Next chapter on the 16th of August.
It takes several more visits before either of them brings up that Missy will have to root around in Bill's head.
The Mistress wouldn't mind it having been even more despite it hanging over them like a fully lit chandelier which frayed rope.
"So." Bill says, flopping onto one of the sofas near the doors, "when are we going to look for our strongest memories?" She asks.
The casual tone isn't enough to stop the Time Lady from freezing in her pacing, thankfully facing the opposite direction to the human.
The Mistress is silent.
"It's just- you seem to be fine with walking around now. So, it's the next step, isn't it?" The human asks, pausing briefly.
The Time Lady takes another second to regain a normal level of function.
"I- I'm not sure." Missy says. She opens on her mouth to tell Bill that she hasn't thought of it but shuts it again. She knows that the human is very aware that she's been thinking about it.
"So." The word is prolonged, "Soon then? Tomorrow?" Bill asks.
"I-" The Mistress wants to protest, "Sure. Yes- tomorrow." She agrees and turns to look at Bill who smiles brightly.
"Brilliant!" She says.
The Time Lady thinks that it is anything but brilliant.
The Doctor visits and delivers dinner, then breakfast and the Mistress waits in her enclosure, thinking over what she's going to tell Bill.
There are so many things she's going to need to tell her.
She makes a list in her head as she paces.
It might hurt, she might see things Bill doesn't want her too, it will feel very weird for a human, there might be physical sensations with it, it might hurt, the aftereffects might linger, Bill might see things that she doesn't want to, it might hurt, it's an invasion of privacy, it might hurt.
It might hurt.
The thought is too big and heavy in her throat as she sits down and wonders what she's even doing- why she'd promised the human that she'd do it today, agreed so easily.
That thought is pushed as the Mistress waits, longer and longer.
She returns to pacing, sets up her piano, plays a few notes, gets bored, sits on the bed, gets uncomfortable, stands up, starts to pace again.
The Doctor delivers dinner and that's when the Time Lady really starts to worry.
She doesn't usually eat much food but she tries today regardless and finds the fork hovering halfway to her mouth. She looks at it and thinks that she should be eating but puts it down instead, letting grains scatter off the side of the container.
Her stomach twists and she wonders if Bill has been hurt by someone else outside of here or unknowingly by herself.
The woman had seemed fine yesterday, the same as normal, nothing out of the new ordinary happening on the surface and little news on the net.
Had the Mistress missed something or not seen a clue.
She'd been forgetting, just a little, that Bill was human and that humans are breakable.
She would have said squishy a while ago but it tastes bad even as she thinks it.
The Time Lady feels restless and tries to sleep as the lights go into the night cycle.
She thinks that she must achieve it at some point but it's unsatisfying, marred by dreams in which she knows Bill is in the room but can't see her and the cold silence echoing yet providing no relief from the sweats she wakes in, somehow compounding them as her hearts race in her chest.
When the day cycle starts again and she rises, gritty with lack of good sleep, it's with the almost sinking acknowledgement that she cares more than she should for this one human.
Bill comes in, apologising profusely. Apparently there'd been some raids going on yesterday and she was checking on their contacts until late.
The bags under her eyes say it's the truth.
So Missy smiles, pretends that her hands didn't shake and she hadn't almost come to tears thinking about Bill being hurt.
They sit down on the softest couch and the Mistress avoids looking at the human, unlacing her shoes and tucking her legs underneath her.
"It's best to get comfortable." She explains, looking at her hands on her knees, pale, "It could take a while."
"Ah- right." Bill replies.
The Mistress feels Bill's knees touch hers and forces herself to look up.
The human shuffles about a bit but finally settles down.
She breathes in and out and meets Missy's gaze.
"Uh- just a second- before we do this," Bill begins, gesturing between the two of them, "I've had a message through, from Sit. I didn't really understand it or know how to answer."
The Time Lady frowns.
"Show me?" She asks.
The human shakes her head.
"Sorry- I didn't bring it with me. I thought this was more important and didn't want to risk it. Security is tightening everywhere." She grimaces apologetically, "But it said 'why should we trust you?'" Bill says.
Missy sighs, dragging a hand across her face.
Of course they wouldn't trust her after everything she's done. It's more than reasonable.
Bill is quiet while the Time Lady thinks.
Eventually the Mistress replies.
"Tell them that we don't like the situation either and that I've got rid of them before. It's not like I could make things worse. It should bring back their Doctor too." It's bitter to say but hopefully it will work. There's no other alternative after all.
The human nods.
"So. What now?" Bill asks, leaning forwards a little, a hand on Missy's knee "How do we do this?" She prompts gently. The attempt to distract her is obvious but the Mistress doesn't point it out.
She breathes in and out, looking away from the human and then back to her hand.
"There are a few things I'll need to tell you first- before we do anything." The Mistress says, laying her hand on top of Bill's.
"Okay then- tell me." She says simply.
The Time Lady almost winces at the casual, unconcerned tone.
"We'll have to do it anyway, right? No matter what. I'm not just going to back down." Bill tells her.
"I know- I know." Missy is quick to say, "It's just. There may be some… Issues." She finishes, the words feeling inadequate as she says them.
"Which are?" Bill prods.
"I might see things that you don't want me to see and you might see things that I don't want you to see for a start." The Mistress says slowly.
"That's kind of a given." Bill says, wrinkling her nose.
"Ah- yes. I suppose." The Time Lady flashes her a smile before continuing.
"It also will feel very strange. You're a human. You aren't built for direct contact between minds- the pathways aren't there. You might feel it physically or emotionally because there aren't the correct networks to process it. It might be uncomfortable. Those effects might linger for a while until your mind has processed them." She says.
"Okay. Thanks for warning me." Bill says after a pause, "Anything else?"
The Mistress smiles but it doesn't stick and then swallows, looking down at her lap.
"It might hurt." The Time Lady says.
"Okay. Well. We have to do it anyway. I'm sure it will be fine so there's no point, worrying, right?" The human reasons, looking somewhat begrudging as the Mistress looks up.
"Yeah." Missy murmurs.
The Time Lady reaches for both of Bill's hands, taking them in hers, palm to palm. They're warm, slightly clammy. She's nervous too.
"It's easier if we're closer." The Mistress mumbles, "Sorry."
Bill shakes her head.
"No- it's fine." She whispers, crossing her legs so that they can sit closer together. The Mistress follows suit.
"Is this better?" Bill's voice is soft, curious, gentle. Missy can see the pulse in her neck, the slight flush to her cheeks, the pattern of her irises.
Her hearts beat just a little faster.
"Just-" She breathes back, picking up Bill's right hand with her left and lifting it slightly so that it hovers around the human's shoulder height, "Is it alright?" She whispers, so unspecific she almost feels annoyed with herself.
Bill's eyes widen slightly and her lips part and the Mistress tears her gaze away, back to her eyes- that's safe- and says yes.
The Time Lady cups the human's cheek in her palm, Bill's hand sandwiched between them, brings her face closer slowly until they can rest their foreheads together.
"You're cold." Bill says, words humming against the Mistress' lips. It's not a complaint- that much registers.
"Time Lord biology." Missy murmurs, licking her lips which feel dry all of a sudden. She could let go of Bill's head now but she doesn't. Her hand slips, nevertheless, down the woman's neck.
It feels like fire.
Bill sighs heavily and her eyes are warm, fixed on Missy's.
"Is this-" Her voice is low, hushed, "Is this close enough?" She asks.
"Yeah. This is enough." The Mistress replies, releasing a breath she hadn't quite realised that she'd held, letting her eyes flutter closed.
She feels Bill's do the same and licks her lips again.
"I'll be gentle." She promises.
"Yeah." Bill says, "I trust you." The words make Missy's breath catch and her hearts thunder in her chest.