oOo
"So who was it?" Tegan wasn't sure she followed everything the Doctor had just told her, especially the whole "universal champions" thing, and she was positive she didn't understand why the Doctor being on Earth was mucking things up elsewhere, but she did know a dramatic pause when she heard one. Before he could continue, however, the kitchen door opened and Lavinia came into the room, stopping short when she saw the Doctor.
"You're back!" She thrust her hands into the pockets of her comfortable blue robe, starting as the swinging door bumped her gently in the rear. She stepped over to the table, pulling her hands out and placing them on the back of the nearest chair, the one opposite Tegan's.
"Yes." The Doctor glanced over at Tegan, who was obviously dying for him to finish his story, then over at Lavinia, who was obviously dying to hear the entire thing. He sighed. "Tegan, would you mind if I…"
"White and Black Guardians hijacking the TARDIS, the Master and the Doctor sharing cosmic destinies as universal Champions, the universe out of whack, someone mucking about with the Doctor's personal timeline, and him just about to tell me who it was," Tegan blurted out.
Lavinia blinked, then sat down. Slowly. "I suppose that's the short version." She turned her attention to the Doctor. "Very well then. Who was it?"
"It was me." The two women stared at him with identical puzzled expressions. "One of my future selves, to be exact, although he wouldn't tell me which one."
"What did he look like?" Tegan asked, unable to resist the temptation.
"Short, fair skinned, dark hair, subjective age about 10 years older than I currently appear with a slight Scottish accent," the Doctor replied promptly, having expected this very question. "Arrogant. Traveling with a young lady named Ace, a teenager from late 20th century Earth, I'd guess, from her clothing and tendency toward that period's slang." He smiled at Tegan. "A girl with a cocky attitude and an unstoppable mouth, not too different to someone else I know…"
"Yes, great, lovely to hear I'm replaceable," Tegan grumbled, but both the Doctor and Lavinia could hear the real pain in her voice. She brushed aside Lavinia's comforting touch on her shoulder but returned the Doctor's gentle squeeze of her hand. "So your future self is responsible for this? Why?"
"He won't tell me." The Doctor frowned. "All he will say is that he'll be back for me sometime in the next two days and that there's somewhere I need to go and something I need to do, but he won't tell me what. I learned more from the Guardians than that closed-mouth little…" He trailed off sheepishly as he realized he was essentially calling himself names. "But he did say that by doing whatever it is he wants me to do, it will keep the Guardians out of our hair."
Tegan's eyes filled with hope. "For good?"
The Doctor shrugged uncomfortably. "Well, you know. For now."
Lavinia watched through sympathetic eyes as Tegan's shoulders slumped. "I guess that's the most we can expect," she mumbled. "Especially after that whole 'Universal Champions' thing."
Lavinia's attention returned to the Doctor. "Yes, do tell me about this 'Universal Champions' thing," she urged, settling back more comfortably in her chair. "I'm dying to hear about it."
oOo
Harry and Sarah Jane were eager to hear about it as well. Returning early from their various assignments, first Harry after lunch then Sarah Jane about an hour later, they were thrilled to see that the Doctor had returned and wasted no time in plying him with questions. Questions he had very few answers to. Which meant, of course, that speculation as to exactly what his future self had in mind for him was rampant. "Perhaps he means to take your place; you know, go round doing everything this you is supposed to be doing, at least as far as the Guardians are concerned," Sarah Jane suggested at dinner that night.
"Convenient as that might be for me, it would only serve to set his own universal timetable askew, if there really is such a thing," was the disheartening reply. The Doctor offered a charming smile as consolation. "It's rather a clever idea, though."
"Have we asked K-9 to analyze the probabilities yet?" That was Harry, speaking around a mouthful of mashed potatoes.
"He says there are too many variables." Another disheartening reply, another smile, this one more wry than charming. "I think he's just avoiding the work; last time we saw him, he was busy showing Lanie her colors, using a projection onto the back wall of the house."
Actually, the mechanical dog had been explaining the scientific theory behind the spectrum to her, but to Lanie's distracted parents it was just a group of colors on the wall keeping their daughter happy--and out of their hair as they spent the afternoon trying to sort things out. Then, of course Harry and, not too much later, Sarah Jane had put in their appearances; explanations had been, once again, tendered, and the speculation continued right up to the preparation of dinner. Lavinia had put her foot down at that point, practically ordering them to give it a rest. "We'll all think better on full stomachs," she'd said, setting them each to various tasks.
Tegan and the Doctor had been excused only long enough to get Lanie her bath and put her to bed. The sight of the Doctor, cheerfully setting the table, had given Tegan pause. She'd never expected to see him in such domestic settings, certainly not looking so comfortable in them. It just made her angrier at the Guardians and his as-yet unseen future self for trying to pull him away from a place where he truly seemed at peace. No disasters, no invading hordes, just a nice little vacation from the usual chaos. "I don't expect to keep him forever," she muttered as she brought the rubbish out to the dustbin and slammed the lid down on it. "Just long enough to raise Lanie, that's all I ask. And maybe a bit more," she added, scanning the skies defiantly. "I won't last forever, no one needs to tell me that; you can have him after we're done with him!"
Lavinia had noticed the stubborn set of her houseguest's chin on her return to the kitchen, but had kept any comments to herself. She recognized Tegan's mood and knew exactly what was causing it. The same thing that was causing her to singe her fingers every time she reached for a pan and forgot the protective cloth, not her usual habit. The same thing that kept Harry and Sarah Jane muttering quietly to themselves as they peeled potatoes and carrots, whenever they thought she wasn't paying attention. Only the Doctor seemed immune, but he could play it very close to the vest when he wanted to.
"At any rate, it's no good trying to figure this out," the Doctor finally said as they all more or less finished dinner. Tegan had gone back to merely picking at her food, with Harry keeping a weather eye on her and Sarah Jane occasionally nudging her in the arm to remind her to eat, but everyone else had at least forced themselves to finish. Even the Doctor. He scooted his chair back, reaching to take Tegan's still-full plate and stack it on top of his before bringing them over to the sink. "As I may have mentioned, my future self plays things very close to the vest." He unconsciously echoed Lavinia's earlier thoughts, giving her a bit of a start. "I'll know when he returns what exactly he expects of me, and that'll have to be soon enough."
oOo
"I can't believe you're just giving up," Tegan grumbled later as they climbed into bed. Although the Doctor didn't need nearly as much sleep as she did, he made it a habit to join her whenever she retired, even if he usually ended up just lying there for a few hours, listening to her breathe. Occasionally he would quietly steal away to Lavinia's lab or the TARDIS to get some work done after Tegan was firmly asleep, but never without leaving her a note and definitely not tonight, his first and perhaps only night back. "It's not like you to just wait for someone else to solve the puzzle."
"Not even when the 'someone else' is me?" His voice was light, but his expression remained serious. "Don't worry, Tegan, I've far from given up. I just opted to keep my thoughts to myself. That way I don't end up sounding foolish if my speculation proves wrong."
Tegan glanced at him sharply. She'd started to lean her head on his shoulder, and now returned to a sitting position. "So you do have a theory?"
"Nothing so concrete as a theory," he corrected her, pulling her firmly into his embrace. After a brief hesitation, she yielded, nestling into his side and squirming her shoulder more comfortably under his arm. "More like the ghost of an idea that may very well turn out to be just that: a ghost, something of no substance and easily seen through."
He wasn't being entirely honest with Tegan, but he was honest enough with himself to admit that it wasn't just to spare her unnecessary discomfort; he was attempting to spare himself unnecessary discomfort as well. The last thing he'd done before he intercepted Lavinia's message had been to leave Turlough with his newfound family; the last thing he'd done before responding to the message had been to drop a protesting Peri back where he'd found her. Since it had been Turlough's choice to remain behind, he had a good idea as to which event had set things awry.
It would be interesting to see exactly what his future self's plan was to salvage this situation.
It would be even more interesting to see if he would be willing to go along with it.