AUTHOR'S NOTE: Before I begin this next section, I would like to address the feedback left by punkgirl3000 regarding my last section. She said that she felt that the last scene was rushed in comparison to the earlier scenes. There are others of you who might agree, and I want to explain why I wrote such an abrupt ending to that scene.
After months of writing, and then stalling out 70-some pages later, I realized that one of two things would happen to this story. 1. I could wait until I was really motivated to write the rest of the section, which could be weeks, months, or NEVER. Or 2: I could get past the part which I had lost my motivation to write and be able to work on the story more regularly and finish it. Knowing how I personally feel when reading a good fanfic only to discover that it will probably never be finished, I chose to bring a quicker end to this scene than I had originally intended so that I could un-stick myself and regain motivation. That is, simply, what I as the author felt I needed to do.
So, having explained that, on with the show!
It was still dark when Tegan awoke.
She was slightly sore, and she was somewhat tired. But none of that mattered right now, not really. She knew she could go back to sleep for however long they had left. But she didn't want to. Instead, she snuggled closer to the Doctor, who sometime during the night had turned onto his back, though he still had an arm curled around her. And if he'd turned onto his back, that probably meant...
"Hello, Tegan," he said softly.
Ah, yes, he was awake. She wasn't really surprised. He so rarely even slept.
"Hello yourself," she replied. "So much for you sleeping!" she chuckled.
"Actually, I did, and rather well," he answered. "By my estimate we've got about another hour before the day starts."
Tegan was surprised. "How long did you sleep?"
She felt him shrug. "About four hours, give or take a bit."
"That long?"
His voice was rich with amusement. "I did mention that I was tired, Tegan."
"Poor Doctor, wore you out, did I?" she teased.
"Considering I'm not used to sex, I think that's a fair assessment," he said.
She nodded. "At least this will get Halda off our backs," she commented.
"Yes," he said quietly. "I'm sure her ever-so-keen nose will detect a change in your scent."
She sighed. "So... what now?"
He shrugged. "I doubt that one time will be sufficient to make her leave us alone for very long. We have to make certain that she sees us as mates, and to do that..."
"We need to have repeat performances," she finished.
"I'm afraid so, Tegan." He looked down at her in the darkness. "I'm sorry."
"Sorry? Doc, that isn't your fault."
He shook his head, realized she probably couldn't see the gesture, and squeezed her arm instead. "No, I mean... I'm sorry it has to be this way."
"Could it have been any other?" she asked darkly.
His breathing became slightly unsteady. "What do you mean?"
"I mean, could this have happened some other way? On board the TARDIS, maybe?"
Now it was his turn to sigh. "Honestly, I don't know. Things were different then between us."
"Yes, now we can go for hours instead of minutes without squabbling," she joked, and was rewarded by a laugh. "It's ok, Doc, if you don't know," she assured him. "Hell, I can't say that I know the answer to that myself."
He made no reply, just squeezed her again. They lay together in companionable silence until the lights came on.
"Ah, another wonderful day here on..." the Doctor sat up and frowned.
"Doc?"
"I just realized that I've not asked anyone the name of this place," he said.
"It's Gevao." She rose and moved to get clean clothes for them.
He stared at her as they dressed. "You knew that and didn't tell me?"
"I did tell you!" she exclaimed.
"I think I would remember that, Tegan..."
"And I think that even a Time Lord is capable of not paying attention on occasion!"
"I never ignore you, Tegan. You've never made it even a remote possibility."
Before she could retort, their cell was unlocked and Halda entered with the guards that brought them breakfast. She immediately walked to within a few feet from Tegan. The Doctor could almost see her wide nostrils quiver.
"Mate," she said simply. The guards put the food down and departed with Halda.
"Bloody nosy parker," Tegan muttered as she sat down.
"At least she knows," the Doctor pointed out, sitting down near her and starting to eat.
"Joy," Tegan quipped, but said no more. They ate quickly, then waited for the guards to return.
"Tegan..."
"What?" she asked peevishly, still somewhat bothered by Halda's smug pronouncement.
"I'll miss you today."
She stared at him. "You will? Are you running a fever?"
"Does everything have to be a joke with you?"
"Sorry," she said softly. "You just... caught me off guard."
He smiled. "Now I wish I had MY diary!"
Tegan didn't get the chance to reply: the guards came back and they were ushered out. When they got to the hallway where they always split up, Tegan turned to look over her shoulder as she was led away. "Doctor..."
He glanced back at her.
"I'll miss you, too."
After months of writing, and then stalling out 70-some pages later, I realized that one of two things would happen to this story. 1. I could wait until I was really motivated to write the rest of the section, which could be weeks, months, or NEVER. Or 2: I could get past the part which I had lost my motivation to write and be able to work on the story more regularly and finish it. Knowing how I personally feel when reading a good fanfic only to discover that it will probably never be finished, I chose to bring a quicker end to this scene than I had originally intended so that I could un-stick myself and regain motivation. That is, simply, what I as the author felt I needed to do.
So, having explained that, on with the show!
It was still dark when Tegan awoke.
She was slightly sore, and she was somewhat tired. But none of that mattered right now, not really. She knew she could go back to sleep for however long they had left. But she didn't want to. Instead, she snuggled closer to the Doctor, who sometime during the night had turned onto his back, though he still had an arm curled around her. And if he'd turned onto his back, that probably meant...
"Hello, Tegan," he said softly.
Ah, yes, he was awake. She wasn't really surprised. He so rarely even slept.
"Hello yourself," she replied. "So much for you sleeping!" she chuckled.
"Actually, I did, and rather well," he answered. "By my estimate we've got about another hour before the day starts."
Tegan was surprised. "How long did you sleep?"
She felt him shrug. "About four hours, give or take a bit."
"That long?"
His voice was rich with amusement. "I did mention that I was tired, Tegan."
"Poor Doctor, wore you out, did I?" she teased.
"Considering I'm not used to sex, I think that's a fair assessment," he said.
She nodded. "At least this will get Halda off our backs," she commented.
"Yes," he said quietly. "I'm sure her ever-so-keen nose will detect a change in your scent."
She sighed. "So... what now?"
He shrugged. "I doubt that one time will be sufficient to make her leave us alone for very long. We have to make certain that she sees us as mates, and to do that..."
"We need to have repeat performances," she finished.
"I'm afraid so, Tegan." He looked down at her in the darkness. "I'm sorry."
"Sorry? Doc, that isn't your fault."
He shook his head, realized she probably couldn't see the gesture, and squeezed her arm instead. "No, I mean... I'm sorry it has to be this way."
"Could it have been any other?" she asked darkly.
His breathing became slightly unsteady. "What do you mean?"
"I mean, could this have happened some other way? On board the TARDIS, maybe?"
Now it was his turn to sigh. "Honestly, I don't know. Things were different then between us."
"Yes, now we can go for hours instead of minutes without squabbling," she joked, and was rewarded by a laugh. "It's ok, Doc, if you don't know," she assured him. "Hell, I can't say that I know the answer to that myself."
He made no reply, just squeezed her again. They lay together in companionable silence until the lights came on.
"Ah, another wonderful day here on..." the Doctor sat up and frowned.
"Doc?"
"I just realized that I've not asked anyone the name of this place," he said.
"It's Gevao." She rose and moved to get clean clothes for them.
He stared at her as they dressed. "You knew that and didn't tell me?"
"I did tell you!" she exclaimed.
"I think I would remember that, Tegan..."
"And I think that even a Time Lord is capable of not paying attention on occasion!"
"I never ignore you, Tegan. You've never made it even a remote possibility."
Before she could retort, their cell was unlocked and Halda entered with the guards that brought them breakfast. She immediately walked to within a few feet from Tegan. The Doctor could almost see her wide nostrils quiver.
"Mate," she said simply. The guards put the food down and departed with Halda.
"Bloody nosy parker," Tegan muttered as she sat down.
"At least she knows," the Doctor pointed out, sitting down near her and starting to eat.
"Joy," Tegan quipped, but said no more. They ate quickly, then waited for the guards to return.
"Tegan..."
"What?" she asked peevishly, still somewhat bothered by Halda's smug pronouncement.
"I'll miss you today."
She stared at him. "You will? Are you running a fever?"
"Does everything have to be a joke with you?"
"Sorry," she said softly. "You just... caught me off guard."
He smiled. "Now I wish I had MY diary!"
Tegan didn't get the chance to reply: the guards came back and they were ushered out. When they got to the hallway where they always split up, Tegan turned to look over her shoulder as she was led away. "Doctor..."
He glanced back at her.
"I'll miss you, too."