"Dear me, you really are a very tiresome fellow." The Doctor shook his head wearily. "I thought I'd seen the last of you. So you escaped the Daleks did you? Hmmm?"

"Oh yes, and it was so simple to repair my chameleon circuit. Tell me Doctor. Er, have you fixed yours yet? No?"

The Doctor sat down heavily, resigned to the fact that he would probably be trapped in the Monk's TARDIS for quite some time. "So what childish piece of revenge do you have planned this time? How long have you been lurking here like a spider in a web. How did you even know that I'd visit this…um…that particular time and place?"

"The philosophers on our planet say that if you stay in the same spot in space and time for long enough then every time traveller in the known universe will cross your path, eventually. It's true Doctor, it only took seventy years for you to fall into my trap. Time very well spent, and I have a thriving confectionary business into the bargain!" The Monk gestured proudly at the shelves of sweets lining the walls.

"I'm thrilled to bits for you." Retorted the Doctor dryly. "What do you want with me, hmm?"

"Relax Doctor." The Monk grinned. "I'm not going to harm you. Of course not! No, just to know that I have you trapped here is satisfaction enough for me. Let's go through to the console room and I'll set coordinates to get you back to your friends. I can do that, you see, Doctor. I can control my TARDIS." He pointed to the storeroom door. "After you."

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Steven was more bored than he could ever remember having been before. A whole morning spent shopping with Dodo was enough to drive the most patient of men insane, and Steven certainly wasn't the most patient of men. At this moment he was leaning against the wall with a small group of equally bored looking men in the fashion department of a large department store.

One of the changing room doors opened and Dodo emerged sporting yet another outfit. It must have been about the fifth one in that shop alone.

"Well, what do you think?" Dodo twirled around on her toes. "I rather like this one."

"Oh good. Does that mean you've made up your mind and we can go and get something to eat."

"I've still got three more to try on. This is the nicest so far but I might like one of the others better."

The man on Steven's left smiled sympathetically at Steven as Dodo disappeared back into the changing room. "Mine's just the same."

"All these dresses are just the same." Steven replied gloomily. "I wish I'd gone with the Doctor."

"Yes, I know what you mean, at least doctors have half decent waiting rooms. Tell you what mate, let me give you a tip. You've got to learn how to read her when she's buying all this crap. Now mine, she's dead easy to read. In a moment she'll be back out of that changing room and I'll just look at her face and tell from her expression what reaction I'm meant to give. If she likes the dress then I'll say that I like it too. If she's not sure then I'll tell her it's not really her style so that'll she'll go back in there and try on something she's happier with. Either way, we'll be out of here a lot quicker. Yeah, when you've been married for as long as I have you'll learn a few tricks."

"Such as being able to tell when your wife is stood right behind you?"

The man swung round guiltily. "Ah, there you are dear. I was just saying….."

"I heard everything that you were 'just saying'. I think you've just said enough for one day, now get your cheque book out, you're going to pay for this."

Steven was distracted from the developing domestic drama by the reappearance of Dodo in yet another dress. She was smiling broadly. "What do you think of this one?"

"Dodo, you look terrific." Steven summoned up his most genuine looking false smile.

"Thanks Steven. I'll just get this paid for then we'll get some lunch and meet the Doctor. We can't hang about here all day can we?"

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The Monk looked up from the console guiltily. "Er, Doctor. You wouldn't happen to know what date it was when we left Earth would you? I mean, I know the year but I've been a bit busy lately and I've sort of lost track of… time…" He tailed off lamely under the Doctor's glare.

"You incompetent meddler. How would I know the precise date? I was there for three hours, you were there for seventy years. Oh, try the fast return switch. That'll get us back to where we were."

"Sorry Doctor. I held us in space after we left Earth. Now that we're already moving the fast return switch will just take us back to that position."

The Doctor had had more than enough. " You're doing this on purpose aren't you? I should have known that you can't be trusted. Stand aside from those controls at once, sir. I'm taking over before you shoot us off to goodness knows where."

"Oh no Doctor, I'm afraid I can't let you do that. I'm in charge here. You're just my passenger, my companion! Yes. I do hope that you'll enjoy your time onboard my ship, as a companion to a time traveller."