Episode 10:2- A Time to Live

Ace was the first to speak.

"I seriously didn't expect that," she said.

"No one expects the unexpected," Calvin commented.

"That's my ship!" Jack exclaimed in what was a less-than-calm voice.

A small wisp of smoke escaped from a vent. The engines roared, and began to drag the bedraggled ship forwards. Slowly. Very, very, slowly.

Hobbes noticed what was happening. "Guys, we have a problem."

The ship was about to take off, and crash into something. Something big. Something like...

"The German Air Raid ships," Rose realized. "But isn't that good? It means that they won't bomb Britain."

Calvin waved his arms about, glad to not have to do any explaining to Jack. "No. It's not good. It's bad. It could change all of Earth's history!"

Rose frowned. "But that's not what you said back with the zombies-!"

Calvin stared at her. "Tyler. I'm older than I look."

"You look about six!" she protested. "And what does that have to do with anything?"

"The older I get," he said quietly. "The more decisions I have to make for people. I don't like making decisions. It means that someone is always going to be mad at me for some reason. You can't please everyone."

She stood silently for a moment. "Calvin..." she said finally.

"Yes?" he asked, already turning away.

"How old are you?"

He stopped. "We need to stop the spacecraft from taking off, Tyler. Let's go."

She scowled. "You're going to give me a proper answer later!"

He didn't reply. They both followed Ace and Jack into the spaceship. Hobbes, who had been watching the whole thing, shook his head and smiled.

"Oh, they are so best friends," he grinned, before dashing after them.

"What's the scoop, then?" Calvin said, still with a dark look on his face. He slammed his hands against the control panel.

"We found a dinosaur," Jack said without looking up from the interface he was currently tapping frantically into. "I think it's yours."

Charles glanced up from a donut he was gnawing at, mewled slightly, and then continued eating.

Rose nodded at him. "Anything else?"

Ace kicked a set of expensive-looking cabinets. "It's due to launch in about three minutes. Your dino did something to it that we can't reverse."

Hobbes leaned against a door-like object. "Manual control, though?"

"Someone needs to steer it," Jack snapped, hitting a button hard. Nothing happened. "Steer it to explode somewhere else. Who do you suggest?"

There was a time when Calvin would have made a flippant joke about sacrificing Rose. This was not it. He sent her a single glance, and shook his head.

"Well, if we're all going to die," Jack sent a look at Calvin. "I'd really like to know why you lied to me."

"This is real life," Hobbes interrupted. "People lie to people. And, if I were to guess, I'd say that he was desperate for help, plus you did threaten Rose."

Jack conceded privately that, yes, the tiger did have a point. "And could you return my memories?"

Calvin thought about this for a very long time. "Maybe."

"Maybe's not good enough." He shoved Ace away from the controls. "Get out, everyone. I'm driving this thing."

Rose attempted to protest. "Jack, no-"

"It was nice to meet you, Miss Rose Tyler." He swept her up, and kissed her on the lips.

Her look of shock almost made the fact that, you know, he was about to die worth it.

"I might be married, for all you know!" she spluttered.

He winked flirtatiously. "Oh, you aren't."

"How do you know?"

"The way you walk." So saying, he turned back to the controls. "Get out, everyone."

Calvin nodded, and began to hustle everyone out of the ship. Rose followed, casting glances back. Charles jumped on the back of her Hufflepuff robe. Ace didn't even look back. Hobbes nodded solemnly.

Jack was all alone in the ship now. He cracked his knuckles, and stared down at the controls. "Well, then. Let's do this thing."

Even though he didn't have any memories, the knowledge of flying a small space shuttle was still imbedded into his mind. He knew the exact buttons he needed to press to make it go.

He coaxed the still burning ship into the air. It hopped, and skipped a bit, and dashed itself up into the air.

"We aren't just going to... leave him?" Rose asked immediately after leaving.

Calvin scoffed. "Of course not. Come on."

Ace followed the three through the streets and to the Time Machine. Hobbes flicked the switch on his 'key' and the flaps swung open.

"Well," the tiger said after a pause. "Come on down."

They all entered. Ace, not expecting a trampoline, tripped, and fell flat on her face. She stayed there for a moment.

"That is... pretty much typical," she sighed, picking herself up. And then she brightened. "Wicked! Nice design!"

Calvin patted the centrebit fondly. "You like it?"

"Yes!"

"And you're not going to comment on the fact that it's bigger on the inside?"

She sent him an inquisitive look. "Why should I?"

He stared at her for a moment, before shrugging. "Fair enough."

He began to flick dials, and pull levers. "Set the coordinates, Hobbes!" he directed.

Hobbes nodded, and typed them in on an old-fashioned typewriter. "Check."

"Teach me how to fly this thing," Rose ordered.

The boy shook his head. "I can't just teach you. You have to learn gradually. If you want to help, pull down the thing on that toaster."

She compiled, grudgingly. "What does that do?"

"It does a thing." He was now somehow up on a ladder, kicking at a large, blue, electronic ball. "Ace, turn the egg timer over!"

"We're trying to fly a Time Machine, not make breakfast!" she protested.

"Just do it!" he growled.

She did, and the Machine shook. "We're landing on a moving object," Hobbes explained. "It's going to be more than slightly bumpy."

More random objects were flipped and turned over, including a small model of a cow.

"Rose Elizabeth Tyler!" Calvin snapped. "What on Earth and beyond are you doing?"

She looked up. "Looking at a readout. And my middle name is Marion-"

"Don't care, your name is Elizabeth and you can't convince me otherwise."

Hobbes bounced up on the trampoline and peeked out. "We're here!"

Everyone clambered out, and into the spaceship. Hobbes waved cheerily to a dumbstruck Jack.

"Hello! We were in the neighbourhood, and noticed that you were in an exploding spaceship. Care for a lift?"

He recovered his voice. "Why are you here? I told you to get out!"

Calvin snorted. "You thought we'd just leave you here?"

"Well... yeah."

"You obviously don't know us very well," Ace interjected. "How high are we up?"

"High enough," Rose reported, peeking out a window. "We're well above the clouds."

There was nothing more to say. Calvin grabbed the Captain's arm and dragged him over to the Time Machine. One quick push was all it took.

"About to explode," said Ace in a sing-song voice.

"EVERYONE OUT!" Rose yelled.
Everyone got out.

A crack in reality opened, and the Time Machine slipped into it with the ease of a skinny-dipper sliding into a pool in the middle of a dark forest.

Which is a weird simile, but whatever.

The Time Machine reappeared on the still-empty streets of London. Ace and Jack bounced out, followed promptly by Rose and Hobbes. Calvin was inside. Doing 'something'.

"Thank you," said Jack with feeling. No matter how guilty he may have felt, he really didn't want to die.

Hobbes grinned. "Oh, it's our job."

"Really?" Jack looked genuinely intrigued. "Do you get a decent paycheck? Because I'm looking for work right now..."

Rose sighed. "It was sarcasm."

"Not really," Ace interjected. She clapped Jack heartily on the back. "Nice to meet you, Captain. I'll definitely see you in the future."

"Oh, I have no doubt you will," he said firmly.

She tilted her head. "Are you flirting with me?"

"Might be," he said evasively.

"Hm. Blondie, can I have a quick word?"

Rose, startled by the unexpected question, nodded quickly, and allowed herself to be dragged aside. "What is it?"

"Listen," Ace said, straightening her jacket. "I know you're getting fairly close with Calvin. No," she raised a hand. "No arguments. I know you're really good friends, even though you're attempting to cover it. The thing is, I've met people like him before. In specific, one person. He was brill to me. Partners in crime, and all that. And then he... betrayed me, sort of. Hard to explain. We were still friends afterwards, but..." she shook her head. "Look, all I'm trying to say is, be careful who you trust."

Rose had been listening to this intently. "He's only six years old," she pointed out.

"Children can be more devious than adults," Ace countered. "Plus, is he really six?"

Rose opened her mouth and shut it again, remembering the conversation from before.

"Exactly," said Ace with slight satisfaction.

"My life is my life," Rose growled. "I can trust who I want."

"Sure. But I'm just warning you, Blondie. I'm not threatening you at all."

Rose kicked at a nearby wall. "I'm having a really, really messed up day. More messed up than usual."

Ace patted her arm. "You'll get used to it."

"That's the problem. I am used to it. What am I becoming? I still have a boyfriend at home, and I ran off with a boy and a tiger in a cardboard box. That sounds like a fanfiction written by an author that's run out of ideas."

"Maybe it is," suggested Ace. "In another universe. Maybe our lives are chronicled in two-chapter episodes somewhere, so they can be resolved without a problem by the time the writer's deadline is up."

Rose snorted. "That's ridiculous."

"Most true things are."

They stood in silence for a moment.

"My advice," Ace said. "is to break up with your boyfriend."

"Advice duly noted. Maybe you're right."

"I'm always right."

Rose turned, and stared at Hobbes and Jack, who were deep in discussion. "You need to have a look at that ego, Explosives Girl."

Ace grinned. "See you, Blondie. And don't be afraid of the Big Bad Wolf."

Before Rose could ask what she meant, she had already dashed off. In pursuit of her motorcycle, no doubt.

Rose dashed over to Hobbes and Jack.

"-nowhere to go," Jack was bemoaning.

"Youcouldcomewithus," Rose broke in with a rush. "But decide quickly, because Hobbes needs to take me somewhere."

"I do?" the tiger turned, with a puzzled expression. "And sure, he could come with us."

"Yes, you do. And Jack, if you want to come, follow us."

Hobbes and Rose entered the box. Jack, after a moment's hesitation, followed.

"Welcome aboard," Calvin said without looking up. "Slimy girl, where do you need to go?"

Rose stared for a moment. It was highly likely that he had been listening in. Or maybe he was omnipotent, but she somehow doubted that.

"Mickey's house," she said quickly.

She rapped at the door. "Come in," called Mickey's familiar voice.

"Hi," she said softly, stepping into the apartment and letting the screen door bang behind her. Mickey was sitting on the lumpy red couch, watching reruns of Eastenders. He jumped up immediately when he saw it was her. "Rose!"

He switched the TV off, and walked over, clearly expecting a kiss. But she pushed him back.

"Look, Mickey, I just came here to say..."

His expression dropped. "Oh."

She nodded. "Look, I'm really sorry, but I just can't do this anymore. I love adventuring with Calvin and Hobbes..." She didn't mention that they had just picked up an amnesiac flirting machine, as well. "...and we've been drifting apart anyway. We can still be friends, though." She regretted the words as soon as she said them. It was like saying, 'even though the dog is dead, we can still keep the body in the house'.

Mickey seemed to think so too. "So, you just came here to dump me, yeah? And then you're going to go back to that cardboard box, and nearly getting yourself killed?"

"No!" she protested. "It's not like that!"

"No? Then what's it like, then?"

"It's..." she paused. "It's..."

He kicked a pile of dirty laundry off the floor and into a basket. "You know what? I bet you don't know how long you've been gone."
She was silent. He was absolutely right.

"You don't know what your mum's like, Rose. She's absolutely frantic, always worrying about you."

"I'm not a little girl anymore!" she spat. "You don't have to worry. I can take care of myself! And maybe I'm going to find myself a new boyfriend!"

"You're the one dumping me, remember?"

She scowled, and stormed out of the small flat.

"Give me back my key!" came his voice.

She tore it out of her pocket, and tossed it violently over her shoulder. "Take it!"

Quickly rounding the corner, she sunk against the wall in tears. A soft paw on her shoulder made her look up.

"Hey," Hobbes said.

"Hey," she attempted to smile.

He didn't ask any questions, just helped her to her feet. And they walked to the TIme Machine together.

Calvin pointed Jack to his room, and other places of interest ("The swimming pool is just down the hall"), before leaving the Captain to explore. He headed straight to the console room, and glanced up to the roof. Hobbes was the first to land on the trampoline, and somersault off to the console. He leapt nimbly off, and watched Rose jump down as well.

"Right," he said. "I'll leave you two to it."

"To what?" Calvin said, turning around sharply.

"We need to talk," said Rose.

Hobbes slipped out.

"How old are you?" asked Rose.

Calvin sighed, resigning himself to his fate. "Do you really need to know?"
"Yes," she glared sharply at him. "I really do."

"About...a hundred years. Give or take. We live in a time machine; time is relative."

There was a long moment of silence.

"A hundred years," Rose said.

"Yes." Calvin kept fiddling with the controls, as if he wanted to take off to another galaxy right that instant.

"A hundred years old," she repeated. "Of course. I'm travelling with a boy who's a hundred years old but is actually six! That makes perfect sense!"

He looked nervous.

"How come you never thought to tell me this!" she said, still in an even tone but getting slightly high-pitched.

"Because it's not supposed to matter!"

"Oh? How does it not matter?"

"Because friends aren't supposed to care about how old the other friend is! You didn't mind when you thought I was six!"

Rose stared at Calvin.

Calvin stared at Rose.

"...we are friends, right?" Calvin asked softly.

"Yeah."

"Good. Just checking."

"But... how? How are you still alive?"

"Does it matter?" he glared at the ceiling, as though it were offending him. "Time loop, I've mentioned it a few times now."

Rose sighed. "Look. I've had a really bad day, I'm sorry."

"I've had a bad day too," he returned. "I thought you were dead, for Merlin's sake."

"Friends?"

"Friends?"

Rose closed her eyes, and settled back against a chair. "Great. What now?"

"HOBBES! JACK!" Calvin yelled suddenly, startling her. "Guess what time it is?"

"Miller Time?" Hobbes skidded into the room.

"Greenwich Mean Time?" Jack followed.

"No!" Calvin flicked a few switches. "It's... Adventure Time!"

Rose absent mindedly hummed a few bars of the theme song.

"Tyler," he said, his hands hovering over a button.

She turned halfway, eyes still closed. "Hm?"

"Just remember one thing."

Rose opened her eyes.

"This isn't the time to think about people dying, or when we should die. It's a time to live."

The button was slammed down.

"Let's go find some trouble," Hobbes grinned. "And poke it with a stick!"

(A/N-

Yes, the BW thing is back (you should know what that means. If not, well, we have a surprise in store!). Just a warning. BW is not what you expect, e.g., not Rose gone insane from the Time Vortex. It'll be something completely different!

..but let's leave that to the finale.

New short story up, nothing to do with this universe. You may want to have a look!

Several references in this, including one very obvious one.

FANFICTION SPOTLIGHT- Of Artists and Dreamers

by maxcoffie

It's a brilliant fic, go read it!

Kitty out.)