Welcome, welcome! Back at it again with another chapter! Doing something a little different with this particular adventure. If you enjoy, please leave a review!
Chapter 32
"It's a spaceship. Brilliant! I got a spaceship on my first go."
Madison smiled at Mickey as he gazed around in awe. She was glad he was so excited. It was almost like reliving what she felt her first time travelling through the Doctor. Something that made her feel giddy with anticipation in seeing what else amazed Mickey. It made her wonder briefly then if this was why the Doctor loved bringing people around in his life. Maybe, after so long of travelling, it got a bit boring if not vicariously experiencing it with another person. In fact, the more she contemplated it, the more she realised it was true. It had to be. Though, to be certain, she would have to ask the Doctor about it later when they found time. For now, she focused on situating herself in their surroundings.
Currently, they were indeed on a spaceship. Or maybe it was a station of some sort. It was hard telling with just how dark the place was. It was dimly lit with just a few white lights here and there. Though these lights were covered in dust and dirt from the looks of it. The room they were in was rather large, with a high metal ceiling above them. In fact, the entire place was made out of the same dark metal, giving no colour to be seen anywhere. As Madison walked more into the room, she tripped over a massive cord that was laying across the room. She looked around, seeing even more cords and wires crisscrossing around the place. Many led in different branching hallways from the room they were in, while others led up into the air vents of the spacecraft. It wasn't just cords and wires, however. There were bits and pieces of scrap metal and other junk lying almost over everything. Madison could see large control panels of some kind in the centre of the room that appeared torn apart. It was evident that the spaceship they found themselves on was in the middle of being worked on. Whether this is to repair or disassemble Madison had no idea.
"Looks kind of abandoned. Anyone on board?" Rose wondered aloud as she too took in the sight of the empty, broken-up room. Madison nodded as she frowned, noting the eerie silence that surrounded them. It was so quiet that Rose's voice even echoed around as she spoke.
"Do you think the ship is sort of like the ships they sink out in the oceans? Old and torn apart, so left as shells of their former selves as markers of some sort?" Madison asked, curious about how the future handled old spaceships.
"No, spaceships are always salvaged for every part. But good thinking," the Doctor remarked, walking over to the consoles in the centre of the room. "Nothing here, though. Well, nothing dangerous. Well, not that dangerous." He looked around then, seeming to second guess himself. "You know what? I'll just have a quick scan. In case there's anything dangerous." He went over to one of the consoles, beginning to fiddle with the controls on it. He stared at the small monitors on it, taking in the information carefully.
"When are we then?" Madison asked him as she came over to stand beside him.
"How far have we gone?" Rose added as she too stood by the Doctor, being on his other side.
"About three thousand years into your future, give or take," the Doctor told them as he flipped on different switches. He pulled up a small handle then, twisting it. This caused more lights to turn on, brightening the room for them.
Madison looked up as she heard metal shifting and clanking, seeing how panels moved along the ceiling above them, revealing a thick glass dome. Soon, they could see the most dazzling sight outside of the spaceship. It appeared like that of a gaseous cloud, swirling above them with brilliant colours on display. All sorts of different hues of blue, orange, pink, and purple. It took her breath away by the mere sight of it. Her eyes lit up in awe as she slowly turned, trying to look at it from all angles.
"51st century," she heard the Doctor say. "The Dagmar Cluster, you're a long way from home, Mickey. Two and a half galaxies." She felt Rose and Mickey walking away to go view something somewhere else. Meanwhile, she kept slowly turning, still mesmerised by the sight above.
"It's so beautiful," she breathed, finally stopping to simply gaze at it.
"It is," she heard the Doctor's voice in her ear. She looked over then, seeing him standing close, leaning down to whisper in her ear. "I'm glad you like it." His smile was so tender it made her heart flutter happily. She returned his smile, leaning over to kiss his cheek.
"But not as beautiful as you," she said quietly.
"Oh, that was what I was gonna say," he whined, pouting now. She chuckled, knowing that she stole his moment. She followed along with him back towards the consoles as he began inspecting them closely. He picked up random parts from the ground, frowning as he looked the mess over. "Dear me, had some cowboys in here. Been a ton of repair work going on." He tossed aside the parts he held, making them clang against the console.
"Is that why there's no one on board? Do you think they left the ship behind while they gathered up more parts for repair?" Madison asked him curiously.
". . . No, there would have been someone left behind to monitor the ship." He inspected the monitors again that showed images of the ship. "But it doesn't make sense. All the warp engines are going." His brow furrowed as he leaned over the console to stare at the images closer. "Full capacity. There's enough power running through this ship to punch a hole in the universe and we're not moving."
Still trying to work it out in her head, Madison looked over the screen, trying to make sense of there being no crew. "So . . . the ship was left running at full power, yet it's not moving? How does that work?"
"Don't know. Makes you wonder where all the power is going to," the Doctor said to her, glancing over as Rose and Mickey came back over to them.
"Do we know where the crew is? You said there has to be at least someone on board, right?" Rose asked then as she stood beside the console with the Doctor and Madison. Mickey was still walking around, taking in the sight of the spaceship.
"I'm scanning for life readings, but . . . nothing," the Doctor told her as he flipped different switches that were blinking and making quiet noises.
"Well, we're in deep space. They didn't just nip out for a quick fag," Rose said as she glanced around.
"No, I've checked all the smoking pods." Brows furrowed heavily, the Doctor gave a sniff then. He made a face as he stood away from the console then, turning around as he kept sniffing the air. "You smell that?"
Madison sniffed as well, frowning as she just noticed the smell of something cooking. But . . . something about it seemed familiar and not in a pleasant way. Like the smell was from a tainted memory. She listened as the other two around her began sniffing the air as well.
"Yeah. Someone's cooking," Rose said as she too picked up on the scent.
"Sunday roast, definitely," Mickey agreed.
"No . . . No, something's wrong about it," Madison muttered, shaking her head. "But I can't place where I've smelled something like this before." Humming in the back of his throat, the Doctor appeared to agree with her as he went back to mess around with the controls in front of him. Flipping at a switch, something began moving behind them. They all turned to see a section of the wall was moving, opening up a room of some sort.
Together they all walked into the room. At first, it appeared to be just a room for extra storage of things for the ship. Different parts on shelves and large canisters hanging on the walls. But then the thing which stood out the most, appearing not to belong on a spaceship at all, was the elegant fireplace on the far wall. It was beautiful, decorated in bronze and gold, with a very antique clock sitting on the mantel. There were two candle holders hanging on the wall on either side of the fireplace, looking to be made out of gold. The wall itself was a rich, brown wood that appeared expertly handcrafted. Inside the fireplace was a small fire glowing steadily in the dim light of the spaceship. It created a pleasant warmth within the room. It felt bizarre seeing such a sight before her. Why would anyone put a fireplace such as this on a spaceship?
"Now, there's something you don't see in your average spaceship," the Doctor commented lightly, hands in his pockets as he eyed the fireplace up and down carefully. "18th century. French. Nice mantel." He pulled out the sonic screwdriver from his inner pocket, beginning to scan it.
"That seems like a fire hazard," Madison remarked quietly as she got closer to it. She crouched as she inspected the bottom, frowning as she realised there was something on the other side through the fireplace. She could see the darkness of another room, but nothing to be seen as the firelight was too bright to make out anything in particular. Though she saw movement. Something was within the dark room and coming closer to the fire.
"Not a hologram," she heard the Doctor say after finishing his scan. "Not even a reproduction. This actually is an 18th-century French fireplace."
"Doctor, there's a room on the other side," she told him, pointing into the fire. "I think there's something in there."
"It can't be. There's the outer hull of the ship. Look," Rose countered as she stared out a nearby window. Madison concentrated on the room she was seeing, frowning as she waited for something to happen. She saw more movement, then a small figure stepped forward. It was a little girl, walking over to the fire before sitting down before it. Both she and the girl blinked at each other in shock, staring with wide eyes at one another. The girl, wearing a long white gown and had beautiful blonde hair that fell down her back, tilted her head while staring curiously at Madison. Madison quickly got over her initial shock, smiling kindly.
"Why, hello," she greeted the girl.
"Hello," the girl greeted in return. Madison saw the Doctor quickly crouching beside her, blinking in surprise before also giving the child a soft smile.
"Hello," he said, nodding to the girl. "What's your name?"
"Reinette," the girl answered politely, seeming wary of the two. Madison could feel Mickey and Rose getting close behind her and the Doctor as they too stared into the fireplace.
"Reinette. That's a lovely name," the Doctor told the girl, nodding lightly. "Can you tell me where you are at the moment, Reinette?"
"In my bedroom," the child answered, making a tone as though this should be obvious to them.
"And where's your bedroom? Where do you live, Reinette?" the Doctor questioned, trying to gently pry for information.
"Pairs of course," Reinette replied, laughing a little.
"Paris. Right." The Doctor nodded, smiling even more.
"Paris is lovely," said Madison, nodding with him.
"Monsieur, Madame, what are you doing in my fireplace?" Reinette asked them then, tilting her head in curiosity once again.
"Oh, it's just a routine," the Doctor paused in thought, thinking up something quickly, "fire check."
"Nothing to worry about, sweetie. We just have to make sure the fire's going," Madison assured the girl. She pretended to inspect the fire then. "Yep, seems like a good fire to me." She earned herself a smile from Reinette.
"Can you tell us what year it is?" the Doctor asked Reinette then, earring the girl's attention once more.
"Of course I can. 1727," Reinette answered him.
"Oh. What a lovely year," Madison said, smiling softly as she remembered this year. She had still been living in Ireland as a young child. Well, not young for a human as she would have been in her twenties, but it was young for a Mer.
"One of my favourites," the Doctor agreed with her. He started nodding then, stating absently, "August is rubbish, though. Stay indoors." Shaking his head to snap himself out of it, he smiled and nodded once more at Reinette. "Okay, that's all for now. Thanks for your help. Hope you enjoy the rest of the fire. Night-night."
"Sleep well, Reinette. Take good care of yourself," Madison told the girl as the Doctor stood up.
"Good night, Monsieur. Good night, Madame," Reinette replied politely, still seeming bewildered by their presence in the first place but accepting of the strange encounter all the same. Madison waited until Reinette got up and left the area in front of the fire before standing up herself. She turned, seeing Mickey and Rose blinking from the strange encounter they all just had.
"You said this was the 51st century," Mickey said to the Doctor then.
"I also said this ship was generating enough power to punch a hole in the universe," the Doctor countered. "I think we just found the hole. Must be a spatio-temporal hyperlink."
"What's that?" asked Mickey.
"No idea, just made it up. Didn't want to say 'magic door'," the Doctor answered as he stared off into space in thought.
"I think I like 'magic door' better," Madison replied in humour, earning herself a pout from the Doctor. "But why is a little girl's room in 1727 France on the other side of this hole?"
"Don't know. That's what we need to figure out," said the Doctor as he started walking out of the room to place his overcoat onto a console.
"How was that France, though? She was speaking English. I heard her," Mickey commented as he and the other two followed after the Time Lord.
"That's the TARDIS, translates for you," Rose explained to him.
"She's telepathic, so she can get inside of your head and help you with all sorts of languages," Madison added.
"'She'? You act like it's alive," Mickey scoffed. Seeing Madison and Rose's raised brows, Mickey blinked. "It's not alive, is it?"
"She's very much sentient and aware. So, I'd be careful calling her an 'it' in the future. She can be cheeky at times," Madison said, smirking lightly at Mickey's stunned expression. She glanced over, seeing the Doctor coming over to the fireplace. He began messing around with it, seeming to be searching for something. She walked over, standing close by. "What're you looking for?" she asked him.
"I think . . ." he muttered as he stood up straight and tapped something just under the mantel, "this." Madison gasped as she felt the floor beneath her shift. She saw the wooden wall turning on the spot, rotating both her and the Doctor around along with the fireplace as they held onto the mantel. She heard Rose calling for them just as the wall shifted fully, bringing them away from the spaceship and into a dark room. The Doctor and Madison both blinked at one another, shocked by what had happened.
Quickly, they both gazed around the new place they had been brought to. It was a dark room, barely lit by the soft glow from the fireplace. However, there was a stream of moonlight coming from the window nearby, creating a soft glow around where the light touched. It was a child's room judging by the dollhouses, a rocking horse, and other such toys set aside in different spots throughout the place. The bed at the end of the room could be seen holding a little Reinette, sound asleep and resting comfortably. The richly made covers lay around the child as she slept on elegant pillows and cushions. Madison could hear Reinette breathing softly as she rested, with the only other sound coming from the ticking clock on the mantel. Madison glanced over when she saw the Doctor walk over and brush aside the heavy curtains from the edge of the window. She walked over silently, glancing over his shoulder to see 18th-century Paris just outside. It appeared to be winter as there was snow covering almost everything. A horse outside suddenly neighed loudly and there came a gasp from the bed.
"It's okay. Don't scream. It's just us. It's the fireplace people, look," the Doctor said hurriedly when seeing Reinette bolt up in the bed from a dead sleep. He walked through the dark room, using his sonic then to light a candle that was resting on a small table next to Reinette's bed. The candle created enough light for Reinette to see both the Doctor and Madison clearly. "We were talking. Just a moment ago. We were in your fireplace," the Doctor explained, smiling kindly.
"Sorry for waking you, Reinette. We didn't mean to disturb you," Madison said gently, walking over to stand beside the bed.
"But . . . Monsieur, Madame, that was weeks ago. That was months," Reinette told them. This shocked Madison and the Doctor as both shared a glance and raised brows.
"Really? Hmm." The Doctor walked over to the fireplace, crouching down to take a look at it. The fire was dimmer than it had been before, with only brick seen on the other side of it. No signs of a spaceship. "Must be a loose connection. Need to get a man in," the Doctor mentioned as he began knocking his fist lightly against the mantel.
"Who are you and what are you both doing here?" Reinette asked then.
"Well, I'm Madison and this is—," Madison began, starting to introduce themselves, but she was quickly shushed by the Doctor. She blinked, frowning at him. "I know you enjoy being ruder than normal with this new face, but even you can understand how impolite it is not to make an introduction."
"No, no, ssh, listen," he muttered, waving for her to stay quiet. She saw how he was standing straight in front of the fireplace, staring hard at the clock on the mantel. Through the dimly lit room, she could see that the glass face of the clock had been smashed, with broken pieces of glass all around its feet. Frowning, she was baffled by this. That couldn't be right.
"Is the clock broken completely?" she asked quietly.
"Yeah. It is," the Doctor answered slowly, turning on the spot as his eyes shifted around the room. "And if the clock's broken and it's the only clock in this room . . . then what's that?" Right away Madison knew what he was referring to. The loud ticking reverberated throughout the room. It made Madison's hair on the back of her neck stand on end as the ticking became almost sinister.
"'Cause, you see, that's not a clock," the Doctor went on slowly, carefully walking back towards the bed. "You can tell by the resonance. Too big. Six feet, I'd say. Size of a man."
Reinette's breath caught somewhat as the girl began looking around the room for the source of the noise. "What is it?" the girl asked, sounding scared now.
"It's okay, sweetie. We'll figure it out. Just stay in the bed," Madison whispered to the child, getting closer to Reinette then and ready to defend the child if necessary.
"Now let's think," the Doctor was heard muttering as he began searching around the room for hiding places. There wasn't much, just the thick curtains by the window, which he checked quickly. "If you were a thing that ticked and you were hiding in someone's bedroom, first thing you do, break the clock. No one notices the sound of one clock ticking, but two?" He paused, freezing suddenly as he looked to the bed. His eyes shifted up, meeting Madison's. She nodded, knowing what he was thinking next as he edged slowly towards the bed.
"You might start to wonder if you're really alone," he finished muttering as he got closer to Madison and Reinette. He began to carefully lower himself then. "Stay on the bed. Right in the middle. Don't put your hands or feet over the edge. Maddie, stay still."
Madison nodded, doing as instructed as she did not wish to cause anything to come to harm Reinette. She was glad she was close enough to the child, in case she needed to dive forward and cover Reinette's body with her own if need be. Madison watched as the Doctor got down to the floor, looking under the bed. He brought out his sonic from his pocket, beginning to make it buzz. She saw something swipe at the Doctor then, making him fall back in surprise. She heard something clicking and creaking with swift movement and shuffling coming from the other side of the bed. Whipping her sight over, she gasped as she saw a tall man standing there. At least, it appeared to be a man by the way the figure was dressed. It had on an 18th-century Frenchmen's suit, with a ruffled collar and everything. The figure also had on an unsettling antique masquerade mask, painted with red, hollow eyes and an ominous smile, complete with a powdered wig. The ticking sound came louder then, making her realise that this could be no man as it made the unearthly noise.
"Reinette, don't look round," the Doctor instructed slowly as he carefully got up from the floor.
"Just keep your eyes on me, sweetie. Just focus on me," Madison breathed, sitting down on the bed then and getting close to Reinette. Madison was ready to grab the child and run at a moment's notice.
"You stay exactly where you are," the Doctor ordered the figure standing beside the bed. He then glanced back and forth between the ticking figure and Reinette. "Hold still, let me look." The Doctor placed a knee on the bed as he got close to Reinette, lifting his hands and placing them on either side of the girl's head. Anger flashed through his eyes then as he glanced towards the ticking figure. "You've been scanning her brain! What, you've crossed two galaxies and thousands of years just to scan a child's brain? What could there be in a little girl's mind worth blowing a hole in the universe?" He let go of Reinette's head, glaring at the figure next to the bed.
"I don't understand," Reinette said then, looking both scared and confused now. "It wants me?" She looked over to the figure, eyes wavering as she finally saw the scary sight. "You want me?"
"Not yet. You are incomplete," the figure spoke then in a man's voice, sounding robotic and curt as it tilted its head while staring at Reinette.
"Incomplete? What does that mean, incomplete?" the Doctor demanded in question. There was no response from the robotic figure as it continued to stare at Reinette. "You can answer her, you can answer me. What do you mean, incomplete?" the Doctor spat angrily as he stood away from the bed and pointed his screwdriver at the figure.
The robotic figure moved suddenly then, walking stiffly and jerkily around the bed towards the Doctor. Madison reacted as soon as the figure moved, pulling Reinette close to her and away from the bed, backing up to stand behind the Doctor. She held the child tightly to her side, refusing to let go as the figure lifted its arm and out came a long blade, pointed straight at the Doctor, right under his chin.
"Monsieur, be careful!" Reinette cried as she clung shakily to Madison.
"Just a nightmare, Reinette. Don't worry about it," the Doctor said quickly. "Everyone has nightmares." He started to back away swiftly then as the robotic figure advanced. The Doctor seemed to guide the figure back towards the fireplace then as it kept slashing the air, trying its best to hit him. "Even monsters from under the bed have nightmares. Don't you, Monster?" He ducked then just as the robotic man was about to hit him, making the blade get stuck in the mantel. The Doctor gave a large grin of triumph as he reached for a certain spot on the mantel.
"What do monsters have nightmares about?" Reinette asked then, still hugging Madison tightly.
"Me. Ha!" the Doctor said proudly as he made the fireplace click. The wall soon spun on the spot, turning the entire fireplace around. The Doctor and robot were gone, replaced by the very same fireplace they had just been by. The wall clicked into place, settling to leave behind silence in the wake of the Doctor's disappearance. The clock on the mantel was seen perfectly fine, ticking away softly as if nothing had occurred or been out of the ordinary. Though Madison felt that they were not out of the woods yet. That wall could turn at any point and bring forth another to pop out at them. She hoped it would be the Doctor returning again soon, but she feared it might the robotic figure coming back for Reinette.
"Reinette, stay right here. I need to check to see if he's okay," Madison said, carefully pulling Reinette from her and walking over to the fireplace. She crouched down in front of the fire, seeing nothing but a brick chimney on the other side. No indication of a spaceship whatsoever. She stood up then, touching the mantel and wondering how the Doctor made it move. But no matter where she looked, she could see nothing but elegantly carved stone. Nothing to show for turning the fireplace. It appeared as though she would be stuck here until the Doctor came back.
"Where did he go? Where did the fireplace man go?" Reinette asked her then, stepping over to stand close to Madison.
"He went back to the world we came from. Your fireplace is a magic door to that world. But it seems as if it only works from the side of our world. Not yours," Madison explained, trying to be careful with her words as she did not wish to alarm the girl or step outside of time rules.
"So are you stuck here until he comes back?" Reinette asked her, frowning in concern then.
"It appears so," Madison sighed, shaking her head. Then she gave the child a soft smile. "But don't worry, he'll be back. Until then, why don't we get you back to bed."
Reinette shook her head. "I don't think I can sleep after something like that."
"Well, you can certainly try." Madison held a hand to Reinette's back, guiding the girl over to the bed again. "Here we go. Let's get you comfy." She helped Reinette back into the bed.
Reinette gave a fleeting look of fear as she gazed back over to the fireplace. "But what if that monster comes back?"
"Don't worry. I'll be here the entire time watching over you. If that monster comes back, he'll find himself in a lot of trouble." Madison grinned lightly, putting on a mischievous expression. "I may not be a nightmare the monsters fear, but I am certainly a contending nemesis for them." She gave Reinette a wink, earning herself a small giggle from the child.
"But who was that man? The one who fights the monsters?"
Giving the child a soft smile, Madison sat down on the bed next to Reinette. "He's the Doctor. A very kind man who fights all sorts of monsters."
"A doctor who fights monsters?" Reinette giggled, seeming tickled by this idea. Her eyes lit up brightly then. "Is he your doctor?"
Smiling warmly, Madison stared towards the fireplace as her eyes grew soft. "Yes. Yes, he's my Doctor." She looked back to Reinette then, giving a brighter smile. "And I'm his Madison. Together, we both fight the monsters. So little girls like you don't have to be scared of the dark." Grabbing the covers, Madison pulled them over Reinette's lap, fluffy up the down that was inside the blankets. "Now then, time for bed. No more monsters tonight. Only sweet dreams. You need your rest if you want to be ready for the next day."
Reinette nodded, laying down in her bed and getting herself comfortable. Though there was still an uncertain gaze that the girl gave the fireplace. She then looked to Madison for comfort. "Do you promise not to leave me tonight?"
"I promise. I'll keep away all nightmares tonight. I won't leave your side until morning. Not for one second." Madison made a motion over her chest as a promise while she gave the child a smile. "Cross my heart."
Reinette tilted her head then. "Are you my guardian angel?"
Madison couldn't help but chuckle. "What? What makes you think that?"
"People say only guardian angels watch over children while they sleep."
"Well, I'm certainly no angel. But I can be your guardian. Just for you, Reinette." Madison began to stroke Reinette's head while she sat next to the child, making similar motions with her fingers as she recalled her mother doing once so long ago. "Would you like a lullaby to help you sleep?" Seeing Reinette nod, Madison thought over different songs to sing.
She decided on a French lullaby, one that she had heard sung a long time ago. She hummed and softly sang while continuing to stroke Reinette's head. After a while, when her song ended, she glanced down to see Reinette breathing steadily and in a deep slumber. Madison's eyes lifted, staring towards the fireplace. She kept humming her song, absently brushing her fingers through Reinette's hair as she waited patiently for the return of her Doctor. The only sound of the ticking clock kept her company through the night.
XxXxXxXxXx
The sun rose slowly over the city of Pairs, casting golden rays of light across the way. Outside the window, Madison could hear horses neighing and the wheels of carriages moving about. There were some people's voices as well, carrying through the distant winds of the winter weather. There was also people's voice heard within the home she was currently in. She became nervous then, wondering what they would think if anyone saw her within Reinette's room. Obviously, she would be taken to the authorities for burglary. And knowing this time period with their justice system, it would not be a pleasant experience. There was the sound of ruffling coming beside her where she sat on the bed.
"Madame Madison, you're still here," she heard Reinette say sleepily.
"I did make a promise, didn't I?" Madison replied easily, giving the girl a light smile.
Reinette sat up in bed, looking around the room. Possibly either searching for more monsters or for the Doctor. "But where is Monsieur Doctor?"
"He's . . . running a tad late I'm afraid." Madison tried her best to give Reinette a reassuring smile. Though it was hard given how she felt at the moment. The Doctor never returning last night greatly worried her. What if the robotic figure had gotten him in the end? What if he, Rose, and Mickey were at the spaceship, gravely hurt while she was stuck all the way in 1727? What if the 'magic door' had closed off permanently? Madison could never get back to them and make certain they were all right. Oh, what was she going to do?
A noise came outside of the door, sounding as though somewhere were coming towards the room. Reinette gasped quietly, whispering, "You need to hide, Madame. If Mother sees you, you'll be in trouble."
"Right. We don't want that," Madison agreed quickly, getting off the bed and going under it. She curled up tightly into herself, hiding in the shadows of the bed. She hoped the covers that hung over the sides were enough to hide her from view. The idea of being forced away by the authorities lay heavily on her mind as she waited for the door to open. She watched as what appeared to be a servant entered the room. She listened as they were giving Reinette a tray of food for a morning meal before listing the things Reinette needed for the day. Things went by in a blur then as, after the meal was finished, the servant had Reinette dressed and ready to go for her mother.
"Are you certain you don't want to finish your meal?" the servant woman asked.
"I'm certain. Others can eat the bread and jams if they want to," Reinette said politely. Madison smiled as she heard Reinette saying this a little louder than normal, obviously letting her know the food was left behind on purpose.
She waited until Reinette and the servant left before slowly getting herself out from under the bed. She gazed around, seeing the sun was fully up above the horizon now, shining brightly for the morning. She looked over to the tray left on the bed, seeing a hunk of bread, a half portion of cheese, and a small jar of jam for her mixed within the plates and silverware. She sighed, sitting on the bed and allowing herself to eat. She knew she needed to. Who knew how long she would be stuck here now. It was best to keep up her strength.
Soon, she finished her small meal. Picking up the tray and setting it off the bed, she began walking around the room. She gazed out the window briefly, seeing the city was awake and moving about, people going about their day like any other. She turned to the fireplace then, going to inspect it again. Though this time, much closer. After looking at the stone top to bottom, tapping it, hitting it, and even kicking it out of frustration of finding nothing, she knew that was it. There was nothing she could do except . . . wait. And waiting felt like the last thing she should be doing. But what else could she do? She couldn't exactly leave in case the Doctor came back. She wasn't smart enough to invent something to help her as he could have. She didn't know the first thing when it came to 'magic doors' or whatnot, and she certainly didn't have anything on her that could . . .
Hurriedly, she dug through her pockets, searching for her mobile. She knew by now that her pockets were dimensional as the Doctor had explained to her once. Apparently, it was something the TARDIS did for all clothing worn by the Doctor and companions. So, there were a few things she kept on her. A small medical kit for emergencies. A sewing kit for if she needed to repair something. And her mobile phone, of course. Smiling, she pulled it out and began dialling for Rose. Pressing it to her ear, she muttered a quiet hopeful prayer for luck. But she only heard a busy line through her earpiece. Frustrated, she sat on Reinette's bed and kept dialling. Over and over again. She even tried calling the TARDIS. But she only received a busy signal or static. Something which the Doctor said would happen sometimes. The phone was not always a guarantee of contacting people through time and space. There was room for error.
Sighing for what felt like the hundredth time, she lay her phone down in her lap, holding it loosely in her hands as she stared at the fireplace. Oh, what was she supposed to do? She felt that she was being useless by this point. She wasn't smart enough to figure out a solution to this. Did . . . Did she have to wait and live through the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries again? Stuck here, reliving the same times and always avoiding her other self? No, that couldn't be it. She couldn't do that. There had to be a way. There just . . . had to.
XxXxXxXxXx
"Would you like me to sneak into the kitchens to get you something?" Reinette asked her quietly.
It was night again. The servants had just left Reinette alone for the night, leaving Madison to come out from under the bed once more. The girl had the most delighted look on her face when seeing Madison was still there. They talked for a while, discussing Reinette's day and how things were. Currently, they are sitting on Reinette's bed. Madison was brushing the girl's hair, combing through it and fondly listening to the girl tell her stories of the day. It was nice being able to speak with Reinette. It was comforting.
"Maybe we'll sneak down together. But for now, let's make certain everyone's asleep," Madison said, putting down the comb as she finished with the girl's hair.
"Will your Doctor come back for you soon?" asked Reinette as the girl turned around to face Madison.
Grabbing Reinette's hands, Madison patted them gently. "I'm sure he will. The magic door is probably just not working right. He'll have to work out to fix it. He's a very smart man, you see. He can solve almost any problem that comes his way. So you can bet he'll be back."
Reinette's eyes lit up in fascination. "Can you tell me more about your Doctor? I want to know about the monsters he fights."
"Well, it's not always monsters in the Doctor's life. There's a lot of wondrous things, too." Madison hummed as she thought of what she could tell Reinette and how she could explain it. "You see . . ." She looked over to a small desk that Reinette had for studying. There on the desk were stacks of papers and a few feather pens. Getting an idea, Madison waved Reinette to follow her. She went over to the desk then, sitting down and grabbing some paper and a pen. She dipped the pen into ink, beginning to draw images for Reinette. "You see, the Doctor lives inside a blue box. A magical box that can take him anywhere, to all sorts of different worlds." She drew the TARDIS, showing Reinette the image.
"That's silly. How does he fit inside a box?" Reinette giggled, seeming delighted by the drawing.
"It's bigger on the inside," Madison replied easily, giving the girl a wink.
"Have you been to many worlds?"
"Oh, yes. Many." Madison began drawing more, smiling as she recalled one of her favourites. "There was this one world, filled with flowers. But they weren't flowers like in this world. Here they were as big as houses. Reaching far, far up into the air. The people from this world lived within the flowers, keeping the flowers alive and pollinating when they needed more. Then, the world also had bugs as big as horses that you could ride."
Reinette made a face. "Disgusting!"
"Oh, but they were sweet things. They gave all sorts of kisses on my cheek."
Madison went on then, telling more of her stories, spinning tales of magic and wonder. She kept drawing for Reinette, helping the girl to visualise just how wonderful it was outside of this world and seeing everything there was the Doctor could offer.
"The way you speak about him . . . Do you love your Doctor?" Reinette asked her suddenly, making Madison halt in her drawing.
". . . Yes. I love him with all my heart," Madison spoke quietly, holding a soft smile. "He means everything to me."
Nodding for a moment, Reinette then held a determined expression. "Then, I shall love him, too."
Madison chuckled, finding the child's statement cute. "That's very sweet of you, Reinette. When he comes back, I'm sure he'd be happy to hear that." She looked back to the paper in front of her then. "Now then, where was I? Oh, right, the world made out of clouds."
XxXxXxXxXx
Every day Madison would try her mobile, desperate to get a call to the Doctor or Rose. Even to Jackie so that maybe Madison could contact the Doctor that way. But the mobile just didn't seem to work. So, it was five days gone by and still nothing from the fireplace. Madison found herself pacing in front of it when not hiding under Reinette's bed or sleeping. In the morning she hid, only coming out when Reinette and the servants left. During the day she would sleep under the bed, making certain not to be found by anyone. At night she and Reinette would talk of the stories she had to share of worlds and the TARDIS and the Doctor before sneaking into the kitchens for something to eat. Honestly, Madison felt she was beginning to run out of tales to tell Reinette before it became no longer magical but terrifying. She needed to come up with different stories soon.
"Madame Madison, I have something for you," Reinette told her one afternoon when the servants and the girl's mother had left her alone. It seemed the girl was finally given the day off for once, not being forced to constant schooling and whatnot.
"What's that?" Madison asked politely after coming up from under the bed. Reinette grabbed her hand then, smiling happily as she led Madison through the home. Becoming nervous, Madison worried briefly about being discovered until Reinette swiftly brought her into a washroom. There she could see a large copper bathtub in the centre of the room. Steam rose from the tub as there was apparent hot water within.
"You said you needed a bath. So I had the servants bring in water for me. They'll be gone for a moment so you can bathe in here as you like," Reinette told her happily, smiling and looking proud of herself. "I'll lock the door and stay in here with you, in case they come back."
"Oh, Reinette, thank you." It touched Madison that the girl had remembered her mention of needing a bath. She had mostly been muttering to herself the other night as the itch for water was becoming unbearable and her skin was feeling hot all the time. There were even cracks forming all over her skin. She wasn't going to last much longer out of water. But . . . she didn't know if she should allow Reinette to see her true form. Would that be a wise idea? Then again, Reinette was such a clever child. Madison knew she could keep a secret and would understand why. So, Madison crouched down and gave Reinette a playful expression.
"Can you keep a secret?" she whispered, grinning now. "I have something to show you. Something truly magical. But no one can ever know about it, okay?"
"Okay," Reinette replied, seeming eager now for the secret.
"Turn around. I'll tell you when you can look."
Reinette did as instructed, allowing Madison to quickly undress and get into the tub. The water felt amazing against her skin, making her audible sigh in relief. Already her skin felt ten times better. She was elated to be able to see her tail again as it formed. Since the bathtub was rather small, she carefully laid her tail over the side, allowing it to hang freely.
"Okay, you can turn around now," said Madison. She couldn't help but chuckle when seeing the expression of absolute amazement and wonder that Reinette had. The girl's eyes went wide as she stared at Madison's tail. Her mouth even hung open slightly.
"You're a mermaid!" Reinette practically squealed glee. Madison quickly shushed her, chortling as Reinette covered a hand over her mouth. "Sorry," whispered the girl.
"It's okay," laughed Madison, shaking her head. She scooted over to the side of the tub, folding her arms and resting them around the edge as she grinned at Reinette. "Yes, I'm a mermaid." Seeing Reinette's cheerful expression, yet frozen state, Madison waved a hand for her to come over. "You can come closer if you like. You can even touch my tail if you want."
Reinette shuffled herself forward, her hand reaching out to touch Madison's tail. The girl was gentle, rubbing her fingers along as though afraid to hurt Madison. Reinette's smile grew as her eyes lit up while running her hand along the tail. "Do you come from a world of mermaids?" the girl asked her excitedly then.
"No. I come from this world. Mermaids live alongside humans," Madison explained. "But we're in hiding. See there are people out there trying to hunt us down. So we have to stay secret. We only tell people who we trust the most. So you have to keep this a secret for me, okay?"
Reinette nodded firmly. "Don't worry. I won't tell anyone." The girl kneeled down in front of the tub, spreading out her blue dress skirts to circle around her. "Does your Doctor know that you're a mermaid?"
"Yes, he was the very first person I've ever trusted with this secret. He was the one . . . who helped me learn to accept being a mermaid."
"Are there many mermaids around?"
A low breath left Madison then as her expression fell. "No . . . at this point in time, there are only two others like me. We're the last there is."
"I'm so sorry." Reinette gave her a sympathetic expression, seeming uncertain how to handle this news. "Are there really no others?"
"Not that I know of. But I'm always searching. I won't give up hope and you shouldn't either." Madison gave Reinette a reassuring smile, glad to see the child return the smile and no longer looking sad.
"Can you swim really fast?" Reinette asked her then, seeming excited once more.
"Faster than you can believe."
"Can you hold your breath underwater for a long time?"
"I can do you one better. I can breathe underwater."
Reinette tilted her head. "But you don't have gills."
Madison gestured to her sides. "I have internal gills. Built-in with my lungs. I also have a swim bladder to help as well. And my skin is thicker than a human's, so I can swim around coral without being cut."
"Mermaids don't really sing sailors to their deaths, do they?"
Madison laughed, shaking her head. "No, no, that's just a myth. In fact, my ancestors used to try to help sailors when they were lost at sea. But when the sailors tried hurting us we stopped. After that . . . we tried our best to avoid ships."
Reinette kept asking her questions then. All of which Madison gladly answered. Though she didn't want to go into the sadder details of her ancestors' past as she didn't want to upset the girl. So she left out certain things throughout the tales of Mer-kind. At one point they both received a scare as a servant knocked on the door to check on Reinette. But the girl was quick in making up an excuse to want time alone. Each of them shared a grin as the servant walked away.
XxXxXxXxXx
Madison knew her luck would only run for so long. She couldn't keep living under a child's bed forever. That much was certain. And so, on the eighth day of living under the bed, was when it all came to an end. She had just crawled out from under the bed and started to eat what was left over on the tray Reinette had kept for her when the door suddenly burst open. Madison jumped, startled by the intrusion as her eyes went wide in seeing a woman dressed fancy yellow gown. The woman let out a startled noise, halting in place by the door.
"Who are you? I demand to know who you are. What are you doing in my daughter's room?" the woman barked then, looking outraged.
"I–I–I'm the new maid. Just hired on so—," Madison tried coming up with a quick lie, even if it seemed like a stupid one.
"I have not hired any new maids," Reinette's mother scoffed. She turned to the open door then. "Edouard! Edouard, get in here now!"
"Yes, Madame?" came a male voice and in walked a male servant. The man blinked when spotting Madison. "Who is this?"
"Some street rat seems to have made her way into my home. I want her restrained and the proper authorities alerted so that they can deal with her," the woman ordered her servant.
"Wait, wait, we don't have to do that. I'll just leave. I won't be any trouble," Madison said quickly, backing up from Edouard as he tried making his way toward her. "I haven't stolen anything. So there's no reason to alert anyone."
"Lies," hissed Reinette's mother.
"Mother, wait!" came Reinette's voice then. The girl pushed her way into the room, rushing over to Madison. The girl placed herself in front of Madison as she stared back at her mother and Edouard. "She's telling the truth. I let her in. I—I felt sorry for her, so I brought her in and fed her. That's all. I promise."
"Reinette, how many times have I told you not to associate yourself with the vagabonds?" her mother scolded her then, heels clicking on the hard stone floor as she marched over to Reinette. She yanked the girl away from Madison. "Edouard, just throw her out. And you," the mother pointed a strict finger at Madison, "I do not want you anywhere near my daughter or my home ever again."
"Yes, Madame," Madison responded politely, giving a courtesy. She was roughly grabbed by Edouard then. He gripped her arm tightly with one hand under her arm and the other holding her wrist as she was dragged away.
"No! Please, don't hurt her!" Reinette shouted, starting to cry, tears streaking down her face.
"It'll be okay, sweetie. Just be strong, okay?" Madison managed to say before being dragged away. She was forced through the halls of the home and down the grand staircase. Edouard then pushed her right out of the door to the snowy streets outside. He didn't even say anything to her. He simply slammed the door behind her, locking her out.
Madison gazed around her, seeing people who had been walking around the streets had stopped to stare at her in bewilderment. She gave them a nervous smile and wave before hurrying off. She walked fast, not even paying much attention to the sights around her. Her mind was in a panic. She was in for it now. Stuck out in the streets, in the dead of winter, in 18th century Paris. She had been homeless before. But this was going to be hard to survive. At least for the first few days. Hell, even the first few hours if she couldn't manage to find warmth soon. Though Mer can live in the cold, even this was pushing that limit. Her thin 21st-century clothing was already letting in the cold bite of winter. She shivered, rubbing her arms to try and stay warm.
Eventually, after a few hours of wandering, she made her way into a tiny park of some kind. There was a dry fountain in the centre by some low-hanging trees. She went over to it, sitting down on the edge as she tried to think up a plan. People around her ignored her presence. They thought she was a vagrant, wandering around the rich side of Paris. They barely even glanced her way. She doubted any one of them would actually help her, even if she begged. So, it would be pointless with getting anything from them. She sighed, trying her best to think of a plan. She didn't have anything of value for this time period, so she doubted she could even barter a coat from someone. But even with all these worried thoughts of how she was going to survive, she still couldn't stop the troubling thoughts of what would happen to the Doctor. Now that she was away from the fireplace . . . what hope did she have in trying to find her way back to him?
Pulling out her mobile phone from her pocket, she stared at it sadly. The battery was almost dead. Soon even this resource would be of no use to her. She truly would have nothing.
"Please. Please, just one more try," she whispered, pressing the speed dial for the TARDIS phone and lifting hers to her ear. She tensed as she heard the sound of the phone ringing. Then, someone picked up.
"Um . . . Hello. This is the TARDIS speaking," came a male voice that she did not recognise. "I mean, not actually the TARDIS. Just . . . you know. You're calling the TARDIS." She then heard another voice speaking.
"Seriously?" hissed a female voice.
"What, you told me to answer it," whispered the man.
"Not like that stupid. Oh, just give me it," sighed the woman. Madison heard some shuffling before the woman cleared her throat. "Hello? Who is this and what do you need? The Doctor says he's pretty busy at the moment, so can I take a message." The woman speaking had a rather to-the-point way about her tone with a slight Scottish accent as a undertone to her words. "Actually, now I'm being told he won't even take a message. Says just call back later . . . Unless it's an emergency or fun . . . You know, you can answer your own phone if you're just going to tell me what to say."
"H-hello?" Madison finally spoke, getting over her hesitancy in this situation she found herself in. "I'm sorry, I don't . . . I don't really know . . . " It then hit her. All of time and space. The phone could call at any point in the TARDIS's time. Oh, dear. Had she reached the Doctor during his younger years?
"Oh! Hey, Maddie. Why didn't you say it was you? Hold on," said the woman. There was a shuffling noise again.
"Yes. Hello. Sorry about that, I've been getting calls nonstop from the Queen of the Grods recently. She's been very pushy. Thinks I'll drop everything just to solve her water problem. I keep telling her if she just stopped over watering the lawns it'd solve most of the problem until I can figure out the lack of the annual mountain rain issue," spoke a man then, going at a rapid pace with his words. "So, need me to pick you up? Did you get bored with Jack? I told him not to be boring, but, you know, humans can't help but be boring sometimes."
"Oi!" called the same woman's voice from before, sounding annoyed and at a distance from the man speaking.
"Ssh! I'm talking! Now, where was I . . . Oh, right, picking you up," said the man. "The usual spot, right? Or do you have a different place in mind?"
While he was speaking, Madison felt her throat tighten. She was rigid, feeling unable to move or speak. At a loss for words, she tried steadying herself as her mind seemed in a fuzzy state. She . . . she had reached the wrong Doctor. At least this one knew who she was. Though . . . she wasn't certain why she was feeling so emotional. Maybe it was knowing that she was meeting him with a new face so soon. She knew one day that he would change again. But it was just . . . it felt too sudden for her. Then there was a man and woman whom she didn't recognise. Did that mean that the Doctor left Rose and Mickey behind? Or was it a mutual departure? She hoped it was the latter. Though it still hurts knowing one day they'd be gone. At . . . At least she knew that she was still around. And he mentioned Jack. That was good. At least they found him again. She had been worried they'd never find the missing Captain.
"Hello? Are you still there? Did we get disconnected? Hello?" said the Doctor on the other end of the line.
"No, sorry, I'm . . . I'm still here," she whispered, holding the phone tighter in her hand. "I'm sorry, I . . . I got in contact with the wrong version of you."
"Wrong what? What do you mean? There's only the right version of me. If there was more than one of me running around . . . actually, don't answer that. I know what you'll say."
"Doctor . . . I'm calling you at the wrong time frame. You've . . . got a different face," she said, trying to clarify but not sound rude. She didn't want to cause him to be upset.
"Not the right face? What's wrong with my face? Have I got something on my face? Do I have anything on my face? No. No, I'm being told 'no' so why . . ." He stopped, pausing for a moment. "Madison, where are you right now?"
"1727 France. I'm . . . I'm somewhat stuck here." She laughed humourlessly. "It's quite silly when you think about it." Her mouth felt thick with cotton as she tried gathering herself. "I, um, I'm sorry, Doctor. I don't know what else to do. Can . . . can you tell me what I can do? I don't know how to get back to you. I . . . I just need help. Please." She heard a lot of movement, things being shuffled around and something hit. "Doctor?"
"Don't worry, Maddie. I'm coming to get you. I'll be right there. Just don't move," he said in a rush then. "Stay right where you are. I need to get the right coordinates based on the location of this call."
"What? No, Doctor, you can't come here. What if you run into yourself?" She stood up, feeling greatly nervous now. Was she ruining the timelines? Was she causing a paradox? She didn't want the Reapers again. What if he was eaten and there was no Pete to fix things this time? But she could tell that the Doctor on the phone with her wasn't listening. There was a lot of rambling from him and others talking all at once. She could barely make out anything as the phone line became static.
She turned around abruptly when she heard the sound of the TARDIS's arrival. But the sound was off. It sounded muffled somehow, yet loud as though it were coming right behind her. She then saw that the view around her was gradually changing. It shifted in and out from the park to some sort of massive room. It then hit her that the TARDIS was bringing her into the ship by materialising around her. The same as what they had done for Rose while trapped with the Daleks. Madison turned around when the TARDIS had finished, bringing her into a massive room that, at first, she thought might be in another section of the ship. But then she realised where she was.
It was the console room. Though not the same one that she had grown so fond of. It seemed . . . larger somehow. Though maybe that was because of the coral pillars being gone. The console itself was also on an upper level, with a glass floor around it and a set of stairs leading to it from the door she stood by. There were stairs leading to a lower section below the console where much of the internal mainframe and machinery of the console were seen. And even more, stairs leading in different directions away from the console and down the corridors of the TARDIS. The walls had large round circles all over the place in random places, though nothing like the more uniform circles from the console she knew. The colours of the room were no longer grunge and dark, but bright, almost cheery, with orange hues all around.
Standing by the console were a man and a woman. The same ones Madison knew she must have been talking with just a moment ago. The man was wearing a dark-coloured vest over a tan button-up shirt. He had mousy brown hair and green eyes that held a friendliness to them. Though he appeared baffled at the moment as he stared at her curiously. The woman beside him had fiery red hair and hazel eyes that spoke of a strong will. She wore a light tan jacket over a maroon red plaid shirt and had on a very short denim skirt that showed off her long legs. The woman seemed just as confused as her male friend.
"Doctor, what's going on? Why are we picking up Maddie from 18th century France?" the man asked then, turning towards someone on the other side of the console.
"And why are you acting all worried? Did you do something wrong? Again?" the woman asked, crossing her arms and frowning at who she was talking to. The woman then glanced toward Madison. There was a flash of concern then. "Maddie, are you okay?"
"Y-yes. I'm fine. It's just . . .," Madison said, her voice sounding weak as she tried to speak. She cleared her throat, trying to bring her voice back to normal. "Sorry, it's just, I don't really know who you are."
"Ha. Very funny," the woman responded, rolling her eyes. She then blinked when seeing the blank stare from Madison. "Oh, my god. You're not joking. Rory, she's not joking." The young woman turned to her friend then, the man called Rory.
"Yeah. I don't think she is," Rory muttered. He then turned towards the console. "Doctor?"
"Stop checking your reflection and tell us what's going on," the woman said, sounding stricter this time.
There was movement then from the console and around came a man. Madison knew right away this was the Doctor. Not the Doctor she had been with over a week ago, but one from her future. He had much darker hair this time, that was styled to flop over his head in one direction instead of being messy and all spikey like his other face. He had a much younger face this time, almost as young as what she appeared to be. She noticed that he had a very large chin, though, and soft green eyes that looked so much older now. She looked over his outfit, seeing the tweed brown jacket he wore over a button-up shirt that appeared to be long-sleeved as she saw the ends around his wrists sticking out from his jacket's sleeves. There was a maroon bow tie around his neck and when he shifted in place she noticed similar coloured braces over his shoulders, connecting to his dark-coloured trousers. Lastly, she saw the black, lace-up boots he wore. It looked as though he had larger feet as well with this new body. She blushed when she noticed she had been staring him up and down rather openly, which was rude of her. She corrected herself by meeting his eyes once again.
He came closer to her then. His hands were wringing together as she realised he was indeed nervous, just as the young woman had said. She could see it all over his face. The worriment. Was he worried about something she had done? Maybe about the paradox that was surely taking place with her being here? But when she met his eyes, staring at the soft green of his irises, she could see that the worriment faded, replaced with such gentleness that it made her heart flutter.
"Hello, there, cowgirl," he said softly. She felt startled hearing him call her by that name. But she ignored this, focusing on pressing matters.
"I'm sorry that I got separated. I don't want to cause any paradoxes," she said quickly. "I won't bring the Reapers around, will I?"
"No. No, of course not. No Reapers today," he assured her quickly, jumping down the steps in front of her and coming over to stand closer. "It's just a small paradox. Nothing major. Nothing to worry about." He rubbed her arms then, giving her an encouraging smile. "You did exactly as you were meant to. This is supposed to happen."
"Oh. It is? That's good then." It felt like a relief. If what the Doctor said was true and he knew of this day, then she had always meant to come to him during this time. Like the train back at Bleakroost. Though . . . "Then why are you so worried?"
"Ah . . . Nothing. It's nothing."
She smiled, shaking her head. "You're still a horrible liar, you know that?"
He chuckled, reaching up to cup her cheek. "Only to you I am." He leaned forward then, kissing her forehead.
She blushed, her face heating up as she felt her heart and stomach fluttering. Nervousness came over her then, but not for the paradoxes. "Oh," she breathed as his hand trailed down her arm while he stepped closer.
"You're cold," he whispered, pulling her in close for a hug as he rubbed hands up and down her back.
"It's winter outside. I've been stuck for a few hours in the snow without a coat. But I'm fine," she reassured him, feeling her face grow even redder. Her heart pounded away in both elation of being able to hug the Doctor again and nervousness of being with a face that wasn't from her time.
He hugged her closer, kissing the side of her head softly. "I'm sorry. I should have been there for you."
"It-It's fine, Doctor."
He pulled away, blinking when seeing her flushed face. "Oh. Right. I'm making you uncomfortable. Yes, so sorry. I'm still a new face for you."
"Very much so," she replied as she gave a wavering smile. She didn't want to hurt his feelings. But her mind couldn't really grasp the idea of another face so soon. Especially as it most certainly felt like being unfaithful to the Doctor she knew. Though this still was the Doctor . . . Now she truly felt conflicted.
"It's going to be okay. I promise," he whispered, cupping her face again. His thumb caressed her cheek. "And don't worry about feeling conflicted. I understand completely."
Oh, dear. Seems he listened in on her thoughts again through touch. She would have to work on that. Glancing over his shoulder, she looked to the two standing by the console. Each one of them seemed to be as lost as she felt. The Doctor followed her gaze, appearing to just realise the two were still there.
"Oh! Where are my manners," he said with a flourish, clapping his hands together as he went back up the stairs towards the console. Madison followed after him. "This is Amy and Rory." He waved towards the two. Each of one them awkwardly waved.
"Hi," said Amy.
"Hello . . . Again," mumbled Rory.
"It's nice to meet you two," Madison greeted, nodding politely.
Amy then turned towards the Doctor with her arms crossed. "Seriously, Doctor, are you going to tell us what's happening?"
"Or are you just going to leave us in the dark all day? Not the first time you've done that," agreed Rory.
"It's complicated. Big ball of timey wimey. You wouldn't understand," the Doctor answered absently, rushing around the console then and hitting random controls. Seeing how the Doctor wasn't being helpful, Madison turned to the two.
"I'm from the past. I was with another regeneration face of the Doctor's about nine days ago. We were on a spaceship with this 'magic door' that took us from the 51st century to the 18th century in Jeanne Antoinette Poisson's bedroom. Also known as Reinette. After the Doctor from my time dealt with an enemy, he went back through the 'magic door', leaving me trapped behind," Madison explained to them. "So we're meeting out of order."
"Nine days? You've been stuck for nine days, on your own, in 18th century France?" Rory asked her.
"You left her behind?" Amy questioned the Doctor in outrage.
"It was an accident. He didn't mean to," Madison said quickly in defence of the Doctor.
"I didn't know the spatio-temporal hyperlink was going to close behind me when I went around. I thought I was going to come right back," countered the Doctor immediately, throwing Amy a look. "I didn't know they were in flux. If I'd known . . . Ah, but that doesn't matter now. What matters is getting Madison back to her right time." He suddenly pointed a stern finger at Rory and Amy. "And you two. Don't give away anything. Madison doesn't know either of you and it needs to stay that way. Too many paradoxes if that happens."
"Yeah, yeah," sighed Amy.
"We get it, Doctor. It's spoilers," said Rory, nodding in understanding.
"Not like we don't have enough of that with River," Amy muttered to Rory.
"Oi! What did I just say!" the Doctor started to scold, going over to wag a finger in their faces. "Nothing can be given away. Nothing. In fact, no talking from either of you. Just a lot of hush."
"But—," Amy started to argue.
The Doctor pointed a finger in her face. "Hush!" He started going around the console then, wildly flinging his arms about as he flipped levers and twisted knobs. "In fact, why don't the two of you go into the TARDIS for a while. Go to the arcade or the roller rink or the anti-gravity room. I don't care. Just do something that isn't here."
"What? No way," scoffed Amy.
"Actually . . . I agree with the Doctor on this," said Rory, wincing as Amy sent him an angry look. "Look, I want to be there as much as you, but Madison didn't really know us that much when we first met. So I don't think we're supposed to be here anyway."
Amy seemed to think about it for a second before sighing in frustration. "Okay. Fine," she muttered before turning back to the Doctor. "But I'm only giving you an hour." She pointed a stern finger at the Time Lord. "Got it, buster?"
"Yes, yes. An hour. I'll be done long before then," the Doctor said, waving a hand absently as he looked at the monitor in front of him. Soon Amy and Rory left, though not before each of them gave Madison a fleeting concerned glance. Madison felt sorry that she couldn't get to know them better. She wished she wasn't out of her time. She would have liked to know what sort of people they were and why they travelled with the Doctor. But she supposed that would have to wait for another time.
"You're still rude as ever I see," she said lightly as she walked over to be closer to him, trying to tease the Doctor as she could tell he was tense.
"And you're still . . .," he started to reply, though halted when he lifted his eyes to gaze at her. The tension left his shoulders as he gave her a soft smile. "Beautiful."
"Flattery will get you nowhere," she replied, feeling her lips waver as she tried holding back the smile.
"On the contrary. I think flattery gets me everywhere," he countered smoothly, giving her a saucy grin. He suddenly did a spin, waving out his arms. "How do I look? Sexy as ever I hope."
"But of course. Though the bow tie is . . . different."
He dropped his arms, giving a pout. "What's wrong with my bow tie?" he asked while he touched it.
"Nothing. It's just a . . . interesting choice." She smirked playfully.
He wagged a finger at her, stepping closer. "I'll have you know, bow ties are very cool."
She giggled. "If that's what you want to tell yourself." Hearing him scoff and seeing him pout heavily, she couldn't help but give him a soft expression. She reached forward, touching the bow tie lightly. "It suits you though. Really, it does."
"Really?" His expression lit up then. "You think so?"
"I know so." She thumbed it lightly, feeling the threads of the bow tie. "I think it looks very good on you." She pulled her hand away then, blushing as she realised she had gotten a little too close to him. She watched as he gave a cheeky smirk, adjusting his bow tie confidently before walking away. "So, what are you planning? How am I supposed to get back to your past self?"
"I'll be breaking a few rules," the Doctor said as he started bouncing around the console. His motions were wild. Much more than the Doctor she knew as this Doctor appeared to like to fling his hands around as he spoke. The TARDIS gave a groan and flashed some lights. The Doctor paused, glancing towards the centre column with a grimace. "All right. Yes. A lot of rules. But what else am I supposed to do, huh?" he seemed to retort at the TARDIS. He kept going around the console and Madison felt the ship starting to take off in flight. "Besides . . . it was always supposed to happen." He stopped closer to her, leaning over the console now with hands slowly tightening into fists by the controls. He was tense again, with a flash of sadness in his eyes. No . . . not sadness. It was deep regret and shame.
"Doctor . . . is everything all right?" she asked quietly, stepping up towards him.
Looking at her then, with those old, sad eyes, the Doctor held an unreadable expression. He then gave a thin smile. "Yes. It will be." He went over, grabbing her hand then. He lifted it, holding her hand between both of his. He pressed his lips to her hand in a lingering kiss, refusing to leave her gaze. "Let's get you back home."
So? Thoughts? Was it decent? If you like, leave a review to tell me what you thought! It's always welcomed.
Stay safe out there!