Thank you very much to my one reviewer - Harlequin Shadow. This chapter is for you. Enjoy...
Chapter Two
Rory and Lorelai reached Edinburgh after a tiresome train journey up north from London. The scenery had been a bit dull but of everything, the two young women were surprised at how flat England was, and how it only started to get more rises once they? travelled closer to Edinburgh. Edinburgh was everything they? thought it would be and more - cold, wet and a lot of historic buildings. The train station was vast in itself, and once they had found their bearings and a map of the city, they were on their way to find the hostel.
The Bill Bailey gig was the next night, leaving a day of rest and exploration for tomorrow. Rory had booked them into a double room, but since it was the festival, most rooms has been double booked by accident, and they ended up in a room with four strangers. They were given bunk beds and a discounted rate than what they had booked online.
" Keep our bags under the bottom bunk. Which one do you want, top or bottom?" Rory asked her mother.
" Preferably the top. But if I fall off, you have to catch me, alright?"
" Sure thing, mum, but with these wooden edges, I'm sure you'll be fine."
" Okay, well, night night little one."
" I'm not so little any more, mum, I'm eighteen remember."
" Yup. I remember every little detail. Just not so much when I've only been able to find de-caffeinated coffee."
" Well, tomorrow, we will find a starbucks. I'm sure we passed one coming here."
" And you didn't tell me?"
" Mum, you were complaining about the weight of your bag. We could have gotten a taxi, you know."
" We're backpackers. No matter what my mother tried to do, we are not going to even start living in luxury."
" Fine. But stop complaining about the coffee. First thing tomorrow!"
While the girls slept soundly in their room full of strangers, another tourist was arriving in Edinburgh, although in a different form of transportation than a boring old, stuffy train. And the journey was a lot more exciting. The Doctor had been thrown about in the craft, as usual, therefore no smooth ride to Edinburgh.
The Doctor landed the Tardis around the corner from Colburn Street, just off the Royal Mile. Here, it fit in with the weird and wonderful things that had been set up around this particular street. There were clowns, singers, dancers,
movers and shakers alike. The tardis fit in like, well, it looked exactly like the old phone box that sits all year round in Glasgow? Buchanan Street, the city just to the west of this one. That was the great thing about Scotland, abnormal fits in here, as the Scots are a fairly friendly bunch. But, the Doctor reminded himself, remember never to accept a Glasgow kiss.
What he really needed to find now on this cold, wet night was a nice cup of hot, warm tea. And he knew of a place right around the corner which he could get it. A nice cup of Scottish Blend would give him the energy and caffeine he needed.
none of this stupid decaffeinated stuff that is so popular in the rest of Europe. The Doctor wrapped himself up in a large warm coat found in the back of his wardrobe and locked the Tardis before joining the rest of the festive crowd on the street.
Not far away on the street, the Doctor could hear the faint sound of music. His ears followed him to the scene of a guitarist,
a drummer and a singer with a really high pitched voice entertaining the crowd with their cover versions of classic 20th century songs. They were also selling CDs for five pounds a pop, so the Doctor took one, hoping his old CD player in the Tardis would play this. The music was good but had that different twist that the other impressionists on the street that night didn't have. The Doctor felt right at home with this. He was a different twist to Edinburgh too.
After the performance, the Doctor managed to find a late opening cafe that filled his flask full of tea for a small price. It seemed this little place took pity on travellers, and stayed open late just for the festival, He thanked the old woman behind the counter, left the small cafe, and made his way to bed in the Tardis. Not that he ever slept very much these days.
In the morning when Rory woke, her mum was sitting on the floor, staring at her. She was also holding two cups of steaming,
hot coffee.
" I couldn't wait. I was desperate. I'm sorry."
" You need to control your addictions. But, thank you very much. Ahhm coffee."
" I feel so much better now. So... What do you want to do today? We could go to that big castle up on the hill, Or we could go on one of those sightseeing buses."
" I think we should just mill around and check out what the festival has to offer. It's Sunday. I saw a notice downstairs that there?
an event that happens down on the meadows, a park not far from here. It's like a market mixed with a smaller festival. I think that could be good. Plus, breakfast could be a good option. I'm sure there'll be lots of food options there."
" I don't think anything here could beat Luke's, but we can try."
" Fine. But I feel like just eating something, I'm starved."
" And we can pick up our tickets on the way. It says on our confirmation sheet thingy that the ticket office is on Princes Street. I think that's the really long one beside the train station."
" You're awfully alert today mum."
" Coffee." answered Lorelai, as if Coffee were the answer to everything.
Lorelai and Rory headed out into Edinburgh, leaving their luggage in lockers in the nearby bus station. Rory had told her mother that although the hostel might be a safe enough place, she'd rather know that they were safe for certain, hence the lockers.
A mile away up the hill towards the castle, the Doctor had a knock on the door. Apparently there was a problem with his box. Since there was an exact replica just down the hill selling coffee, tourists had started to believe that he was selling beverages also. The Doctor made a sign, 'Closed for the Festival', on his door, before locking it and leaving it for the day, keen to see what entertainment he could find for himself in the daytime.
Lorelai and Rory found themselves inside the comedy tent most of the afternoon. Not all of it was good, but it had begun to rain and they had fairly good seats. They had also managed to find a good coffee bar just before they'd found this large patch of green and had gotten large cups of coffee for not very much. It was enough to last them through an hour and a half of comedy. Next was the theatre tent, where companies came and performed the first act of their plays.
There was also a music tent, which was at that moment occupying the Doctor. He couldn't remember music being this awful. None of the bands of the past hour or so were any good. He decided to try out the kids tent. He always loved a bit of clowning around. But after spying the tent full of screaming children, he headed instead to go and get something to eat.
At that moment, when the doctor decided to find food, he bumped into some women coming in the other direction. Rory and Lorelai had got bored of the non existant talent in the theatre tent. They had been discussing how bad everything was and how Bill Bailey had better live up to their expectations.
" Oh, I'm so sorry." The Doctor apologised.
" It's nothing. We weren't really looking where we were going."
" Right, well, sorry again. " He lifted his hat to them and went on his way. He really should look where he was going these days.
" Well, that's at least one nice man here so far." Lorelai commented, watching the Doctor walk away. " And he was kind of cute too."
" Sure thing, mum, let's just find some lunch before the next tent lures us in."
" Fine. I need to refill my cup as well."
That evening, Rory and Lorelai dressed up prettily, although cosily, as they knew it would be a cold walk to the theatre performance tent.
Both wore boots to keep out the rain as their trainers had soaked through from walking around the field all day. On the way to the theatre, they spotted the blue box where they had found their last cup of coffee. It looked like there had been a sign on the door, but only half of it was still visible, the paper that is, not the words.
The Doctor had left only moments before, in a rush. He had found that in the rush of it all, he'd forgotten to get tickets. Forgetting instantly about his magic identity papers, he ran out the door heading towards the tent at the bottom of Princes street. If he rushed, he's be there in time before it closed and get back in time to get changed...
Rory knocked lightly on the door, and it opened slightly for her. She stepped inside, followed instantly by her mother.
" Hello? Oh... oh my god." Rory commented, shocked at the sheer size of the inside of the box. There were lights all around, and when Rory's eyes came to focus, she walked up the gang plank and studied the buttons.
Half way down the steep hill of Colburn street, the Doctor remembered his magic paper. He hit himself on the head, turned around, and began to march back up the slope.
Lorelai closed the door behind her and Rory, realising that this was someone's property. She was a little shaken up as well. This room wasn't possible. Not at all. It was impossible.
" This is impossible, right, Rory? You're the smart one." Lorelai asked her daughter.
" Well... I don't know. If I was into a lot of physics, I might know at least part of the answer. No human has ever built something like this, other wise the entire world would know about it."
" So it is impossible?"
" Yup."
The Doctor approached the door and opened it, only to find his ship was already occupied. And with the young women from this afternoon no less.
" Er, hello." The Doctor said calmly.
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