A/N thanks to The Elo, MargaretMacDonald123, DavinaVictoria, HauntedLeg, Tyantha, Xsier and you've-been-sherlocked for the follows/favs. Didn't expect so many. I love you all.
Chapter 2
I find this golden flapper dress that goes just below my knee and I slip on a black silk cardigan with golden embroidery to cover the tattoos on my arms. For a moment I'm considering if it's wise to keep the boots, but they really don't match. Plus we're just going to a buffet, and I've had enough of always be prepared for the worse to happen. It would be nice to have a dinner party which is just a dinner party.
But I'm wearing flats. Just in case.
"Zoe?", he calls. "Check if I left the sonic screwdriver in the jacket, please".
"Got it", I yell back as I leave the wardrobe.
I spin my way in the Tardis control room as if I was Daisy Buchanan. I do indeed feel pretty and I'm ready to impress the Doctor. He's so funny when he's stunned, or unprepared, so I'm waiting for a stuttered you look nice or yeah that will work but he's wearing a skinny fit tuxedo, so I'm the one impressed.
He beams at me, and I tilt my head, beaming back. "Don't you look handsome". He raises his eyebrow, smirking in selfassurance, then nods at my shoes.
"No high heels?".
"Says the one wearing Chuck Taylors".
He fixes his bowtie, somehow smugly. He just knows he's handsome. I can't help but giggle at him.
"What?".
"Nothing", I shake my head. Nothing, it's just you're going to do this very same gesture a lot of times in the future, and usually when you're nervous.
He moves to the door, then points his elbow at me.
"My lady", he invites, and I cling my arm on his as we waltz into the dining room.
Couples are dancing to a slow sad version of Winter Wonderland.
"Merry Christmas", a steward politely says.
"Merry Christmas", I reply, nodding my head in a regal way.
"Putting on a posh accent, are you?".
"What are you talking about, my dear. If you are insinuating that my speaking manners are usually unsuited to societary rendezvous, frankly, I will be taking a personal interest in correcting your delusional mind". I stretch the words keeping my lips pursed as if I'm Helen Mirren, or Maggie Smith, actually making an effort to have every t sound right. Although I have to admit, it's not my forte, fake high society. Trust me, we've been to 1913 before and it didn't turn out that well. And - I'm much better at faking Australian, Spanish, and, as we discovered a couple of weeks ago, thanks to the Tardis, native Brazilian.
"Watched too much Downton Abbey, have we?", he jokes.
"Nonsense, milord", but I'm out of Austen vocabulary, so I let the joke dry. "Yeaah", I smile, dropping the accent. "I would be the one who runs away with the driver anyway".
"Of course you would", he smiles.
There's the full catalogue. Bored teenagers, sad old men who had too much to drink, the workaholic on his phone. "It's not a holiday for me, not while I've still got my vone. Now do as I say and sell".
The Doctor, still arm in arm, spins me around until we're up to one of the angels.
"Evening. Passenger fifty seven and fifty eight. Terrible memory. Remind us. You would be...?".
"Information. Heavenly Host supplying tourist information".
"Good, so, tell me, because I'm an idiot, where are we from?".
"Information. The Titanic is en route from the planet Sto in the Cassavalian Belt. The purpose of the cruise is to experience primitive cultures".
Of course, they consider Earth to be a primitive culture. Maybe we're flying over Earth in 2000 BC, who knows. I doubt it, though.
"Titanic. Who thought of the name?", the Doctor asks.
"Information. It was chosen as the most famous vessel of the planet Earth".
I can't help but look at the host sadly. "Did they tell you why it was famous?".
"Information. All designations are chosen by Mister Max Capricorn, president of Max, Max, Max-" the Host twitches, its voice pitching higher.
"Ooo, bit of a glitch", he says, patting his jacket, but before I can pick the screwdriver from my cardigan pocket the Steward has already noticed and hurries over.
"It's all right, sir, we can handle this".
"Software problem, that's all. Leave it with us, sir. Merry Christmas". Two more officers arrive and they switch off the Host before carrying it away, while the Steward complains. "That's another one down. What's going on with these things?".
"For Tov's sake, look where you're going. This jacket's a genuine Earth antique!", the businessman is yelling at a petite waitress.
"I'm sorry, sir", she apologizes as she crouches down to pick up the pieces of glass from the tray she crashed onto the man.
"You'll be sorry when it comes off your wages, sweetheart. Staffed by idiots. No wonder Max Capricorn's going down the drain". He mutters, leaving. He's lucky I wasn't the waitress, or he'd be swallowing glass splinters by now.
The Doctor stoops to help the girl.
"Careful. There we go".
"Thank you, sir. I can manage".
"I never said you couldn't. I'm the Doctor, by the way".
"Astrid, sir. Astrid Peth", she smiles.
"Nice to meet you, Astrid Peth. Merry Christmas".
"Merry Christmas, sir".
"Just Doctor, not sir".
"You and your wife enjoying the cruise?", she asks politely, noticing me as she stands up. I'm a little taller than the average girl, but boy, she's a miniature. I wave at her, smiling.
"Er, yeah, I suppose. I don't know", he replies as I glare, and then corrects. "Er, no, I mean, she's not my wife, this is, uhm, my sister, Lady Zoe Richards". I smile approvingly.
"You're not married?", A-ha!, Miss Peth. I think I just saw a sparkle there. Also, she's got her eyes locked on the Doctor.
"No, no. Just, er, used to have..., er, no. What about you? Long way from home, Planet Sto".
"Doesn't feel that different. I spent three years working at the spaceport diner, travelled all the way here and I'm still waiting on tables". She sounds disappointed.
"No shore leave?".
"We're not allowed. They can't afford the insurance. I just wanted to try it, just once. I used to watch the ships heading out to the stars and I always dreamt of", she says longingly, looking away, a bit embarrassed. "It sounds daft".
"No it doesn't", I cut in, "Sounds familiar".
"You dreamt of another sky. New sun, new air, new life. A whole universe teeming with life. Why stand still when there's all that life out there?", the Doctor teases, smiling with his low voice, sitting at the window.
"So, you travel a lot?".
"All the time", he shruggs. "Just for fun. Well, that's the plan. Never quite works". He says it as if he's proud of finding trouble wherever he goes.
"Indeed". I agree, groaning.
"Must be rich, though", she says, looking at my dress.
"Haven't got a penny", he lowers his voice, whispering. "Stowaways".
"Kidding", she glares between him and me.
"Seriously", I whisper.
She sounds astonished. "No".
"Oh, yeah".
"How did you get on board?".
"Accident. I've got this, sort of, ship thing. I was just rebuilding her. We, uhm, left the defences down", nice Doctor shares the blame. "Bumped into the Titanic, here we are. Bit of a party, we thought, why not?".
"I should report you", she teases.
"Go on then", he says, looking into her eyes. Is he flirting?
She looks around. "I'll get you a drink", she nods, then, whispering, she adds, "on the house".
She leaves and the Doctor follows her with his gaze.
"She's cute", I tease him.
"What? I- no, I was just-".
"Come on! She charmed her way into those big lonely hearts of yours with her longing for the stars attitude, my dear... brother". I joke, resuming her majesty's accent.
"Stop it", he giggles, nudging his elbow at me.
We spot a group of people laughing loudly, apparently at a fat couple dressed in purple rodeo outfits who are eating a ton of buffalo wings.
"Something's tickled them", the Doctor nods as we sit down with the couple.
"They told us it was fancy dress. Very funny, I'm sure", the woman says, grim.
"They're just picking on us because we haven't paid. We won our tickets in a competition", the man explains, as the Doctor looks at them, amused.
"I had to name the five husbands of Joofie Crystalle in By the Light of the Asteroid. Did you ever watch By the Light of the Asteroid?".
I lean back, stretching to get a better look at the loud group's table. "Is that the one with the twins?", the Doctor asks, slightly leaning forward.
"That's it! Oh, it's marvellous".
"But we're not good enough for that lot. They think we should be in steerage".
"Well, can't have that, can we?", he says smiling, then glances briefly at me as I twist the sonic screwdriver. "You on this?", he whispers, with a high pitch.
"You bet", I reply, quickly hiding the device under my arm as I lean forward, joining them. The cork of the champagne bottle at the center of the other table goes pop, spraying the rude people's expensive clothes with alcohol. The Doctor winks at me, smiling.
"Did you do that?", the couple cheers, amazed.
"Maybe", I shrug.
"We like you", the woman nods, giggling.
"We do. I'm Morvin Van Hoff. This is my good woman, Foon", he introduces, shaking hands.
"Foon. Hello. Let me introduce my sister Lady Zoe Richards, and I'm the Doctor".
"Oh, I'm going to need a doctor, time I've finished with that buffet. Have a buffalo wing. They must be enormous, these buffalo. So many wings".
Time Lord or not, I'm still a vegetarian. The Doctor dives into the bucket of meat, when the tannoy speaks. Attention please. Shore leave tickets Red Six Seven now activated. Red Six Seven.
"Red Six Seven. That's us. Are you Red Six Seven?". Foon asks.
"Might as well be".
"Come on, then. We're going to Earth", Morvin invites.
Of course, I get a trip and it's... to Earth. Besides, isn't that Astrid the little cute waiter? "I think I'll pass", I nod in her direction to the Doctor, who smirks teasingly.
"I got you that drink", Astrid says as she approaches us.
I pick one glass, thanking her, just before the Doctor swiftly takes the tray from her hands to put it on the closest table. "And I got you a treat. Come on".
"See you later, brother", I wink as I look at them joining the queue. Astrid is nervous, but the Doctor is all smiles and charm, and has no trouble convincing her.
I can tell that he likes her, and I must add it's only fair that I leave him some space every now and then. He's been very patient with me and I guess he could use some Zoe-free time.
"To repeat, I am Mister Copper, the ship's historian, and I shall be taking you to old London town in the country of UK, ruled over by good King Wenceslas. Now, human beings worship the great god Santa, a creature with fearsome claws, and his wife Mary". Also, apparently I'm not missing anything, according to this. "And every Christmas Eve, the people of UK go to war with the country of Turkey. They then eat the Turkey people for Christmas dinner like savages".
Well I'll never complain about Lonely Planet inaccuracies again.
I'm trying to keep chapters shorter so you can have updates sooner. Or would you rather have the whole episode/adventure and 6000 words? anywaaaay, See this little box down here? Yep, that's for you to write a review. Or leave a suggestion. Thanks!