Notes: This second vignette takes place immediately after the first one.

It was three rain-filled hours later that the Doctor and Jamie succeeded in finding the TARDIS; the Doctor had abandoned his fossil hunt for a time unspecified—when the weather would be more enjoyable, and when they would bring enough provisions to keep a hungry human satisfied. Jamie had already devoured every last jelly baby that the Doctor had in his pockets, and the Scot was practically begging the TARDIS to appear before them so that he may gain access to the food machine.

"She won't like the rain," the Doctor said, sighing. "She'll have gone somewhere as watertight as possible… Ah, of course—there should be some small caverns around here!"

And it was there that they found the TARDIS. She wouldn't let them in, at first; she was still irked at being front-ended by the wayward driver and subsequently blamed the Doctor for leaving her on the side of the road in the first place. After much cajoling from the Doctor, who promised that he would never do such a thing again (and also after much desperate howling from a soaked and starving piper), she finally admitted them entry.

Within minutes, the Doctor had changed into his bathrobe and was in front of the fireplace in his study, regulating his body temperature, which had decreased significantly on account of the cold rain. He had a small stack of books with him, and, after warming up a bit, he called out to the piper.

"Jamie! Jamie, can you come here, please?" He listened as he heard footsteps approaching closer. "Ah, Jamie, did you find something to…"

The Doctor trailed off, staring as he saw Jamie standing in the doorway of the study, carrying a plate of sandwiches. That wasn't what surprised the Doctor, however; he hadn't expected to see the piper clad in the Time Lord's own Prydonian robe—minus the ornate headdress.

"Jamie, what—?"

"This was the only thing in yer wardrobe that di'n require trousers," Jamie said, flatly. "I am nae wearing trousers; I have suffered enough today!"

"Jamie, you only got chased by a goose…"

"And drenched, and starved!" Jamie added, sitting down beside the Doctor. He placed the plate on the floor and began to tear ravenously at the sandwiches.

The Doctor said nothing for a moment, but after half of the sandwiches disappeared, he finally spoke.

"You know, Jamie, just because Gallifreyans only need to eat once a day, it doesn't mean that we can't appreciate food when it's presented to us. Just so you're aware…"

Jamie held up the plate, and the Doctor took one of the sandwiches.

"Thank you, Jamie. And when you're finished, I say it's about time we resumed your lessons."

The piper froze, his next sandwich stopping just before it reached his mouth.

"What."

"Your lessons!" the Doctor exclaimed, showing Jamie the books he had. "You'd made impressive progress in the three years you were traveling with me before the other Time Lords spoiled everything; imagine how much further you could go! I've got volumes here on all sorts of subjects; I think now would be a good time…" He trailed off as Jamie gave him a blank stare. "What's the matter?"

"Doctor, I just came back," Jamie said. "Don' we have more important things to talk aboot? I want to hear aboot all the things ye've been doing while I was away. It was only four days for me, but ye said it was fifty years for ye—I want to know what all happened! I'm sure ye've got stories to tell!"

"But, Jamie, don't you want to learn?"

"I thought I was done," Jamie said. "Just before that whole thing with the War Lords happened, ye told me that I was reading and writing English so well that no one would believe that I'd ne'er set foot in a school before."

"Well, yes, you've mastered reading and writing English very well, and you should be incredibly proud!" the Doctor said. "But there's so much more for you to learn: physics, biology, mathematics, other languages, even—I was going to give you a lesson in Gallifreyan right now!"

"…Ye've gone daft!"

"Really, Jamie, I think that's quite uncalled for. These are things I want to share with you; I was hoping you'd be just as receptive to them as you were to my earlier lessons in English and basic sciences."

"Aye, but those were all basic things," Jamie pointed out. "I cannae learn all of… these things! Especially nae the Gallifreyan!"

"Well, you're certainly dressed for Gallifreyan lessons," the Doctor mused. "That Prydonian robe suits you; you look quite smart."

"Dressing like one and learning the language are two different things," Jamie said.

"True. But I still don't think why you're incapable of learning it—or the other things," the Doctor said, taking out one of the books from the stack. "Now, you see this? This book has passages in both Old High Gallifreyan and modern Gallifreyan—"

The Doctor paused as Jamie pushed the book away.

"Doctor, please," the piper said. "I don' want to go through this."

"Why?" the Doctor asked, though the Time Lord's tone of voice made it clear that he knew exactly why. "I always thought that you enjoyed our lessons."

"I did. I do," Jamie said. "Aye, then, teach me some science. Maybe that will end up better than…"

He trailed off.

"Better than what?" the Doctor asked, again with the tone of knowing exactly what the answer was. Jamie didn't answer, and the Doctor continued. "Very well, we shall get to science later; but first, I want to teach you the Gallifreyan alphabet."

Jamie cringed.

"No."

"Jamie, this is my language—something very special to me that I want to share with you."

"Doctor, I cannae learn it!" Jamie exclaimed, suddenly snapping. "So please stop asking me to!"

"And why do you think that you can't learn it?" His gentle eyes were fixed on the Scot. I know why, but I want to hear it from you.

Jamie stared back at him, determined not to say anything, but then broke.

"Ye Gallifreyans are so advanced and clever, and yer language is so complicated and looks just like chicken scratchings to me," he said, glaring at the book in the Doctor's hands. "I heard them, Doctor—the other Time Lords, when they were lecturing ye aboot toeing the line to keep me with ye."

"You heard them?"

"Aye. 'We question yer judgment, Doctor, for choosing to travel with a primitive of an intelligence that is lower than average of his species.' And it's nae just them; I got back all my memories—even the bad ones. Even… even when the Krotons said that I was of low intelligence and had no value."

"When was that!?"

"When ye and Zoe went into the Dynatrope, and I tried to follow ye. They caught me and gave me some sort of mind probe."

"You never told me…!"

"Aye, we had to help the Gonds; I din' think it mattered, and then I forgot."

"Evidently, you did not forget! And I would think that you wouldn't believe beings who think it's a good idea to either wall themselves off from intergalactic conflict, or be the cause of it!"

"I believe my father."

"…Could you elaborate on that, please?"

"I di'n learn to walk or talk as quickly as my brothers did; I was… slow with all of that. Papa thought it would be better if I learned practical things instead of going to school like they did."

The Doctor and Jamie exchanged a long, silent glance with each other. Finally, the Time Lord picked up a small device that he had placed next to the mathematics book and handed it to Jamie.

"What is this, Jamie?"

"A calculator."

"What's the square root of 200, rounded to two decimal places?"

"Um… 14.14," the piper said, after pressing a few buttons on the device.

"Now, if we took the TARDIS back in time to meet your father, what would he say if I handed that calculator to him and asked him to fine me the square root of 200?"

"…He'd probably accuse ye of witchcraft."

"You see, Jamie? You know more than he does! When people look at you—whether human, Gallifreyan, Kroton, or whatever—they fail to see all of the untapped potential you have. It's one of your assets, though; they will always underestimate you, and then you can surprise them all. And I think that, this time, you will end up surprising yourself with what you are capable of."

Jamie still didn't look convinced, and so the Doctor tried a new tactic.

"Jamie, you often say I'm a daft old man, don't you?"

"Aye…"

"And yet, no matter what the situation is, whether we're dealing with monsters, villains, missions, or something unknown, you will always listen to this daft old man, no matter what mad plan he's come up with."

"Aye," Jamie said, nodding. "I trust ye. I trust ye with my life."

"Well, then," the Doctor said, with a smile. "Why is it that you trust me in the face of all of those dangers, but not with this?"

Jamie stared at the Doctor for a long time.

"Ye really think I have enough potential to learn your language?"

"Jamie, your potential is infinite," the Doctor assured him. "Now, while you finish the rest of those sandwiches, what say you also take a look at the Gallifreyan alphabet?"

And this time, Jamie nodded.