Chapter 21
The Doctor went back to 2009 and put in a call to Jack to let him know he'd be stopping by later. He'd already picked up Fiona's friends and taken them to assist her in preparation for their upcoming nuptials. The last thing he wanted to do was face Sarah Jane again without Rose. He was afraid she would throw it in his face, the fact that he'd had to leave Rose behind. Had Sarah Jane really gotten over him like she said she had?
He sighed and set the street address of Sarah Jane's house into the Tardis console. Despite the perception filter that hid the Tardis from view, he tried to park it somewhere innocuous. Only those who had traveled with him before or knew of its existence could even hear the whine of the ship's engines as it materialized in her garden. The Doctor took a deep breath and stepped outside making sure to close and lock the door behind him. When he turned around three rather surprised teenagers were staring at him in disbelief.
"What?" He asked equally stunned.
"Where did you com from then?" The dark skinned lad asked finding his voice.
"That blue box of course, Clyde you saw it the same as I did," The female replied "Is that your space ship?" She asked turning her attention back to the Doctor.
"What?" He heard himself dumbly repeat.
"Are you the Doctor by any chance?" The other male asked. With one look the Doctor knew there was something different about that one, certainly not your average garden variety human.
"So you guessed my name who are you?" he found his own voice at last.
"Luke, Luke Smith. My mum knows you; she told me all about the Doctor and his marvelous blue box." The boy who called himself Luke answered.
"And who might you're mum be?" He wondered curiously hoping Sarah Jane hadn't revealed his secrets to anyone else.
"Sarah Jane Smith!" The boy informed him.
"What?" He was rendered relatively speechless again. The last time they had met she told him she hadn't met anyone to replace him apparently she had lied.
"I'll get her," The young girl said running back into the house. It only took a few minutes for that wonderfully familiar face to emerge from inside the house holding bowls of food.
"It's you!" She breathed. "I thought I hear the Tardis but I wasn't sure. Hello Doctor!" She greeted him with a smile.
"Hello!" He grinned back getting over the shock.
"You haven't met my son yet. Doctor this is Luke; Luke this is the Doctor." Sarah introduced.
"What? How did this come about?" He wanted to know.
"Long story, I'll have to tell you sometime." She replied setting the dishes she still held on the table set up with other food and dishes.
"Yes you will; but more importantly, am I interrupting something?" He asked curiously. "I suppose I should have called." He considered.
"We were just having a picnic. Why don't you join us?" She responded.
"No actually there's something I need to talk to you about… in private." He let on.
"Sure Luke the lemonade is still in the kitchen would you fetch it please? Then you and your friends can start without me. We shouldn't be long." Sarah let her other guests know. "I saw the list of the dead after the Dalek/Cyberman incident. I noticed Rose was on it, I'm sorry." She told him with a hint of sadness as they went into the house. He felt the pain constricting his chest just like always at the mention of Rose but it wasn't as painful as he'd expected it to be.
"She isn't dead... well she is here but she's living in a parallel world with her mum and Mickey." He explained.
"I'm glad for that, really I am. What about you?" She asked. "Have you had anyone else to travel with since then?" She wondered curiously.
"There was someone yes, Martha Jones, a medical student but she left. The Master came back, the last Prime Minister Gerald Saxon that was him, and made a mess of things. He got hold of Martha's family so she decided to stay home with them." He explained.
"I knew there was something fishy about that man." Sarah exclaimed.
"Don't tell me that you were stuck with memories of that year as well." He begged fearing her travels with him had made it so she would also relive that terrible time. It made him wonder about all of his previous companions still residing on earth, the ones still alive that was.
"What year Doctor?" She wondered curiously apparently safe from the horrors.
"Last year, the Master opened a paradox rift but I was able to turn back time and reverse everything the Master did except for the death of the American President of course. Only the ones who were on board the Valiant should have been able to remember everything that happened." He explained.
"I take it that's why Martha left." Sarah correctly assumed. He nodded his head in affirmation before shoving his hands in his pockets. "But you said should have, does that mean someone not on board the Valiant remembered?" She questioned.
"Yes," He answered trying to gather the courage to explain everything.
"Oh lord, how dreadful! Who was it?" she wanted to know.
"An American woman, her name is Fiona MacDonald. She had some residual telepathic ability which allowed her to remember everything before I changed things. Basically she relived that same year twice." He told her.
"Is she your newest companion then?" Sarah asked curiously.
"Actually that's why I'm here." He replied.
"What for? You don't need my permission, Doctor. You've never needed anyone's permission to do anything you do…" She rambled a bit; he could tell it was upsetting her.
"I'm getting married," He cut in making her look up at him in shock but she turned away from him quickly. She sought out a seat on the couch in the front room. The look in her eyes before she had looked away was as though her heart was breaking all over again. "Boy I really mucked this up haven't I? This isn't how I wanted to tell you, I'm sorry." He apologized.
"Is it her? Are you marrying this Fiona MacDonald person?" she questioned. He nodded his head when she looked up at him, her eyes carefully guarded.
"The thing is I'm not alone anymore Sarah." He told her hoping to make her understand.
"Well that's what we companions are for isn't it. So you won't feel like you're the only one left." She asked clearly upset though she was trying to hide it.
"Remember when I told you that everyone had died?" He wondered and she nodded her head. "I was wrong. I'm not the only one left anymore." He made known.
"You mean Miss MacDonald? But how?" She wanted to know.
"The same way the Master was able to hide himself from me before stealing my Tardis and coming back here under the guise of Gerald Saxon." He brought to light. "She became human." He divulged.
"I don't understand how can a Time Lord become human?" She demanded an answer. He sighed, he hadn't really expected this to be easy but it was certainly turning out to be harder than he hoped it would be.
"It's a long story," He replied.
"I've got plenty of time." She countered.
"Funny you should mention that." He pointed out. She just gave him that look of hers. "Oh alright, I never could ignore that look of yours." He sighed again.
"What look?" She asked indignantly.
"There that one, the one where you try not to cry but don't quite make it. Your bottom lip quivers." He informed her.
"It does not," She declared.
"Does too," He shot back. She glared at him for a few second before they both broke into laughter cutting the tension that had hung heavily in the air.
"Alright Doctor, I give in. I'll tell you about Luke if you tell me about Miss Fiona…" She began but seemed to work something out. "It can't be Fionadvoratrelundar can it?" She asked.
"Yes, that Fiona." He confirmed. She sighed and leaned back on the couch overcome by the news.
"Well, I guess none of us ever really had a chance with you then." She accepted defeat gracefully. He knelt down beside her and put a hand on her knee.
"I'm sorry Sarah Jane. The other Time Lords have been manipulating my whole life without my knowing it. Even though Fiona was a part of that manipulation she was just as much a marionette as I was. I'm sorry I couldn't be the person you wanted me to be." He apologized again.
"That's just it Doctor you were everything to me." She confessed.
"That's the problem though isn't it? You never found someone who could take my place. Because of me you've wasted your whole life when you could have been happy." He insisted. She put her hand over his and shook her head.
"I didn't waste my life Doctor. If it wasn't for you I wouldn't have had the experiences I did I never would have seen the things I've seen or even found Luke for that matter. I wouldn't have traded that for all the world." She countered. He smiled up at her sadly. "Sit here beside me and tell me how you finally caught the elusive Time Lady that's skipped in and out of your life since before I met you." She told him patting the couch next to her. He nodded his head and did as he was told spinning a tale of miracles and happy endings.
Doctor *** Who *** Ohw *** Rotcod
Two weeks. Fiona had told the Doctor she would be ready for their wedding in two weeks. It was the maddest, craziest two weeks of her life, mainly trying to explain things to everyone, but she finally succeeded. She planned, prepared, and was actually able to pull it off. It had taken nearly three months to put Peter and Agnes' wedding together but then Fiona hadn't needed to make her own wedding dress. She wore the one Agnes had made for her own wedding along with the veil Peter's mother had worn for hers.
There was no official wedding ceremony on Gallifrey so she had patterned their wedding on human traditions. There was one common element, the marriage license though the human version was much less complicated. The Time Lord license was more of a formal contract that also outlined past, current, and future family connection. Gone were the ancient days of the heart bonding ceremonies which were closely related to the more traditional human ceremony, though Fiona did include the binding and the genealogy exchange that was common among Time Lord marriages.
Claire, already five months pregnant with her third child, and Jane were Fiona's ladies in waiting. Tom, despite never having met the Doctor until he was packed into the Tardis for the trip through time, was the Doctor's groomsmen while Jack acted as best man. John and Sarah were given the honor of presenting the genealogies, normally reserved for family. That left Brigadier Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart to give the bride away, which left him teary-eyed and speechless when asked if he would. The local Protestant minister over saw the ceremony but the most important task fell to Captain Jack Harkness.
"In place of the traditional exchanging of the rings the bride and groom have chosen something more culturally specific to them." The minister told the crowd at just the right time. Fiona had kept this last ritual a secret even from the Doctor who looked at her in surprise.
"I guess that's my cue," Jack grinned and winked at the Doctor when he cast a glance towards his best man.
"What are you planning?" The Doctor asked Fiona and she merely shrugged her shoulders.
"You'll have to wait and see," She whispered back.
"In the days of old, in a very far away place, men and women who wanted to pledge their troth did so with a covenant; a covenant that proved their loyalty, their trust, and especially their love. This covenant showed the world what had already taken place in their hearts. Where two hearts are bound together to become one so too let their blood be proof of their contract before their chosen witnesses." Jack spoke the words that Fiona had given him to say. He pulled a blade of Gallifreyan origin from his coat making the Doctor look at her in surprise.
"I found it in Mama's jewelry box," Fiona explained. "And by Mum I mean Romana," She whispered leaning close to his ear.
"None of that now you two," Gwen Cooper stepped up with a piece of braided cord. There were three strands of color, orange which was the color of the skies over Gallifrey, silver which stood for the wind that blew through the leaves on the trees, and blood red with white threads running through it for the snow covered ground to remind the of the home that was lost. Jack held the disc shaped blade between them. Gwen took their right hands raising them palms up, while Jack brought the blade down over their hands drawing blood. Gwen put their hands together and they intertwined their fingers as Gwen and Jack repeated the process with their left hands.
"I bind you to the sky that you might always have light to guide your way." Gwen said tying one cord around their right wrists.
"I bind you to the wind that blows through the trees which can never be tamed." Jack said tying their left wrists together with the other one.
"Together we bind you to the planet to which you were born that you may never forget from whence you came or the future that lies ahead." They spoke in unison as they tied the two cords together. The Doctor's eyes were a bit misty after the last words were spoken and Fiona wondered if she had done the right thing. He had become lost in thought with a faraway look in his eyes until his eyes cleared and he looked down at her with a smile.
"May nothing break the bond in your hearts or separate the spiritual cords that bind you in either life or death. May all here sing praises of your union for years to come." Jack finished the little ceremony and nodded to the parson.
"Well I say that's a bit different." The parson recovered from his own amazement. "By the powers invested in me by the crown and the church I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride unless that isn't done where you're from." He pronounced making half the attendees laugh as they knew the truth.
"Oh definitely yes!" The Doctor exclaimed and kissed Fiona passionately much to the delight of the crowd.
"Don't I get a kiss?" Jack asked.
"Jack," The Doctor warned untying their left wrists which was a cue to Owen to wrap their palms to hide the fact that their skin had already begun to heal. After Owen had finished with a slight shake of his head as his current patients defied everything he knew about medicine; the Doctor reached out and caressed Fiona's cheek kissing her again before spinning her around so they stood side by side. It was a bit difficult since their right wrists were still bound together but he wrapped his arm securely around her and she could stand her arm being slightly twisted behind her back. "You know we're supposed to stay like this for twenty-four hours," He whispered cheekily.
"I hope you're ambidextrous then because you'll have to feed me." She whispered back fully aware of the implications.
"So will you," He replied. She shrugged her shoulders as they made their way down the isle to be greeted by their friends which had become almost like family. Fiona had one more secret from the Doctor which wouldn't be revealed until much later.
"Let me be the first to congratulate you, m'dear, Doctor." The Brigadier greeted them. She smiled up at the old war horse and kissed his cheek. The Doctor clasped hands with his old friend, the only man in a uniform he truly admired though they didn't always see eye to eye. "You've finally caught her after all these years, eh?" he asked her husband.
"From everything you've told me about these two Alistair, it's more like she's finally caught him." The Brigadier's wife Doris corrected him. "I must admit though I rather thought the two of you would be so much older." She added. "When did you say you worked for U.N.I.T.?" She asked the Doctor. He opened his mouth to say something and Fiona elbowed him in the ribs reminding him of his promise. He cast her an annoyed glare before smiling regretfully at Doris.
"I was a bit of a child prodigy back then Ma'am." He said honestly though a bit vague. The Brigadier snorted at that but didn't challenge him, like Benton there were things about his time with U.N.I.T. that he wasn't able to tell his wife.
"I'd like to speak with you about a matter of utmost importance if I can steal a few minutes of your time after the reception." Alistair let him know.
"I'm afraid I won't be available for at least twenty-four hours, Brigadier." The Doctor told him. "Old traditions and the like," He added motioning his head towards Fiona's back where their hands were still tied together.
"We won't be going anywhere for a few days Brigadier you'll have my husband all to yourself as soon as possible. You can talk boy stuff all you want to then." Fiona promised knowing it would probably be a bit sooner than the Doctor thought; it was getting harder and harder to keep him out of her mind. Now that she had some of his blood coursing through her veins it was getting even more difficult. She wouldn't be able to keep her surprise secret for much longer. "Let's all head to the café for the reception. I don't know about all of you but I'm famished." She urged.
"Good idea!" Claire chimed in. "I know this little one won't hold out for much longer before it starts demanding its share of food." She added with a laugh patting her burgeoning belly. There was mutual laughter all around and everyone made their way towards the only restaurant in town. The little Café that her parents had owned before Claire and John took over.
It didn't take long to walk the short distance from the chapel, where the outdoor wedding had been held across town, to get to the café. In fact all it took was to pass the village square where the ancient farm market was still in use and cross over the town's only main thorough fair and they arrived at their destination. In a village that small three or four cars on the road at once was considered rush hour. Meadowfayre was even more laid back than her beloved North Carolina town that she had called home for more than a hundred years or so. Upon their arrival the rest of the wedding guests, and a few stragglers from town who came for the free food, made their salutations known to the happy couple. Gwen and Jack were the last two who each gave them hugs in turn.
"Did you get it?" Fiona whispered in Jack's ear as he hugged her last while Gwen distracted the Doctor.
"It was harder than you might think but yes I acquired the thing you sent me to find." He replied softly in her ear. "I'll slip it into his drink before the toast. Are you sure he won't taste it? Don't you Time Lords have super senses or something?" he questioned. She smiled into his cheek trying to hide her face from the Doctor so he would suspect anything.
"I promise he won't taste it. One drop will stop his heart and knock him out for a few hours but give him too much Iocaine powder and it will kill him." She warned knowing neither of them wanted that. Jack nodded his head slightly before pulling away to give her a kiss on the cheek before Gwen snatched him away to join their comrades. She and the Doctor took their seats at the table set aside especially for them so they were facing each other. Fiona could hardly make it through the meal because she was trying so hard to keep her secrets from the Doctor whose mind was growing louder and louder in her head. Jack stood and brought them their glasses of Champaign soon enough however and she silently sighed in relief. Jack was particular about which glass he handed to her which meant it was the poisoned one that she would let the Doctor drink out of while her glass was held in her husband's hands.
"A toast!" Jack announced the arrival of her departure. Jack rambled on for several agonizing seconds before signaling for everyone to drink. Several more toasts followed suit but soon the Doctor began to feel the effects of the poison.
'What did you do to me?' she felt him ask inside her mind.
'Just sleep Doctor; everything will explain itself in time.' She answered back as he gave into the poison induced slumber. As his head hit her shoulder people looked at them with concern. "Don't worry everyone, my husband is just feeling a little tired. Jack, please see he gets to our room and tuck him in." Fiona stretched the truth a little which wasn't exactly lying though she felt equally guilty for doing it. She untied their wrists as Jack hefted the skinny man to his feet. Ianto and Owen also helped move the Doctor upstairs as she quietly slipped out the back door.
The Tardis was parked a little closer to town that time so she didn't have as far to walk. She let herself in with her key and set the coordinates for the 21 century. In all the excitement they had forgotten to liquidate her assets so she made a beeline for her solicitors. The Tardis fabricated a death certificate as easily as it had fabricated a birth certificate for her former self. Even though she hated lying she knew it was easier than trying to convince the law firm that she was the same woman who had conducted all of her business with since she helped set them up in business almost eighty years ago. She had already set Peter up as her legal heir and since she had the death certificates of her parents as well as their wills proclaiming her as theirs it was easy to claim her own fortune.
After all was said and done she found out she was a trillionaire. She spent a third of it buying down America's national debt in place of taxes, left some money for Jane and Tom in the form of living trusts, and took the North Carolina Governor to lunch. She barged into his offices and slapped a check down on his desk and insisted he join her at her favorite seafood restaurant in Wilmywood. The fact that her lawyer went with her and was able to vouch for her helped considerably, it got everyone's attention anyway. She dismissed the lawyer after telling the governor she would meet him at the restaurant, which she bought so she never had to worry about it going out of business when she wanted great seafood.
She ordered her favorite foods and since she was the only customer she let everyone have the rest of the day off with pay. She had one waitress and the chef with his staff stay behind as well as the manager but she promised to give everyone a good tip at the end of the day. She spent the time while she waited going over her plans for the restaurant with the manager and the former owner, they weren't exactly happy but she was able to persuade them that her plans would work and they agreed. Mainly they agreed because she threatened to hire someone to take their place if they didn't but in the end she got her way. She made a note to speak with their suppliers before she headed back to the Doctor as well.
She was beginning to wonder if the Governor would show up at all but he showed up at last with two of his advisors and an aid along with an army of security personnel. She ordered enough food to feed all of them and an army besides, as a southern girl she didn't want to send them home empty handed. While they waited for their food to arrive she laid out her plains for the land she had wisely only leased to the city. She also gave the Governor a detailed plan on how to use the land she had recently traded another piece of property for. There was a stretch of property along route forty which the stupid forty-second president of the United States had sold to a foreign country, namely one run by a terrorist group under the guise of Global Limited. She got them to accept land she had bought a long time ago in the Sahara for the piece of American soil. She also fed the names of the leaders she recognized as terrorist who the CIA had been searching for a long time tricking them into stepping foot onto allied soil so Interpol could arrest them and try them for crimes against humanity.
Fiona worked out a plan to use the thousands of acres worth of unused farmland as a plantation to be run at the government's expense by local farmers. She had also included plans to refurbish the mills that had closed down when the owners sent their business to other countries. She stressed that only natural born Americans as well as those who had lost their jobs the first time were allowed to work in the factories. The homeless of the state would be allowed to live at the plantation in exchange for working the farm and picking the cotton to be milled at the factories. She also stipulated that only American grown cotton could be processed in the factories.
The Governor's advisors were rather upset by her heavy handed demands and asked why she was so adamant about only hiring natural born Americans. She told the governor about several of her friends who had fallen on hard times because they were fired or laid off when the company they worked for closed the factory to move operations overseas. Every word of which was true, she had seen almost her whole street go from well off to slums practically overnight because everyone lost their jobs when the factories laid everyone off. Not all of them were able to get work in the area and most moved back to live with their parents though some turned to drink or worse because they had lost so much and couldn't get help from the government. When the governor's aid used the `Americans don't want to do menial labor` card she nearly blew up but was able to keep herself in check.
"Oh and how do you know this, pray tell?" She queried instead managing to sound calmer than she felt.
"Everyone knows!" The male aid, who couldn't have been even a year out of college and had no real life experience, shot back indignantly. She felt some of her old spunkiness return and she wanted to pull him down over her knee to spank him.
"Alright then tell me how did you get where you are now? Did your parents pay your way through all the best schools?" She asked. "I bet you were even one of those `Young Politicians` in school and maybe did some charity work overseas." She fished for information. His silence told her all she needed to know if the petulant look on his face was any indication. "Unless you've ever had to wonder where your next meal was coming from or gone to bed hungry then you can shut up about `regular American citizens`. Americans are not as lazy as you lot would have the rest of the world believe. America is dying because of poisonous hypocrites like you. Half the population is sick and the other half is apathetic which is worse than any illness. Only in America can a thousand people walk by a dying person and not even notice the pool of blood at their feet, unless they get it on their precious shoes. Do you know who is really killing America? Politicians who spout crap like you and big corporations who would rather squeeze every last drop out of their dimes by sending their business to over seas where a dollar buys forty or fifty of their money instead of helping so called `lazy` Americans. The reason why there is a recession is because there are no jobs to be had except minimum wage which can't support a family of four even if both parents are working. So you have no right to speak to me anymore. In fact Governor," She turned to look at the man she was quickly beginning to take a liking too. "May I?" She asked projecting her intensions on him but not so loudly that he would notice. He merely smiled and nodded his head. "You, whatever your name is are fired! I'll make sure you can never get a job paying more than minimum wage and you will have no hope of getting a promotion, then maybe you can tell me what it's like for `the average American` after you've lived in a two room shack that leaks rain in the summer, snow in the winter, and have to hock that BMW outside so you can buy groceries. Mommy and Daddy can bail you out if they want but I'll make it so even their friends won't want to hire you." She told the detestable young man who sputtered in disbelief looking to the governor to be saved but the man merely shrugged his shoulders.
"You hear the Lady, you fool, off with you!" The Governor told the lad who was barely out of diapers. The aid stood up and huffed out of the restaurant. "Good, now maybe I can get my old aid-de-camp back. That tyke took his place 'cause the fella hadn't a bachelor's degree in political sciences. He's only been my right hand man since I entered politics in the late 70's and knows more than ten such idiots." The Governor added giving his two advisors pointed looks. Fiona smiled inwardly when she saw them shaking in their boots. "Now, my dear, I see where you're coming from but it will take some time to implement." He showed interest in her plans.
"Well inform your people that they won't see a penny of my money until they get off their lazy bums and decide to help someone other than themselves. Unfortunately the people of North Carolina can't wait for the good old southern boys from wealthy families to decide there might be a need for what I'm proposing. I have instructed my lawyers to begin implementing construction plans while crews are already out clearing land and I have hired local farmers to till and plant the fields. Luckily there are already a few farms in that area that remains on American soil, the rest of the place was left to founder once it was sold off and the previous farmers were kicked off the property that had been in their family for generations. I don't know where they are now but if anyone is still alive I sure would like to return some of it to them. The barns and things that are on the track I'm proposing to use are being fixed up as well as the houses that are there. There should be enough so you can shelter low cost housing constituents as well as the homeless. If they don't work they don't eat and they aren't allowed to stay. Someone will be grateful for the work and the living provided to them in exchange for the ability to work, those who aren't able to handle heavy labor for health reasons should be able to find something they can do with their hands if nothing else. Everyone contributes or they leave. As well as the cotton to be grown for the factories they should grow their own food and raise their own animals get someone from the old days to teach them how. None of those people who have studied animal husbandry in college and don't have a lick of practical sense. Like the Habitat for Humanity make it a learning tool, let people who make under a hundred thousand a year be able to go and learn for only the cost of their labor. I know sometimes even sixty thousand a year isn't enough to live on and yet it's too much to qualify for welfare. A lot of people are willing if they're just given the chance and not many people are willing to give them that chance." She told him pushing a thick notebook towards him. "This outlines everything I require as well as the deadline for everything. I've already let the construction crews know that if they don't finish within the time I've allotted they don't get paid. That should inspire them to work if nothing else. There is also a guideline in there for how the money is to be used and any profits, once they're made, are to be divided up. If in five years you're not seeing a profit then the plantation and all the factories will be taken out of the government's hands and run by representatives of the people I'm trying to help in this proposal. Also if any of the funds go towards lining the pockets of those imbeciles then the whole project reverts back to me and I'll see that it functions smoothly. I've already covered all my bases and don't worry about the taxes on my money. The Federal Government accepted my generous offer to pay down the national debt I'm sure you'll do likewise but it would be nice if you would take steps to do away with the State's debts altogether; a business can't suceed when they're books are always in the red and neither can the government." She made known the conversation was over. When the food was brought to the table she asked that her portion be packed up to go along with a few bottles of her favorite local sweet wine. That gave her another good idea to invest in local commerce and decided to stop by the winery herself.
The Governor however wasn't quite finished with her yet. "Who are you really, Miss MacDonald?" He asked after he had recovered from his astonishment.
"Just a girl who has had to work my fingers to the bones until my benefactress saw fit to leave me an inheritance." She said as truthfully as she could. "Aunt Fiona lived long enough to see this nation rise above adversity to become great and she would be heart broken to see it tear itself back down." She added. "I've seen the best and worst of people myself; in fact I've seen the best in people when they're at their worst." She told him. "America can be great again if it stops selling it's soul to everyone who flashes their checkbook at her." She finished.
"You should go into politics, m'dear," He commented but she shook her head. "You're probably right; politics has a way of spoiling one's good intentions." He agreed. She stood when the waitress brought her doggy bags to the table signaling the end of their little tête-à-tête.
"I vow you'll make a good president someday, Edward Martin Scott, just don't forget us little people." She told him knowing that he was destined to be the fourty-eighth president of the United States and the best of all of them. He would serve two full terms until the socialist countries of the world united against them and the little country they tried to protect which was the start of World War 3.
He frowned and shook his head. "You misunderstand me, Miss MacDonald, I have no intention of running for President." He objected.
"My aunt would be disappointed, Governor Scott, or should I say Marty." She called him by the name he had gone by so long ago when her other self knew him as a snot nosed kid. She had always had an affection for him and now was no different only she had never told him so in the past.
"Aunty Fiona? The old lady on the hill was your benefactress?" He asked in disbelief and a little moan.
"I'm Peter's daughter; unfortunately they didn't know she had millions stashed away in the attic." She revealed.
"I heard Peter and Angie were dead I'm sorry." He said sadly. "I only lived there for a short time but I loved playing with Peter and your Aunt made the best cookies!" He enthused. Fiona grinned with a nod, even when she copied her aunt's recipe she made the best chocolate chip cookies in the neighborhood knowing it was hers originally only made the praise that much better.
"Stay at the restaurant for as long as you like, I've bought the place so I'll have somewhere to eat for as long as I visit North Carolina. The staff has the rest of the day off so don't stay too long but feel free to ask for what ever else on the menu you like. Take some home to the family." She moved to leave but he stood and smiled at her shaking his head.
"You're an amazing woman Miss MacDonald but are you not staying in our fair state?" He asked curiously.
"My husband's family is from Scotland." She answered almost truthfully.
"It's Mrs. MacDonald then?" He wondered. "You're not too closely related are you?" He inquired.
"Not so much as a distant cousin, they're the Scottish MacDonalds. Not so much of a trace of Scottish blood in me except the name just stuck." She replied getting deeper into the half truth. "We're going to live over there but I'll be back to visit from time to time." She said honestly.
"Well bring your husband next time. I have to meet the man who was lucky enough to snatch an extraordinary woman like you." He said drawing her into a hug.
"Just keep our invitation to the Whitehouse open and we'll see you at your inauguration." She told him. He laughed and shook his head.
"You're determined for me to sit in the oval office aren't you?" He asked curiously.
"Let's just say my Aunt say something great in you all those years ago and she'd be disapointed if you let her down." She shrugged her shoulders and headed for the door with food in hand.
"Can I drop you somewhere?" He wanted to know.
"Thanks I have my own transportation," She called back over her shoulder and headed for her Tardis which she left around the corner.
Next stop Cardiff. Six months was all she could afford since it was a year exactly since the Doctor's last visit and one and a half months since hers. She didn't like crossing their time lines but she didn't have much choice since what she wanted done would take time and she wanted it finished by the time she returned with the Doctor. Her cousin Ianto told her Jack had disappeared for a month or two just before her visit to Cardiff so she figured out the exact day he supposedly left. She set the Tardis down on top of the rift and opened the engine vents to soak up the extra radiation while she waited though she didn't have to wait long. It was late when she landed; the other's at Torchwood would have left already but Jack lived at the base, how she knew all of that was another story all together. She didn't have to go looking for Jack as he came looking for her, as she knew he would.
"Doctor!" Jack exclaimed appearing out of nowhere and began pounding on the door to the Tardis. She unlocked the door without leaving the console though the Tardis wasn't too thrilled about letting that man of impossibilities inside her walls. Fiona mentally apologized to the ship as the doors flew open and Jack ran up the gangplank with a happy look on his face which fell when he caught sight of her. "Who the hell are you? Where's the Doctor?" He demanded pulling out his sonic blaster and pointed it at her looking around almost frantically.
"The Doctor is right where I left him in Meadowfayre, 1987 or thereabouts and quite safe. You can see for yourself in oh about seven months since your keeping an eye on him for me. As to who I am my name is Fionadvoratrelundar, a fellow Time Lady… and his wife." She revealed, the shock caused him to lower his weapon.
"His wife? A Time Lady? His Wife!" Jack repeated himself completely taken back by the information.
"Though it's rather difficult but not impossible I'll explain it to you if you'd like and do put that gun away the Doctor would have my head if you left a square hole in his beloved Tardis. Sometimes I think he cares more about her than he does me." She laughed. He just stared at her dumbfounded. "Jack, put, gun, away," She stressed each word until he shook his head and did as he was told. "Now, would you like some coffee? I think some caffeine is in order since it will probably be a long night. You might not sleep much but I do, not that I've had much of late. Put the Tardis in orbit, I assume you know how and lock the doors. I'll put the coffee on." She told him leaving him to assimilate her words and headed to the kitchens; it must not have taken him long to get everything straight in his head as the ship jolted into motion and she heard the sounds of footsteps chasing after her. She couldn't help stifle a yawn, it was definitely going to be a very long night indeed.