Another day, another adventure, that's what it boiled down to, since they were abducted by the TARDIS so long ago, that they've seen more things that a science fiction writer's capable of writing in their lifetime.
Oh, be sure, Theodore and Lila are doing their best with what they know and have on hand, but of course, they always have something going amiss.
It's a longstanding curse for them.
Al says it's normal until they find their balance, which should've been long overdue since Theodore calculated they've been adventuring for almost several hundred millennium.
However, Al told them not to rush it, it took Medi a while to find his balance, and when he did, he was a force to reckon with, even on a bad adventure.
Rome wasn't built in a day, he said, it's near impossible to build a civilization from the ground up that way, trust good o' Al, he knows more than they give him credit.
He encouraged them to continue trying, well, they didn't have a choice in the matter anyway, but he wanted them to get into the mindset they can figure something out.
Going over some things internally, Al says he felt guilty for not giving them time-off for everything they've done, so he decided that soon, when that happens, they'll know instantly, he'll let them have some time to themselves.
He's got plenty of Doctors to rag on until then, he didn't want them over exerting themselves on his behalf, Medi would yank cables if he was here and knew about it!
This alone made Lila's day, as she longed wanting to spend time to her lonesome, her poor muscles, they're growing, but they're sore, and she's gotten word from her family that they're coming to the UK sometime soon.
Dad's bringing his kimchi along, already sorted with the regulatory bodies, and he can't wait to see his little girl again, it's been way too long since they last saw each other.
Billy and Ethan couldn't wait to have time away from their ships, wanting to have taste of actual food, having to squirrel away the decent tasting food from others on their decks.
Can't wait to see them, too, the idiots, but they were Lila's idiots.
Oh, yes, it'll be time for celebration, Lila has the place for them to eat already saved away in her notebook.
Cheap food, good prices, everything they wanted to eat that wasn't military fashioned to have an extended shelf-life.
With time slipping away from Lila's fingertips, by the time Al gives them their much-needed leave, it'll be the tail end of summer, but still enough time for them to have the essential foods of the summer season.
For Theodore, he's planning to spend more time with Odette and his uncle, Odette's busy schedule didn't leave her time to visit them much, but with an allocated free time coming up, he hopes to catch her at an opportune time.
His uncle, he wouldn't mind spending more time with the old Time Lord since they haven't frequently gotten together for anything more than small talk and the occasional drinks.
Didn't have to worry about dear big brother, Theodore saw enough of him that he didn't mind time away from him, above all else.
Oh yes, their vacations coming together, and hopefully they come soon, because Theodore wouldn't mind spending time to himself and his fur babies while it's still warmer out.
On their minds, their dream vacations, but for now, they'll continue helping others where possible.
Today's adventure wasn't something that they considered a possibility, but it was, and how they ended up in this situation remained a constant topic among them.
It started off as something normal, they go to a time period in the past, somewhere in another universe as to prevent paradoxes, and then it spirals from there.
The adventure began simple enough, it had them working in the moors of Scotland, dealing with your standard land disputes that almost resulted in someone's decapitation, but quickly resolved when they found a piece of paper that rectified the mistakes, and hopefully result in peacetime.
Yes, when the Doctor wasn't dealing with aliens and plots to destroy the world, he's sometimes the meditator for problems too complex for most people to carefully maneuver around without violently resolving them.
It's a tale old as time.
Did Theodore enjoy them?
Not necessary, but it's a job that needed doing, and as the Doctor, he couldn't simply pick and choose what he wanted, as much he wouldn't mind the option to pass on adventures that weren't his favourites.
Regardless, the latest adventure was resolved and he planned on returning home with Lila, hadn't they become hungry and while the people in the village offered to cook for them, due to sanitary concerns, Theodore didn't want to risk bringing home some unseemly guests.
Lila's cooking them dinner in the kitchen, well, one of them, Theodore coaxed her into making the army base stew that he had during Christmas Eve, despite Lila telling him that it would've taken up much of the ingredients in the kitchen, and since neither liked food shopping after a long day, it'll be languishing on a to-do post for a while.
Theodore promised he'll do the food shopping, all Lila needed to do was cook, and he tasked Al to clean the kitchen after they're done eating.
It's a difficult balance, indeed!
The faint aroma of the broth wafted through the console room, making Theodore's stomach gurgle as he hungrily anticipated the stew.
Lila made use of what was in the kitchen, from peppers to even tins of anchovies for making the broth, now she's working on the stew itself.
She's using everything from fried tofu skin to fresh tofu, everything that goes into an army base stew. Some of the ingredients were of Theodore's suggestions as he nearly emptied the entire kitchen just for the stew alone.
However, they've been traveling so much, they needed more calories than an average person would've accumulated.
Even Lila's doctor mentioned that she needed to adjust her diet and exercise regime, she's burning more calories than she's taking in, while that's fine to some capacity, Lila's also overcompensating on her muscles that the doctor worried she might risk tearing something sooner than later.
It's an assumed risk in this line of work, but Lila made a promise she'll work on her balance, but of course, no promises, especially when they're dealing with the likes of the Daleks and whatnot where running is mandatory and turning sharp corners is a given.
Theodore's not helping either, he's been keeping watch on her, despite her attempts waving away his concerns, however, he made a point that she couldn't risk getting hurt, else she risked having to tell her family how that came to be, even the most busied libraries didn't risk her tearing ligaments on the daily.
He got her there.
Hungrily smelling the stew as Lila cooks, Theodore's tempted to sneak a taste test of the stew, but Lila wasn't going to give him a taste, even if he played the card, he was the Doctor, and he'd like to ensure the dish's up to snuff.
Worth trying, though.
While she's cooking, Theodore's been busy working on Stumpy the Cyberman Head, that has been situated like a decor on a mantle, on the console itself.
Whoever did it, didn't want anyone trying to get into the memory banks, everything's destroyed, Theodore couldn't even try to rewire it or use his Sonic Screwdriver.
The question of the age's who did this and why, someone strong enough they managed to breach the protective chassis with a mere screwdriver, it's impossible for him to find out for sure.
Due to the damages, even Al couldn't work his magic, everything from the chips to the cords, broken, decimated, all by a well-placed screwdriver.
Never had the idea of using one against a Cyberman, but it wasn't wise getting too close to one, much less try and stab it with a screwdriver that risks bowing or outright snapping off the handle.
More questions and once more, no answers, the most difficult part of being the Doctor, facing so much curiosities with no chances of him getting the answers he coveted.
Hopefully, another Doctor comes up with some sort answers he can follow up on, he keeps the telephone line open for any chats with a Doctor.
It doesn't seem like Theodore's getting anything from the Cyberman's head, other than someone went through the trouble getting it, and extracting whatever information that it held, everything disabled on it, even the Cybermen wouldn't be able to find it, if they tried.
Exhaling sharply, Theodore decided that Stumpy's time came again and he picked it up from the console, walking over to a part of the console room, with his foot, he tapped against the creamy white grate, and it slid open for him.
Dropped the head right in the pitch-black darkness, gone into recycling, at least Al can find use for the head, even Cybermen tech has uses for the TARDIS if Al's able to disable their tracking and conversion modules.
As the grate slid close, Theodore began hearing insistent knocking on the door of the TARDIS, standing quietly, Theodore listened until the knocking grew intense, and the door opened inward.
A woman in a bridal gown, complete with a white veil ran inside the TARDIS, her flush cheeks draped with sweat, and her red hair matted with it, her terrified eyes looked around, as she held the ends of her dress, her feet coated in mud.
She stops as her mind caught up to her and when she spoke, her Caledonian shown through as she talked, confused as she looked around the console room.
"Where am I?!" Theodore heard the woman demand to know where she disappeared into and he bluntly responded that she entered the TARDIS and he fired back his own questions, asking who is she and why she's insisted on entering it.
Looking at him, the woman didn't appreciate the tone of voice, as she stated she's Princess Catherine the Third and she doesn't tolerate that tone of voice.
"Hey, Theo, dinner's ready, rice's all fluffed and seasoned," Lila called out to him as she stepped through the entrance of the hallway, holding a bowl of army base stew with freshly made sticky rice to go along with it.
She didn't get a chance to react when Princess Catherine the Third instantly took the bowl from her and proceeded to consume a portion of the stew, an exasperated look appeared on her face, before she proceeded to chow down while Lila's unable to respond before Theodore moved closer.
"Er, Doc, I thought we had a discussion about locking doors," Lila mentioned that they discussed this scenario and how Theodore had to keep the door lock at all time, preventing this from happening.
Weakly shrugging his wide shoulders, Theodore responded that it wasn't him this time.
"My word! What is this?" Princess Catherine the Third wanted to know what the dish was after consuming every bit of it, down to the last fried tofu skin.
The exasperated look still on her face, Lila responded that it's a stew, and it's enough for the princess to ask for more, well, not ask, more like demanding that Lila fetch her more, this instance.
"Okay, timeout, who're you, I didn't hear anything about dinner guests," Lila held the empty bowl with the fork and spoon crossed, as Theodore wasn't great with chopsticks, yet.
Looking at her, Princess Catherine the Third scoffed as she's insulted that someone didn't know who she was, she tells Lila her name, and when she finished, Lila dryly responded, "Oh great, a Scottish princess."
Coughing loudly, Theodore stepped between them as he began asking Catherine why she was running and she tells him that she wouldn't dare marry the baron. She's certain that he has means of killing her and taking over her land.
"I refuse to have anything to do with him and I want him removed!" Catherine demanded that Baron von Ostrheinsburg be "removed" from her court.
Ire in her eyes, Catherine fumed at marrying the odious man, puffed in the face as she went down a list of reasons what she found displeasing about him, by the time she's done, Lila responded with, "Yeah, that sounds about right for the time."
Calming her down, Theodore inquired more about her woes while Lila fetched more bowls of her army-based stew.
When she came back, Catherine's in a fit of tears as she says that von Ostrheinsburg killed her father just so he could force her hand in marriage.
"Sounds like a serious accusation, do you have proof?" Theodore innocently asked if the princess had proof that the baron killed her father and she lashed him with words, before Lila put her in her place.
Calming down, wiping tears off her face with her veil, Catherine insisted that there's proof of the crime, but she can't get to it, it's in the baron's castle, and she won't go there, not even for the good of her people.
"As your future queen, you will obey!" Catherine stated that the two have no choice but to help her, she controls the land, and if they don't, she'll order their execution.
Looking at him with a bedeviled look, Lila says, "Well, guess dinner's to-go, after all!"