Chapter Five
A/N: Thanks to Syblime for reviewing.
As they flung open the door of the TARDIS, the pair gasped, Sybil in surprise that they had moved, while the Doctor was surprised at the utter normality of the place. 'This isn't exciting at all.' he thought, while the woman beside him thought precisely the opposite.
"We've actually moved. We've flown." Sybil breathed, hardly able to believe what her eyes were telling her. It was just astaunding.
"Well, of course we've flown. It's a time travel machine, I'd have to take it back if it didn't do the 'travel' bit!" the Doctor cried, drawing rather more attention to himself than he had desired to from the passers-by. 'Although I should really have taken it back anyway.' he added in his mind. 'Oh well. It's a little too late now.'
Turning his attentions back to his new companion, the Doctor saw that Sybil had gone. 'Oh, that's just what I need. A wandering Edwardian on my hands!'
With a sigh of annoyance, the man walked off, wandering aimlessly along the wooden boards of the place he stood. He still didn't know where they had actually landed, he hadn't been concentrating when he had set the controls, but still. She couldn't have gotten far. He hoped.
Luckily for him, he was not disappointed, as he found the young woman leaning against a barrier, the wind rustling through her hair as she watched the sea. 'Oh, so we're on a ship.' the Doctor thought, lightly interested now. 'I haven't been on a ship in a while. Well, not a sea ship, anyway.'
"Oi! Sybil Persephone Crawley! What are you doing running off like that?" he asked the chestnut haired girl, who merely let out a breezy giggle, reaching a little further out into the sea air. For once, the Time Lord was a little concerned. "Do you really think that's a good idea?"
"Why wouldn't it be? I've just flown here, in a magic box, with my madman of a childhood imaginary friend, and I'm not even dreaming! It's amazing!" the woman cried, breathing the fresh air deeply into her lungs time and time again.
"I know it is. That's why I'm still here!" the mad man himself exclaimed, his annoyance suddenly dissipating, albeit only momentarily. "Still, get down."
"Alright." Sybil obliged begrudgingly and with a dramatic sigh, leaning backwards onto the ship and stepping back down onto the deck, as she had been stood on the first bar of the barrier to enable herself to reach a little further. "You are absolutely no fun, Doctor Who."
"I've told you, it's just the Doctor." the man instructed the young woman, sighing in annoyance as he repeated something he had said so many times in his life that he had lost count years ago.
"Oh, please accept my most humble apologies, Just the Doctor!" the woman responded, her voice dripping with well-meaning sarcasm, before both she and 'Just the Doctor' burst out into peals of laughter.
Once the laughter had died down, they began to have a serious conversation, something the two of them had never really experienced together.
"So… where are we?" Sybil asked her imaginary madman, a smile lighting up her features.
"We are on a boat, in the middle of a sea, definately on Earth. Other than that, not a clue." he answered, shrugging his shoulders as he took a huge sniff of their surroundings, bringing another wave of laughter crashing over the Crawley.
"Oh, that's useful! All these years of travelling through time and space, all those places you've seen, and we've landed in a place so different that even you can't recognise where we are! You are an utter mystery, sir, or perhaps just not as intelligent as you claim to be!"
"I think I'm offended by that!" the Doctor exclaimed in response, raising his eyebrows briefly as he pouted comically, sending Sybil once again into a fit of laughter.
"Good! I haven't had this much fun in years!" the woman cried out through her laughter, holding her side in an attempt to stop it from splintering from the force of her laughs.
"Fair enough." the Doctor conceded, though his brow furrowed almost immediately, as if he couldn't see why he had said so. "Anyway, I suppose we should find out where the hell we are, then."
"I suppose that may be a good idea." Sybil responded, nodding her head with what seemed to be reluctance, but that was in fact masking huge excitement. She could no longer mask the excitement, however, when the man reached out his hand for hers, as she now knew that it was a signal for them to run. And run they did.
After several minutes, several pit stops and several disgruntled passengers being helped up from the ground, the pair finally ceased their childish antics and paused, having arrived back at the precise spot they had just left.
"We're right back where we began and we still don't have a clue where we are." Sybil pointed out, her voice clearly showing how bored she was, and how much she was wishing to have got back the excitement that she had had when he had arrived for the second time.
"Well, no, but…" the man trailed off, with a tiny sigh so quiet no one but Sybil could have possibly heard it. Still, the fact that she had done was bad enough.
"But what? We don't know where we are. There's nothing more to say really." the girl pointed out once again, turning her head to face the inner deck. That was when she let out a gasp, one much louder than the one the Doctor had given, much to the elder man's glee.
"What is it now?" he asked, his smile audible in his tone.
"Look." was all she responded with, raising a finger to point at the sign on the cabin. It's lettering was not what at all what either of them had expected.
R.M.S. Titanic.
A/N: Woah! Please review!