39

"Nothing, wait – what makes you think there's something wrong?"

"You were pacing, and you look ever so slightly confused." Doctor answered while picking up stuff on the table in front of him. The man jumped up and snatched a photo frame from him, "Sorry, curious I like to pick things up and...yes well maybe that's a conversation for another time? So come on then, what's troubling you my good man? Heat? Lack of water? Family problems?" Doctor rambled the man went to say something only for him to shake his head. "One moment." He turned and pointed at Phil, "Put it down."

"Wah?"

"There isn't a 'you break it you bought it' rule here!" Doctor said using air quotations. "You break it, you've broken it, end of. There goes that part of history never to be seen again."

"Ok ok, I won't touch the pieces of pottery alright Doctor?" Phil asked while walking over and standing beside him. The man was still clutching onto the photo frame, but he looked utterly confused at the two of them.

"You two are very bizarre for explorers."

"Well the weirder the better really isn't that right Phil?"

"Uh-huh."

"Who are you anyway? Excavating the Egyptian landscape, that's fun right?"

"Not really."

"Oh." Doctor said a little disheartened by his reply. "You don't enjoy your job? That sucks, I really think you should go into a different profession. A different profession where it doesn't involve a desert, and also where your family aren't in close contact."

"Now wait a minute-"

"There's a reason why people opt not to work near their homes." Doctor said while Phil frowned and looked at him confused. "What?"

"I work near my home."

"Well Phil I have to point this out, you've proven time and again to me, that you're not like most people. It makes perfect sense actually for you to do the complete opposite to other people."

"Father I was just wondering-" a feminine voice said and stopped. Turning the two of them looked a blond straight haired girl, who looked no older than Phil. "Who are you two?"

"Doctor and Phil," the man said while finally putting the photo frame down and walking around the side of the table. "They're explorers apparently."

"We love to explore, actually come to think of it we spend most of our time exploring." Doctor mused, the blond girl laughed.

Phil frowned, "Who are you?" She asked simply while rocking on her heels slightly.

"This is my daughter, Clarabelle."

"Cool." Phil said with a curt nod, being polite to someone who gave her a bad vibe was a hard thing. There was something about Clarabelle which just rubbed Phil up the wrong way. She was rather pretty, straight blond hair, brown chocolate eyes. Phil nodded slowly, Clarabelle stood in a light almost white dress which stopped just above her ankles. Clarabelle noticed Phils stares and looked at her, Clarabelle seemed to regard her oddly too.

"What clothes are those?"

"These are my exploring pants."

"You have exploring pants?" Doctor asked confused and looked at the wholly jeans. "I want exploring pants too!" Yet again Clarabelle laughed at him, Phil flinched noticeably, "Are you alright Phil?"

"Huh, yeah...sure. What?" Phil asked confused and then looked up at him. Doctor frowned yet smiled lightly. "I'm good." She answered eventually, "Just...who are you?" She turned her back to the blond and looked back to the man.

"James Black." James answered and crossed his arms over his greenish coloured shirt.

"Right." Phil frowned and rubbed her head, "Actually I'm going out."

"Oh no you're not, remember people are at work here?"

"I need air."

"Do you feel faint? Let me go get you some water!" Clarabelle said, Phil flinched again. There was also something about her voice which was annoying to her too.

"Hungry! Maybe you're hungry, it's alright we're just about to eat." James said while ushering them all out of the tent and towards another.

The meal, whatever it was. Was spent glaring at Clarabelle, Phil had made a mental list of things which she disliked about the woman. It was surreal, Phil never had it in her to dislike anyone. She tried to like everyone, she pinned that down to Doctor. He always tried to get along with everyone and only disliked people when they'd done something really bad. His characteristics were rubbing off on her, not that she was complaining. But this dislike she was feeling, it felt like deja vu.

Phil zoned out and jumped when a arm appeared in her line of vision and wiped up the drink that she'd dropped. It wasn't her dislike, or more over. It wasn't she who disliked Clarabelle but rather the entity that saved her life.

Rubbing her head thoughtfully Phil was totally oblivious to the concerned and confused looks she was getting from James and his family, and especially Doctor. He'd stopped his rambling to look at her, "Are you alright?"

"Yeah."

"Maybe it's the heat," Jennifer said, Jennifer was James' wife and the two were an odd couple. Jennifer didn't really seem to care for her husbands line of work, whereas James cared and took all interest in the things his wife did. "It took me a while to get used to it too." Jennifer reasoned.

Phil rolled her eyes and flinched just as Clarabelle took to laughing at Doctor again. Going back into her thoughts she frowned and looked down at the food which was in front of her. It didn't look appetising so she didn't even dare to eat it. Doctor was the same, although he rarely ate anyway. Shaking her head slightly Phil bit her thumbnail, why would TARDIS dislike Clarabelle?

"They go missing." Phil got bought back into the room – tent – thanks to those words. It was James who had spoken.

"Is that why you looked so confused earlier on?" Doctor questioned simply.

"Yes, well it isn't really normal for people to just disappear is it?"

"You think it's a curse?" Phil asked while pushing the plate of food away from her. It being near her was making her feel ever so slightly sick. Doctor frowned and looked at her, "I've not been watching drama shows again I promise! It's just a simple question."

"Well-"

"Phil curses aren't real we've been through this." Doctor wagged a finger at her while cutting James off from his sentence.

"But it is a little weird right? Coincidence dontcha think?"

Doctor just looked at her and then his attention got diverted back to the blond beside him who started on about curses. Phil flinched, seriously each time that woman did anything remotely annoying Phil flinched. It felt like she was getting kicked, or tapped. But where she wasn't paying attention it caused her to flinch. Pinching the bridge of her nose Phil sat there, people must think she has a nervous twitch with all the flinching.

Pushing back away from the table Phil stood up while clutching onto her bag, "I need air." She said and shuffled off her boots kicking up the sand as she went. Doctor did exclaim after her but she needed to get out of there.

Phils idiot sense was burning thanks to Clarabelle.