given me.
"In the late 1970s, you'd be better off in a bin bag," the Time Lord told Rose. I snorted again.
The Doctor walked up to the console and pressed a button. "Hold on, listen to this."
Music played overhead. Das ist gute, ce fantastique.
I glanced up at the ceiling and cocked an eyebrow. "What music is that? I've never heard of this song before."
"Ian Pury and the Blockheads," he explained. "Number one in 1979."
"That explains it," I mumbled. "I came to Earth during the 1980s."
The Doctor pushed my feet off of the console and then reached for the controls. Rose followed him while laughing. "You're a punk! That's what you are."
The Time Lord paid her no attention since he was singing to himself. "It's good to be a lunatic."
"A big old punk with a bit of...rockabilly thrown in," Rose added as an afterthought.
I laughed. "Rockabilly?"
"Want to go see him?" the Doctor asked.
"How do you mean, in concert?" Rose asked in surprise.
The two of them circled the console. They grinned at the other. "What else is a TARDIS for?" the Doctor asked. "I can take you and Krysty-"
"Krystal," I muttered.
"-to the Battle of Trafalgar," he said, ignoring me. "the First Antigravity Olympics, Caesar crossing the Rubicon, or Ian Dury at the top rank, Sheffield, England, Earth, 21st November 1979, what do you think?"
Rose's grin grew. "Sheffield it is."
The Doctor glanced over at me with raised eyebrows."Krysty?"
I sighed and placed down my book. I was finished with it and now was bored out of my mind. "It's Krystal," I glared at him. I then shrugged and brought my feet back up onto the console. "And I don't care where we go as long as we go somewhere. My book is done and I'm just now officially bored."
"Well, we can't have that, now can we?" he said. The Doctor placed a hand on one of the console's levers. He grinned over at us. "Hold on tight," and he pulled the lever down. I dropped my book and quickly clenched the sides of the jumpseat.
Both the Doctor and Rose fell against the console as the TARDIS rocked about. My eyes widened while my fingers dug deep into the seat. The bumpiness of the TARDIS ride is probably the one thing I will never get used to no matter how long I travel with the Doctor. I never quite had really good balance. Even when I walked I felt off-centered. As wonderful as the blue police box was the ride to and from somewhere is just one big nightmare. What I need to start doing from now on is learn to sit on the floor whenever I noticed the Time Lord get within a foot of the console. It would make my life so much easier...and less painful.
Hit me with your rhythm stick. Hit me, hit me, the song went.
Well. Doesn't that just fit the situation perfectly?
Das ist gute ce fantastique.
I covered my ears. The music was loud and annoying. It was really hurting my eardrums. Plus, I just didn't like the song. Sorry, Doctor.
The music then suddenly stopped playing. The TARDIS lurched forward with absolutely no warning and we all fell to the floor. The Doctor and Rose started to laugh as soon as their backs smacked against the grating. I slowly rose into a sitting position with my hands stretched out behind me to keep me up. I blinked at them and gave the two of them an incredulous look. How was the situation funny? Pain was supposed to hurt you.
The Doctor jumped to his feet. "1979! Hell of a year." He pulled Rose to her feet and then me before dashing over to the ramp and down to the doors. I stretched my back and heard it crack a little bit. "China invades Vietnam, The Muppet Movie - love that film."
I took my time walking over to him while Rose just jogged to him. "The what movie?"
He blinked at me. "You've never seen that movie? You poor neglected child." I rolled my eyes. "Anyway," the Doctor continued. He grabbed his trench coat and started to pull it onto his body. "Margaret Thatcher, urgh." His face turned to one of disgust. Rose and I both grinned at his expression. "Skylab falls to Earth, with a little help from me. Nearly took off my thumb." The three of us stepped out of the TARDIS, one right after the other. Being last, like always, I was the one to close the doors. Unconsciously, I lightly patted one of the doors with a small smile. "And I like my thumb, I need my thumb, I'm very attached to..." The Time Lord trailed off when a pistol was cocked and aimed at us.
I sighed loudly and raised my hands in the air. "Joy."
The Doctor raised his hands up too slowly along with Rose while finishing his sentence. "...my thumb."
Other guns, rifles, were cocked at us by men in red uniforms. The Doctor stared up at the one man who was before us. He sat up on his horse and kept his pistol steadily on us.
"1879," the Doctor realized. "Same difference."
"What the bloody hell are you talking about?!" I hissed. "How is 1879 the same as 1979 in any way whatsoever?"
"You will explain your presence," the soldier up on the horse ordered the Doctor. "And the nakedness of these girls."
I snorted. We were in 1879 for roughly two minutes and already I don't like it the time period.
"Are we in Scotland?" the Doctor asked. A corner of my lips pulled up when his voice rose an octave.
"How can you be ignorant of that?" the soldier demanded.
The Doctor suddenly gained a Scottish accent. It actually wasn't that bad. "Oh, I'm - I'm dazed and confused. I've been chasing these - these wee naked children over hill and over dale." He gestured over at Rose and me with his head. He then looked over at us. "Isn't that right, you timorous beasties?"
I instantly turned my English accent into a Scottish one. It was as easy as flicking a switch. I glared over at the Doctor. "Who you callin' a timorous beastie?" The Doctor's eyes locked with mine for a quick second. I saw one of his eyebrows move upward before he turned back to the soldier on the horse.
Apparently since the Doctor and I had put on Scottish accents, Rose thought it would be a good idea to put one on as well to blend in.
"Och, aye," she said. The Time Lord and I slowly glanced over at her. "We've been oot and aboot."
The accent was horrible. She was a disgrace to all the people of Scotland.
"Don't hurt yourself, Rose," I muttered.
At the same time the Doctor said to her, "No, don't do that."
Rose looked at us. She blinked. "Hoots mon."
I slowly shook my head in warning. "No, really, don't. Really," the Doctor told her.
"Will you identify yourself, sir?" the soldier said, addressing the Time Lord.
The three of us turned back to the head soldier. "I'm Doctor James McCrimmon. From the...township of Balamory," the Doctor told him. "Uh, I have my credentials, if I may." Rose and I both lowered our arms as the Doctor reached into his jacket pockets. He pulled out his psychic paper and flipped it open for the soldier to view. "As you can see, a doctorate from the University of Edinburgh." He showed the psychic paper around so the rest of the soldiers could see it too." I trained under Dr. Bell himself."
"Let them approach," an elderly woman stated.
I glanced around for the source of the voice and then noticed the black carriage that the soldier on the horse was hiding from view. That voice sounded familiar. Who was she? Obviously someone important if she had a bunch of soldiers guarding her.
"I don't think that's wise, ma'am," the head soldier answered.
"Let them approach," the woman repeated.
The soldier looked as if he wished to argue more with the mysterious woman, but he decided against it in the end. With a look that showed he wholeheartedly disapproved, he told the three of us, "You will approach the carriage and show all due deference." Now I really wanted to know who this brilliant woman was. With a smile, the Doctor gestured for us to follow him. He gave the soldier a quick two finger salute before leading the way over to the black carriage.
A man opened the closest carriage door when we approached it. Once we were near enough, the three of us looked in at the woman who had spoken. She stared back at us. I grinned, instantly recognizing the famous woman.
The Doctor turned to us and gave a wide smile. "Rose, Krystal, might I introduce her majesty, Queen Victoria, empress of India and defender of the faith."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, ma'am," I said while bowing my head in respect. "What an honor. Truly it is. My name is Krystal."
"Rose Tyler, ma'am," Rose introduced herself. "And our apologies for being so naked."
"I've had five daughters," the queen told us. "It is nothing to me. But you, Doctor, show me these credentials." The Doctor handed over his psychic paper to Queen Victoria. She inspected it closely. "Why didn't you say so immediately?" she said to him. One of my eyebrows rose up curiously. "It states clearly here that you have been appointed by the Lord Provost as my protector."
"Does it?" the Time Lord asked surprised. He then regained his composure before Queen Victoria noticed. "Yes, it does. Good, good. Um - then, let me ask - why is your majesty traveling by road when there's a train all the way to Aberdeen?"
"A tree on the line," she answered.
That perked my interest. "An accident?" I asked.
Queen Victoria's eyes traveled up to my face. "I am the queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Everything around me tends to be planned."
"An assassination attempt?" the Doctor asked.
"What, seriously, there's people out to kill you?" Rose said in shock. I rolled my eyes.
"I'm quite used to staring down the barrel of a gun," she replied.
"Sir Robert MacLeish lives but ten miles hence." The Doctor, Rose, and I all turned around and looked up at the soldier on the horse who spoke. "We've sent word ahead. He'll shelter us for tonight, then we can reach Balmoral tomorrow."
"The Doctor and his timorous beasties will come with us," the queen told him.
I softly sighed and stepped on the Doctor's foot hard. His face scrunched up in pain for a brief second. He glanced down at me in question when I brought my foot back. I glared back in response. Queen Victoria referred to Rose and I as "timorous beasties". I was definitely going to kill the Doctor for that name when this was all over.
"Yes, ma'am," the soldier said. "We'd better get moving. It's almost nightfall."
"Indeed," Queen Victoria stated. "And there are stories of wolves in these parts, fanciful tales intended to scare the children, but good for the blood, I think."
That got my attention. I snapped my eyes back over at Queen Victoria at the mention of wolves. The greatest creatures in all of existence. We had several wolf packs back on Chroma. Like dogs are a man's best friend, wolves are a Colorian's. I was friends with a wolf back when I was a child. He was the greatest years of my life. He protected me from everything. He was absolutely my best friend. No questions about it.
The queen turned towards where her driver sat. "Drive on," she ordered him.
The door shut and the carriage started rolling forward. All of Queen Victoria's soldiers followed on either side of it. The Doctor and Rose began to walk along together behind the carriage. I trailed after them with the biggest smile on my face.
"It's funny, though," Rose stated. "'Cause you say 'assassination', and you just think of Kennedy and stuff, not her."
"1879 - she's had, ohh - six attempts on her life?" the Doctor said. "And I'll tell you something else - we just met Queen Victoria." H
Rose grabbed his arm excitedly. "I know!"
"What a laugh!"
The two of them were beginning to sound like some fangirls. They were both just so giddy with excitement. Then again, that's how I've been feeling ever since the queen told us about the wolves.
"She was just sitting there," Rose said.
"Like a stamp," the Time Lord added.
"I want her to say, 'we are not amused.' I bet you 5 quid I can make her say it," Rose told him.
"Well, if I gambled on that, it'd be an abuse of my privilege as a traveler in time," the Doctor said whilst stuffing his hands in his pockets.
"10 quid?"
"Done."
I rolled my eyes and just shook my head. Nope. I'm mistaken. They're even worse than me. I'd never bet, especially on something so stupid. I hope Rose doesn't go overboard with trying to get Queen Victoria to say that. I don't wish to be shot for annoying the queen with idiocy.
We all finally arrived before a giant manor. Even though the sun was out and it was a beautiful day, the house held a small bit of creepiness to it. I had a really bad feeling just looking up at it.
The carriage pulled to a halt before the front door. The driver climbed out of his seat and opened the queen's door. He held a hand out for her to take. Queen Victoria accepted the hand held before her and stepped out. A small smile was upon her face as she looked up at the house.
A handsome man with dark hair stepped forth from the house. He made his way up to the queen. I admit that it was a little hard not to stare at him He was quite cute.
"Your majesty," the man said to the queen. He gave her a bow.
"Sir Robert," Queen Victoria replied. Robert came up out of his bow. "My apologies for the emergency. And how is Lady Isobel?"
I cursed under my breath, causing the Doctor and Rose to glance at me funnily. Of course the man had a wife. Of course! Just my luck. Why were all the decent men taken?
"She's...indisposed, I'm afraid," Robert answered. "She's gone to Edinburgh for the season. And she's taken the cook with her. The kitchens are...barely stocked. I wouldn't blame your majesty if you wanted to ride on."
I rose up onto my tiptoes and leaned in close to the Doctor's ear. He bent down slightly to hear what it was I had to say. With my hand hiding my mouth, I murmured, "Is it just me, or is that man trying to persuade us to leave? He sounds like he's hiding something."
"Oh, not at all," the queen told him. "I've had quite enough carriage exercise, and this is...charming, if rustic. It's my first visit to this house. My late husband spoke of it often. The Torchwood Estate."
The Doctor stood back up straight and lowered back down to the ground. My eyebrows scrunched together in confusion. Torchwood? Where have I heard that word before? I softly groaned and rapped my knuckles against my temples in frustration. The Doctor gave me an interesting look.
"Now, shall we go inside?" Queen Victoria asked. "And please excuse the naked girls."
Robert's head turned towards where Rose and I stood. I crossed my arms awkwardly over my chest as he looked us over. I looked worse than Rose when it came to being 'naked'. My clothes didn't cover my skin as well as Rose's did. While her arms may have been showing, everyone had a nice view of my legs.
I mumbled along with the blonde Human, "Sorry."
"They're feral children," the Doctor explained. "I bought them for sixpence in Old London Town. It was them or the Elephant Man, so..."
"Thinks he's funny," Rose said. Her voice then grew serious. "But I'm so not amused." I rolled my eyes at her pathetic attempt of getting the Queen of England to say that phrase. "What do you think, ma'am?"
"It hardly matters," she replied. The queen then turned back to Sir Robert. I quietly snickered at Rose with a hand covering my mouth. "Shall we proceed?"
Rose turned to the Doctor and me as everyone else began to walk inside. "So close."
I snorted again, this time loud enough for her to hear. "Not even, Rose."
"Mackeson and Ramsey, you will escort the property," the soldier who had earlier pointed the first gun at us told the two men "Hurry up."
"Yes, sir," both men answered.
The Doctor, Rose, and I all watched as one of the soldiers stepped towards the carriage. When he turned, we saw that he was holding a box which he took with him inside the manor. The other soldier followed after him.
"So, what's in there, then?" the Doctor asked the remaining soldiers in his Scottish accent.
"Property of the crown," the lead soldier told him. "You will dismiss any further thoughts, sir." The Doctor looked at Rose and me with the face of a young child who had just been scolded. I huffed and rolled my eyes. The soldier didn't have be so mean about it. "The rest of you, go to the rear of the house. Assume your designated positions," he told his fellow soldiers.
"You heard the orders," one said as all of them began to move. "Positions."
"Sir."
The Doctor and Rose made their way into the house. I began to follow them, but I paused when I saw the plaque on the side of the manor. I gave the plaque a strange look. It read 'Torchwood'. I racked my brain for a moment on where I had heard the word before. I still couldn't remember. I reached out a hand hesitantly and lightly touched it. A chill ran instantly down my spine and I quickly pulled back and blinked in surprise.
My head cocked slightly to the side as I placed my fingers back on the plaque. Nothing happened this time.
"I've got a bad feeling about this," I murmured before darting inside.
Sorry it's been so long. I mainly updated this story because of the brilliant new episodes of Doctor Who that have been airing this month. Not the best chapter, sorry. Not the biggest fan of this episode.