A/N: This is a detailed side story for my Doctor Who AU 'Verse. It's 'All About' Jamie and the Doctor. How they met, what adventures they had, and finally why they were parted. It's a prequel to Doctor Who and the Great Eclipse even though I'm writing it now, and mean it to be read in conjunction with Doctor Who and the Tangled Web. This is meant for those folks with no exposure to the second Doctor. This chapter covers the gap between the serials "The Macra Terror" and "The Faceless Ones". This gap must have been fairly long as Polly has her hair cut short at the colony in the future but when she emerges at the airport her hair is long again… Only one novel has been written in this gap, "The Roundheads". I've not managed to get my paws on it, so I'm referring to the synopsis I've found. Another possible adventure is the short comic, "Freedom by Fire" which has Victoria drawn in the panels but seems to have Polly's character pretty down pat. Um, yeah. I don't have that either, but I will make a reference to it having been something that Ben missed out on. Other references are inferred by looking at adventures the Doctor mentions later as having happened but that lack placement details…
Inspiration and Titles come from the T.a.t.u song "All About Us" that was used for the video featuring this ship. See TARDIS Parking for the links to both Transcripts and video.
Thanks to Kyer and OtherMeWriter for the lovely reviews.
Part FourB - interlude
(You, me, we, us…)
Fleeing the colony, Ben, Polly, Jamie and the Doctor tumbled back into the TARDIS. Verity greeted her pilot softly, trying another tactic for getting into his favor. She was rewarded with a fond pat on the console. That was progress, at least. The Scottish piper settled onto the floor and – kissed – her. Well, then. Ok. She might be inclined to become fond of the boy if he keeps that up. The other two humans fled into the interior regions of her halls apparently both in need of something they felt could only be found in each other. She knew that they wanted to go home. Maybe she should let the Doctor know about that damaged circuit? The Time Lord put in some data that made her think twice about getting the circuit fixed, however. Why did he want to go all the way back to the start of the Universe? Wait, was he mumbling about studying the explosion? Oh… he was. That might be interesting. She signaled the broken circuit light at him.
"Now what's this? How long as this been broken?" The Time Lord sets to getting tools and exposing the damage. For Verity this injury is so old that she's learned to cope with it, like a bad tooth. But if she wants to make him need her she'll have to show him she needs him first likely. Jamie gets up and moves over to watch the Doctor remove the panel and carefully lay the injured works out to assess the extent of the damage.
"What's this?" Jamie echoes.
"Well, it looks like part of the controls are damaged, and have been for a very long time. But I think I can repair it, or at least find a solution to the problem." The dark haired fellow settles down on the floor, tools, spare parts, and a growing number of removed items scattered about around him.
Jamie is enthralled with the bits and pieces. Lost completely as to what they are, but fairly sure he could put them back in the correct place, if he had to. Like a puzzle, really. "Can ye use an extra hand?"
"Um, yes. A second set of eyes and help in remembering where things came from is always good. Now, I need to get the damaged circuit out and try to locate a replacement." After a moment he added, "Come down here Jamie and hold this."
"Aye." The piper settled in next to the Time Lord and reached in where he could see that help was needed. "Got it."
Verity sighed as the injured part came out very gently. It was almost as if the Time Lord and his newest human companion were communicating on a level she couldn't detect. Truthfully, she had not paid much attention to the human travelers that the Doctor seemed very fond of. Ian and Barbara hadn't been allowed to even so much as get a look inside her without the Doctor being right there, although Ian had assisted in repairs. Other companions had been trusted even less than Ian had. She knew Ben didn't get to poke around in her innards the way Jamie was being asked to help. She couldn't figure out the why of that though. Jamie was fairly primitive, culture wise, certainly not as familiar with technology as Ben was, and yet the Doctor seemed to prefer the piper's presence.
"Come on, Jamie. I'll show you the Parts Room. Maybe you can help me look for a replacement."
Jamie followed the Doctor into the interior of the TARDIS, bothering to grab a handful of the man's coat as they went. The passages were like a maze, and the last thing Jamie wanted was to get lost inside here. He was shocked that Polly and Ben had just wandered off into this without a look back. How did one manage to find their way around? "Err, Doctor? This is unlike anything I've ever seen," Jamie said.
The little man looked back at the piper, "Now Jamie – there's nothing to be scared of. The inside of the TARDIS is not infinite in size, in spite appearances. And there are systems in here that will keep you from getting too lost, or hungry. The food machine will find you if you neglect eating. There are 12 floors, and a vast number of rooms, but the majority of the used ones are kept near the control room. Just stay with me, lad." He pats Jamie's hand fondly.
"So you'll show me around then?" Jamie transfers his hold from the coat to the sleeved arm.
The Doctor smiled at him, "Of course I will." He continued to pat Jamie's hand. Verity decided to open a passage to the room he was looking for as they came around the corner, making a staircase and a funny sign that read 'Up and Over, Parts of Me here'. The Time Lord spotted the sign and laughed. "Oh, look, I do think this is a shortcut."
"Why?"
"Well, the sign, of course."
The Scotsman looked at the sign and shook his head, "Covered with squiggles. What does it say?"
"Jamie, were you not taught to read?"
"Nay. Pipers tell oral history, playing alongside bards who sing the stories of the past. Few Highlanders read. What does it say?"
"Oh – 'Up and Over, Parts of Me here' actually. Would you like to learn to read?" Jamie smiled and nodded. "Well then, I'll teach you." He offered the lad his arm again in a friendly fashion and they started up the steps. "I've got a music room here someplace that we can use for those bagpipe lessons." The pair of them reached the storeroom with the spare parts shortly. Jamie is amazed at the size and variations of all the bits and bobs here, stored in row after row of bins. The Doctor and he set off through the various pieces, burnt out circuit in hand.
"It might take days to find what we're searching for, Doctor," Jamie exclaims.
"Yes it very well might Jamie. But that is all right. The TARDIS is not heading anywhere quickly at the moment and this part needs to be replaced. I just hope there's a spare one. If not I'll have to try to make it myself and I'm a bit rusty with the math involved."
"Eh, Math?"
The Doctor looked at the lad, "Math. Um. You know how music has a tempo, a beat, a--"
"Aye, Doctor. I do."
"Well – so does matter. It's all a point of knowing the right numbers. Haven't you ever seen the proper note break glass?"
"Not that I can remember. But, I suppose it is possible."
Jamie gives the Doctor an amused expression; the Time Lord returns it, "Everything in the Universe has its secrets, my boy, and all those secrets can be boiled down to the numbers that define the specifics. If you know those numbers you can create anything you desire, music, happiness, this part even. But there's no point in reinventing the wheel if I've got it in storage already."
Jamie happily followed the dark haired man through the shelves, noting the changing symbols on the edges of the bins. He supposed that if he could read this would go faster, but then he didn't even know what the name of the part was, so maybe not. It didn't matter much, as long as he was with the Doctor, nothing really did matter. Although it would be nice to hold his hand, "So, this part does what?"
"It helps read the coordinates I input. Otherwise I have to rely on telepathic commands and – I don't use them much."
"Aye, because you don't trust your own ship. There's not a hostile thought in her, Doctor. All she wants is to help you get to where you wanna go."
The Doctor frowns, "Jamie--"
Jamie shook his head, "I don't need the excuses, so save 'em. I'm just telling you what I feel; knowing that she feels the same. Maybe you don't sense the extreme gratitude and love this ship feels for you, but I do. It's not just my own thoughts projected onto her either. Someday you're gonna wake up an realize this for yourself."
Taking a deep breath, the Time Lord says, "I suppose so." Jamie doesn't realize how much thought each prompt touches off. It's not that he can't remember what his relationship with the TARDIS was like before he became ill that one time, how blissful and close to perfection it seemed. He does remember. And he knows that the ship guided this regeneration with goal reestablishing that closeness in mind. His psychic powers are much greater than his last body was ever capable of and being that close to the somewhat alien five-dimensional mindset of the TARDIS scared him a bit. He's not sure if he could endure it, unless he can teach his ship to speak softly again. She's been shouting at him for so long that she's forgotten was a normal volume is. Or he's just that much more sensitive than he was before. He spots the part he's after, "Ah, here we go." The Doctor pulled the part out and looked at it, carefully comparing it to the one in his hand already, "Perfect." He turned and started out, putting the ruined one into a pocket. After a step or two he said, "You know, it does bare giving some thought to, this accepting of the ship. But do you really want to share me, Jamie?" The piper shrugged. He hadn't thought about that. After a second he reached out and caught the Doctor's hand, but he kept his thoughts and worries to himself.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Jamie helped the Doctor fix the console by giving him the correct pieces as it was reassembled. It was absolutely wonderful to feel like he could help, like he'd done something Ben couldn't top. And the ship filled him with warm gratitude at the easing of her pain. Now if he could just find a way to fix his own broken parts, ease his own emotional pain, things might be fine. The feeling of contentment washed out the hyper sensation of running on full without stop that he'd been living on, leaving him yawning. He can deny all he wants with his mouth, but clearly his body needs sleep.
This was, now that he thought about it, the first time he'd gotten sleepy while inside the Doctor's ship. And furthermore, he had no place to sleep. The Doctor gave him a bit of a tour. Jamie was shown where the living areas were, the entertainment centers, food room, bedrooms, most of which were rather like bunk houses for many people, a library, the bathing room, the wardrobe room, and half a dozen other rooms that were identified as labs, medical, science, workrooms and the like. The TARDIS looked like it could house thousands of people. Jamie was sure he would forget the lot of it and look the fool within moments. The Doctor noted his yawns and steered him back to the beds. "Stay with me?" the piper asked.
Tapping his head, "I'm always with you," the Doctor told him. "Just a thought away."
"But will you – stay here, with me?"
The Doctor held the lad's hand, "Always, Jamie." And he watched the Scotsman fall asleep, standing like a silent guardian over the piper's dreams, chasing away the nightmares. He didn't dare let the telepathic time ship into the open thoughts that Jamie shared with him. How shaken the lad felt when he thought the Doctor was dead, nor how scared the boy had become when he thought that he himself was close to death and going to leave the Doctor behind. There was no way he could take Jamie home, unless he wanted to settle down with the lad… but maybe, maybe they could? It would be a matter of finding a time and place that might accept the relationship, one that his own people would not think to look in. Ancient Rome maybe? The fifty-first century? Both might work. But which would make Jamie feel more at ease? Could he do that? Could he stop traveling for a while, stay out of trouble, make a spot of time for he and Jamie?
Now, why does he even want to do such a thing? He pushes the thoughts aside. Jamie came with him to see the Universe, not to be smothered and babied. The lad wants to live as intensely as possible, to see as much as he can see. The Doctor sits down on the edge of the bed and Jamie curls onto his side, tucking his body around the Doctor's, nearly trying to crawl into his lap. But the thoughts won't leave him alone. What he wants, right now, is what he gave Susan… a chance to live, for just a little while, with someone he cares for. The hollow spot inside him made when he pushed his granddaughter out aches still. But it was the right thing to do, right for her, he knows. And now he's falling into that same emotion. He strokes his hand through Jamie's thick wavy hair. Falling? No. Has fallen, is ensnared by… Now what can he do? If his people find out his punishment will be so much worse, so much more cruel for the fact that he (does he dare even think it?) -- loves -- this wonderful human.
He forces his face blank, the emotions back behind a wall before he's tempted to vent them. But he can't stop the trembling in his hand as he cards his fingers through Jamie's hair, and he can't completely blink the tears back as the possible futures flash before his eyes. It's a curse, sometimes, seeing all of time and knowing what the future might bring. But he's not sure that he can push the lad away, even if it would be safer for them both. Ah well. He's never lived his life by the rules. He's going to make Jamie happy, whatever it takes.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Verity felt more relief about that control repair than she ever thought she could. It was amazing how much better she felt just with that little fix. She carefully plots her path as close to the Event 0 as she dared and slipped into temporal orbit, keeping herself poised right at the very cusp of the moment until the Doctor returns. She's surprised that he spends the entire rest period with the lone human male while the other two engage in whatever physical acts they feel driven to consummate. There's something about this point, right at the beginning that seems familiar to her, like returning to someplace she'd been before even though she knows she never has been. Odd that. Could it mean something? She is still pondering this when the little rumpled form of her dark haired pilot wanders in to the main control room with a cup of tea, the piper behind him looking refreshed and dressed in a new kilt that she'd made for him. She let a curl of greeting flow and received another friendly pat. This is an improvement over being slammed out of his mind on a constant basis.
"Let's see where we are, shall we, Jamie?"
The soft faced young man finished the food he was eating and wiped his fingers on his kerchief, "Aye."
"Oh, look at this, I wanted to show you something wondrous." The Time Lord waves Jamie over to the scanner. "We're back to the beginning of the Universe, or as close as we can safely get."
"An' she did that for you. Don't you see what she's tryin' to do?"
"I do, Jamie. I promise that I'll – come to some accord with her, meet her halfway, so to speak. All right?"
Jamie curled an arm over the Doctor's shoulders, "So tell me what you want to show me, aye?"
Verity felt the Time Lord slowly drop his mental shields and think to her, Quietly now, no need to shout. How about we do this in fast forward, so Jamie can see the formation of the early universe. We can record all the data for study later. She whispers an affirmative, thrilled with the suggestion. It wasn't often that she was given permission to stretch her abilities like this. The Doctor smiled, "The creation of everything, in fast forward, all but the first few seconds of it. This is one of the most awesome sights of all. I've very pleased to be able to show you this." Jamie nodded, not overly sure that he was going to get anything out of the experience, but he'd try for his Thete's sake if nothing else. The Doctor was trying to make up for something, he figured. Maybe for missing Mars? Too bad Ben and Polly were still occupied behind that locked door. For once the Doctor got to where he wanted to go, and they are missing it. And then… this was sorta nice, having something like this done completely for him.
Jamie was enthralled with what he witnessed. It was beautiful. And best of all it had been recorded… The Doctor told him that there was an even better place to experience Event 0, the Infinity Chamber. They can witness all sides of the Big Bang all around them from that chamber and look at any part they want in detail. Verity is eager to lead them there, too. Jamie is enthusiastic to experience it for himself. He might not understand all of it, but it is beautiful. And he loves everything the Doctor shows him. There's only one thing that would make this better, being able to express how he feels without wondering if he's going to get the Doctor into trouble somehow.
The chamber that they enter has a smaller version of the control console in it, ringed with supporting rails. This sits near the door. The walls and roof give the impression of a huge dome. Spiraling from the floor near the console is a sturdy staircase, openwork metal in a dark color. The Doctor leads Jamie over to the platform that the console sits on and ushers him inside the rails. As the lights dim, Jamie figures out the reason for this. The walls and floor, aside from the platform, seems to fade away the black sky replacing it. He feels breathless with awe, "Doctor!"
"It's ok Jamie. The wall and floor are still there. This is a hologram. It's a multi-dimensional projection of what is outside the ship." The Time Lord caught the lad's arm. "I know it is easy to lose your bearings here, but trust me, up is still up and down is still down. Feel the gravity? The force holding your feet to the floor. That still exists here."
Jamie laughs, " 'Tis beautiful! Oh, this is just… All of God's creation, all around us. It makes me feel so small." He curled his arm around his Thete. "Thank ye."
The Doctor comes very close to kissing the piper, right then. The look of joy on the lad's face takes his breath away. He settled for a return of the one armed hug, and they set about checking out various features. Jamie eagerly helps him select things to look at.
Verity rejoices in the openness of her pilot's mind. She can sense that there's still a wall there, but it seems to have very little behind it so she ignores its existence and accepts what is being offered. It doesn't take her long to settle into an easy contact, very light but contact all the same, with him. The three of them spend a quite a long time looking at the features in space. She thrums with delight, sensing an echo within her Time Lord pilot that reminds her of his youth. He's very happy. Now if she could just figure out how to keep him that way…
0o0o0o0o0o0o0
The Doctor has shown Jamie the food machine, just so the lad knows where it is and what it produces, before announcing to Ben and Polly that he thinks a spot of lunch, real food, might be in order. Ben begs off saying that he still needs to rest. He heads back to the bedrooms to sleep some more. It's pretty clear that he's not been doing much sleeping. Polly shakes her head. She really would like a nice lunch, if the Doctor can get them someplace for it. Now, they have been all right health wise as things go, so Verity is not too worried about that. She figures that what they need is someplace nice and alive. She begins scanning -- look there, that's not right… That species doesn't belong on that world.
So while the Doctor suggests that Polly put on some period clothing, as he intends to land them in Victorian England, Verity fudges the information to take them where she knows they need to go to correct this error in time. Opening the door to reveal the jungle prompts Polly to state that this is not Victorian England. The Doctor agrees with her but says that the ship needs twelve minutes before it can take off again, so they might as well scout a bit and see if there is anything interesting to see.
She and Jamie both agree with him on this and they set off for a bit of a walk. There is no denying that the jungle is beautiful. The animals are nearly tame and unafraid of them. The plants are unspoiled. It would seem that this is like a paradise. Quite quickly though the situation changes and some of the plants attack them. It's quite a close call but the local group of humanoids rescues them before the vicious plant based predators consume them. The Doctor can feel that the attacking vegetation is not from this world.
The native humanoids take them back to their village and make sure they are unharmed. They are offered food and drink, meager as it might be. The village is constructed out of native materials, without running water or electricity because these people have yet to discover either one. The offered food is raw, local fruits and nuts. The Doctor inquires as to why, with all the bounty of the jungle around them, they are experiencing a food shortage. The natives blame the man-eating plant based invaders that they identify as "Kraals". They used to be farmers, but since the asteroid shower at the end of the last harvest they have been forced away from their fields. They have been reduced to a gatherer state because they cannot plant their crops due to the Kraals attacking them.
Then the Doctor asks how the cook their food and discovers that they don't. It never becomes cold here, either. After a thought he tells them that he might have a way to assist them in driving the Kraals away. Between he and Jamie they manage to make a fire and light a stick to act as a torch. This fascinates the vegetarians. The Time Lord tells them this is fire, a natural process, that will turn wood into ash, and that ash can be used to keep the fields producing good yields. He suspects that the Kraals will stay away from fire, so it should provide them with a weapon against the aggressive plants. While he wants to test this out, the afternoon rain makes it impossible to do so. He'll have to wait until morning.
As night falls, the three visitors are taken to the empty shaman's hut. They are told that they can sleep there, as the Kraals killed the village shaman. The Doctor constructs a sheltered fire pit and makes sure that they have enough downed wood to keep the fire burning all night. Polly settles into the little alcove area with it's sleeping mat, leaving the main chamber to Jamie and the Doctor.
The Scotsman sits next to the rumbled man, who is tending the fire, "I wanna thank you again for showing me that magical sight. I was a bit unsure at first, but I really enjoyed it." The Doctor glances at him slightly sideways, eyes twinkling and a slightly goofy smile gracing his expressive face. Jamie looks at him, glances around to note that all the natives are inside their various huts, and leans over to plant a long sensual kiss on his Thete's lips. I do mean it. Seeing the creation of the universe is something that few can claim.
"I know you mean it, Jamie." The sparks were still fading from the contact, and there was nothing that he would rather do than give the lad whatever he asked for. He placed another log onto the fire and got to his feet. Offering his hand he said, "Let's settle for the night."
Smirking, Jamie took the Doctor's hand and tugged him down into his own lap, "In a bit. It's early still. Twilight behind the clouds. I'm thinking this is much better." Thete gracefully accepted the position, letting Jamie hold him as the piper wanted to. "The fire is too nice to waste, an' one of us is going to have to stay up with it." He placed kisses on the cool skin of the Time Lord's neck. Thete relaxed and closed his eyes. The piper's hands, smooth from his endless hours of playing the pipes and his youth found their way under the layers of jacket, shirt, and tee to bare cool skin. The sensation of sparkles rippled over the mental connection from the touch and Jamie closed his eyes too, just to focus on the skin under his fingers, the unique pulse fluttering through it, and the slow even breathing. The gently strengthening emotion he is sensing makes him feel humbled and very warm, but quite like he belongs.
There's a light touch on his face, a tremor in the fingers. Jamie turns his head and kisses the Doctor's palm, sending back his own feelings. The sound he hears is musical, but something he knows he'll never be able to reproduce. He opens his eyes to find Thete staring at him intently. He starts to open his lips and finds a finger over them. "Do you want me, Jamie? Right now?" The Scotsman nods, because he can't imagine a time when he won't want his Thete. "Don't be frightened," the Time Lord says, "I am going to give you what you want, for as long as you want it, for as long as I can manage." With that Jamie finds himself being kissed, and the flickering dancing light from the flames freeze. The entire world seems to stop.
Instead of fear Jamie just accepts this and opens his entire soul to his Thete. He forgets everything else, until he's sated his need to be totally one with this wonderful being. They are inside when time begins to flow again, the only major clue to their activities being their nudity. The Doctor sleeps with him for a few hours to recover from his exertion and then goes out to check the fire. He adds more wood to the pit, completely at ease with himself. He's still there at the dawn, when Polly pokes her head out and squeaks. "Oh, I'm sorry, Doctor!" she pulls back in and tries to hide her blush. It's more at the clearly fading but intensely colored feature on his collarbone than anything else. Only one person could have made that mark. No wonder Jamie's been so staunch in his loyalty and support of the Doctor.
"No, no. Polly, the fault is mine. The night was so mild I – well, give me a moment and I'll dress."
She laughs. "Some liberal chic I am. I shouldn't be embarrassed by a little skin."
"And I suppose Jamie will cause the same reaction then."
Polly glances over at the sleeping piper and notices that he's using his kilt as a blanket. He's more exposed than not, but she can't see anything that should embarrass her. Except for the rather telling little bites she can see that are fading on Jamie's skin. She blushes again, "It shouldn't but…" she steps back into the alcove. "Tell me when it's safe."
After a moment she hears him say, "Well, I'm safe, at least. Come on out to the patio, Polly."
She wanders out and discovers that someone has left them a gift of exotic fruits, nuts, and other apparently edible plants. The Doctor is carefully peeling one of the tuber-like items. "These people are vegetarian, clearly." Polly picks up a fruit, "I sure have broadened my horizons traveling with you, Doctor." She sits down and looks at him. "Please don't take this the wrong way, but how did you manage to not alert the entire village about your activities last night?"
"We – didn't bother you did we?"
She looked at him, "No, I didn't suspect a thing until I caught a glimpse of Jami—err. How did you manage to not wake me?" The Doctor gives her a slight smile. He's not bashful about this she notes, more like he finds her reactions amusing. Laughing, she replies, "Oh. You were trying to keep it secret, were you?" She shakes her head, "Doctor. I'm a liberal gal. Whatever floats your boat is fine with me. If he makes you happy I don't care what you do."
"If everyone were as tolerant, the universe would be a much better place, young lady. Unfortunately they are not."
"Well, surely you can do what you want inside your ship--"
He cuts her off, "No, no I can't Polly. I must be more careful there than elsewhere. Jamie knows this."
"Because – where you are from they are not tolerant?" The Time Lord nods, his face downcast. "I'm sorry. I just assumed that things became more liberal as time went on, not less."
He waved off the apology. "I need to help these people drive off the Kraal, and then we need to get as far away from here as possible." He finishes what he was eating and lights another thick stick of wood from the fire.
"One torch isn't going to do it, Doctor."
"Quite right Polly. I'll have to make sure that others can make fire as well as keep this one burning. But first I need to test my theory and see if fire will drive the Kraal away."
"Can I help in any way?"
"Why don't you show the villagers what type of wood burns well so that they can gather more." She nods and finishes her meal. He sets off into the morning jungle toward the farm plots knowing that the Kraal will show up there. Once they do, he brandishes the torch at them and they shrink back from the flame. Satisfied with the results he returns to the village to find that Jamie is already teaching several of the young men and women of the tribe how to make fire with the tools they have access to. Polly is showing several others how to build fire rings. Once both groups demonstrate understanding and success he gathers the villagers together and tells them, "Fire is a tool, and used improperly can do great harm. However it can also protect you and your farms from the Kraal. If everyone will make a torch we'll go drive the Kraals away from here." The villagers quickly set to work and by mid-day they have driven the Kraals away and proved that they can defend their farm plots. That done the Doctor, Polly, and Jamie are escorted back to their 'hut' and the natives return to their village.
Polly and Ben greet each other warmly and she offers him some of the fruit that she saved. Ben looks at Jamie and offers his hand, "Thanks, mate."
The Scottish piper looks at the sailor, "For what?"
"For everything. I know you don't trust me anymore, but I swear it will never happen again. Next time to try to warm me about something I will listen."
Jamie shakes his hand, "Aye, you better."
The Doctor pauses after he's gotten them into the Vortex, "I hope I did the correct thing there." Jamie and Polly both move over to him and try to reassure him that he's done well. "So how about we go someplace warm?"
"Like where?" Polly asks.
"Maybe Egypt? Or Greece? I happen to know how to acquire a villa in Rome. We could try to make it to there."
"You plan on attempting to steer this thing again?" Ben teased.
"Well, I made a repair while you and Polly were resting and I would like to test it out," the Doctor explained. "I rather suspect that the TARDIS was going where it wanted to go because of some old damage. Really, if I'm to ever get you home I need several months of no traveling so I can make repairs. And some of the things that need fixing I can't do in flight."
"I think Greece would swell. I always wanted to go there and look at the ruins, going there and seeing the civilization would be even better, as long as we manage to land in a peaceful time period," Polly says. "What about you Jamie?"
The Scotsman shrugged, "I don't know. An' I suppose it doesn't really matter."
"Well, I have a suggestion. Lets go to the library and look at the different options," the Doctor led them out into the hall and through the twisting passages until reaching the library. On the route they see the pavilion and the Doctor mentions that there's a third control room near the library. Once there they spent a great deal of time looking at different aspects of the various societies. They concluded, in the end, that Greece was the way to go. Only the TARDIS decided that 1648 London, very late November was a better time and place. Reading that information on the controls the Doctor heads back into the ship again, Jamie in tow. As they walk Verity detects what her pilot is looking for and creates a shortcut to it. The room is dimly lit and richly decorated, like a young Victorian child's room. There are scattered alphabet building blocks scattered over a richly colored floor rug of Turkish origin, beside a large chest of assorted wooden blocks besides. The open shelves have an assortment of toys on them ranging from wind up cars to sets of tin soldiers and from beautiful porcelain dolls in bountiful period clothing to toddler toys. Over in the far corner was a rocking horse. And the bookshelf was filled with children's books. Sitting on a table next to a hurricane lamp is the book that the Doctor wanted, Every Boy's Book of the English Civil Wars. He picks it up and another door appears in the far wall. This door leads back to the control room.
At least the Doctor thought to head back and pluck up a book about the era before they stepped out into it. He's far more concerned that Jamie feel like he's an equal than he is about revealing too much about the past or local future to him. So he shoos Ben and Polly out with a warning to not get into trouble and he goes over the events of this time period with Jamie. His intention is to make this a short detour, but then there's festive happenings going on to celebrate the season and Jamie's face lights up at that. The Doctor buys a fruitcake to share with the lad as they enjoy the atmosphere.
Even the best of goals, enjoying local Christmas festivities, goes askew. Jamie is spotted as the Scot he is and arrested on the way back to the TARDIS. Only very fast thinking keeps them both from torture or the gallows. But the already messed up situation becomes even more so because of the act that he and Jamie pull off. It's being held in prison that lets them meet up with Polly, but she hasn't seen Ben for a week at that point. They ended up spending an embarrassing amount of time locked in a prison cell trying to figure out how to get out, and Ben finally is the one that convinces Cromwell's people that they can and will help them. It took them nearly a month and a half to set time back on the correct path and by then everyone was eager to not have an adventure for a while. It was rather a miserable way to spend the holidays, trying to find one another, avoid being killed, and setting King Charles back on course for his due fate.
The crew then finally manages to make it back to the Doctor's ship. He asks, no, more like he begs, Verity to take them someplace where they won't end up in world changing events for once. Still trying for Greece, the Doctor gets them back into the Vortex. He's not rushed this time. He even opens his mind and lets her see how difficult the last situation was for him to deal with. She can see that his plans include spending plenty of time looking for things that need to be repaired, if only she'll give him the quiet he's asking for. Verity can see though that he wants to go to Alexandra, if only because he has never been there and that he knows Ben and Polly will find it interesting. The port town is safer than most places because of all the intellectuals that gather there. She decides that it technically is 'Greece' and diverts there, to a time of relative quiet, 38 BC. As long as the Doctor doesn't intend to stay for more than three years then things should stay quiet. History has not been interrupted and the city of Alexandra is stable and well off.
Of course the garb here is not Greek but Egyptian. The Doctor explains to Ben and Polly that he should be able to figure out why the TARDIS is not taking them to the programmed coordinates with the time to devote to the work. He creates the proper coins and makes sure they are all dressed in the proper clothes before setting out to rent them a suitable townhouse. Polly looks at Ben, "He's getting closer. I mean… We are in a Greek time period of Egyptian history, after all."
Ben grins, "Right you are Duchess." He has to admit that she looks fetching in the period clothes, which are as revealing as modern slinky dresses. Polly, to her credit, is determined to enjoy the freedom this gives her, besides she's proud of her body and there's no reason that Ben can't see it. She knows, secretly, that Jamie has eyes for the Doctor and the Doctor alone. There are no problems with that. And Ben might get a bit jealous when Jamie compliments her by saying that she looks very nice in the Egyptian clothing and makeup but maybe it serves him right.
She thinks that Jamie looks very nice too, and so does Ben. The Doctor was a surprise, as she never would have thought he'd defer to local customs, but he seems to respect Alexandra and wants to blend in here, going so far as to display knowledge about social status and proper accessories to display it without needing to reference a book. Clearly he's wanted to come here. And he pulls off the look with a natural grace that really shouldn't surprise her.
The Doctor returns fairly quickly and ushers them out of the TARDIS, "I've rented a cart and labor to transport my 'chest', and they will be here soon. Put on your sandals, or you'll burn you feet on the hot road. My, you look fetching, Polly." She smiles. "I've told the landlord that you are my family and married so we don't have to worry about explaining why a young couple is single. Polly's status is more of a concern here then ours and I don't want to risk being shackled into marrying her off. I hope that is all right."
Polly circles her arm with Ben, "Yes."
The cart shows up presently and the workers lift his blue chest up onto it. The Doctor tells them to be careful as he's got many scrolls inside. Even the laborers seem to respect the educated here. Then again, the Doctor is generous with his coin and has befriended them through his charm. The acquired townhouse is three stories tall and possesses a stately whitewashed wall. The gate, set into a stone lined archway, is wide enough for the cart to easily enter, and the tunnel is clearly a room deep. The Doctor explains that the owner is being dispatched to Rome and won't return for at least two years and so they have rented this dwelling in the interim. Should they need to leave before the rent expires then they can arrange to sub-let through the same landlord and get back some of the gold paid. Ben's not too sure about the extended time frame that he's hearing, but then he spots the shady garden that occupies the inner courtyard with it's two pools, one for fish and one for swimming and pretty much forgets most of his objections.
The workers settle the Doctor's chest into the room he indicates on the third floor, accessed by wide ramps and he pays them an extra tip. They tell him that anything more he needs to just send a runner and they will come.
The windowless lower floor is mostly designed for servants and workers or running a business. The Doctor tells Ben and Polly that if they desire they may use this area for whatever amuses them. The second floor has much higher ceilings, small shutter covered windows, and a spacious open floor plan, with the walls having many arched openings and pillars supporting the floor above. This is the living area, designed for parties, feasts, and social gatherings. The third floor is made up of smaller individual rooms, office, study, library and bedchambers, although the roof is designed for living as well. The place has two kitchens; one on the opposite side of the garden in a three-sided lean to like room and the other built on the roof. The Doctor explains that one is for summer and the other is for winter.
The private well is an open affair that has steps leading down for when the water table is low. The Doctor quickly sets up a crank wheel and draw system to give them access to a primitive form of running water. This makes both the gardening and other water dependant chores easier. Jamie is used to the lack of plumbing, so he finds Ben and Polly being put off by that amusing. Off the courtyard were areas for keeping fowl, storing grain, brewing, stables and a small yard for livestock, and a shrine. Servant's rooms were under the main hall.
The floors throughout are laid with mosaic tiles, while the mud and timber walls are plastered and painted with light colors and decorative boarders. There's even a bathroom with a toilet. The bathroom has a stone slab floor, and one corner is lined with stone to protect the brick from the water. With a bit of fiddling the Doctor manages to construct a water screw and a line that will deliver cool water to the bathing area. They'll have to crank a handle but at least it saves them from hauling buckets in to toss on each other. The house has a drain system that flows into the city's sewage system. The toilet is a smooth limestone seat.
The very thick walls blocked the majority of noise from the street and the tunnel served to dim that sound when one was in the garden proper. There were a wide variety of plants being grown; dates and other palms provided even the roof with shade. Figs, pomegranates, plums, apricots, peaches, loquats, cherries, nectarines, mangoes, sycamore figs, mimusops, carob, and mulberry rounded out the trees grown. Grapes, various melons of the watermelon and the muskmelon types, the shrublike jujube, and the local balanite tree formed a backdrop for smaller plants. These included onions, garlic, leeks, beets, cabbages, lettuces, a wide variety of beans and peas, radishes, carrots, cucumbers, peppers, endive, lotus, papyrus, and various native greens. In addition to the food baring plants were various herbs and decorative flowers.
The Doctor suggested that if they wanted eggs they could purchase some geese or they might luck out and find chickens, although those were rare. For meat they might want to try raising rabbits, ducks, or pigeons. And if they wanted milk he suggested a goat. But this detail he'd leave to them. They could even stock the fishpond with edible species, if they wanted.
All this thrilled Jamie, being as he was used to having this sort of thing in Scotland, although with sheep, more than goats. They easily spent a week shopping the markets and selecting things they wanted. Most folks drank beer and the Doctor showed them how they could brew their own. They could even raise bees if they wanted and produce mead. But aside from making suggestions, the Time Lord didn't dictate how they should handle dealing with extra produce. There were always farmers coming in to Alexandra with grain that would trade for dried fruit, dried meats, cheeses and beer that wasn't as likely to spoil. Because the climate was so hot that was a constant issue. Ben and Jamie made sure that they broached anything they wanted to try with the Doctor to make sure it wouldn't screw up history.
The Doctor spent his time either working on the TARDIS, doing scribe work, visiting the library, learning to play pipes, teaching Jamie how to read the languages that they were surrounded by, or simply enjoying the ease of life. After one encounter he came home with another gentleman, whom they discovered was one of the royal guards. He befriended them all and quickly decided that he'd teach them how to wield a blade if they would teach him how they brewed their beer. Since both learning to fight with a blade and successfully brewing beer were a rather lengthy process this rather locked them into staying at least a year. The fellow was also intrigued by the water setup and the Doctor showed him how it was constructed. Because he used local items it all seemed perfectly reasonable.
Jamie had never been happier. Although he was worried about what Ben would think, the Doctor encouraged Jamie to be open with his feelings and returned them easily. And while Ben was slightly put off at first, Polly told him exactly what she thought about his attitude and the sailor quickly got past the problem. Summer faded into fall then fall into winter, and life was good.
The TARDIS console had been opened up and the Doctor was painstakingly checking every connection and every wire, replacing what he could and rerouting what he couldn't. Jamie spent more time helping him work in the ship then anyone realized. Verity was so used to the easy non-verbal communication that happened between the pair that she saw it as normal. And her pilot was gradually opening up to her more and more. She found that she needed this total, painstakingly complete, lavish attention. She noticed that the Doctor never tried to change her systems to give him more control, but rather focused on easing her long-term aches and pains.
Winter eased into spring and Jamie wondered out loud if some of the garden plants from their courtyard would survive in the TARDIS. Verity, still not back together but feeling very, very good, led him to an empty garden chamber and soon he'd started rescuing spare plants being weeded out of the garden beds and transplanting them into this new oasis. Verity looked into the minds of the other two humans to see what the favorite features were and begin adding copies to the room. She'd made the rose garden for the Doctor after all; there was no reason to not make a memento of this place for Ben, Polly, and Jamie. And maybe after the humans were gone this garden would provide her pilot with something to remember them by.
Spring gave way to summer again. They'd been here a year. Polly and Ben had both made acquaintances but had been careful to make sure they knew that their time in Alexandra was limited and that the next place they might go to would be very, very far away. The Doctor's work on Verity continued at the same intense pace, although there was no sense of him rushing, rather he's being quite careful still. Jamie has become quite proficient in reading Gallifreyan even though he'll never be able to speak it. The Doctor can send him to get parts now and he can find them quickly. Jamie's learned to read Greek, Latin, and Egyptian too, although not as proficiently. His mind easily switches the unknown characters to the Doctor's language for him though, so he can bluff his way through in a pinch.
By the time the TARDIS is repaired as well as the Doctor can do without special tools, they've enjoyed the life in Alexandra for twenty-three months. The Doctor is eager to get out there into space again. His relationship with Jamie has become a source of strength for him, and although the physical side of it continues to be intense and welcome, the mental side of it has become the replacement for his family, finally filling the gap in his soul caused by his exile from his House. Ben and Polly likewise are ready to explore some more or go home. And Jamie, while sad to leave this place behind, has managed to create a garden-farm to provide fresh food inside the TARDIS. Wherever the Doctor is, is home for him. As long as they have each other, he'll be happy.