"Why are we goin' away?"
Bastian didn't know how to answer. He'd always been honest with his sister, but somehow the phrase "Well, because you're an alien and before Mum died she told Da that when trouble started he was supposed to take you to Norway" didn't seem to be the appropriate thing to say, regardless of how true it was. He was still having trouble believing it himself, but he knew it to be true. So for the first time ever, he lied to her.
"Da's taking us on a vacation to a beach. Could you hand me those socks?" She bounced over to him, one sock in each hand, and he rolled them together and stuffed them I his bag. Her bag - a little pink one with a white cartoon kitten on it - was already filled with clothes and toys and sitting out of the way by the door. A final tug on the straps closed his bag and he shouldered it quickly. Picking up Ellie's bag as well, he motioned to her.
"Come on, Ellie-girl. Let's go put these in the car so we'll be ready to go whenever Da is. Did you use the loo?" The little imp holding his free hand nodded emphatically.
"Yep!"
"Okay, then." They hurried downstairs, Bastian waiting for her at the foot of the steps as she insisted on making her own way down. As he stood there, watching to make sure she didn't fall, a head peeked around the corner.
"All set, tiger?" Jack's body followed his head and Bastian saw that he'd packed a simple backpack as well. The boy felt a bit apprehensive - this wasn't a normal vacation, regardless of what he'd told his sister, and he hoped she wouldn't pick up on his anxiety. Jack put his hand on his son's shoulder and smiled at him, speaking in a quiet voice.
"It's all going to be okay. Your mum wouldn't have asked me to do anything that would be bad for Ellie. Or you." Seeing that conviction in his father's eyes, he relaxed a bit. Ellie bounded down the last step and tripped, falling right into her dad's arms. She giggled as he swung her up onto his shoulders, and they all laughed with her.
"Okay, everybody, out to the car! Next stop - Norway!"
Ellie fell asleep almost before they were out of the city. Bastian chuckled at her, slumped sideways in her carseat, mouth partially open, her favorite toy - a gangly stuffed mouse named Penny - clutched tightly in one hand. She was always like this. Loved going places in the car, and loved letting the rumble of the engine lull her to sleep. He turned to his dad.
"She's asleep," he chuckled. Jack grinned, switching the radio until he found the station he wanted, and turning the volume down so as not to disturb Sleeping Beauty.
"Easiest passenger in the world. Must have picked that up from her mum." Rose's tendency to sleep easily on car rides had been a source of amusement to both her husband and her son. Quiet filled the car, and Bastian let his mind wander as he stared out the window at the passing scenery.
"Da?"
"Hmm?" Jack was tapping lightly on the steering wheel in time with the song on the radio.
"Could all of this," the boy paused, "have something to do with her dreams?"
"She has dreams? That she remembers?" Jack was surprised. "Didn't think that started so young. What about? She ever tell you?"
"She said there's a man and a woman and a glowing light, and they're smiling at her. Then the ground goes all rumbly and purry -"
"Rumbly and purry?" Jack sounded amused and Bastian giggled.
"Her words, not mine. Anyway, then these ropes of clouds come out of the sky and drag them away from each other and they're sad. And she sees a big blue box and it talks to her, so she goes in and it tells her things."
"What kinds of things?"
"Dunno. She usually wakes up and doesn't remember."
"Usually? She's had this dream more than once?"
"About once a week for a couple of months now," Bastian replied, nodding. His dad was quiet for a long time, so Bastian started humming along with the song on the radio. He almost missed his dad mumbling under his breath.
"This doesn't make sense. Why is she dreaming of the Tardis?"
Bastian didn't know what to say, so he just sat there and stayed quiet. Father and son drove farther and farther from home, sitting in silence while the precious cargo slept in the back seat. And the radio sang on, uncaring.