A/N: Took me a little while to write this up as I was stuck with partial writers block. Doesn't everyone hate that when that happens? But finally finished this chapter and really quite pleased at where this is heading. By the way I hope you enjoy the last segment, I really couldn't help….well you'll see when you read it. ;) Please R/R

XXXX

Chapter Eight: A New Exhibit

"Sit down, Doctor. You do want your tea, don't you?"

The Doctor grinned, "In a minute, Ms. Lai" He looked around her office, feeling and touching the objects around him. "I am impressed, are you sure I am in the year seven billion? I could swear this looks like something from the Victoria era. This must have cost a fortune. Although…." He paused, "Why the Victorian era?"

Ms. Lai shrugged, "Personal preference, Doctor. There is something classic about the Victorian era that I am very much fond of, I really can't explain it. It's like…"

"You were born at the wrong time."

Ms. Lai blushed lightly, "Perhaps."

"A lot of humans have that feeling all the time, but a lot of humans wouldn't know what to do if they were plopped down in the middle of that time period to begin with, you'd be a stranger in a strange land, Ms. Lai."

She sighed, "Perhaps that is why I collect things, Doctor. I wish to keep a little piece of something from the past."

The Doctor looked thoughtful for a moment and then said, "Ms. Lai. Do you have my real clothes?" He fingered his outfit, "It feels a bit strange wearing, old style Gallifreyan robes. Not that I am complaining any, it's been awhile since I actually wore…well I can do without them right now, but I'd really like my glasses, I am a bit nearsighted."

Ms. Lai chuckled lightly, "You nearsighted?"

"Oh yea, just a bit of a flaw in this body, but I have had worse. They sort of broke the mold when I was made, Ms. Lai. Just call me a Gallifreyan reject."

She laughed, "Gallifreyan reject, you're very amusing Doctor. Unfortunately you're the only Galifreyan specimen I have. It's not like I can make a detailed study."

The Doctor grinned, "Maybe you can. You know the good ole Face of Boe told me something you might like to hear."

Ms. Lai bent near the Doctor as if she was a very eager child, "Boe…oh yes, Boe. The only member left of his species; it is a shame that he is not alive anymore."

The Doctor grinned, "But first thing's first, Ms. Lai, my glasses."

Ms. Lai nodded, "Of course"

The Doctor watched as Ms. Lai pressed a button on her chair and revealed a hidden chamber. She stepped inside of it for a moment and retrieved the Doctor's glasses and then closed the room once more, which made the Doctor curious. He wondered what was behind that room besides his clothing and his glasses. But now he knew that there was something else besides this lovely cheerful façade of the Victorian era. Ms Lai gave him his glasses and he plopped the glasses on his face and smiled at her. Meanwhile he looked at her intensely. Something was a bit off about this woman. Well besides a bit of possible megalomania. He ached for his sonic screwdriver, so that he could do a proper scan on her. Something about her seemed wrong, he couldn't pinpoint it though and it nagged at him.

"Ms. Lai, I know so very little about you and you seem to know so much about me, could you tell me a bit more about yourself."

She smiled lightly, "Of course. But first, what about what the Face of Boe said to you."

She snapped her fingers and three burly looking lizards came in, "What would you like in your tea?"

The Doctor glanced up, Kai'cha. He was not fond of them at all; oh they were civil enough for a race, but they were also fierce and came from a warrior's tradition. He was kind of shocked to see them as servants, unless they served a duel function, and that probably was protection to Ms. Lai.

The Doctor smiled, "Milk, a small bit of sugar and that's it."

He watched as one of the Kai'cha poured the tea and then handed it to him. Another Kai'cha prepared a cup of tea and handed it to her. The Doctor noticed that she didn't have to give instructions on how her tea was prepared, so she obviously preferred her tea a certain way and they already knew how it was suppose to be made.

He took a sip of the tea and he said, "Well….the Face of Boe, I needn't remind you how old he was suppose to be. He gave me this little secret before he died."

"What was that, Doctor?"

The Doctor grinned, "I am not alone."

Ms. Lai nearly gagged on her tea.

"Oh, is the tea too hot for you?"

"What?"

"Yep, I am not the only Time Lord left." The Doctor grinned letting that knowledge hit Ms. Lai. Of course it was misinformation, but it might give him a chance to throw Ms. Lai off guard.

He then said, "What about you, Ms. Lai? Told you a secret, now how about you?"

She sighed and then said quietly, "I am an orphan, Doctor. Although few know it, I was adopted out of a foundling home as a young child. I know very little about my real parents, I have no memory of them. Just vague images, fuzzy and I am not even sure if they are real. But my parents, my adopted parents, they wanted to give some poor child a home, and they picked me. It was done quietly though. I don't think anyone knows that …." Ms. Lai blushed lightly, "It's just slightly embarrassing, that I am not really my father's or my mother's biological child. And when you come from an important family, like mine…."

The Doctor took another sip of his tea; this made things even more interesting. Something else clicked within his mind, but he kept silent. "That's nothing to be ashamed of, there are lots of great humans I know of that were orphans. So….how many exhibits do you have here, besides me?"

She looked thoughtful, "Over a thousand. I have a new acquisition today. It was a bit hard to get. I lost a few Kai'cha and other members of my staff to obtain it. But…"

Ms. Lai smiled, "Would you like to see it, Doctor?"

The Doctor grinned, "Sure…."

He plopped down the cup of tea and got out of his seat. Ms. Lai opened the door outside of her office. She took the Doctor by the hand and they began to walk out. The Kai'cha followed close around them and the Doctor scowled a bit at them. "I am so flattered to be escorted, but really, is this necessary?"

She chuckled, "Now Doctor, you're still my exhibit….if you think I am going to let you out of my sight so easily."

The Doctor rolled his eyes, slightly annoyed, but he was curious as to what Ms. Lai had gathered now. They walked past various attractions. Occasionally the Doctor would pause and look at them. He glanced at a Macra, an Ice Warrior, an Argolin, and a Chula. He was amazed, many of these species were rumored to be extinct, and yet here they were as plain as day in front of his face. Walking past these exhibits he ended up in an area that was closed off to the public. Ms. Lai pressed a few buttons that opened the exhibit window. He glanced at her 'new acquisition' and then he laughed at it.

He grabbed up a speaker and spoke into it, "Hello Dalek Caan…fancy meeting you here."

"EXTERMINATE….THE DOC-TOR."

Caan tried to fire at the window but nothing came from the Dalek gun.

The Doctor laughed, "Hah….caught between plate glass." Of course the Doctor knew it wasn't plate glass, but it tickled him to no end that the 'last of the Daleks' was stuck behind a specially created cell with a dead weapon. The Doctor knocked on the exhibit window, which he could tell really annoyed and peeved off Dalek Caan. He then stuck out his tongue at him. And then feeling especially naughty and childish, he licked the window.

Ms. Lai chuckled lightly, "I had a feeling you might enjoy this exhibit."