A few days after the TARDIS received the vital repairs it needed, comes the day of Valentine's Day, the day of love, and Lila's 29th birthday. The day of reckoning, as she's at the end of her 20s, and next year, she'll enter her thirties, joy.
… Not.
Thinking ahead, Lila obtained a day-off from work for today, she made sure that Theodore didn't need her for any adventuring.
She's all alone on her birthday, her siblings and her father nowhere in the vicinity of the continent. It's expected, they're busy, and Lila didn't want to drag them to a pity party during heavy workloads.
… Not that she planned anything for her birthday, far from it, all she wanted, simply enjoy time to her lonesome and lament.
Where did the years go?
At one point, she couldn't wait to be eighteen, do her own thing, not have to get permission from dad to do anything, drive anywhere she wanted.
Now, she's working as a librarian, in a small flat, without Hammond's kindness, who knows where she'd be in life?
She's risking her life for people in different worlds, risking her health dealing with annoying Daleks, and trying desperately to survive the harder adventures when she isn't working as a librarian.
Her dating life remains abysmal, as noted by Bill's attempt at setting Lila up with a guy she knew from her yoga class the other night, the date ending as well as one thought.
The guy remained polite about it, but apparently, in his own words, Lila's 'older' than he realized.
… He wasn't talking about her age, he was no spring chicken anyway, he was about thirty-six.
Due to the adventures that she spent with Theodore, mentally, Lila's more 'experienced,' whatever the hell that means, than most people in her age bracket.
… Honestly, he could've just said that she wasn't his type, save the trouble of her trying to understand what he meant by her being older mentally, but c'est la vie.
In shorthand, Lila isn't wooing anybody, and at this point, adventuring's all about what she has on Friday nights.
Opening a cold beer can, Lila, in her lazy clothes of magenta color, plopped herself on the couch in front of her TV, with the desire of drinking away the bitter taste of aging.
Theodore has it easier, he'll age dandy, and nobody's going to think twice turning away someone like him. With his genes, he'll look thirty by the time he's fifty, and make people like Keanu second guess themselves.
Speaking of, Lila hadn't discussed her birthday with him, never came up, she didn't see the need of bringing it up anyhow, he's got a lot on his plate as it is, what's the point of adding something like a random factoid about herself?
Ah, it's not like he roots around her head, he's polite about it, and from what Lila knows, he's with Hammond.
Drinking from the can of some regional beer that she found at the store a little after the date soured and Bill standing there embarrassed, Lila lazed on her couch, watching whatever she found on TV.
No point at worrying about it going to her waist, Lila's run off every meal and drink for the last couple of months now, and that's in their universe, that doesn't include the other universes she went with Theodore.
Eh, who cares what someone like her has to say, they've heard it all before, seen it all before, and then some.
"And by forty, we still won't have hoverboards," Lila bemoaned that by the time she reached her forties, the mythical hoverboards remain out of reach, forever nothing more than wishes born from hopefuls.
Drinking away, Lila finished two cans worth of beer, opening her third can as she flipped through channels until she found something to watch that doesn't remind her of Valentine's Day.
Which, she thought the UK didn't even celebrate since it was a US invention, but no, it infected the UK, only the commercials for it were different than the ones back home.
For starters, these commercials were looser than the US variants, with blatant adverts for everything couples needed to spend the perfect evening this Valentine's Day, complete with discretion, something that generally only played late at night on televisions back home during ad-hoc hours.
Here, the ads played around the afternoon, something that'd only happen back home if it's on an XXX channel.
Seeing one too many droves Lila to switch to another channel, without adverts, it's a nature documentary, but if Lila had to choose, she'd rather watch a lion chase a gazelle across the Savannah plains.
Her mind started drifting after a while, not because of the beers, Lila decided that she'll drink the rest of the pack after she eats, bad taste drinking on an empty stomach, a pack of chips wasn't cutting it the first time.
Laying on the couch, her mind drifting, Lila's chestnut eyes stared up at the ceiling, and all she saw were flashes from the TV, her blinds closed, her curtains pulled over them, don't even want to look outside, encasing her flat in darkness.
Drifting, her mind played back various events that occurred in her life, and stopped around when Theodore broke into her flat, asking for her help, how different life would've been if he hadn't, if her life remained normal.
Maybe her ears wouldn't ring so much, since she wouldn't deal with Daleks.
… But then, she wouldn't have known there's actual aliens among them and they're not the kind that used humans to incubate their young for a brief period.
… And she wouldn't have met Theodore, maybe she would, but how would she react to him being part alien, then?
As she lamented quietly to herself, Lila's alerted by subtle movement somewhere near her kitchen, and her chestnut eyes moved towards it, the flashing lights briefly lit up the kitchen.
Maybe her mind's just imaging things, she's drinking after all, she'll drink more once she gets something to eat, drink tons of water and non-sugary fruit juices, afterwards.
No, there's something off, she sees movement, actual movement, something in the kitchen, it's moving in the darkened parts, but Lila sees the shape of man in her kitchen.
It stopped moving when it noticed her looking, by then, Lila's struck by a paralyzing fear, preventing her from moving, she sees the shape coming towards her, like the Shape, slow and methodical.
Lila couldn't react, the shadow's looking over her from behind the couch, the flashing light from the TV didn't light up the blackened shadow, no features distinct, but Lila felt the piercing eyes staring her down.
She couldn't move, couldn't scream, all she can do, watch as the shadow, radiating hatred towards her, reach down the plum-colored cushions, towards her.
Those shadowy hands, snaked across the cushions, fingers turned to claws, and they reached her neck, contorting into an inhuman shape, allowing them to grab her neck.
She felt the hands wrap around her neck, the clawed fingers snaking around, and the pressure as the hands started squeezing her neck, choking her.
Paralyzed, Lila couldn't fight back, all she can do's watch as the shadowy hands choked her, and she's forced to watch as the shadowy head moved inhumanly, the neck elongated, moving like a snake, allowing the head to float above her, looking down.
She couldn't see the eyes in that shadowy hazy face in front of her, but she felt them, their hateful gaze towards her, such raw anger, and then she heard a low voice, it sounded weird, inhuman, but she understood it.
Raspy, hissing, the low voice hisses, "You're… next."
Before Lila's able to react, there's another presence, this one, sharply different from the shadow, and it caused the shadow to let out a gurgling hiss as it sensed the intruding presence.
Lila's chestnut eyes moved towards the TV, where there's someone standing in front of it, she saw those illuminating blue eyes looking at them, but there's something different about them.
There's contempt in them, yes, but something almost, calculating, and the shadowy hands unclenches her neck as the shadowy figure repositioned itself, standing behind the couch, staring at the new figure with disdain.
Lila sees the figure with the illuminating eyes moving their mouth, but she couldn't understand them, and when they finished, her chestnut eyes fluttered open.
Groggily, Lila looked around as she sees she'd fallen asleep on the couch, the sun poking through in between the curtains, she slept until the afternoon today.
Didn't get further than the couch before she crawled onto it and slept soundly after surviving the latest adventure in the newly repaired TARDIS.
Al couldn't be happier, he's springier than a coil, the way he yippies around the console room, appeased that Theodore finally kept his word.
Felt like a new machine, he said, and now, he's reliable as he was when he was first manufactured.
Yawning, Lila pushed herself up from the couch, shuffling as she went around her flat, collecting things, before she refreshed herself in the bathroom, and stepped out in some lazy clothes.
Today's that dreaded day, not just a day that lonely people resented and people trying to watch their waistlines feared, it's Lila's birthday.
Of course, UK did things differently, so, that's something, though their commercials for Valentine's Day 'treats' wouldn't get past a board if they tried showing them on daytime TV back home.
Stretching as she felt her joints popping back into place, Lila wondered where the time went, at one point, she couldn't wait for her eighteenth birthday, now she dreaded her inevitable thirtieth birthday.
As is with a military family, her brothers and father couldn't get off to celebrate, but she knew they couldn't, work's never over, and all that.
They sent her birthday cards, complete with an official naval stamp.
Theodore's aloof nature meant he didn't know, but Lila opted not telling him, she really didn't want celebrations.
All she wants to do's rest on her couch with a pack of beer, drink them a way, and lament.
Besides, everyone and their mother knows how restaurants gouge customers on Valentine's Day. Best wait until tomorrow when she can dine like a queen and on some candy that went on sale.
She'll start with three beers first, then work her way into getting food, can't drink on an empty stomach, and she worked off her meal yesterday after the adventure.
Perks of being a companion, running so much she's getting compliments from her doctor how much she's 'working out' lately.
Couldn't tell her doctor that she's risking life and death in other worlds, so, she's playing it up as someone who hikes and does small marathons whenever the mood strikes.
Often.
To the point of relying on heating pads and creams.
Well, Lila's not one to overlook some silver linings, she's getting compliments for it.
"Farewell, thee Spanish ladies," Lila muttered as she popped open the first beer and watched whatever's on the TV at the hour, nothing much considering, never saw appeal for those romantic comedy movies.
Always the same story with a different coat of paint and the writing screams of wish fulfillment.
Flipping through the channels, Lila stops on a movie channel replaying an old classic from the 80's catalogue of action heroes, so that's something, and she's watching it attentively as it's better than nothing.
She's watching the movie, letting her mind wander, and as it did, she remembered bits and pieces of that weird dream.
It's weird, but she's laying on the couch with her beer, as she's doing now, almost deja vu, but she can't remember anything about it.
It wouldn't matter much, a dream's a dream, but it felt off to her, something that doesn't happen often, and the more she tried thinking about it, the more it's fleeting.
Her trail of thoughts stopped when she heard a familiar voice calling out in her head, none other than Theodore, having intruded on her thoughts asking if she's home.
"Well, the lights are off, and I'm not home," Lila responds before Theodore sounded delighted, enough that it caught interest in Lila, asking what he's doing, and he said that he's baffled that she'd keep it from him.
"Theo, what are you talking about?" Lila's bemused before Theodore stated he found out about her birthday from Bill.
He couldn't believe Lila never told him and they've known each other for practically years!
Turning her whole body to the side as she's facing the TV, Lila replied, "It's just a birthday, Theo, you're looking at three hundred or so birthdays in your future, you realize this, right?"
Theodore balked at this as he stated he planned on celebrating every birthday he'll have for the rest of his life!
"Now, what are you doing?" Theodore asks Lila what she's planning and she said that she's not doing anything, can't do much anyhow with restaurants chasing the almighty dollar in fleecing idiots who can't realize they're being nickel and dime'd for the holiday. Before Theodore even asks, Lila said that her family's elsewhere for the duration of the deployment, Bill's got a date, and she's drinking away some beer she found at the store.
"Oh, you're upset, aren't you?" Theodore realizes that Lila isn't happy about her birthday for a different reason and it made Lila pointedly respond.
"Guys have it easy. You especially!" Lila bemoaned that she's going to be thirty next year.
In her purview, men have it easier, when they age, they age 'gracefully' and when it's women, they hit their high at twenty, then it goes down from there.
Snorting, Theodore remarked, "I don't see Carrie-Anne Moss complaining!"
Switching to the other side, facing the cushion, Lila groaned as she responded, "She's immortal like Keanu Reeves!"
It caused Theodore to reply he doesn't think so, nor does he think they're alien or part-alien. Not immortal, but he couldn't be sure.
"Okay, fine, so some age gracefully, what's your point?" Lila wanted to know what he's getting at and Theodore replied that Lila shouldn't worry about turning thirty next year.
It's just another chapter in her life, shouldn't let it define her.
"Theo, you'll look as you do when you're fifty!" Lila brought up that with his genes, he'll never have a fine line on his face, and he could be well into his seventies.
Sighing, Theodore says that it's different for him and doesn't apply to the situation at hand, Lila's uncertain about herself, and she shouldn't, he thinks she'll age just as gracefully as him.
His attempts at peptalking her made Lila curious and she sheepishly asks if he's not pulling her leg on his comment that she'll age gracefully.
While he's just a voice in her head, she can hear that smile of his as he affirmed his opinion.
"Thanks, Theo," Lila ended up thanking him for that.
He instantly replied that it's his job and that he's coming by with her birthday present.
"You don't have to," Lila modestly said, but the aloof giant wouldn't have it, it's a birthday, and they ought to celebrate it, food and all.
Sighing, Lila pushed herself up as she said she'll get everything moved around for him as he prepared to bombard her and he okay'd before disappearing from her mind.
"Oi, what a time to be alive," Lila muttered under her breath as she went around her flat, fixing things up, making room on the kitchen island, and getting out plates and utensils.
As she's going around preparing, Lila ended up stopping midway putting a plate down, she felt a presence.
It wasn't Theodore, Mrs. Hudson, anyone she knows.
It felt cold, oppressive, and when she turned her head towards the slightly opened bedroom door, she could've sworn she closed it.
Resting the plate on the kitchen island, Lila goes over to her bedroom door, inside, she sees there's nothing but darkness, but she kept her bedroom dark and cold, couldn't sleep with the sun beating down on her if she tried.
Still, the oppressive presence felt like it's coming from inside her bedroom, and it wouldn't make any sense. There's nothing inside.
As she's standing near her door, peeking inside, she felt a cold breath on the back of her neck and heard a voice in her ear.
"Prepare… for unforeseen… consequences," the echoey voice said to her before it immediately disappeared.
By the time Lila processed what happened, she's standing in front of the kitchen island again, with the plates neatly set out, and her chestnut eyes blinking slowly, her mind briefly foggy.
Looking over at the bedroom door, it's closed, and as Lila rubbed her eyes, her mind playing tricks on her, now, she hears the knock on the door.
Theodore's arrived with food and her present, aiming to make her last birthday in her 20s memorable.
THE END