Life, Love and Death through Time and Space

Chapter Three

by

Sabrina Lonewalker

When Grace awoke, she found a tray of fruit, cheese and meat on the table against the wall and she smiled, remembering how his body felt against hers. She was so glad she had decided to come with him. The pain and grief were worth it as long as she had him. Having him there to comfort her was everything. Then, she showered, changed into fresh clothes and had her breakfast. Once that was done, she made her way to the control room and found him working the console, as usual. She walked up behind him and slipped her arms around his waist.

He smiled as he felt her head resting against his back. "Feeling better?" He asked. Grace kept one arm around him as she moved to his side. "Yes, thanks for letting me sleep. I can see things a little more clearly now. I'm still upset but, you're right, I did all I could do but it still hurts."

The Doctor pulled her to him and kissed her forehead, "I know, Grace. It's hard but, you can't dwell on it. It would eat you up inside, believe me, I know." She laid her head on his shoulder and smiled sadly, "I know, I know. At least I have you with me." He smiled as he held her, "Always, Grace, you'll always have me."

Grace smiled, then she looked at the console, "So, where to now?" She asked. The Doctor looked at that beautiful face, how he did love her so. "I don't know," He said. "I was thinking, let TARDIS decide where we go next." Grace smiled, "Sounds all right to me. She sounds like she's an intelligent girl."

The Doctor laughed, "I've never heard her described in quite that way but, you're right, of course. She makes very good decisions." The TARDIS made a noise almost akin to a purring sound and Grace laughed. The Doctor loved hearing that laugh, it was like silver bells across water, so light and happy and it made him feel so warm inside.

Then, a red light flashed on the console and the TARDIS stopped purring, the usual clicks and beeps returned. Grace looked at him, "Something wrong?" His face was different, grim, almost angry then, he looked at her and she saw his eyes. She laid a hand on his arm, "Tell me."

He spoke one telling, chilling word. "Daleks." Grace understood. He had told her about them during one of their brief 'vacations' on a beautiful, uninhabited world. It actually turned out to be their long delayed honeymoon. She had been sitting leaned against a beautiful, big tree whose canopy had to cover at least one acre of ground, if not more. She had always loved trees, their spreading branches, the way they symbolized life and preseverance, surviving against all odds.

He had brought out the basket she had packed then, he stretched out with his head in her lap. They had just sit like that, just quiet for a long time it seemed, her fingers idly playing with his hair when she had asked him about some of his earlier travels. He had quietly told her about the Ark in space, the runaway robot but then, his voice changed.

He had sat up abruptly, his whole manner different. Grace looked at him, puzzled, "What is it, love?" He turned and looked at her. Grace drew back in surprise, she had never seen his eyes that angry..no, that wasn't just anger she saw, she saw something she had never thought to see in the eyes of this gentle, loving man, hatred. Whatever he was remembering, he hated it, the very thought if it.

She leaned over to cup his face in her hand, "What is it? I've never seen that look in your eyes before. It...it scares me." He looked at her and sighed, reaching up to cover her hand with his own, "I'm sorry, my angel. I had hoped you would never see that part of me. I'll try to explain." He had then sat down against the tree and pulled her back against his chest, his arms around her waist.

He then told her about the planet Skaro and his first encounter with the Daleks and their creator, Davros. He told her, in a quiet, calm voice, almost too calm, about his other encounters with the soulless creatures. "What they cannot dominate and control, they kill. They hate me as much as they are able to hate anything because I've always managed to stop them, get planets to unite against them. I keep getting in their way."

Grace could hear the underlying tone of his voice, what he wasn't telling her out loud. "So, you're also trying to tell me that I am in danger because I'm travelling with you?" He turned her around so that he could look into those beautiful, intelligent eyes of hers and his own were troubled. "Yes, Grace, they have used my companions against me before, making me do things so they wouldn't be harmed but, you, you're different, you're the woman I love, you're my wife and if the Daleks discover that fact..." For once, his voice trailed off. He then turned away from her, something he had never done before.

Grace took his face in her hands and made him look at her. She saw something else in his eyes, fear, fear for her. "I love you, you love me. Yes, they could use that against you and probably will but, together, we're stronger than they are, you know that. Doctor, whatever happens, I went into this with my eyes wide open. I knew travelling with you wouldn't always be peace and beautiful planets. What happened in the Cresora system showed me that. I will always remember that as one of the happiest times of my life as well. Whatever happens, we're together." She took his hand in both of hers, "Always, together, no matter what."

He listened and he remembered just why he loved her and why he had married her when they were in the Cresora system. She was so brave, determined and he was so glad he had her by his side. She looked like she could be superficial but, she had a core of steel that made her a very strong woman. He looked at their joined hands and a smile retured to his face, "You're right, my angel, together we are stronger. I love you so much."

He pulled her to him and kissed her with a passion he rarely let show, even to her but now, he let it loose. He bore her back onto the ground and felt her passion rise to meet his. They were so perfectly matched in so many different ways. He wanted her to know, here and now, just what she meant to him. Three hours later, they were back in the TARDIS and had resumed their journey.

End Part Three