Memories
Fair Warning
Disclaimer: What do you think?
If you want to use Tora, or any of my other characters, PM me.
Etana's eyes flickered open and fixed on Tora.
"Sorry… Didn't…want to…drag you…into all…this…"
"It's okay, Etana. Rest. Right now, you need to get your strength back. Do you know who else…"
Who else survived? She couldn't quite bring herself to ask the question.
"I… I think Steve… tunnel… Max…in Israel…safe… Please…"
"Calm down, Tana. You've been badly injured. You need to rest. You'll be safe here. You're the only one who's found us."
"And I tracked her."
Tora whipped around to see Logan standing in the door, a crazed look in his eyes.
"Thanks, Tan. You led me right where I wanted. I can kill you all, and Jamie will come with me."
Tora snarled.
"No. You won't. You will never touch my son again."
Kurt vanished in a puff of brimstone smoke, hopefully to get the kids to the evacuation pod. Logan ducked, obviously expecting a fist to the back of the head. He seemed surprised when none came.
"Elf's changed tactics. So, Tora. Are you going to come back, or will I have to kill you?"
Tora spat at him.
"I'd rather die than ever be stuck with you again!"
"That can be arranged."
And then there was a resounding clang and Logan toppled forward. Jamie stuck his head round the door, still holding the socket wrench.
"I think I hit him a little too low. Should his head be bleeding like that?"
xXx
She always had/has/will-have a bit of trouble differentiating between Now and Everywhen. When you existed/exist/shall-exist at all points in the universe, all of space and time, you tend to forget/forgot/will-forget important things, like "Where the Skaro am I?" Or for that matter the equally important question, "When the Skaro am I?" She didn't/doesn't/will-not really remember when she was/is/will-be dumped in the museum, an example of the old Type-42. She lay/lies/will-lie there, slowly degenerating, wished/wishing/shall-wish to be free and unfettered once more. And then his hands laid/lay/shall-lie on her console and she heard/hears/will-hear a voice, gruff and low.
"Hello, beautiful."
She felt/feels/will-feel something she hadn't/hasn't/won't felt/feel for a long time. She knew/knows/shall-know where she was, when she was. She could/can/will feel his mind, soft and warm and bright. He dreamt/dreams/will-dream of travel, of exploring the whole universe. The only one of the whole damned race she'd met/shall-meet with dreams of something better. It was the work of a moment to close the doors and run away with him. Oh, he thought he had stolen her, but she had stolen him. She wanted/wants/will-want to see the universe and he was one of the few mad enough to go with her.
They saw/see/will-see the whole universe. He landed/lands/will-land wherever she decided to take him; go off; find an exciting thing to see, world to save, monster to defeat; and then he'd return back to her and collapse on her console, stroking the controls, talking to her softly.
"Hey, old girl. Great to see you. Right mess you dumped me in today, but I had such fun I'll forgive you."
He changed/changes/will-change his face. More than once. Changed his face, his clothes, his personality. Yet through all that he still returned/returns/will-return to her over and over again. And then the call came/comes/will-come. Return home. We go to war.
She knew/knows/will-know how the war would end. So she fled/flees/will-flee, taking him with her. She could-not/can-not bear the thought of losing him forever. They landed/land/will-land on a backwater world, calling upon the Chameleon Arch, prepared/preparing/will-prepare to become one of the sentient race on the planet she landed/lands/will-land upon, a race called 'human'. He initiated/initiates/shall-initiate the face change and she bundled/bundles/will-bundle the infant into the Arch. She began/begins/will-begin to change his very genetic structure but at the last second added/adds/shall-add a few 'extras', just to keep him safe. Then she moved/moves/will-move, leaving the baby in place of the stillborn in the cot.
She waited/waits/will-wait. And waited/waits/will-wait. And waited/waits/will-wait. She laid/lay/will-lie there, waited/waiting/will-wait for him after he left/leaves/will-leave –the little extras coming in handy after all- slowly lost/losing/will-lose herself in the flow of time. She could/can/will always feel him –they had-been/are/will-be bonded too long to just stop, but she was/is/will-be unable to help as he was/is/will-be manipulated, twisted and tormented. The war was/is/shall-be long over –his people dead/dying/shall-die bar one other- but he did-not/does-not/will-not return. He never questioned/questions/will-question the golden pocket watch with its intricate carvings –considering it a memento from his 'father'- not knowing his true self resided within. She waited/waits/will-wait. And waited/waits/will-wait. Until it seemed/seems/will-seem as if she had always been waiting.
And then he returned/returns/shall-return. But not truly. He wandered/wanders/will-wander the house this body grew-up/grows-up/shall-grow-up in, looked/looking/will-look at the ruins. And he found/finds/will-find her. The gnarled old tree he used-to/does/will love the most, where he sat/sits/will-sit all the time. He placed/places/will-place his hands on her outside but didn't/doesn't/won't move to pull the exact branch which would/does/will open the doors to adventure once more.
She moved/moves/will-move, eventually. Closer to where he was/is/will-be. Call it a hint. But, no he had-to/has-to/will be thick about it. He was/is/shall-be old –ancient by the standards of these short-lived people. The supposedly short escape had/has/will become a significant section of even his life –which in comparison to hers was/is/shall-be ridiculously short. She was /is/shall-be an antique when he was/is/shall-be made but she knew/knows/will-know in her heart of hearts that with his death, she too would/shall/will die.
And then someone pointed/points/will-point out the pocket watch and she felt/feels/shall-feel him flip it over and over in his hands then make the decision to open it –some 150 years after she had/has/will dropped/dropped/drop him off in the first place. The watch opened/opens/will-open. And he was /is/shall-be reborn.
His human friends and companions watched/watch/will-watch in amusement as he ran/runs/will-run through the city until he found/finds/will-find the white marble column which he hugged/hugs/will-hug and stepped/steps/will-step back, blushing sheepishly.
"Sorry I forgot you, gorgeous. You ready to explore the universe again?"
Another spoke/speaks/will-speak –the Timeless Man.
"Logan, why are you talking to a statue?"
"It's not a statue. It's my ship. And Logan's not my real name."
"Look, I know you're really James-"
"That's not my name either. I'm… well, it usually translates as whatever small, exceptionally fierce creature is native to that world and timezone, so stick with Wolverine for the moment. And this is my Old Girl. Come on, darling. Open the doors for me."
She assented/assents/will-assent and he entered/enters/will-enter the control room –which had been empty for far too long. As his hands ran/runs/will-run over the console once more, caressing and gently reintroducing himself to her, she heard/hear/will-hear the Timeless Man, the Patriotic Captain, exclaim in amazement "It's bigger on the inside" to which her dear Time Lord answered/answers/will-answer rather irritably –as she always knew/knows/will-know he would- "It is a she. Also, surely you've seen stuff like this over time."
She hummed/hums/will-hum contentedly.
"Darling. Good to be back."
His hands brushed/brush/will-brush instruments, consoles, controls and she set-up/sets-up/shall-set-up the holographic information centre, taking the form of a rather attractive young Time Lady he'd travelled/travels/will-travel with for a while.
"Wolverine. This is the TARDIS reintroduction protocol. First, where the Skaro have you been, idiot?"
He laughed/laughs/will-laugh.
"Hey, Gorgeous. Missed you too."
"No you haven't. You have been under the delusion that you were a human."
He reached/reaches/will-reach forward and his fingers slid/slide/will-slide through the light projection.
"They're all gone, aren't they? All my people?"
"Not quite. One still exists."
He rolled/rolls/will-roll his eyes.
"It's going to be Theta, isn't it?"
"The renegade known as the Doctor, as well as Theta Sigma or in your words "that crazy idiot" is still at large and is –oh, due to arrive in three point six seconds because he fears you are either the Master or the Council."
He grinned/grins/will-grin.
"Oh, then let's run, gorgeous. Give him a game of cat and mouse."
She allowed/allows/will-allow the hologram to smile.
"I was hoping you'd say that. My little Time Lord."
"My TARDIS."
She was/is/will-be complete…
"She really is slightly crazy."
A.N. Guess the crossover! It's a 50-year-old British cult sci-fi show. The idea of Tora being a TARDIS just struck me as rather amusing. Also, Neil Gaiman did such a good job of writing The Doctor's Wife episode, I now view Doctor/TARDIS as the OTP of the entire show. Sorry River!