Zoe shared a look with Jamie as they proceeded to follow the man down a dusty path. On the way, she gazed at their surroundings. There were more cottages, larger houses, more imposing buildings that resembled shops, and even a church. The petite astrophysicist was impressed; it was laid out like a small village. The architecture was a mix of styles, suggesting builders from different backgrounds with different levels of skill. Some structures were quite simple and primitive looking, some looked like homes Zoe remembered in pictures of small-town America of centuries past, and some looked a lot more futuristic with blocky, minimalist lines.
"Hey, look over there," Jamie prompted in hushed tones with a nudge to her shoulder. Turning in the direction he was indicating, she found several small cottages grouped together. Rectangular-shaped, they were constructed of rough-hewn stone, covered in white-wash; the roofs were thatched.
"They're like the crofters' cottages I remember from home," he continued, his voice taking on a wistful tone.
A short walk later, a larger, nicer-looking dwelling came into view: a timber shingled, two-story house, painted a warm brown. Its defining feature was the wide porch on the front. It was a fine representative of the small-town American homes, Zoe noticed, circa the late nineteenth or early twentieth centuries.
She felt Jamie put a hand on her back to guide her forward and her attention was back on the man, following him into a dimly-lit entryway and, from there, a sparsely furnished front room.
"Er, wha's goin' on …." Jamie's voice died in his throat as he noticed the man had disappeared. Turning to Zoe, he gave a small, awkward shrug. The man reemerged quickly from another room, holding a loaf of bread on a platter.
He apparently had noticed them still standing, looking lost, and chuckled.
"Please! Sit!" he prompted genially, holding out a hand. He placed the bread down on the table and gestured to it. "Eat."
Zoe shared another quick look with Jamie before taking a seat on the hard-backed chair in front of her. Jamie did likewise, happily grabbing a hunk of the bread and then offering some to Zoe, who, incredibly famished herself, gratefully accepted it. From the first bite, she felt her stomach do a happy little flip-flop. How good it felt to eat something! The bread was quite soft, as if freshly-baked, and had a nutty, sweet taste; some sort of grain that reminded her of whole wheat.
Zoe smiled and nodded in thanks to their host, who returned her smile and waved a dismissive hand. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she studied the man: he was slim but well-built, around five foot eleven. A slight growth of facial hair spread across his tanned features, and his side-parted, short brown hair was a shade or two lighter than Jamie's. He wore a pair of dark blue, denim jeans, along with a light blue, button down shirt with sleeves rolled up to the elbows. His large hands were strong and a bit rough-looking, clearly used to hard work.
"Name's Vaughn," the man continued. "Vaughn Mitchell." Jamie noticed his accent sounded similar to that of some of the soldiers in the Civil War zone, back on the planet of the War Games.
"We knew a Vaughn," he said, referring to Tobias Vaughn, that power hungry chap working with the Cybermen during that business in London. Upon that thought, he inwardly winced, the pain of missing the Doctor still fresh.
Forcing it out of his mind, he turned back to the man, who had extended his hand to him. Jamie eyed it a bit warily before reaching out and shaking it.
Vaughn then turned and nodded to Zoe. "Ma'am."
Understanding the assumption behind his salutation, she bristled. "Actually, I'm not -"
Jamie nudged her sharply in the side and she turned to give him a tiny glare. Returning her gaze to the other man, she slapped on an awkward smile. "Sorry, I … er, it's lovely to meet you. I'm Zoe Heriot."
"An' I'm James Robert McCrimmon," Jamie added. "But everyone calls me Jamie."
The man turned to Zoe questioningly. "So you're not …?"
Zoe frowned at him in confusion for a moment, but then cleared. "Oh! No. We're not together."
Jamie was surprised by a twinge of … something in his chest. Disappointment? He shifted uncomfortably in his seat.
"Not in that sense, anyway," Zoe quickly added.
Jamie looked up and allowed himself a small smile, despite the sinking feeling.
"So, how did you arrive in our humble settlement?" Vaughn asked, taking a seat opposite them.
Jamie and Zoe shared a look. "'Tis a long story," the Highlander replied cryptically.
"We're from Earth," Zoe supplied.
"We are, too," Vaughn said. "All of us in this settlement are."
Jamie shared another look with Zoe. Rodin had been correct after all - there was still a human settlement on this planet. "Ye-ye're human! Like us!" he blurted.
The other man quirked an eyebrow. "Well, yeah. Bein' from Earth, I'd kinda hope we were."
"But I mean, ye're here on this planet an' ye're no'-"
He was cut off as he suddenly felt Zoe's foot stomp on his toe. He turned to glare at her, but she ignored it as she forced a grin in Vaughn's direction.
"What Jamie means is that we've been on this planet for several days now and this is the first time we've come across any fellow humans."
Vaughn's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Are you saying you haven't seen any humans before you've met me, or no one at all?"
As Jamie turned to Zoe, he caught that famous look that reflected the gears turning in her head. The Highlander suddenly recalled what the Azurians told them regarding the humans. He now fully understood what was behind her reaction.
Zoe shook her head. "No, I mean, we haven't seen anyone … well, apart from some large bird- and alligator-like creatures that nearly attacked us." She shuddered.
Vaughn seemed to relax. "Ah, well, good thing you found us, then. It can get a mite lonely here. I don't know what Ellen and I would have done if we hadn't come across anyone else."
"How many of you live here?" Zoe asked.
Vaughn shrugged. "There's a decent sized group of us. About fifty families. We all landed on this planet for different reasons; some as part of scientific expeditions, some for vacations, and some simply to start over - a 'new beginning', you might say."
Jamie and Zoe shared another look.
"Ellen and I are originally from Chattanooga, Tennessee. We had a nice, little home right near Lookout Mountain. Gorgeous area."
Jamie's brow knitted in confusion. "Wha' made ye decide tae leave, then?"
Vaughn shrugged. "Things changed pretty fast and it became nearly impossible to live there." His eyes clouded over with regret. "Losing my job was the final straw. So, when we were given the opportunity to leave, we took it. Same with everyone else who lives here. Jack who lives just beyond the Noonmark Pub came here from the year 5002. Told us Earth was quickly decaying after a large meteorite impact and while most had opted to head to the colonies on Mars ..."
Jamie winced inwardly upon the mention, recalling it to be the Ice Warriors' planet.
"… He and his family decided they wanted something a little more 'exotic', a little more off the beaten path, yet something that was similar to Earth in terms of supporting life."
Zoe nodded. "Yes, I noticed quite early that this planet seems to have similarities to Earth in terms of atmospheric conditions. Not that I've actually collected any hard, tangible evidence, but -"
Vaughn held up a hand with a gentle smile. "No, you don't have to go to all the trouble, Miss. We know it's similar to Earth."
Zoe quickly clammed up. "Oh," she said quietly.
Jamie coughed and put a hand over his face, but Zoe knew he was hiding a chuckle.
Vaughn shrugged again. "Anyway, it's the same with all of us. Left whenever we had the opportunity. I imagine you did the same."
Jamie turned to share a look with Zoe, her expression perfectly mirroring his own discomfort. "Er, no, no' really," he told Vaughn.
"We … weren't exactly given a choice," Zoe added.
Vaughn's curious expression turned to one of concern. "Wow, what happened?" He saw the look of dismay on their faces deepen. "It's fine if you'd rather not talk about it," he said quickly.
The two shared a look again before offering him wan smiles. "Thank ye," Jamie muttered weakly.
Zoe gazed at their new host, her eyes narrowed in thought. "You said someone came with his family in the year 5002. Is that around the same time you and your wife arrived?"
Vaughn shook his head. "No, we came in the year 3000. About …" he stopped to think, "six years ago, now. He got here before we did." Zoe regarded him in surprise. "I know, it's crazy, right? We came from two totally different time periods."
Zoe shared another look with Jamie. The comparison was not lost on them.
"Only thing I can think of is that time operates in a much different way here."
"It's also possible that time is relative," Zoe interjected.
"Mm, possibly," Vaughn said with another slight shrug.
Jamie felt sadness deep in the pit of his stomach upon hearing Zoe echo the last words the Doctor spoke to them. Trying hard to refocus his mind, his gaze flew over to the petite lass. She seemed to be studying Vaughn.
"May I ask you something?"
The other man held out his hands, prompting her.
"You said you came here in the year 3000. You don't seem as technologically advanced as one would expect. In fact, it seems you've gone backwards. From all I've seen so far, barring a few exceptions, the architecture, way of living, clothing, it seems to be from a variety of time periods, the most common being the turn of the twentieth century." She looked utterly confused.
"Yeah, well, there's a reason for that," Vaughn replied with a sigh. "In our time, technology just got to such an extent that people felt useless. They weren't expected to do anything on their own because machines and artificial intelligence took care of at least ninety-five percent of it. It was one of the reasons I lost my job. So, some of us chose to live simpler. Can't blame us, really, can you?"
"Aye, I certainly cannae," Jamie said.
Zoe, however, still couldn't fathom it. "B-But, technology makes things so much easier. I mean, it's supposed to."
"Och, well, too much of anything isnae always a good thing, eh?" Jamie nodded to Vaughn, who returned his nod grimly.
Zoe's inquisitive expression was back. "What do you do, if you don't mind my asking?"
"I'm a carpenter," Vaughn replied. "I did most of the work on this house, actually. A great deal of it was modeled after our old house back on Earth. Arriving on a new planet, we wanted to have something to remind of us of 'home.'"
Jamie nodded thoughtfully, his gaze dropping down to his kilt. He knew the feeling. He was about to open his mouth when the sound of hurried, approaching footsteps pierced the room.
"Barney!" Vaughn greeted, a large smile spreading across his face. "Was wondering where you'd been!"
Jamie and Zoe turned in the direction of the doorway to find a large dog with a fluffy, rust-colored coat. The dog happily bounded over to Vaughn, who grabbed him and pet him on the head.
"Tha's yer dog?" Jamie asked, mouth hanging open in surprise.
"Yep, this is Barney, our Golden Retriever." The dog suddenly escaped his embrace and quickly clambered over to Jamie and Zoe, wagging his tail. Zoe protectively reached for Squirrbitt on her shoulder, but the creature jumped down onto the floor and scampered out of the room.
"Oh! Squirbitt! Oh, no!" Zoe exclaimed.
"You can't hold onto a wild animal," Vaughn said with a slightly amused smile.
"Don't worry, he'll be back."
Zoe pivoted her attention to the dog, eyeing him warily as Jamie beckoned to him.
"Och, c'mere," he directed with a smile. Barney drew closer and Jamie leaned forward, scratching him on the head. The dog turned his head to the side, leaning into his touch, his tongue lolling out. He was clearly relishing the attention.
Zoe sighed and shook her head. The dog apparently regarded the sound as an invitation because he suddenly turned to her and, bounding forward, put his paws up on her lap and strained to lick the face she turned away from him.
"Look at that. He really likes you!" came Vaughn's voice. Well, at least he was friendly, but Zoe couldn't deny how uncomfortable she felt. She breathed a sigh of relief as she felt someone's hand on the dog.
"Hey, wha' aboot me?" Barney turned and as Zoe attempted to recover, she found Jamie eyeing him with mock indignation. The dog was quickly in front of him, sniffing his face before giving his cheek a few good licks. Jamie's eyes squeezed shut and a chuckle bubbled up from his throat.
Grateful to Jamie for distracting the dog, Zoe's mind was now on Squirbitt. Her new pet had hastily vacated the premises, and she hoped he hadn't gone far.
Vaughn seemed to sense her preoccupation. "Ah, don't worry, he gets along with all animals," he said, gesturing to Barney. "Well .. most animals."
"What?"
"Well, hunting and retrieving birds is his instinct, but he usually respects all others. So, where'd you find your little guy?" Vaughn asked.
"We found him in the more wooded area .." Zoe's eyes narrowed as she tried to think of an appropriate way to describe the location. "... West of grasslands and the distant mountains." Vaughn nodded in understanding. "He followed us on our journey here. He just … grew attached to us."
"Well, tae Zoe, anyway," Jamie remarked. He then watched as Vaughn scratched Barney's chest. The Highlander eyed them in confusion, cocking his head to the side. "Ye have dogs on this planet? I mean, how …?" He trailed off, totally mystified.
"...Did they get here?" Vaughn finished. "Same way we did. Each group was allowed to take two animals with them, and not just companion animals but livestock as well. We've got horses, sheep, chickens, cows …"
"Chickens an' cows," Jamie repeated thoughtfully. "So, any chance ye've got any Earth food here as well?"
Vaughn nodded. "Milk, eggs, cheese, beef, lamb, you name it. We brought some fish from Earth as well and stocked the lakes and ponds with them. We also brought a stockpile of grain with us. That bread you just ate was whole wheat. As for the pets, people brought dogs, cats, and mostly small reptiles."
"So he came here with you?" Zoe asked, pointing to Barney.
"Nope, actually he was born here," Vaughn said. "Third generation on this planet."
"I can't believe there are Earth animals here - well, no, of course there are." The gears were turning in Zoe's head again. "This planet provides suitable conditions for humans from Earth, so why not animals?" She continued murmuring, almost to herself.
A slight grin edged across Vaughn's face as he gazed at Zoe. "You're a scientist, I take it?"
"Well, yes..."
"I could tell," he said, his grin widening. "Anyway, it's not as if we simplified completely. We've still got some highly advanced technology, some of it we brought with us from Earth, mainly for the doctors and scientists. But for our own personal use we've still got technology from all different periods: records, cassettes, CD players, DVDs, laptop computers, and many others."
Zoe scoffed. "That's hardly what I'd call 'highly advanced'." She suddenly perked up. "Wait, did you say 'scientists'?"
"I sure did," Vaughn replied with a smile. "And I take it you'd be interested in meeting them. I'll introduce you first thing tomorrow."
Zoe smiled in anticipation, prompting Jamie to roll his eyes and grin.
"So, where is this place?" Jamie asked. "I mean, this planet?"
"Well, it's in the Milky Way, same galaxy as Earth," Vaughn started, assuming a thoughtful expression. "But in a different solar system, I'm told." He regarded them apologetically. "This is all beyond my area of expertise." Jamie nodded, finding it easy to sympathize with the other man. "Ellen would be able to explain better with her degree in 'Earth and Space Sciences.'"
Zoe's eyes lit up at the mention. Someone more her intellectual equal? She grinned with anticipation. As if on cue, there was a sound of footsteps descending a staircase coming from the opposite end of the house.
"Ellen?" Vaughn called out. The footsteps drew closer, their owner revealed to be a woman of similar age standing in the doorway. She was above average height for a woman, perhaps five foot six, delicate-boned with long, light brown hair pulled back in a ponytail at her nape. She wore a solid violet, button down, long sleeved shirt with rolled up cuffs and a pair of blue jeans a shade or so lighter than her husband's. On her feet were a pair of scuffed up, white tennis shoes.
Vaughn smiled, gesturing to Jamie and Zoe. "These two have just recently arrived on the planet. They wandered around quite a bit before ending up here. I found them at Old George's place. Looked like they hadn't eaten in a while so I brought them here. They've got nowhere else to go."
The young woman studied them, her eyes radiating sympathy. "Welcome to our settlement," she said kindly. "I'm Ellen Mitchell."
Jamie stood up and nodded to Zoe to do likewise. "How do ye do," he greeted with a nod. "I'm James Robert McCrimmon - Jamie." He turned, holding his hand out to Zoe. "An' this is -"
"Zoe Heriot," Zoe interrupted, her demeanor as professional as she could make it. "Astrophysicist."
Ellen's eyes widened at the mention. "Another scientist! My disciplines cover geology, chemistry, astronomy, and physics."
Zoe nodded. "Very impressive," she said with a smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you."
The other woman came further into the room. "Likewise. We should compare notes …"
Jamie couldn't keep from rolling his eyes and looked over at Vaughn, who appeared a bit weary himself, but used to it. Jamie neared him. "If they're gannae compare notes, I think it's gannae take until Kingdom Come," he said quietly.
The corner of Vaughn's mouth lifted in an amused smirk as he nodded. "Honey," he prompted Ellen, raising his voice above the two women, who were already chatting excitedly. They both stopped and whirled around to face him, eyeing him almost like kids caught with their hands in the cookie jar.
"Could you tell them more about this planet, especially where it's located?"
Ellen nodded as Zoe returned to her seat. "We're in the same galaxy as Earth, the Milky Way, but in a different solar system, practically on the opposite side of the galaxy from Earth. That said, you could think of this planet as almost a 'distant twin' of Earth. It has similar atmospheric properties, similar composition of the planetary crust, enough to sustain life in much the same way Earth does."
"Yes, I happened to notice that not long after we arrived here," Zoe said. Her brow furrowed in thought. "Does this planet have a name?"
Ellen shook her head. "It has no official designation, but we all took a vote and decided to call it Thena."
"Thena?" Jamie repeated, eyebrows raised.
"Yes, short for 'Athena.'"
The Highlander mulled the name over and frowned, resisting the urge to grumble. Out of his periphery he noticed Zoe glancing at him with an almost scolding look, or perhaps it was his imagination.
"That wee cottage we found," he began, happy to change the subject. "Who did ye say it belongs to?"
"That was Old George's place," Vaughn supplied. "He and his wife had been here ages. She'd passed several years ago, but he kept up the house the way she had. He'd gone out hunting one evening about two weeks ago, never came back. We got a search party together to look for him but he was just … gone. We figured whatever he was hunting had killed him. There were no remains, so it must have finished him off."
Jamie and Zoe shared an uncomfortable look.
Vaughn shrugged. "The place is empty. He had no other family, at least not here. It sat abandoned and no one has any use for it, so it's yours for the taking." His eyes suddenly narrowed. "Oh, wait a minute. You said you weren't together." He looked at Zoe. 'You're welcome to stay with us. We've got a spare bedroom."
Zoe found herself at a loss for words. She turned to Jamie, who appeared taken aback by the offer as well. He gazed pointedly at her.
She slapped on an awkward smile. "Thank you, but we'd honestly prefer to stick together." Jamie exhaled, releasing the breath he'd been holding for longer than he'd realized.
Vaughn nodded. "Understood."
"Thank ye," Jamie said.
Zoe nodded. "Yes, thank you. So, after he was pronounced missing or dead, there was no government entity to seize his house?" She found that a bit odd. Another thought then occurred to her. "You do have leaders here of some sort, don't you?"
"Nah, we've got no real government to speak of," Vaughn replied. "We're a real independent bunch."
"Everyone here gets along fine," Ellen added. "We mostly trade with each other, both goods and services. Anything we need to buy, we purchase with whatever money we brought with us."
"But you all came from different places," Zoe said. "Surely you must have some sort of universal currency?"
"We do. The original Earth settlers set up a bank, unanimously decided on one currency, and whenever anyone new arrived, the money they brought with them was converted to this currency. They had brought a large sum of money to keep stocked in the bank, along with their own shares."
"Wha' happens when ye run out of money?" Jamie spoke up.
"We print more," Vaughn said. He then smiled wryly. "We just make sure we don't print too much. Learn from history. Anyway, as we've got bankers here, we've also got law officers, a small police station, and a court. Though you'll be happy to hear it's rare that we need to use them. Crime is practically non-existent here. Oh, we've had our problems from time to time, but they're very few and far between. We hardly even use the locks on the doors to our homes. Speaking of which, Abe just down the road is a locksmith. He can make you a new key for Old George's place if you like."
"We've got doctors, a hospital, one school each for primary and secondary education, as well as a small university," Ellen added. "And several markets."
Jamie turned to Zoe, nudging her in the side. "Och, we've come upon a wee bonny town here, eh?"
Zoe smiled at Jamie but before she could answer him, she noticed Vaughn staring at him, brow furrowed, almost as if he were scrutinizing him. "What's your name, again?"
Jamie regarded him in confusion. "James Robert McCrimmon - Jamie," he replied slowly.
Vaughn grinned. "You're Scottish! I mean, from Scotland!"
Jamie nodded. "Aye," he drew out the word, looking even more confused.
"I'm Scottish, myself," Vaughn said. "I was born and raised in America, but my heritage is Scottish. Was able to trace my family history back quite a ways, all the way back to Forfarshire in what later became Angus."
"Oh, aye," Jamie blurted, perhaps a bit too eagerly. True, the man's roots weren't exactly from the Highlands, but there was a good chance he wasn't one of those Lowlanders. At the moment the revelation he was Scottish was most interesting.
"You're in good company here," Vaughn continued. "There is a nice group of us with Scottish roots."
Jamie arched an eyebrow. "Is there, now?"
"Yep. One was even born and raised in Scotland, along with his late father who was a piper."
"A piper?! Did Ye hear tha', Zoe?" The Highlander turned to her, his thrilled smile infectious.
"Yes, Jamie, I heard." She had to bite her bottom lip to keep from giggling, but was unable to stop her little amused snort. Jamie reddened and coughed, collecting himself. "Ah mean … Tha's great."
Vaughn chuckled in amusement. "I'll introduce you to them. I'm sure you'll all have some interesting stories to share."
"Aye, 'm sure we will," Jamie told him with a nod.
Zoe sighed with contentment as she and Jamie strolled the path leading back to their new home, Squirbitt, who had sat waiting for them outside Ellen and Vaughn's house, at her heels. The twin suns had just set, and the planet's only moon sparkled brightly in the sky, proving a suitable guide for their short journey. Vaughn and Ellen had given them a quick tour of the village, pointing out the most notable places. There were two small markets selling food, clothing and housewares, a quaint cafe that served breakfast and lunch, and a more formal restaurant that was popular for dinner. Several blocks away was the previously mentioned Noonmark Pub, where most of the locals liked to congregate after work and was also host to various events and festivals held from time to time. Jamie seemed to take a bit of interest in it. Zoe, for the most part, tuned out any of the conversation surrounding it.
They had also pointed out the church. Vaughn explained it was essentially non-denominational, but different services were held there at set times: Presbyterian, Catholic, Anglican, and several others. Jamie had perked up at the Catholic mention and made a note of it to himself.
Ellen had quickly pointed out the schools and the university, making a mention of the research lab and facilities found there. Zoe smiled as she recalled Ellen promising to take her there and introduce her to the scientists working there. All in all, it seemed like a nice little town.
Her gaze settled briefly on the bundle she was carrying. Due to the period of time the cottage sat in disuse, Ellen and Vaughn had given them some clean bed clothes, as well as some food in a basket Jamie was carrying.
"I think I'm going to like it here," Zoe announced with a smile.
Jamie wrinkled his nose.
"Why are you pulling that face?" she asked.
"I jist dinnae like the name 'Athena' —not wha' I imagined this planet bein' called..." He looked away awkwardly.
Zoe snorted. "Would you rather it be called 'Angus'?"
Jamie's face lit up. "Aye! Tha's a good, strong Scots name!"
Zoe rolled her eyes. "I wasn't being serious."
"I was."
She nodded sarcastically. "Of course." A hint of a smirk twitched at the corner of her mouth. "How about 'James'?" she teased.
"Nae, dinnae be daft … just McCrimmon would do."
"Oh, Jamie."
"Wha' aboot 'Heriot'? Would ye fancy having a planet named after ye?"
Zoe pretended to consider. "Yes. I like it."
Jamie laughed. "Ye would!"
Zoe was pulled into his infectious laughter and soon, although it wasn't that funny, they found themselves doubled over, eyes streaming.
Their laughter finally quieted to smiles and they found themselves comfortably staring at each other.
"I'm glad you're here with me," Zoe said suddenly.
Jamie blinked at her, the humor in his gaze turning into pleased surprise.
"... On planet Athena."
Jamie's smile turned into a startled frown and he rolled his eyes. "Och, ye had to tae go an' ruin it."
Having had dinner in the form of an extra loaf of bread and some hearty stew Vaughn and Ellen had generously given them, Zoe and Jamie headed outside. The cottage had a small back garden made up of various flowering shrubs and what appeared to be vegetables. Sadly - but not unexpectedly - nearly half of the plants had wilted. Zoe frowned at the sight, then began wondering if she could synthesize some fertilizer; either that, or dig them up to replace with something else. She would have to consult Ellen. She had doubts about whether the other woman had any expertise in botany, but perhaps she knew someone who did.
There was a slight rise in the ground near the edge of the garden, upon which a small, stone bench sat. Jamie pointed it out and then regarded Zoe expectantly. She nodded. It looked big enough to seat two. She primly sat herself down and he joined her.
Surveying the area, she realized the higher elevation afforded a great view of not only parts of the village but of the more distant mountain range to the east. Shifting her gaze south, she also located a sliver of coastline, abutting a large body of water.
Zoe sighed contentedly as she took in the impressive views, including another gorgeous sunset.
"Weeel, I s'pose this is our new home," Jamie declared after a moment, getting a look at their surroundings himself. "No' bad, eh?"
"No, not bad at all. It's actually rather quaint. And it's certainly better than that lean-to."
Jamie gave her a teasing smile. "Aw. 't wasnae that bad."
Zoe wrinkled her nose. "I couldn't sleep on that hard ground. At least we've got an actual bed now, and a roof over our heads."
Jamie appeared about to object, but in the end conceded to Zoe with a nod.
The stillness and quiet of their surroundings was suddenly interrupted by a new sound. Squinting, Jamie titled his head in its direction and didn't take long to recognize it as the distant strains of music; specifically, guitar music complemented by a man's voice singing. He turned to Zoe and nudged her. "Come on, let's see where it's comin' from."
Zoe nodded, joining Jamie as they left the garden and strolled the path in the direction of the music. At last, they came upon a square at the center of the village. Under an octagonal wooden structure resembling a gazebo, a middle-aged man was perched on a stool, strumming a guitar and singing. A small crowd had gathered before him.
Jamie and Zoe joined them, remaining at the back as they listened to his performance ...
I'll lay thee o'er the lea rig,
My ain kind dearie O.
I'll lay thee o'er the lea rig,
My ain kind dearie, O;
Although the night were ne'er sae wat,
And I were ne'er sae wearie, O,
I'll lay thee o'er the lea rig,
My ain kind dearie, O.
Embarrassed, Jamie's mouth dropped open and he flushed to his ears.
Zoe smiled faintly as she listened to the music. It had a nice melody, and the man's warm singing voice complemented it well. She turned her attention to the lyrics and her eyes widened. It was the same song Jamie had sung shortly before they'd arrived here!
She turned to him. "That was the song you were singing on the walk here. Why did you hum over those words? They're rather innocuous, hardly what I thought they'd be— I mean I understand the euphemism, but it was hardly worth the fuss you made."
Jamie's face turned even brighter crimson. "Er, well, ye see, Zoe, I, er…"
"Well?"
"I jis' … Weeel, ah mean, I jis' didnae think those words were for lassies' ears," he trailed off lamely.
"I think I can handle them, Jamie." She gave him a teasing smile.
Jamie still looked as if he'd rather go off and hide somewhere, earning a fond chuckle from Zoe. "It's alright, really."
Jamie's blush faded at last and he managed a sheepish smile. To be honest, it was just nice hearing a Scottish tune being performed. The song having come to an end, he and Zoe applauded along with the rest of the group.
Zoe tried to stifle a yawn without any success. It was getting rather late and they'd had a long day.
Jamie leaned into her. "We should go," he said quietly. He turned around, nodding to the path leading back to the cottage. Not about to argue, Zoe nodded. The man had begun to sing some other song and Jamie had lingered briefly to hear it. He didn't recognize it and although it sounded nice, they really needed to be getting back. He took Zoe's hand and they strolled back down the path to their home.
Jamie reached inside his sporran for the small torch Vaughn had given him - a "flashlight" he had called it. Opening the door, he switched it on and entered first, just to make sure everything was in place since they had left. Briefly turning back, he found Zoe entering behind him and picking up a lantern on a table near the doorway. Like the torch, it instantly lit up at the touch of a finger. If Jamie had seen it several years earlier he would have marveled at it and considered it 'magic.' But such things were no longer foreign to him, thanks to all the time he'd spent traveling with the Doctor.
He suddenly felt something brush the top of his head and startled a bit. Looking up, he found a chain covered with cobwebs hanging from the ceiling. Upon closer inspection, the chain was attached to a bare light bulb. Jamie stared at it, baffled by its presence. After a moment, he reached up and curiously pulled the chain, not expecting anything to happen.
The bulb illuminated, casting a warm glow about the room and revealing new details. The sage green walls were painted with a border of tiny, dark green chains of ivy leaves. The wooden furniture, though dusty, was expertly carved. Along a far wall stood a bookcase, about half filled with books. What also caught Jamie's attention was another light fixture over at the far end of the room. He watched as Zoe made a beeline for it and struggled to reach the short chain to switch it on. After three unsuccessful attempts, she grumbled in frustration before locating what looked like a footstool and attempted to drag it over.
Jamie rushed over to stop her and reached up to pull the chain himself. It was a bit of a struggle (Why did it have to be so short? Was Old George six foot five?), but he succeeded in switching it on.
"Well, would ye look at tha'?" Jamie said, gesturing to the light before shaking his head in disbelief.
Zoe blinked. "What's so surprising about it?"
"Er, well, I didnae think they had electricity here," he replied with an awkward shrug.
"It's not out of the realm of possibility. There aren't any overhead wires, but it's quite possible they are buried underground. Or perhaps they feed electricity to the settlement via some other, more advanced process."
Jamie merely shrugged before studying the room a bit more. He located a credenza upon which a sound system of some sort sat. A closer inspection revealed it to be an old record player. Zoe surmised it to be from around the late twentieth century, perhaps the nineteen-sixties. Opening the cabinet doors, she found stacks of records. Sifting through them, they appeared to be mostly jazz, swing, and several female vocalists. Very curious indeed how they were equipped with such antiquated technology …
Exploring the house further, they found a small bathroom, a sewing room, a root cellar containing gardening and other tools as well a basin that looked like it was used for laundry …
And, last but not least, a bedroom.
Painted in soft green, the room was a decent size with two windows that appeared suitable to allow a good amount of light inside. There were two dressers and a closet as well. Against the far wall was a queen-sized bed, framed by two end tables upon which small, identical lamps sat.
Jamie viewed the bed awkwardly. Zoe frowned on noticing his look.
"What? What is it?"
"I'll take the floor."
"Jamie, the bed is big enough for two."
Jamie gaped at her. Zoe had never seen him so red. "Y-You an' me sharin' a bed?"
"Yes …"
"B-but we cannae! We're no' wed!"
Zoe frowned, confused as to what one had to do with the other. "So?"
"'So'? It's immoral!"
Zoe's eyes widened in disbelief. She couldn't believe he'd uttered that. She folded her arms across her chest. "There's nothing immoral about it," she insisted. "It's just logic. It would be unhealthy, not to mention uncomfortable for you to sleep on the floor."
Jamie folded his arms and he stared back at her, his mouth flattened in a defiant line.
Zoe sighed. "You can't protect me if you get sick."
Zoe knew it was a bit of a low blow but he was being unnecessarily stubborn. It worked, Jamie's body language loosened up slightly.
"Alright," he finally replied begrudgingly. "But we sleep wi' our backs tae each other and no touchin' at all, ye got that?"
"As close to the outer edges of the mattress as possible," she reassured him.
"Aye," he agreed with a firm nod.
That settled, Jamie pressed down on the mattress and then sat on the edge. It was obviously old, but not uncomfortable. "It's nice," he told Zoe. "Ye've gotta try i- a-choooo!" He shot an apologetic look at her and then wrinkled his nose at the old, dusty bedclothes. "'Tis a good thing Ellen gave us some clean ones, eh?"
Zoe nodded and left the room briefly to collect the clean sheets, blanket and pillows from the large pack stored in the front room, as well as a cotton nightgown given to her by Ellen, which she used the bathroom to change into. While she was gone, Jamie rummaged for the linen trousers and shirt Vaughn had lent him, and returned to the now empty bedroom to change into them.
Zoe returned, handing him the outer sheet while she neared the bed with the fitted one and placed the blanket and pillows down on the floor.
She stopped short as her gaze landed on Jamie. The trouser hems of his pajamas covered his feet and gathered on the floor. The arms were a bit too long as well, his hands nearly swallowed up by them.
Jamie offered his clothes a scowl. "Ye dinnae have tae say anything," he told Zoe sourly.
"He is taller than you, Jamie. It's not surprising in the least."
Jamie merely grumbled before swiftly removing the old sheets and tossing them in a heap in a far corner of the hallway. He would figure out what to do with them in the morning. When he returned to the bedroom, he found Zoe had already started fitting the clean sheet onto one corner of the bed.
"Jamie, can you hold up the end of the mattress a bit for me?"
"Aye." Jamie lifted the mattress just enough so Zoe could tuck the sheet under.
He glanced down to absently observe her technique when the too wide collar of the slightly oversized nightgown exposed the curve of her— Jamie's eyes darted away and he dropped the mattress.
"Jamie! What … what's wrong?" Zoe tempered her annoyance when she saw how bright red his face was.
"Yer collar ..."
Zoe glanced down. "What about it?"
"W-when ye bend down it …" Jamie moved his hands in a curved motion around his chest.
Zoe's eyes widened, two spots of color burned on her cheeks, and she pressed her hand against her chest. She glared at him.
"Well, you didn't need to look!"
"I didnae mean to! I wasnae expecting …"
He was so flustered, Zoe felt a little guilty. She sighed. "I believe you."
Jamie relaxed and the blush faded from his face.
"But," Zoe continued, "now you know how I feel about your kilt on a windy day."
The blush came back to the Highlander's face in full force. "Well, ye didnae need tae look, either!"
Zoe sighed. She was far too tired to continue this pointless argument. "Fair enough, Jamie. Let's just finish this. It's getting late."
The pair continued their task. Desperate to break the awkward silence that followed Zoe said, "So, what do you think of Vaughn and Ellen?"
"They seem nice," Jamie replied, not looking up as he attempted to reproduce Zoe's technique of fitting the sheet onto the opposite corner.
"Yes, absolutely." A bright smile spread across Zoe's face. "And what an amazing coincidence that Ellen is a scientist like I am."
Jamie looked up from his work and rolled his eyes teasingly. "I knew ye'd get all hyte aboot tha'. Jis' promise me ye'll save yer science stuff fer when me an' Vaughn arenae aroond. So we dinnae feel aboot two inches tall."
Zoe rolled her eyes back. "Oh, come on, Jamie." He was obviously self-conscious about being left out.
Jamie's gaze was unwavering. "Promise."
Zoe couldn't tell if he was being serious or not. She decided to humor him. "Alright," she sighed. "I promise."
He eyed her seriously, pointing a finger at her. "I'm gannae hold ye to it, ye know." His serious countenance slipped as the corner of his mouth twitched upward. He was clearly having her on.
"I knew it," Zoe said, her lips lifting in a sardonic grin. It faded as she thought of the couple some more. "They are nice, though. Almost like Leara and Rodin."
"Aye," Jamie agreed softly as he helped her arrange the outer sheet on top of the bed. "I miss 'em."
"So do I. I hope they're alright. I still feel badly about leaving them."
"Me too. But we had no choice."
"I know." With one hand she smoothed the outer sheet down and picked up the dark green blanket, neatly arranging it on top before placing the two pillows at the head of the bed.
Feeling exhaustion beginning to overtake her, she climbed onto the bed.
Jamie's gaze was still on her. "Are ye comfortable enough?"
"Yes, I am." She looked at Jamie expectantly. He still stood next to the bed, looking almost lost. "Jamie..."
The Highlander sighed in resignation and climbed onto his side of the bed. He reached over to switch off the light on the end table.
"Jamie?"
"Yes?"
"Thank you."
Even in the dim light she could see his perplexed expression. "Fer wha'?"
"I just …" Her exhaustion didn't allow her to put into words what she wanted to say. "Nothing. Good night."
Or perhaps that was just an excuse.
Jamie studied her for a moment before finally turning to switch off the light.
"G'night, Zoe."
"Good night," she returned. The room plunged into darkness and Zoe sighed, her head cradled by the soft pillow. She expected sleep to consume her shortly, until a noticeable chill in the room tickled her arms. She frowned slightly and tugged on the blanket to get more of it around her. She smiled, already feeling warmer.
That is, until she felt it being tugged off of her. She turned to find Jamie had tugged it back. Snorting she tugged it again, this time not as sharply. Just a little more warmth was all she needed.
But, no. He had once again tugged the blanket back. Fighting the urge to growl, Zoe forcefully grabbed the covers around herself again and then rolled away with them.
She grinned to herself. That should teach him.
Her victory was short-lived as Jamie successfully yanked them back. "Wha' d'ye think ye're doin'?" he protested.
"I'm cold!"
"Tha's reason enough fer ye tae take the whole blanket offa me?"
"I thought you were a hot-blooded Scot."
"That doesnae mean I never feel a wee nippy from time tae time."
"Oh, please. You're a blanket hog."
"Speak fer yerself."
"Alright, fine, you want the blanket? Take it!"
Even in the darkness she could see his smirk. "I've already got it, thank ye."
Zoe attempted to pull it off him, but he'd tightly wrapped himself in it, making her work cut out for her. With a quick yank, she succeeded in getting it off him and, in kind, wrapped it tightly around herself.
She was no match for the brawny Highlander, though, who'd grabbed it off her again in one quick motion, rolling her with it and right into him. They nearly bumped noses. For a moment they lay still, panting, staring at each other in the dark.
"Well ... we're going to have to lie a little bit closer if we both want the blanket …" Zoe said in a slightly subdued tone.
Jamie abruptly tossed the blanket toward her and scooted away. "Forget it, ye can have it! It's too hot now."
Zoe threw the blanket back at him.
"I tol' ye ye can have it!"
"Well, now I'm too hot!"
Jamie gathered up the blanket and tossed it over the side of the bed. "There! Nae blanket! Go tae sleep!" He turned and threw himself down onto the mattress. Zoe heard him grumbling in Gaelic. She made out the words sassenach and besom. Zoe did not know what they meant, but had a feeling she should smack him. She glared down at the sprawled out figure on the bed then turned and laid down herself, stewing until sleep took her.
Zoe woke with a gasp. She blinked away tears in the darkness, then draping an arm over her eyes she let out a long, shuddering sigh of frustration.
She had dreamed again. She and Jamie convinced the Doctor not to surrender to the Time Lords and they attempted an escape through a strange labyrinth where they had to avoid pools of acid. Having got past that, overwhelming relief blossomed inside her as the TARDIS came into view. Only to be blocked by a Time Lord. And a force field.
No matter how many times she tried to vary the situation and the outcome, it was always the same.
She suddenly felt movement under her other arm and realized it lay across Jamie's chest and he was waking with a start. She blushed wildly and quickly drew her arm back. She must have moved in her sleep.
Jamie rolled over to look at her. He blinked blearily at her in the dark. "Zoe? What's the matter?" He asked, his sleep-rough voice laced with concern.
Frown lines of frustration creased her brow. "I … I had another dream. We were trying to convince the Doctor not to give in to the Time Lords and made our escape with him. We had to go through that odd labyrinth, hopping onto different squares to avoid those pools of acid. We finally reached the TARDIS and you rushed up to it, but then a Time Lord appeared." She stopped to scrub her hands over her face. "You tried to run in the opposite direction but were stopped with another force field. And then it happened all over again. Never, ever changing."
Jamie merely stared at her, unsure of what to say.
"Don't you see, Jamie? Our last moments with the Doctor keep replaying in my mind. My subconscious keeps trying to find a way to change the outcome, but it can't." Her gaze dropped to her hands as she sighed in frustration. When she turned back to him she found him studying her, expression tinged with sympathy. "Have you ever dreamt of something that happened to you, that replays over and over and you try to come up with a way to change what's happened? It's driving me mad. My logical brain tries to construct an alternative where we could have escaped the Time Lords, but nothing seems to work. I could have saved the Doctor, devised some plan allowing us to escape." She sighed again, her eyes shining with tears. "I feel like I've failed the Doctor."
"Aye. Me, too."
Zoe raised her head in surprise. "You do?"
"Mm. I wished tae change wha' happened so we could have escaped, but now I know there was nothing I could've done. An' then I kept thinkin' the Doctor had a plan to escape, rescue us and set things right. Even when we first arrived here, I still kept expectin' him tae show up an' take us back wi' him. But as time goes on ... it's lookin' less an' less likely …"
Zoe studied him thoughtfully and then felt a twinge of shame. She had been so wrapped up in how she felt about losing the Doctor, she'd forgotten how Jamie must have felt- Jamie, who had always been the Doctor's number one protector.
Jamie scooted a bit closer to her and, propping himself up on one elbow, eyed her solemnly. "Look, Zoe, ye cannae change wha' happened no matter how hard ye wish it. Remember wha' I told ye - ye can have all the facts in the world but ye cannae control the outcome."
Zoe's eyes still looked haunted as she met his gaze.
"Ye know how I told ye aboot wha' happened tae my family back home? I'd been out wi' Alexander checkin' on the sheep. We heard a commotion but when we got back it was too late. For a while it kept racin' through ma heid. I kept thinkin' that if only I'd come back earlier, I could've stopped it. But in the end it didnae change anythin'. I would've been outnumbered anyway."
Zoe subconsciously touched her own heart with her hand, her teeth worrying her bottom lip as her chest swelled with sympathy for her dear friend.
"Ye see, lass, even bad things have purpose. Somehow, this was meant tae happen. There is a greater power in the universe than the Time Lords who directs things and brought us tae this planet."
Zoe quietly mulled all this over, realizing Jamie had more wisdom than she'd given him credit for. She now saw where he got his optimism from and decided she would really like to have it, too.
His gaze was back on Zoe and, noting the lines of worry and stress etched across her face, knew she still needed comforting. Without a word, he laid his hand on the upturned palm she had resting on the pillow by her face then slipped his fingers between hers, intertwining them.
"I thought you said 'no touching'?" Zoe asked, eyeing him curiously.
"Forget wha' I said."
She gazed at his earnest expression for a moment and then a grateful smile spread across her face. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, her body seeming to settle deeper into the mattress. She felt safe and reassured. It didn't take long for her to succumb to sleep.
Jamie watched as she drifted off, observing the furrows of worry on her forehead finally smooth. Happy to see her more at peace, it wasn't long before he, too, joined her in serene slumber.
Note: "hyte" is a Scots expression, meaning "mad", "excited" or "keen." "Besom" is Scots Gaelic and means (among other things) "a troublesome woman." Also, I know that back in Chapter 2 the Time Lords referred to Jamie and Zoe's destination as a planet in the Lysistrata galaxy, yet here Ellen tells them the planet is in the same galaxy as Earth. There is a good (believe it or not) explanation for this. The Time Lords simply have a different naming system for galaxies than humans on Earth. Their name for the Milky Way galaxy is Lysistrata. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it. ;)