Eleventh Doctor's TARDIS, 8:17 pm
Dayle A was waiting anxiously when they returned. She jumped out of her chair and met them before they'd reached the console.
"How'd it go?" she blurted, looking at all three of them expectantly.
Sienna shook her head and closed her eyes. "You have no idea." She walked off and found a chair on the opposite end of the control room.
Dayle's eyes narrowed at the Doctors who remained standing silently in front of her. "What did you do?" she demanded.
Eleven rubbed the back of his neck. Cleared his throat. "Well... on the bright side, we did get the scans we were after."
"But..." Dayle gestured impatiently.
"I rather doubt either of us will be invited to a dinner party at Dayle and Jesse's anytime soon." Five concluded with a self-conscious smile.
"Did you two get into another argument?" Dayle shrieked in disbelief.
"No!" the Doctors said quickly in unison, then looked at each other spitefully.
"It wouldn't have been so bad if this imbecile hadn't practically assaulted the poor woman with a surprise retina scan!" Five accused.
Dayle looked at Eleven, horrified.
"Might not have been such a surprise to her if you hadn't been acting like a jealous teenager over a bloody text message!" Eleven countered, crossing his arms stubbornly.
Dayle looked back at the Fifth Doctor in total exasperation. After a moment, she scrubbed her hands down her face and sighed.
"Will you two just do your genius Time Lord thing and save the day already?" She made a disgusted sound and headed over to join Sienna.
Five looked over at Eleven and raised his eyebrows. Eleven straightened his bow tie and forced a grin.
"Shall we?" they said in unison, then rolled their eyes.
Eleventh Doctor's TARDIS, 10:30 pm
They had actually worked together quite well once they'd gotten started. There was hardly even any bickering.
Dayle had been in and out, trying not to disturb them while they worked. Just now she was leaning against the console observing. Sienna had disappeared to watch Netflix in the TV room, needing some space. Five couldn't say he blamed her. He still couldn't believe how juvenile he'd behaved. It was inexcusable.
They had started with the Timeline Analyzer results. Since it wasn't the kind of device either of them had made or used before, it was mostly improvisation. Once they'd hooked it up to the TARDIS, they had to translate the results into usable data.
They soon discovered that it was going to be well nigh impossible to pinpoint the exact date that the alternate timeline skewed off. Eleven suggested they were going to have to work backwards until they found the inception point.
The Fifth Doctor voiced his concerns."Since the alternate timeline both is and isn't reality simultaneously, we're standing on very shaky ground here."
Eleven nodded gravely. "You're afraid that the very act of traveling in time from this point will collapse this timeline completely."
Dayle had picked up on pieces of their conversation about the timeline, and was growing concerned. "What exactly do you mean, the timeline could collapse? Because that sounds none too good."
Five sighed. "If these were normal circumstances and there was no temporal disturbance, we could simply make jumps back in time, along the timeline until we found what we were looking for. But the timeline has become fragile, and time travel... well, it...well I suppose it..."
"It creates tears in the fabric of reality." Eleven provided. Five nodded his agreement. Eleven continued. "Normally those tears are like little paper cuts that heal quickly, leaving no trace. Under these circumstances, it's entirely possible everything could just..."
"Collapse." Dayle finished for him. She looked at the two Doctors. "Please tell me there's another option then because that sounds like an awfully big risk to be taking."
"Well," Five said softly, "There is one other possibility." He was chewing on his lip thoughtfully.
"You're thinking of the woods aren't you? The time fissure." Eleven eyed him uncertainly.
"I'll have to complete my analysis there first. I got a bit lost the last time I tried that." He grinned at Dayle and she chuckled. "But it's entirely feasible that we can use the weakness there along with the residual anti time to create a time corridor. And it would be a direct link to the alternate time line because that was the location where the temporal disturbance began."
He looked at Eleven expectantly. After a moment, the Eleventh Doctor nodded. "That could work. But we'll have to do some research first, before we even attempt such a daft thing."
Dayle crossed her arms and leaned against Eleven. "Are you going to explain this time corridor thing?"
Eleven put his arm around her affectionately and explained. "Think of it like traveling in the TARDIS, without the TARDIS. Time Corridors create entry points into time bypassing the vortex altogether. They are terribly risky, notoriously unpredictable, and quite often impossible to even produce."
Dayle looked up at him and made an approving face. "Sounds like our kind of thing." Eleven laughed and kissed her on the forehead.
Five watched them together and suddenly wanted to see Sienna. He decided to excuse himself to go get her.
"We can get to this research in the morning. We're all tired." He told them casually.
Eleven raised his eyebrows and placed his arm around Five, walking him away from Dayle for a little privacy. "In my experience, women are much more quick to forgive absurdly jealous behavior if you'll just own up to it. And apologize." He grinned and clapped the Fifth Doctor on the back.
Five spoke through clenched teeth. "I hardly think I need you to advise me on my relationship with Sienna."
Eleven crossed his arms and smiled shrewdly. "Your relationship with Sienna? Well..."
"Oh for goodness sake. She's just my friend okay? My friend." Five decided it wasn't worth arguing about so he turned his back on the obnoxious little insect. He took a calming breath, adjusted his coat and headed down the corridor, choosing to ignore the laughter that erupted in the console room upon his exit.
He found the TV room quite easily. Sienna was lounging on a large green couch watching a true crime documentary. He cleared his throat to make his presence known.
She looked over at him and smirked. "Any other questions about Silas?" She wondered. "Would you like to know his height? Maybe his shoe size? Whether or not we've kissed?" She looked at him steadily, her arms crossed on her chest as she maintained her position on the couch. She refused to jump up just because he appeared to be ready to go. He could come to her.
He stood silently for a moment, staring down at the floor. Finally he entered the room and had a seat next to her on the couch.
He said, "Who you speak to or text is absolutely none of my business. I genuinely have no idea what came over me. I-I-I guess it just took me by surprise. You'd never mentioned that you'd been in contact..." He stopped himself, cleared his throat. "Regardless, it's none of my business and I sincerely apologize for my appalling behavior. I was supposed to be there helping to make things right. Get Gabe back. Instead I made an ass out of myself."
The poor guy looked so confused and embarrassed that she really couldn't stay angry. She suspected that he understood that his behavior was motivated by jealousy but was having a problem understanding the why.
She looked at him appraisingly. "I'm flattered that you were jealous." she told him honestly.
He looked ready to argue, then sighed and shook his head. "But there was no logical reason for me to feel that way. It was the most peculiar mindset. Why on earth should I have gotten angry with you because of a harmless comment about a text. It's completely irrational."
Sienna nodded. "Most things involving the heart are." she agreed. "And attempting to apply logic to them is really kind of dumb."
He looked at her like he wasn't sure if he should feel insulted. Then he eyed her curiously, "So you don't think an individual should make an attempt to be rational about their emotions?"
"Well of course I think you should think things through. And you should try not to behave irrationally. But those kind of things happen to the best of us. Love makes people a little crazy." She looked down at her hands, wishing she hadn't used the 'L' word.
The Doctor just looked thoughtful. "Romantic love is the most mysterious aspect of any civilization's evolution. Sexual desire itself is a functional instinct. It's perfectly logical. Propagation of the species."
Sienna almost choked on her tongue to hear the Doctor use the words "sexual desire". She barely managed to keep a straight face.
"Some believe love is simply an evolutionary adaptation to keep mates together to take care of their young." he continued. "To keep males around to protect their females. But it is so much more complex than that, isn't it?" The Doctor didn't even look her way when he posed his rhetorical question.
Sienna cleared her throat. "So if sexual desire is so logical, why do people get... well...um...you know..." She found she couldn't quite bring herself to say the word "horny" in front of him.
He watched her struggle with the appropriate wording before he offered, "Stimulated?"
"Yes! Thank you. Why do people get stimulated even when they can't have kids or don't want kids? When it's nothing to do with procreation?"
He thought for a moment, then smiled. "If sex wasn't an enjoyable experience, the species could potentially die out. And if beings weren't equipped with a sex drive, the same would happen. So the drive to have sex is naturally very strong in all..." he cleared his throat. "well... in all beings that reproduce in that way."
She had questions of a more personal nature she truly wanted to ask, but didn't quite have the nerve. She looked down at her hands again.
Suddenly there was a light tapping on the door and Dayle peeked her head in. "Hey you two. We are going to bed. The Doctor said to tell you there is a spare bedroom right through that door." She pointed to a door on the wall opposite the television. "In case you didn't feel like heading over to your TARDIS. Good night!" She exited.
The Doctor looked at Sienna. "You're probably exhausted, aren't you?" She yawned and nodded. "Well, why don't you go on and head to bed there." he suggested. "I may just pop over to the library and see if I can't get a little research done on our latest project."
"I take it you two managed to figure something out?" she asked hopefully.
He nodded. "It's going to involve something dangerous and frankly a bit stupid but, my gut tells me it's going to work." He smiled and moved to get up.
Sienna didn't want him to leave. She scooted over on the couch, took his hand and leaned her head against his shoulder. "Stay with me." she said sweetly, cuddling into his side.
The Doctor looked down at her and chuckled. "You want me to just sit here beside you all night?" He bumped her side playfully.
She turned and looked up at him. "Don't you sleep?" she wondered.
"Well, certainly. Time Lords don't need near the amount of rest as humans, but we still sleep."
She stood up and tugged him by the hand. "Come on then." she nodded toward the spare bedroom door. "Come sleep with me."
The Doctor stood and blinked rapidly. Looked very uncomfortable. "Uhhh... Sienna." he began.
"I said sleep Blondie. Get your mind out of the gutter." She grinned at him, showing her dimples.
He laughed. "I suppose I could use some rest as well. But..." He looked like he still had reservations. Like he didn't much like the implications of them sharing a bed. Quite frankly, she was far too tired to keep trying to convince him.
"Look." she told him firmly. "I'm going to go in there, see if I can find something comfy to put on and climb under the covers. You either join me or you don't." She gave his hand a squeeze and headed for the room.
Sienna suspected the spare bedroom was another one of those TARDIS miracle rooms that just materializes as its needed. She found a wardrobe and dresser both full of clothes that were her size. There was even a copy of East of Eden on the bedside table. "Nice touch." Sienna whispered to the TARDIS, looking around the room in awe. She would swear the TARDIS hummed back at her.
She found a t shirt that came down to mid thigh and changed into it before jumping into the bed. It felt amazing. She was pretty sure the Doctor wouldn't be joining her. That he was still worried about being proper. Oh well. At least she'd sleep well.
She had just started to drift off when the door opened and the Doctor entered. He stopped just inside the doorway, unsure of what to do.
She sat up, surprised but pleased that he'd come after all. "Come on. Take off some of those layers and get under the covers with me. I solemnly swear I will not molest you." She grinned sleepily.
After just another moment of hesitation, the Doctor removed his shoes, his coat and his cricket sweater. He kept on the striped pants and a plain t shirt. The stupid pants looked like pajamas anyway. She snickered to herself.
She patted the spot beside her and he laid down. He sighed, obviously enjoying the feeling of the soft mattress and pillows as much as she was.
She scooted so she was right next to him, climbed under his arm and laid her head on his chest. "Good night Doctor." she said on a yawn.
He struggled with what to do at first, just laying there stiffly. Finally he covered her with his arm and even gave her a little squeeze.
"Good night Sienna."
So, for those who read Stellar Collision, you probably think that Sienna and the Doctor's relationship is about to turn sexual. Well... you're actually right. lol But when I started this story, I swear I had no intention of a pairing between the two. I had more of a Nine/Rose dynamic in mind because frankly, I couldn't picture the Fifth Doctor that way. But man, these characters truly have minds of their own. And they are dirty, dirty minds. :) Changing the rating to mature for the next chapter. -Ruinous79