40. Chloe's Day.
1. Twins.
Chloe and her twin sister, Alyssa, grew up together in their family home. Their mother, Crystelle, would tell them bedtime stories which all seemed beautifully far-fetched and distant.
Chloe loved the stories and listened in rapt attention, savouring every twist and turn... Vanquishing huge armies of Cybermen with just a few valiant friends (ref. 12). Friends of the same names were regularly entertained, but never seemed to discuss their alleged adventures together while they visited. To Alyssa, it all seemed so unlikely to be true. .
Alyssa would wander off or pretend to fall asleep or read a book. She wasn't interested. She told Chloe none of the stories were true and wondered why her mother had made up such tall stories.
The Doctor visited frequently, but he wasn't a medical doctor, more of a family friend. He would tell them they were his favoured family. He'd never had a favoured family before; it was a bit of an experiment for him. If either of the twins asked what sort of experiment, he would become vague and fob them off.
The Doctor would offer to take them both on outings, some sort of adventure for them. Alyssa had always made excuses not to go; she preferred to just stay at home, reading or doing needlework or craft of some sort. Chloe would go on outings with the Doctor and arrive back moments later, exhausted. It was bizarre. . Chloe would then be told by their mother to go off to bed where she would often sleep for hours.
Then Chloe would tell weird stories that had apparently happened in those few moments while she had been away.
Alyssa would have none of it and just wanted all the more to stay at home.
Years have passed since those bedtime stories were told and Chloe has continued to go on outings with the Doctor, although her mother stays at home more while one of her clones runs around after them. Alyssa liked that but never thought to be grateful.
The clones had always seemed to be around, caring for them. Their mother had even had stories to tell about the clones that were equally preposterous. As for the stories the clones told, the name Baron Munchausen came to mind *. .
Alyssa ignores the stories. She feels they are pure fiction, made up by her mother in a worse moment. .
* Baron Munchausen wrote outrageously tall stories. There's a psychological condition named after him.
That is ... until her mother dies. Then all of the stories come flooding back to her. Alyssa associates her mother's death with her being with the Doctor. Then she starts to irrationally hate the Doctor. She recalls all the enemies and the fighting and associates them all with her mother's early departure.
She knows nothing of her own ability to regenerate; she just bounces back alright after any problem. She sees nothing to be grateful for.
But ... on some occasion, she has an opportunity to explore with a family friend, Uncle Meran. He's laid back. He doesn't seem as intense as the others. He doesn't seem to have ever been associated with taking her mother away from her. She has at least a little trust in him.
Privacy in the Tardis.
"Doctor," Simeon beckons to the Doctor. As the Doctor is free for the moment he comes across. Simeon almost whispers, "Can I have a word in private?"
The Doctor picks up his vibe for privacy. "Shall we make a cuppa in the kitchen?" An unlikely action for the Doctor, but he feels it might be adequate cover for a private exit without raising attention.
Chloe is studying the Tardis Console monitor screen intently and appears not to notice. She's easily able to multi-task, though, and certainly notes their exit.
She had met Simeon some months earlier on Gallifrey (ref. 32) when she had planned to register a device she had made earlier from Gallifreyan instructions (ref. 29). She had failed to register it then but had registered it after a fashion a little later (ref. 36). .
Once in the kitchen, the Doctor starts to fill a kettle with water, by the spout, as if to actually make a cup of tea. It isn't an action he's familiar with and water spurts out of the spout of the kettle all over the room. .
Simeon leaps to turn off the tap! .
"Actually, Doctor, I'm not too bothered about a cuppa just now," Simeon says.
"Oh." The Doctor pauses, holding the kettle, wondering what to do with it. Should he place it down to heat it, and risk there not being enough water in it, or re-try with the tap? He rests the kettle on the worktop.
"I just need to know..." Simeon appears not to quite know how to ask the Doctor something. Something tangible. Something important to him, and he doesn't want to get it wrong.
The Doctor has been expecting, hoping for this moment. He fully knows what's coming but doesn't want to steal Simeon's thunder.
"I'm, ... I erm," Simeon is still unsure where to start.
The Doctor leaps to his rescue. "You erm, want to erm," he starts, but finds he's unsure where Simeon might like to start. .
"I'll make that cuppa you mentioned," Simeon says, successfully adding enough water to the kettle.
"You know, we don't really need a kitchen in the Tardis," the Doctor says, trying to make more space for Simeon to say his bit.
He presses an unobtrusive button; it's just a flat part of the flat work surface. A steaming cup of something a bit like tea arrives at the work surface from a small compartment below. The Doctor passes it to Simeon.
"This kitchen can make the most glorious food," the Doctor boasts. "My wife, Myriad, programmed it."
His wife is on Gallifrey, settling down, hoping the Doctor will join her for more than just meals.
The Doctor presses a few buttons on the flat work surface. A soft humming sound emanates from somewhere below the work surface, and a minute later a tray with two steaming hot meals arrives from a larger compartment below.
"I guess I say, Thank you Myriad," Simeon says in her absence.
The Doctor and Simeon reach for cutlery, also on the tray, and eat heartily. "Roast Bewilder Beast of BeestThorne," Simeon says, "Chloe's favourite. Oh, erm, shall I call her through?"
"You had something you wanted to ask me about," the Doctor reminds him between mouthfuls.
"Ah, yes, Chloe, I'd love to marry her, but I'm unsure what protocols we'd need to follow or by-pass."
"That depends on whether you want to be married in the eyes of Gallifrey," the Doctor says. "You need to Elevate her to be Gallifreyan. They used to call it Induction."
"Yes, I wondered if there might be something along those lines, with her not being Gallifreyan."
"A great step in the right direction," the Doctor says enthusiastically. "It's a pre-requisite if you want to marry her. But you know, she's escaped from Gallifreyan authorities and must answer their questions." (ref. 32.)
"Will that be difficult?" Simeon asks.
"That depends on who interviews her to ask those questions!" the Doctor says emphatically. "She must clear her reputation beyond doubt or reproach. And they could ask anything! She will be extremely nervous - it'll feel like leaping into a lion's mouth."
"Oh dear," Simeon says, "that sounds dangerous!"
"I know just the man to interview her," the Doctor says. "Oh, and we can surprise her with the invitation."
"What sort of surprise?" Simeon asks curiously.
"To minimise her apprehension, we could just arrive?" the Doctor grins mischievously. "I'll stay with her to hold her hand!"
What's the Doctor got in mind?
Chloe wants to clear her name and reputation, too, but is extremely nervous about going to Gallifrey and as-it-were leaping into a lion's mouth!