Chapter 2

The motel room was not very large but well-suited to their need for a place to wash up and sleep. The furniture included two double beds with an end table between them, a chest of drawers on top of which sat a television, a small, round table, and a couple of upholstered chairs. The Doctor insisted right away that Jamie and Zoe take the beds while he would sleep on one of the chairs.

"Are you sure, Doctor?" Zoe asked after studying the chairs with a frown.

"Oh, yes, I'm sure, Zoe. You both need your sleep. I don't need nearly as much."

"Aye. Let 'im take the chair, Zoe," Jamie added. Zoe was surprised by his answer. She had expected him to offer to take it instead —but then noticed how exhausted he was. She watched as he fell heavily back onto one of the beds and was out like a light.

"Well, I suppose that's settled," the Doctor deadpanned before turning to Zoe with a grin. It quickly faded and he frowned. "Are you alright, Zoe?"

She had begun stewing once more over what she had seen earlier at the park. Was she that transparent for him to notice? Zoe cleared her throat, put on a neutral expression and lifted her chin. "Yes. I'm fine," she said evasively.

Her friend looked as though he didn't quite believe her. "Really, Doctor, it's nothing." She uttered a small yawn. "I'm just very tired."

He smiled gently. "After all the excitement today, I'm not surprised. Get some sleep, my dear. You'll be much better for it come morning."

She wished the Doctor good night and prepared for bed herself. It hadn't taken long for her to nod off, but some time during the middle of the night she'd woken up and was consumed with thoughts on that new ride Susan had been on and her untimely departure from the park. Something about it still left her unsettled. Her own friends seemed to accept what the park employee had told them; why couldn't Zoe? What happened to operating by logic and reason? She sighed in frustration.

The sound of Jamie's slow, steady breathing in the bed next to hers had finally quieted her active mind, allowing her to succumb once more to sleep.


Zoe squinted up at the bright morning sunshine as she followed her two friends back toward the fairgrounds. It was going to be another hot day and she was thankful she'd changed into a short set instead of the primrose leather shirt and trousers she'd worn earlier.

To start the day, they had had breakfast at a local establishment known as a "diner." The food was quite good, but she had been a little overwhelmed by the amount of choices. She decided to stick to a bowl of porridge which was called "oatmeal" on the menu. Jamie had been a bit frustrated at first as he read it, explaining he was trying to find something similar to bannocks, a sort of oat cake that was a specialty of his homeland.

"You could just order porridge as I did," she suggested.

Jamie wrinkled his nose. "Nae, I want tae try somethin' different." He ended up with buttermilk pancakes instead. He seemed to enjoy them and even took great delight in eating them. Zoe secretly found it endearing, but was a bit nauseated watching him eat two large stacks of them. The Doctor himself partook of something as close to an English breakfast as possible —tea, toast with jam, eggs, sausage and bacon, which here was known as "Canadian bacon" for some odd reason.

The breakfast had managed to satisfy her appetite and give her some energy to start off the day. She needed it after the fitful sleep she'd had last night.

A nudge to her shoulder cut into her reverie. "Hey, look at that!" Jamie exclaimed, pointing to a booth whose bullseye targets pinned to the far wall identified it as a shooting gallery.

Zoe gave an apathetic shrug. Jamie then directed her attention to the large, soft toys hanging from the opposite wall, most of them being cartoonish representations of different animals. A "Shoot the Target, Win a Prize" sign appeared next to them.

The Doctor had begun walking ahead, his attention on some other rides and games.

"Hey Doctor, jist a moment. I'd like tae try this out," Jamie urged him, pointing to the shooting gallery.

He was met with a skeptical look. Zoe turned to gaze at the prizes and frowned. "Judging by the size of the prizes it would seem the odds of winning this game are quite slim."

Jamie waved a dismissive hand. "Och, I'm nae worried. We McCrimmons are known fer our excellent marksmanship."

Zoe raised an eyebrow and her mouth quirked up. "I thought it was for playing bagpipes."

Jamie gave her an exasperated look. "We can do both!" He reached into his sporran, but on finding it empty he held out his hand to the Doctor in a wide-eyed plea for cash.

The Doctor sighed and glanced at the game booth before handing Jamie several dollars, more than enough for the one game. With a satisfied smile, the Scot marched up to the game booth and handed one of the dollar bills over to the game attendant.

Zoe and the Doctor approached the booth, hanging back slightly behind and to Jamie's left. Zoe watched curiously as he picked up the rifle, brow furrowing as he examined it. "Now, where's the cock an' flashpan," he muttered.

Zoe believed Jamie when he said he had experience with firearms. She'd seen him manage a laser gun well enough … but as she watched him fumble her stomach tightened in second-hand embarrassment for him. But then Jamie lifted the rifle and, cushioning the butt of the gun against his shoulder—

BANG! BANG! BANG!

He completely shot out the target —and in a fraction of the allotted number of shots.

Jamie placed the firearm back in its holster and turned to take in Zoe's surprised expression with immense satisfaction.

"Did you see that?" another player said, gaping at him.

Jamie grinned. "'Twas naethin'," he said with an unmistakable air of pride. "Ye see, it tilts a wee bit tae the left," he emphasized his point by tilting his hand. "An' the trigger's a bit wet, so …"

Zoe tuned out the Highlander's smug instructions to his fellow game players, smiling inwardly at his insistence in showing them how to improve their technique. After a short time one of the men, still quite surprised, nodded with a quiet "thanks."

"No need tae thank me," Jamie told him, the grin never leaving his face … until he was finally handed his prize: a small, blue and white rubber representation of a tugboat.

His grin quickly turned into a scowl. "Eh?! Wha's this? I thought I was supposed tae get one of those!" He poked a finger in the direction of the huge toys hanging on the wall and then looked accusingly at the game attendant.

The tanned, forty-something man with dark, slicked-back hair smirked and pointed to a digital readout below Jamie's rifle setup, which read "387."

"Ya gotta rack up a lot more points in order to get one of those, kid," he said, nodding to the prize area. The Highlander then spotted small numbers affixed to the wall next to the different prizes. The one next to the large prizes was "600." Underneath it were medium-sized soft toys with "400", and then the smallest ones were "300."

Zoe frowned as she caught how indignant Jamie looked as he glared from the targets to the boat in his hand and back again. Her eyes narrowed in thought as her mind ran through all sorts of ideas and combinations thereof on how to earn the maximum amount of points.

"I'll have this, Jamie," the Doctor cut in, eagerly snatching up the boat. "Oh, it's rather nice. It looks like it could float on top of water." He gave it a little squeeze and a puff of air came out of its smoke stack. "Oh! How clever!"

Jamie grumbled and was about to head back to the booth when Zoe nudged his shoulder. "I've figured it out," she told him softly. "The point system is dependent on how many shots are fired. You need to obliterate the target in a lot fewer shots than you'd done before in order to earn a high enough score."

Jamie's expression turned thoughtful and he then nodded in understanding.

"Och! Thanks, Zoe!" He hissed, patting her on the shoulder. With a new look of determination, Jamie returned to his spot in front of the rifle and plucked another dollar bill from his sporran.

"One more time," he announced to the attendant, confidently slapping the money down on the counter. "I'm gonna win one o' those." He turned and nodded toward the row of big prizes.

The game attendant chuckled in amusement. "Oh, really. You think you can do it? Three-eighty-seven ain't that impressive."

The Scot narrowed his eyes at the other man, a smirk slowly spreading across his face. "Och, tha' was jist a warm up."

"Uh-huh. Yeah, okay," the other man replied with another smirk. "I got news for ya, pal. No one ever wins those big toys. So you might as well just accept it and be happy with the little tubby toys we've got down here."

Jamie ignored him, grabbing the rifle again. "Watch this," he murmured to Zoe. He stared the target down, lining up the shot as he positioned his fingers to squeeze the trigger. Before Zoe could even blink he'd set off a lightning quick succession of shots.

Zoe stared, slack-jawed at the digital readout under the housing of Jamie's rifle.

600.

The Highlander turned to her with a wide satisfied smile.

"Take yer pick, lassie!"

"Oh!" Zoe blinked in slight surprise then smiled softly at his thoughtfulness. She turned her eyes toward the back wall where the prizes hung then tried to suppress a giggle as she noted the shocked expression on the attendant's face. His complexion reddened slightly and he briefly looked away as Jamie puffed his chest out in pride.

Zoe pointed to a light pink colored dog with long, purple ears and red nose.

"That one, please."

The attendant removed it and handed it to Zoe. She happily accepted the large toy, which was almost too big for her to hold in her arms.

Jamie chuckled. "Ye almost look like a wee bairn wi' that thing."

The smile was quickly wiped from her face and she scowled at him, miming throwing the stuffed animal in his face. Jamie quickly backed away, holding his hands up in front of himself in surrender. "Sorry, lass, I was only jokin'."

Zoe turned back to the game, her eyes gleaming as she keenly studied it. "I'd like to learn how to play this game myself." Admittedly, she was curious about how Jamie was able to use such precision and accuracy in order to fire off those perfect shots, especially in such quick succession.

"Weel, I can show ye if ye'd like." He guided her to stand in front of the rifle setup he'd just used. Nodding, she placed the large toy on the ground next to her.

As Zoe straightened, she spotted a woman standing a fair distance ahead near the edge of another game booth. She appeared quite a bit taller than Zoe herself, with tanned skin and long, thick brown hair. She wore a red shirt with a boatneck, white trousers, and a pair of navy blue trainers. But what actually caught the petite scientist's attention was the fact that she seemed to be staring at them. More accurately, she was studying Jamie, and in a way that made Zoe uneasy. Zoe discreetly stepped in front of the Highlander, attempting to block him from the strange woman's line of sight.

"Jamie, where's the Doctor gone?" Zoe blurted out, looking around.

"Eh? Oh. O'er there." Jamie tilted his head to their left. Zoe spotted the older man a few booths down, examining a tossing game where ping-pong balls were thrown into fish bowls.

"Dinnae fash, we'll catch him up in a second."

Zoe frowned pensively, resisting the urge to turn around.

"Ye alright, Zoe?"

She turned back to her friend, his own concern knitting his brow as he gazed at her. Perhaps she was being uneasy for nothing. "Yes, I'm fine."

Zoe quickly looked back once more to where the woman had been standing. She was gone. Zoe briefly shook her head and inwardly giggled. Her unease was all for nothing.

Zoe's attention suddenly snapped back as her brain registered the sensation of Jamie's hands gently grabbing her middle. A pleasant prickle of awareness ran up her spine. Surprised by this reaction, she only partially heard the Highlander's instructions.

" … Got tae be lined up right across from the target …"

Zoe dumbly let Jamie guide her a couple of inches to the right of her previous position. He then let go of her waist to position her hands on the rifle. Lastly, he placed the butt of the gun against her shoulder.

"Be ready for the kickback," he murmured by her ear. Zoe felt her cheeks heat. "An' fire."

The petite astrophysicist fired off a ring of shots directly at the target. She felt Jamie's strong presence at her back, supporting her through the force of the kickback.

When she finished she surveyed her handiwork. She had managed to shoot out the tiny, star-shaped target, but had gone slightly over the amount of shots allotted. The attendant handed her a bright purple flute made of plastic as a consolation prize.

Jamie grinned in amusement as his gaze fell upon it. "Alreeight, let's find the Doctor," he said, picking up the large toy he'd earlier won for Zoe.

They quickly found their friend, who had decided against partaking in the ping-pong ball game. His eyes lit up upon the sight of Zoe's prize flute.

"Oh, look at that, Zoe. Well done. Though not nearly as nice as mine."

"I'll bet it sounds mich better than yers," Jamie joked.

The Doctor scowled. "I very much doubt that, Jamie. This—plastic thing? Mine was expertly handcrafted from pure Gallifreyan wood, which is known to produce sound superior to anything on Earth, natural or manmade."

A smirk teased at Jamie's mouth as he shook his head. "Wha' I said has all tae do with the player, nae the flute or what it's made of."

"Why, you-you… hairy-legged Highlander," the Doctor muttered as Jamie walked away. "And it's a recorder, not a flute!"

"'Gal … Galley-fray-in'?" Zoe repeated, her interest piqued.

The Doctor started violently. "What?!" He regarded the petite scientist with the wide-eyed look of a cornered animal.

"You said 'Galley-fray-in wood'. What's that? A type of tree?"

The Doctor quickly waved a dismissive hand. "O-oh. No. It's just one of the many, many planets I've been to." Zoe looked expectantly at him, clearly wanting to hear more.

"T-there's nothing much more to tell," the Doctor said hastily. "It's really an insignificant little planet. Their only claim to fame are their excellent woodwind instruments."

"Hey, wha's that yon caber over there with the round thing on top?"

Zoe turned to look and the Doctor breathed a quiet sigh of relief.

A tall tower was shaded with several different colors at different levels, like a scale, with various digital markers. At the top sat an old-fashioned bell, at the bottom a lever and hammer. Beside it was a large colorful sign emblazoned with the words, "Highstrike: Test Your Strength."

The Doctor looked at it warily and quickly directed his attention to the booth just beyond it. "Oh, look at this game, you two. This looks like good, clean fun. See all the balloons up there? The object is to pop them with darts and you get a prize."

Jamie began to walk with the Doctor when the sound of the lever being hit made him turn. He watched as the puck in the tower rose weakly up towards the bell then down. A frustrated growl came from the young man who had swung the hammer.

"I'd rather do this one," Jamie said, hooking his thumb back at the strength test game.

The Doctor frowned. "Jamie, I really don't think you should waste your money on that."

"An' why not?"

"Because it's my money!"

"Look at the size of these prizes," Zoe commented, pointing at the vast array by the tower. "I'd be surprised if anyone successfully beat this game."

"Ye said that aboot the last one, an' look what happened."

Zoe sighed in frustration and Jamie happily handed over the money to the game attendant.

As Zoe resigned herself to watching Jamie's next display of bravado her eyes caught sight of a familiar face approaching the tower—

It was the young woman from earlier, the one that had caused the uneasy feeling.

Oh, no. Not her again!

"Eh? Who?"

The petite scientist turned to find Jamie regarding her curiously. A faint blush colored her cheeks. She hadn't meant to say that out loud!

"I saw that woman earlier, back at the shooting gallery, staring at you," she admitted.

A rakish grin spread across Jamie's face and one of his eyebrows lifted. "Was she now?"

Zoe rolled her eyes and snorted quietly. "I don't like the look of her."

"Och, ye're imaginin' things," he said, brushing her off. A teasing grin then lit up his face. "Or mebbe ye're jist jealous?"

"Ha!" Zoe exclaimed, a little too loudly and a little too vehemently to be entirely convincing. "Keep dreaming!" She blustered, the raging blush staining her cheeks did not help.

Gratified by her overreaction, Jamie was poised to continue teasing, when a melodious voice cut in.

"Looking to give this game a try?" The woman said conversationally, flashing a smile. She appeared to be addressing all the three of them, but her attention was clearly on Jamie.

"Weel, I am," The Highlander replied with a decisive nod as he enthusiastically grabbed the hammer.

The young woman gave him a long, considering look. "It's not an easy game to win," she began, then her thoughtful frown smoothed into a flirtatious grin. "But I bet a guy like you can do it." Her gaze dropped to his brawny arms.

"Och, of course I can," the Highlander replied confidently. His bravado seemed to slip as he met her gaze and stared, a smile twitching at the corners of his mouth.

Zoe turned away, wondering where the closest toilets were. She didn't know how much of this she could stomach. She looked at the Doctor who appeared preoccupied with some contents of his jacket pocket.

She then turned back to Jamie, who at last seemed ready to begin the game. He was given three tries to hit the bell and, as Zoe expected, seemed confident he'd succeed.

"Come on, you can do it," the strange woman encouraged. Jamie drew his arm back then brought it down on the lever so hard Zoe nearly jumped.

Less than half of the tower lit up.

The Highlander took a moment to wipe the sweat from his brow and then gazed up at it in disbelief. "Eh?! Tha's nae possible! Did ye see how hard I hit that thing?!"

Zoe had, and indeed, it did not make sense from a physics standpoint. Was it possible there was a trick to it? That the lever had to be hit squarely in the center and Jamie had just missed the mark?

Before Zoe could say anything, the other woman grabbed the side of the tower, pointing to the very top. "Come on, I know you can hit it! A guy as manly as you?"

Jamie's annoyance seemed to ebb away and he grinned, obviously flattered.

"Doctor," Zoe hissed quietly through gritted teeth as she leaned into him, hoping to find support.

Instead, the Doctor discreetly shushed her. Zoe shut her eyes and swallowed her frustration as the Highlander reared back again and swung the hammer, hitting the lever even harder than before.

Now, just slightly more than half of the tower lit up.

"Wha's the matter wi' this skicy contraption?!" he exclaimed incredulously.

Zoe frowned as she studied the whole mechanism. Jamie had hit it very hard; it was quite possible it was rigged. She whispered as much to the Doctor.

"It usually is …" he whispered ominously back.

"Oh," Zoe said in soft dismay.

"Jamie, please …" the Doctor pleaded out loud.

"Nae, I smashed tha' thing an' it barely moved!"

"Come on, I know you can do it! Don't give up now!" the woman interrupted, her voice growing louder as she egged him on.

The Doctor flashed the woman a look of irritation, which was ignored. He turned back to Jamie. "Let's move on and find another game, alright?"

Jamie looked as if he were about to explode. "NO, I'm nae gonna let this thing make a cuif outta me—!"

The Highlander swung the hammer and smashed the lever so hard Zoe half expected it to break.

DING!

"Ha!" the Scot cried out in triumph.

"You did it!" the woman exclaimed, her smile almost proud.

Zoe stared in disbelief up at the bell, which now had a very visible dent in it.

"That was very impressive!" the newcomer continued. "Not many people can do it."

"Och, 'twas naethin'," Jamie replied, looking bashfully down at his feet as he waved his hand dismissively.

"No, it wasn't 'nothing'," she insisted, her smile growing. "I've been coming here a lot over the years and I don't think I've ever seen anyone beat it."

"Oh. How very frustrating," the Doctor commented dispassionately.

Jamie then strolled over to the wall, removed a large, yellow and brown teddy bear from a hook, and handed it to his new fan. "Thank ye fer cheerin' me on."

The woman's mouth dropped open theatrically and she placed a hand over her chest in surprise. "For me? Oh, how sweet!" She smiled broadly as she accepted the prize.

"Come on, let's try another game," the Doctor said, turning to Zoe. "I'd suggest that one with the balloons and darts." He then grabbed her arm and began to lead her away.

"But what about …?" Zoe protested, half-heartedly dragging her feet and gesturing back to Jamie and his new "friend".

"Not to worry, he'll be fine," the Doctor told her hastily. Then, like a vengeful spirit, the Highstrike attendant seemed to materialize out of nowhere to block their path.

The Doctor lifted his gaze to regard the man innocently. "Hm? Oh, I'm sorry. Was there something you wanted?"

The attendant's glare deepened. He held out his hand impatiently. "That bell costs eighty bucks to maintain, at least it did fifteen years ago when we last replaced it."

The Doctor's innocent expression intensified. "Oh, really? How very interesting." He tried to step around the barker, but the bigger man placed a beefy hand on the Doctor's chest.

"Now someone's gonna have to pay for that bell and you wouldn't want it coming out of my paycheck, would you?"

The Doctor looked askance and touched his fingers together.

The attendant's hand that had been splayed on the Doctor's chest now fisted his shabby bow tie.

"Would you?"

"N-no, of course not. A credit to the carnival barking profession such as you?"

The Doctor pulled a billfold from the inner pocket of his coat and searched it. "Hm. Oh, dear. Would there happen to be a financial institution nearby? A bank of some sort?"

Sneering at him, the attendant reached forward and snatched the remaining dollar bills inside. He quickly counted them and then returned several of them to the Doctor before folding and tucking the rest into his trouser pocket.

"Ah, yes. Thank you," the Doctor muttered, a look of despair upon his face. He then turned to Zoe. "Come on, then. Let's go—"

He suddenly froze. "Where's Jamie?" he asked Zoe with a frown.

"He was here a moment ago," she replied, then groaned inwardly as she spotted the familiar tartan and the person it was connected to some distance away, speaking closely with the strange woman. Straining her ears, she was able to make out some of their conversation amid the usual fairground noise.

"After all that work, you must be hungry."

"Oh, aye!"

"The Coney Island corn dogs are the best!"

"What's tha'?"

"You've never had a corn dog?

"No, but I am fair famished …"

Zoe gazed at them in frustration until she felt a soft nudge to her shoulder. "Come on, Zoe," the Doctor prompted gently. "Let's have a look at some of these other games, shall we?"

The petite scientist sighed. She knew there was no point in standing there and stewing over it. She was interested in exploring the other games. With a weak smile, she nodded up at the Doctor. He returned her smile and they set off.


Jamie found himself studying the lass as she gestured to a certain concession stand amid all the other food pavilions. She certainly was pretty. There was something about her eyes —the little creases at the corners whenever she'd smile. Her teeth were a brilliant white, and straighter than any he could remember seeing …

Suddenly it registered that those perfect lips and teeth were forming words.

"Er, um, wha'?" He flushed to his scalp. "Sorry, I-I jist…"

She grinned in amusement. "I was just pointing out the concession stand with the corn dogs. We can get some sodas too, and maybe some fries if you feel like it."

"Oh." He briefly turned, wondering where the Doctor and Zoe were. He couldn't see them from here. Had he left them back at that dafty game? He really wanted to go find them, but there was something about this lass that kept his feet planted firmly in front of her. Turning back, he found her eyeing him expectantly and he quickly covered up his dismay with a smile.

"Tha's verra kind of ye, Miss."

"My name's Amy," she told him, smiling as she offered him her hand.

The Highlander accepted it with a nod. "Jamie."

"I know," Amy returned, her smile broadening.

A frown of confusion furrowed Jamie's brow. How did she know his name? She must have heard the Doctor talking to him earlier. Aye, that had to be it …

He smiled back. "A pleasure tae make yer acquaintance, Amy."

Her smile turned into a flirtatious grin. "I hope it will be more than that."

Jamie's smile faded and his eyes widened in slight surprise. A sudden sense of misgiving stole over him. He really needed to find the Doctor and Zoe.

"Come on, let's get something to eat. We'll find someplace to sit and talk."

"Weel, I'm nae really—"

"Oh, come on!" Her expression became pouty. "I'd love to get to know you a little better. Wouldn't you like to get to know me?"

"Weel, I …" Avoiding her gaze, he took a brief look around, hoping to spot his friends so he'd have an excuse to leave. But as his gaze went back on her, he found himself nearly drowning in a pair of emerald eyes that reminded him of the bonniest glens back home. Eyes that were wide and hopeful.

He really didn't want to let her down. "Alright."

"Awesome! Let's go, then!" She looped her arm through his and guided him in the direction of the corn dog concession stand.


"Aha! There we are! And I should thank you, good sir."

The Doctor's voice succeeded in ripping Zoe from her brooding thoughts. She witnessed him happily accepting another prize from a slightly annoyed looking carnival barker, adding it to the small but growing collection of wealth he had amassed. The two of them were the only players at this Roll-A-Ball Derby Races game, so his victories weren't that impressive. She had figured out quite easily how to win it, but her heart and mind were elsewhere.

She sighed.

"Are you alright, Zoe? I thought you would have been more interested in this game." As she turned to face her friend, she found him eyeing her in concern. He picked up one of the prizes he'd won —a small, colorful, plush toucan—and handed it to her. Her lips twitched in amusement. She would have refused the obvious consolation prize but was endeared by his concern.

"I'm fine," she replied. She suddenly lifted her chin. "Truth be told, I found it quite boring."

"Mm," the Doctor intoned skeptically. "You know you can't fool me, Zoe. What's the matter?'

She sighed again. "I was just thinking about that—that woman who approached us at the Highstrike game and was so persistent in cheering Jamie on." Her mouth flattened in a grim line. "There's something about her I don't trust. The look in her eyes, as if she wanted to claim him."

"My dear, I think you may be overthinking it a bit. Though I had been keeping a watchful eye on her myself."

"And he certainly didn't seem to mind it all. In fact, he was eating it all up. Honestly … if his ego were a balloon he'd have popped already from all the hot air she was filling him with.

The Doctor chuckled. "Well, on the subject of eating, I'm starting to feel a bit peckish myself. I suggest we head for the concession stands."

"Maybe a bit later? I'd like to have a look in here." She nodded toward the arcade.


"So, what do you think?" Jamie's new friend nodded at the half-eaten corndog he was holding.

"Nae bad," he replied between bites of food. "But it still doesnae come close tae haggis."

Her smile faded and she cocked her head in confusion, appearing as if she were studying him. "You're not … from around here, are you?" she asked..

"Nae, I'm from Scotland."

Amy frowned. "Scot … land …" She said, sounding out the word as if it were new to her, then her eyes brightened. "Oh! Like 'Highlander.'"

Jamie smiled. "Aye, I'm a Highlander!"

Amy put her hands on her hips and deepened her voice. "'There can be only one!'"

Jamie blinked at her. "'There can only be one' what?"

Amy giggled and gave his shoulder a light nudge. "You're so cute! Gosh, I could listen to that accent all day."

"Oh, erm … " Jamie blurted, caught off guard. "Thank ye, although I cannae take credit fer it …"

Amy giggled.

"An' wha' aboot you? Where're you from?"

"Oh, I'm local," she said with a slight shrug. "I live a few blocks away from here."

The Highlander nodded. "With yer family?"

Amy's eyes clouded, her expression turning somber. "No. Not anymore. I … I lost both my parents long ago …"

"Oh, no. I'm sorry."

She appeared to be holding back tears. "Thanks. I try to come to terms with it, to move past it, and I've got friends, but … there are times where I'm so lonely."

"I understand. Ah mean, aboot losin' family. I lost mine, too. It was a long time ago, but the pain never really goes away."

She nodded and when she met his gaze, there almost appeared to be a spark of interest in her eyes. Her brow suddenly furrowed. "What about the tiny girl and the old guy you were with before?"

The corner of Jamie's mouth tugged in a slight smile as he shook his head. "They're jist my friends." Jamie's smile softened as he added, "but they're like family."

"I see." The furrow in her brow smoothed and she was smiling again. As she moved even closer, effectively swallowing up the space between them, the coy grin was back. "So, what do you like to do for fun?"

Jamie's eyebrows shot up. "Er, w-well, I —"

Before he could speak further, Amy suddenly brushed her lips against his cheek, allowing them to linger there for a moment before planting a neat kiss.

As she moved back slightly, Jamie stared at her, slack-jawed. She was smiling broadly as her gaze held him captive once again. Truthfully, it was starting to make him feel a little uneasy, like like he was being held in place by a magnet.

After a wee shake of his head, he turned, looking for a distraction. When none came, he willed himself some strength as he turned back to her. "Could we nae take a walk? The sun is hot on my back. If we move round a bit it won't feel so bad." Boy, that was a pathetic excuse.

Amy looked disappointed for a brief moment but then slapped on a weak smile. "Sure. It is getting pretty hot. Maybe we can get some lemonade if we pass another concession stand."

"Aye," he agreed. She looped her arm through his once again and they headed past several rows of game booths. Jamie kept his eyes peeled for a stand that sold drinks.

What he didn't expect to see as they passed the arcade was a certain wee scientist inside, talking closely with a tall, dark-haired young man.

His gait began to slow as he studied the scene. The man had stuck a small piece of paper in Zoe's hand and then closed his own hand over hers, a devastatingly charming smile spreading across his face.

Jamie's eyebrows shot up to his hairline and he froze. Who was this laddie? The Highlander then noticed the predatory gleam in the young man's eyes.

Without a word, Jamie untangled his arm from Amy's and stalked in the direction of the arcade's entrance.

"Where are you going?!" she called after him in alarm.

"Jist a moment …" Jamie returned absently, his gaze never leaving Zoe as he swiftly headed for the building.

By the time he reached Zoe the man in question had gone.

"Who was that?" he asked, nearly demanded. "That man who was speakin' to ye?"

"Oh! Jamie," Zoe startled, looking surprised to see him in front of her. She then shrugged. "He saw me studying one of the arcade games and we struck up a conversation. He handed me this."

She showed him the neon pink colored ticket.

Congratulations! You have been randomly selected to test our new ride, 'The Stellar Express'!

"It's that new ride." Zoe then winced in realization. "The same one Susan had ridden."

Jamie frowned. "Ye're nae actually gonna ride it, are ye?"

"I admit I am curious about the ride, but no, of course not. Not after what happened to her."

"Giud." Jamie nodded, seeming satisfied. He then found Zoe gazing at him with disapproval.

"What?"

"I might ask what you were doing," she replied. "You just went off with 'Miss Rah-Rah-Rah' and left me and the Doctor."

"We jist went for a walk."

Zoe raised a dubious eyebrow.

"Aye, we did! An' ye saw it—she approached me outta nowhere! She wouldnae stop going on aboot tha' game I won. I tried tae get the mad lass offa me, but she was difficult."

"Mm-hmm," Zoe returned with a frown. She then touched the side of his chin and tilted his head to the side to take a better look at the lipstick mark on his cheek. Her frown deepened.

"Aye, see?" Jamie exclaimed, "she was all over me!"

The Doctor suddenly approached. "Sorry for keeping you, Zoe, I was …" He trailed off as he turned and noticed Jamie standing on the other side of her.

"Jamie!" His face was drawn in an indignant frown. "You know, I had to pay for that bell. Really, must you go round smashing things? I'm not made of money you know!"

Jamie's mouth dropped open in protest. "I didnae smash it, Doctor. I—"

"It's not as if I can just conjure up some—magic money tree!"

Zoe grinned and shook her head.

Jamie lowered his head in defeat. "Sorry, Doctor," he muttered.

"Mm," the Doctor intoned, still unhappy. "Where've you been? We were going to ask if you wanted lunch."

"Oh, er, weel, I already had a wee bite to eat," Jamie replied evasively.

Zoe snorted. "What exactly did she say to you?"

Jamie shrugged innocently. "Naethin' much. Jist congratulatin' me for beatin' tha' game."

The petite scientist's eyes narrowed skeptically.

"Aye, tha's all!" he insisted.

"Alright, alright, we believe you," the Doctor said placatingly. He looked skyward, eyes squinting in the intense sun. "It's getting quite warm. I spied an interesting log flume water ride near the far side of the park. I suggest we head there."

Zoe nodded. The sun did feel quite hot against her back. She shared a look with Jamie. He still seemed distracted, but less so than he was minutes ago. "Aye. Alright."


"Ah, that was indeed a sumptuous meal," the Doctor said with a contented sigh as they headed back out into the balmy, seaside air.

"Yes, I don't think I could eat another bite," Zoe agreed, nearly groaning as she held her stomach. As evening drew close, the Doctor had suggested they find something to eat at a local restaurant for a change instead of the fair food. They had found a charming little eatery that offered some very good, local food.

The Doctor looked at his watch. "Hm. Well, it's twenty minutes past seven. I suggest we walk off some of this food, perhaps along the beach?"

Zoe nodded. "Yes, having a walk would make us feel better after a big meal. Such body movement can aid digestion by promoting stimulation of the stomach and intestines, causing the food to move through more rapidly." She caught Jamie rolling his eyes in her periphery and pointedly ignored him. "It's also goodafor keeping blood sugar spikes in check. Especially a leisurely stroll along the beach."

"Ah, yes. Zoe, you think of everything," the Doctor returned. "Come on, Jamie, how about it? It'll do us a world of good."

Jamie gazed at them skeptically but his reluctance soon softened as he noticed how eager they both appeared and thought of their happiness.

He sighed. "Och, alright." He had to admit the giant bucket o' prawns —which they called 'oysters' here— he had for dinner did leave him quite stuffed. It probably would be a good idea to go for a walk.

About half an hour later, Jamie was glad he had agreed to the stroll. It was a lovely evening. There were few people on the beach and a nice, cooling breeze off the water. He had long since taken off his boots and the cool, wet sand under his toes was a welcome change from the hot sun that had nearly baked him earlier in the day.

His gaze fell upon Zoe, who had stopped and knelt down to examine a seashell half buried in the sand. There was a smile of delight on her face as she finished brushing the sand off and held it up to show the Doctor.

"Oh, look at that," the Doctor said, his tone full of childlike awe as he picked it up and studied it. "I do believe we are looking at Buccinum undatum."

There was a brief furrow of confusion wrinkling Zoe's brow before it smoothed. "Oh, yes, common whelk …"

Jamie smiled fondly as he watched them, absorbed in their lively conversation regarding her new find. As he watched Zoe's blue eyes brighten and the familiar dimples appear, all thoughts of Amy disappeared.

As Jamie continued to gaze at Zoe he absently began to toe the sand with his foot. His attention was soon averted from the petite scientist when his toes brushed up against something hard. Bending, he wiped away more sand and found the culprit: another shell. One quite different in appearance from the one Zoe had found. It was smaller and had a fan-like shape, with colors transitioning between light gray to blue to indigo.

"Hey, Doctor, Zoe, look!" he exclaimed, picking up the shell and showing it to them.

"Oh, that is quite a lovely Bay Scallop you found, Jamie," the Doctor said.

"Yes, just from my general observations throughout our walk, it's quite rare to find one so intact." Zoe took the shell from the Doctor and examined it closely before smiling up at the Highlander as if to say, "well done."

"We'll have to bring these back with us to the TARDIS," the Doctor said. "I think they will make a fine addition to the backdrop of the pool."

"Or even the gardens," Zoe added. Her eyes lit up once again. "Let's see if we can find some more." She gestured to the expansive, sandy stretch that ended at the pier, just less than half a mile or so.

"Alreeight!" Jamie happily agreed as he set off with her, the Doctor slowly but eventually catching them up.

Up on the boardwalk, at a discreet distance, two figures were observing the three revelers. There was something of the vulture about them as they gazed. One of the figures craned his head towards the other.

"They're a match, alright. Let's inform the bosses."