Cue the tourist side of London. Chip shops, the London Eye, Big Ben, the bridge where Spiderman fought Mysterio, all the most important places. The locations that London is most proud of? Their den of stolen goods! The Doctor calls it a trophy case, so obviously the British call them the same thing.
A museum sat perfectly content and protected. Guards walked the same positions ensured by the top brass to keep their collections safe. One guard in particular activated motion sensing lasers meant to be impossible for a normal human to navigate. Which is why our intrepid heroes could sneak in without issue. It helps when you can turn into a ghost.
Rocket- aka Freddie Rose- floated down to the golden cup. Lasers passed harmlessly through him. He grabbed a bag from his belt, pulling out the contents.
A large trophy with 'world's best thieves' on it.
Rocket grinned. His sisters were funny.
He swapped it for the cup. The cup became invisible at the exact second the trophy became visible. He grinned as he floated back to the ceiling.
"Job complete." Rocket reported to his partner. "No witnesses, as the boss ordered-"
Alarms went off.
"Okay I have some witnesses." Rocket replied. "Macmillan's guys were faster than we thought. Drax-"
"Rocket."
"I have witnesses? How do I have witnesses!?" Rocket asked, being very chill. "These humans can't see anything-!"
Rocket's sisters set these missions up. Strict guidelines with building plans and layouts. Robberies were a hobby, apparently, but work on the HAVEN kept both too busy to carry out the missions themselves. The guidelines were very clear on when witnesses were allowed. and the consequences of fucking it up.
(Stabbing. A lot of stabbing.)
"Take it easy, Rocket." Drax- aka Thorax- cautioned him again. "Mission said witnesses were encouraged."
"They are?" Rocket shot off to the nearby alley. "But that's not until- oh."
There's only one heist that allowed witnesses. His sister promised not to stab him if he got caught.
"She gave the go ahead?" Rocket asked.
"Yep. Once we steal this weird gold cup, Rocket can get caught and Drax needs to escape with the cup."
"Here you go." Rocket dropped his invisibility.
Drax jumped back. "STOP THAT!"
Rocket laughed again. Messing with his brother-in-law rocked.
==POMW==
The police arrived. Rocket passed the golden cup to Drax. He ran off, switching to his feet to attract police attention.
The police cornered Rocket immediately. They had guns trained.
Drax kept himself hidden. It's more important to watch his teammate then be concerned with his own safety. It may be stupid in terms of museum heists, but Rocket looked like a teenage boy. Drax can't just leave him. He'd never forgive himself if Rocket got hurt.
The boy held up his arms. The officers still had their weapons aimed at him. "Now, I'm sure we can do this like rational adults." His hand crackled with red energy. "But what's the fun in that?"
Okay. Right. That's his brother-in-law. His wife's siblings were very capable people by their own rights. 'Looking like a kid' didn't mean much for that trio.
For her other three brothers, yes, they needed protecting. Freddie and Darcy? They were capable.
"Nice one, Rocket." Drax tipped a fake cap.
His pocket buzzed. Drax flinched. He pulled out his phone- a very simple device just for reading and sending messages. His 'app' privileges were revoked.
Boss: Get on the 200 bus.
Drax tucked the phone away. He went off down the alleys. More cops were blocking the ways. His wife had been clear that the cup needed to reach her. Getting arrested kept the cup from her.
A big red bus pulled up nearby. Drax could cry in relief.
==POMW==
The door opened. Drax hopped up the stairs to the driver. He beamed.
"Hi there! This is gonna be funny, cause I bet you get this a lot." Drax checked his backpack. His wife was careful to send him with anything he could need- she just cared like that. It had snacks! He found a wallet. There was only one card inside it, so Drax showed it to the driver. "That's a Clam thing, am I right?"
The driver blinked at him, a heavy frown on his face. "Oyster card."
Drax beamed. "Whoa! So close!" He checked the card he had. It was a very sad, very obvious clam card. Ah. Darcy packed the bag too. "I don't have one."
Police sirens went off outside. They were getting closer to the bus. Drax immediately panicked.
Wait. His wife packed snacks!
He reached in again. A handful of diamonds were scattered at the bottom. Those, he let slide into a jar of coins. "Diamonds. Genuine. Drive. ...please?"
The driver shrugged. "Works for me."
Drax grinned again. He walked in the bus, settling into a seat. The other passengers were normal people. Two guys, an older couple, a nice looking lady, but nobody that caught his eye. Maybe his wife arranged this getaway car. Getaway bus? He'd never been on a bus this big before. It's nice!
The police continued meandering about, not spotting him at all. Drax shifted in his seat. His mission briefing said he couldn't get arrested. If he does, his wife couldn't promise how long it would take for her to get him out. He already suffered four months in a Nazi prison. He couldn't risk another jail sentence.
Another passenger joined the bus. Drax kept checking the police cars.
"You're just in time, mate." The driver assured the new passenger. As they walked on, another followed.
One officer turned. That one was familiar. This was a specific officer that Drax was warned would be on his case. A guy that would be on his ass with every robbery, every step of the way, and more than eager to see Drax in jail. Yep. Great. Drax ducked down in his seat.
Somebody sat next to him. Drax jumped, whirling to them. His blue eyes widened.
Terra sat next to him, smiling wide and tight. Her orange hair curled perfectly around her head, her tri-colored dress fit perfectly. She held up a chocolate egg.
"Hiya." Drax still couldn't believe how adorable Terra was. "Remember the Doctor? More important- Happy Easter. Want candy?"
Drax relaxed against the seat. He should've realized his wife would be appearing soon.
==POMW==
Everything was going to plan. Thorax was on the 200 bus, gold cup in custody. The police were all over. Rocket was already en route to be back at HAVEN. My grocery trip was productive.
The Doctor stood above us, glaring down Thorax. Right, no, Drax. It's his code name for this dimension. It's on our daughter's first adoption certificate. The name being so close to his own made it easier for some transitions. Darcy confirmed the ID herself from her earlier adventures- becoming honestly annoyed at the realization. None of that really matters if the Doctor is already glaring at him.
'Terra what are you doing?'
'I told you I wasn't going to eat all this chocolate by myself.'
'I thought you were- doesn't matter, you were going to share it with HIM? You knew he'd be here?'
"Gladly." Thorax took the offered chocolate. As he chewed, he rested his hand on my shoulder.
The edges of my smile softened. He's just so sweet when he's feeling cuddly. "I've always known where he is. He legit sucks at sneaking around."
"I try really hard!" My husband pouted.
"You've met." The Doctor repeated.
"You've met him too. Remember?" I asked. "He's- wait, what are you now?"
Drax paused, chewing on the candy. "I'm a guy."
"Doctor, you remember my husband." I told the Doctor. He gawked at me. "Drax, you remember the Doctor."
"What?" The Doctor asked. He sat himself down in the seats behind us.
Drax grinned at the Doctor, chocolate all over his lips. "Hi Doctor. I'm eating chocolate. Does this mean you two finally talked?"
"What?!" He repeated.
"No. We just crossed paths buying candy." I explained, sitting upright.
"What?!"
Drax adjusted, but kept his head exactly where it was. It's endearing. So I dropped another piece of chocolate in his mouth.
It's not a coincidence. Crossing paths with the Doctor was a matter of science. The closest store to this bus stop, then to what had the specific brand of chocolate. (I've caught serial killers for less, Author bless Penelope Garcia).
Angela and her daughter existed. As did Nathan, and Barclay. Lou and Carmen were on record for purchasing a single lottery ticket every week. The bus company handed this bus driver his specific route.
Only one thing was left to chance.
Puzzle pieces landed as the butterfly effect took hold. Saving abused, easily missed people across time and space left holes. Accidentally, a certain Lady was never born because her grandmother was never born because I saved her great-grandmother from marrying her great-grandfather. A blank spot in the shape of Christine de Souza existed. Somebody needed to fill it.
The other operatives on the payroll were busy on HAVEN work. Also, we didn't trust their training and skill sets for robbing museums.
Drax was my first pick for this case. As a shapeshifter, he can be anyone during or after the heist. Rocket as his partner was natural. Rocket walked through walls as a half-ghost, leaving no trace.
I had to plan a bank robbery that I couldn't perform myself. It's heartbreaking. But I love him so I'm going to let it slide.
"When I was at the store, he was also there. Tracking something or other, it's fine." I replied. Our kids are legion, and have different taste buds to prove it. "He got a chocolate egg, but I got a lot of other things. Chocolate, gelatins, sour ones, and-"
"Ooh! Even the caramel kind?"
"Those are your favorites, yes. Did you want some now?"
"Can I?!" Drax asked, eyes wide like an excited puppy dog. I fed him the chocolate caramel sweet. "Did you get your favorites?"
"When did you get a husband?" The Doctor asked, incredulous.
"He was my husband last time you met him too." I reminded the Doctor. "Remember, your picnic with River?"
"Yeah! She was there too! River is so nice. Just like Starry always said! Wow, what a day that was." Drax recalled, fond. "I mean. Not great, since I stabbed her."
"You thought Balder killed your wife. You didn't know he disguised us." I countered. Then I smiled. "You stabbed someone for me." Even now, it made me so giddy.
Drax blushed. "Stop! It wasn't- okay it was kinda like that. I don't wanna stab anybody else."
"King Loki of Asgard." I said. "Now, he goes by Drax."
The Doctor stared. "Loki. King of Asgard? You're him?"
"Yes. And I'm Drax Stardust." Drax beamed. "Do you know why she's upset with you?"
Beep, beep.
"Right." The Doctor plucked the device from his pocket. "Right. Perfect timing. Terra-"
"Chocolate has never left my side." I cracked off another piece, handing it to Drax. If he's eating, he can't ask more questions. He popped it in his mouth, watching us with a smile.
"Finish it. It's full of sugar and I'm determined to keep these teeth." The Doctor grinned to show off said teeth.
"I don't." Drax told me. "I'll have chocolate all day. Especially the caramel chocolates."
"Less talk. More chocolate." I fed him another piece of chocolate. Drax hummed in thanks.
The Doctor twisted the gizmo around. He held it up. The warning light blinked. Barclay- a young black man sitting across from us- frowned at the Doctor. "Ah. Oh, we've got excitation. I'm picking up something very strange."
I glanced out the window. Sure enough, police cars followed after us. My husband was wanted- if not by his mother, then by the police and by me.
Drax swallowed the chocolate. "Yeah, I know the feeling."
The good feeling (no, actually, embarrassment and rage are not good feelings. Nope. Duh.) vanished. Sadder feelings came over me instead. "Hey."
Thorax scrunched his eyebrows. "What? You like the pick up spin."
"Oh. Yes." I blushed. Obviously he meant that. Together seven years, Thorax never made any jokes about hating his wife. It's very nice. Though, I do keep waiting for the other shoe to drop. "Wait, no, you never spin me around."
"No. You're always spinning me around." Thorax beamed. "Right round, right round, like a record baby-"
"-right round right round." I giggled. I leaned forward. Thorax too. We nuzzled noses.
"Rhondium particles, that's what I'm looking for!" The Doctor said loudly, leaning in to separate us. I frowned, annoyed. Drax- Drax, right, my bad- pouted. "This thing detects them. Look, this should go round, that little dish there."
As I sat annoyed, something else dinged. In my brain. My frown became deeper in a confused sense. The sirens outside were loud, yes. We drove into a tunnel.
The portal was close.
I fought back a shiver.
Drax tilted his head at me. "Star?" He tried.
Voices. Voices from beyond- voices and things that are long gone.
They scream and call for help. Time and space carry them over to us
Suddenly I was very hot. Scorching, as if a hundred suns shown above. I sank into the seat. The chocolate fell to the floor.
Drax touched my shoulder. "Hey, hey. You okay?"
I shook my head. "It-" Screeching, screeching, screaming. The further the bus drove, the harder it felt to breathe. "-meh."
Drax brushed my hair back. He put his head on my shoulder. He reached down to hold my hand. The heat continued. The contact between us helped me feel him here with me. It gave me a focus outside my head. Breathing came easier. My eyes slid shut.
"Ah, the little dish is going round." The Doctor mused.
I hummed.
"She says 'cool'."
I hummed again. That's not even close to what I meant.
"And round- whoa!"
Fire. Fire- so much fire- ash and sand and flies and fire
"Excuse me, do you mind?"
I growled. Drax held my hand. Things felt very compressed.
"Sorry. That was my little dish."
"Can't you turn that thing off?" Drax snapped. He brought my hand to his face. "Hey, Star, hey. It's okay."
"Terra, Drax, hold on tight. Everyone, hold on!" The Doctor called out.
My eyes snapped open. I grabbed Drax, holding him tight. My legs braced on the chair in front of us. Drax yelped.
The bus shook. Drax almost jostled off the seat, if not for my hold. The texture of his tight black workout clothes grounded me. His khaki pants touched my leg at the knee. The belt pressed against my side. That belt buckle of my My Little Pony cutie mark.
That brings me back to the moment.
Ash filled my mouth, replacing the chocolate. Screams were in my ears, only these were inhuman from beyond this bus.
I laughed.
Drax laughed too.
"What's going on?" Another man called out.
The bus was teleporting. It's hard to explain until you reach the destination.
The bus popped out of the portal. It hit the sand, driving forward until skidding to a stop. Glass shattered. It shot out a hundred different directions, landing in my hair.
==POMW==
The Doctor shoved open the bus door.
"End of the line. Call it a hunch, but I think we've gone a little bit further than Brixton." The Doctor mused.
I stepped on the sand behind him. I immediately regret every life decision that led me here.
The other passengers joined us on the sand. I pretended to slump. Drax caught me.
'You're worse than Rarity.' Said the changeling who promised to love me for all eternity.
I pouted at him. "Bee, there's three suns."
"It's impossible. There are three suns. Three of them." Angela panicked.
"Like when all those planets were up in the sky." Said Barclay.
"But it was Earth that moved back then, wasn't it?" Asked Nathan.
"Oh, man, we're on another world." Barclay shook his head, squinting up at an alien sky.
"It's still intact, though." The bus driver pointed at the destroyed second deck. "Not as bad as it looks, and the chassis's still holding together. My boss is going to murder me."
The Doctor knelt on the ground. He touched the sand. Drax pushed me up so I'm back on my feet.
I glared at him in betrayal. Drax held up his hands, innocent.
"Can you still drive it?" Angela asked.
"Oh no, no, no. The wheels are stuck. Look at them, they're never going to budge." The bus driver replied.
I walked up to the Doctor. In my Bag, I plucked out some shades. Drax had a pair in his pack so I grabbed that too.
"Look at you. Ready for any emergency." Drax praised.
Any flush to my cheeks is because of the heat.
The Doctor raised his sonic, darkening his 'smart guy' glasses. "Yep. That's Terra."
"By the way, and sorry if it's overstepping, but I gotta ask." Drax began. "Why the name Doctor? It's super cool! But why?"
"Bee, stop." I cautioned. "We talked about this."
"Yes but you're the type never to tell me his name as a running joke." Drax replied.
It's slander. Also completely true.
"We picked the name Drax cause, well she won't tell me that joke either." Drax admitted. "I think it's a geek thing. Is that why?"
"Name's the Doctor."
"Okay no but really."
"The Doctor." He repeated.
"Are your pronouns Doctor too? Cause I get that." Drax said. The Doctor watched him, eyes hidden by the shades but the disgust was obvious on his face. "Just- I was curious."
"Why?" The Doctor touched the sand.
"'Cause Terra's name sounds like a real person, and you picked a job. I know people that chose foods as their names. I wanted to know why you picked Doctor." Drax said. "Then again, there's no way Terra is a real person. Look at her. She's amazing."
"Really, doing this now?" I asked him, cheeks burning red.
"There is always time to flirt with you, starry." Drax countered. He added in this dorky grin that was the only reason he wasn't feeling my hand on the back of his head.
"Funny sort of sand, this!" The Doctor spoke up, raising his voice. Drax continued smiling. My focus was on his smile, and wondering when it would stop being distracting. "There's a trace of something else." He brought some sand to his mouth. "Glah. Not good."
"Well, it wouldn't be. It's sand." Drax pointed out. I snorted.
"No, it tastes like- Never mind." The Doctor let the sand fall to the ground.
"What is it? What's wrong?" Drax asked.
Barclay was approaching us. He pointed a finger at the Doctor. "Hold on a minute. I saw you, mate. You had that thing, that machine. Did you make this happen?"
The Doctor stood up. "Oh, humans on buses, always blaming me." He addressed the passengers. "Look, look, if you must know, my friend and I were tracking a hole in the fabric of reality. Call it a hobby. But it was a tiny little hole. No danger to anyone. Suddenly it gets big, and we drive right through it."
"But then where is it? There's nothing. There's just sand." The bus driver said.
"Well yeah. Human eyes can't perceive it." I explained.
"What kinda eyes do you need?" Drax asked. His own blue lit up, a spark of his magic there too.
I glared at him.
The magic faded.
"All right. You want proof?" The Doctor scooped up more sand. He walked to the invisible portal "We drove through this." He tossed it through.
The sky rippled. I stumbled back, shaking at the minor influx of power. It doesn't knock me down, not like the Void did. THIS is different. It's like taking a shot of adrenaline. If not for the three suns and screams of the dead, I'd be giddy.
"And for those who don't know how to science?" Drax asked.
"Magic space puddle!" I cheered.
Drax blinked, smiled at me, then turned to the Doctor. "Puddle?"
"A door. A door in space." The Doctor answered.
"So what you're saying is, on the other side of that is home? We can get to London through there?" The bus driver asked.
"No!" I replied. My gaze focused on him- sharp and commanding. "You can't. You wouldn't survive."
The bus driver smiled. "Well then, what are we waiting for?" He scampered towards the portal.
I jumped in his path. "No survival means no survival! So no, don't go."
"No, you listen here! I'm going home!" The bus driver stepped around me again. He charged at the portal.
"No don't!" The Doctor called out.
He walked into it. He screamed- the air rippled again, and his body burst into flames.
==POMW==
"He was a skeleton, man." Barclay panicked. "He was bones. Just bones." He sunk down onto the sand.
"It was the bus. Look at the damage. That was the bus protecting us. Great big box of metal." The Doctor explained.
"Like a faraday cage." I supplied.
Drax winced. "Oooh."
"You don't know what that is."
"No. It sounds scary."
"Like in a thunderstorm, yeah?" Nathan reasoned. "Safest place is inside a car, because the metal conducts the lightning right through. We did it in school."
"That's not scary." Drax realized. He pouted at me. "You made it sound scary."
"How- okay. We can only travel via this bus but there's a gaping hole in that plan." I pointed up at the torn apart second deck.
The Doctor cracked a grin. "Well, slightly different dynamics with a wormhole. There's enough metal to make it work, I think. I hope."
"Okay. Driving a broken bus through a wormhole. Sure. Fine. Most of you only have your bare hands-"
"Bear hands?!"
"No."
"Oh…I think we assign a leader." Drax began.
The Doctor cut him off. "Yes. At last. Thank you. So."
"Well, thank goodness you've got me to delegate to her." Drax gestured to me, the way Will Smith does his wife. "Everyone, do exactly as she says."
I grinned. Yes, finally, a return to normal. "Inside the bus immediately."
"Is it safe in there?" Nathan asked.
"You wanna see the skin cancer you get from three alien suns?" I asked. Nathan's expression dropped in horror. "Being in that bus is a lot safer than being out here. We can make a plan. Everyone needs to witness it, and she won't leave."
"She?" Angela asked.
"Yes. She- we need to talk to her. Everyone on the bus. Go! Right now." I ordered. The three other passengers looked at me strangely before going along with it. "Yes you too, Doctor. Go."
The Doctor grinned. "Yes ma'am."
I preened.
Drax leaned over. "Hey, is the chocolate melting? I hate to waste good chocolate."
I laughed.
==POMW==
"This is the most important part today. If you remember nothing else, keep this in your head. Do not panic." I advised them. It felt like slipping into my FBI shoes, or my Avenger suit. Being in charge in a crisis balanced me out. "I won't lose someone like we lost the bus driver. Okay? I won't allow it. So do whatever you need to keep your calm. My name is Terra Stardust, this is my husband, Drax. That's my companion, the Doctor."
"Hello." The Doctor waved.
"And you?" I asked.
"Nathan."
"I'm Barclay."
"Angela. Angela Whittaker."
"My name's Louis. Everyone calls me Lou. And this is Carmen."
Carmen met my eyes. I couldn't look away. The screaming had become faint, as I used other things as a focus. It couldn't be tuned out exactly but it could be dulled. That took practice. I had that, Carmen didn't. The poor woman is absolutely frightened.
"Good job. Memorize those names. Terra might give a test." Drax joked. "So what's a good place to start?"
He tapped my arm. I hummed, before switching back to work mode. The best way of helping Carmen would be by helping everyone on this bus. "This is all a terribly tragic accident. None of you were supposed to be here, and if the wormhole opened five minutes earlier or later it wouldn't have happened to you at all."
"No, it was an accident." The Doctor replied.
"She's right. Someone opened it. That thing, that doorway, someone did it for a reason." Carmen said.
"How do you know?" The Doctor asked Carmen.
"She's got a gift. Ever since she was a little girl, she can just tell things. We do the lottery twice a week." Lou explained.
"You don't look like millionaires." Drax noted.
"No, but we win ten pounds. Every week, twice a week, ten pounds. Don't tell me that's not a gift." Lou cheered.
Drax grinned. "Yeah, I know the feeling." He turned that grin to me.
This is why I can't take him anywhere.
The Doctor sat up. "Tell me, Carmen. How many fingers am I holding up?" He tucked his hand behind his back.
"Three." Carmen answered. Without missing a beat- "Four."
"Cheater." I noted.
"It's very good. Carmen here has low level psychic ability, exacerbated by an alien sun. You can do that too." The Doctor explained. "What number am I thinking of?"
"Eleven. But you're always thinking about eleven. I don't have to be alien-sun-psychic to know that." I noted.
"What am I thinking of?" Drax offered.
"Flowers and snacks." Lilac and Cookie. Our kids, as always, are somewhere at the front of his mind. It's cute. Adorable. The public here can think it's about a date he plans to take us on. Only he and I know the truth. Maybe Carmen too. "But I have access to your brain 24/7, since I am a high level psychic."
"He's thinking about fruit snacks?" Carmen volunteered.
Ah. A deviation from the norm. He must actually be hungry.
I tossed Drax gummy Scooby snacks from my pocket.
He cooed, tearing the package open. "I love you." Drax bit into a Daphne gummy.
"What can you see, Carmen?" The Doctor asked. "Tell me, what's out there?"
Carmen lingered on it. That's almost as dangerous. I walked up to her, kneeling on the seat in front of her. I wasn't going to touch her. It could amplify her abilities beyond what she could handle. No, I played it safe. A gentle cold breeze under three alien suns. "They are coming. Riding on the wind, shining."
"Just a peak, take a peak. What's coming?" I asked.
"Death." Carmen revealed. "Death is coming."
"We're going to die."
"I knew it, man. I said so."
"We can't die out here. No one's going to find us."
"This isn't exactly helping." Drax commented.
"You can shut up too. We're not your soldiers." Barclay snapped.
I stood up. "Quiet." Came my harshest mom voice.
The humans all shut their mouths. The Doctor smirked. Drax straightened up, as if on command.
"Hey there." I walked up to Angela. "Angela, hello. Angela, hi. Angela, can I ask you something? Where was this bus taking you?"
"It doesn't matter."
"It matters to me. Where are you going?"
Angela shook her head. "Nowhere. Just home."
I nodded to Drax. "He's my home. Who's your home?"
"Mike." Angela admitted. "And Suzanne. That's my daughter. She's eighteen."
"Suzanne, eighteen. That's amazing- I am so happy for you." My heart warmed up. Now I'm thinking about the kids. All six of them- ten if you count the dogs and pig. Most of them were almost middle schoolers, and Lilac was academically in middle school. Cookie had only just sorted out her shapes. Rebel helped his brothers learn tricks. Penelope, the precious baby, worked very hard in the HAVEN spa. "You, Barclay, yeah? Where are you going?"
Barclay shrugged, not wanting to play along but also not wanting to be that guy. "Don't know. Going round to Tina's."
"Tina." I smiled, glancing back at Drax. "Doctor. Drax. Did you hear that Tina?"
Drax nodded, matching my smile. He ate another Scooby gummy. "I heard that Tina."
"Is she your girlfriend?" The Doctor asked.
Barclay hid a sly smile. "Not yet."
"Dude." Drax held up his hand. Barclay slapped it. Drax squeezed his hand. "Atta boy."
I turned to Nathan. "You, Nathan, where are you going?"
Nathan frowned. "I- You're the high level psychic. You tell me."
"I don't mean in life. Tell me where you're going from here." I tried instead.
Nathan shrugged, frowning at his lap. "Bit strapped for cash. I lost my job last week. I was going to stay in and watch TV."
"Those are my usual plans." I admitted. Drax snorted. "I think you're lucky. What were you gonna watch?"
"Whatever was on." Nathan said, shrugging again. "Or catch up MasterChef."
"Oooo, nice." I gave him a thumb's up. "Lou? Cook or clean?"
Lou glanced at his wife. Carmen nodded. "I was going to cook."
"It's his turn." Carmen said. "Then I clear up."
"Whatcha eating?" I asked.
"Chops. Nice couple of chops and gravy. Nothing special." Lou said.
"Yes it is. It's so special, and good." The Doctor praised. He smiled at the couple. The couple smiled back.
I walked over to Drax. Holding out my hand, he grabbed it without thinking. It made me giddy. "Honey. What's us tonight?"
"Don't know. Maybe a movie? You've been on a Dreamworks kick lately." Drax replied.
"Movies. Chops and gravy. Watching TV. Mike, eighteen year old Suzanne, and Tina." The Doctor mused.
"Hey." Barclay warned, grinning.
"Out there it's- three suns, wormholes, funky sand, but back there?" I nodded to the portal. "It's home. We'll get you home. We'll get you home. Focus on home. It's gonna feel so much bigger than ever. Hold onto home okay? Hold onto home."
The Doctor smiled at me, proud. His eyes glanced at my joined hands, and the smile stopped reaching his eyes.
==POMW==
I eyed the bus. My brain buzzed with ideas. A hundred different ones all shooting around. Picking the best parts, a shining image came together. This is gonna be perfect.
I collected the backs of the chairs, slicing them off with glee. Drax, Barclay, and Nathan caught them, bringing them outside.
"Here we go." Barclay hefted it up for the Doctor to see.
Drax tried holding two. The second fell to the sand. He dropped the first while trying to pick it back up. When the others noticed, he dropped into a salute. "Meant to do that."
"...right." The Doctor replied. I rejoined the crew, easily picking up the two fallen slats. "See, we lay a flat surface between the bus and the wormhole, like duckboards, and we reverse into it."
"Also! Let some air out of the tires." I tossed the two 'duckboard' onto the sand perfectly in line. "Just a little bit. It spreads the weight of the bus, gives you more grip against the sand."
The Doctor smiled. "Oh, that's good." He praised. "Where'd you learn that?"
"I drive."
"Badly."
"Better than you!"
"Yeah, but those wheels go deep." Barclay pointed out.
"We could dig them out." Drax suggested.
"With what?" Barclay asked him.
"With this." Drax took off his backpack. He reached inside, grabbing a spade. He held it out.
The Doctor grabbed it. "Got anything else in there?" He handed it to Barclay.
Drax reached in, looking genuinely confused. The golden cup glinted off the triple suns. He lifted out a tiny hand ax. He turned to me. I smiled, innocently. The ax was bright orange and green, engraved. "Awww, Starry, you got me tools."
I took it away, giving it to Nathan. "Remember what I did to the seats? Do it again with this."
Nathan accepted it. "Thanks." He and Barclay went their separate ways.
Angela poked her head out from the driver's window. "I can't find the keys."
"Oh no, buses don't have keys." The Doctor explained. "There's a master switch, then it's one button to start, the other one to stop, yeah?"
I walked to the engine. "I wouldn't try that yet."
"No?" The Doctor asked.
"It drove through a portal. And landed in sand. Checking the engine is the third thing I'd do." I lifted the hood for the engine. Smoke rose up when I did. "Oooh yeah, you're in need of care."
The Doctor and Drax joined me. "Oh, never mind losing half the top deck. You know what's worse? Sand. Tiny little grains of sand. The engine's clogged up."
"You said third thing." Drax pointed out. "What were the other things?"
I pulled out a car rag, shaking it out. "Belay that. YO BARCLAY! OVER HERE!"
The man ran over. "Yeah?"
"Good job with the tires. How much do you know about mechanics?" I asked.
Barclay considered it. "I did a two week NVQ at the garage. Never finished it, but-"
"Good enough!" I pointed at a part. "Help me with this bit."
He shrugged. Reaching in together, we almost managed it.
"Terra. We should go." The Doctor said.
"No, no. I can have it-"
"Star." Thorax looped his arm in mine. "Adventure please."
I pouted. "Nooo but-"
"I got it." Barclay assured me. "Really, I can manage this."
Ugh
"Fine." I relented to Bee's dragging. "Let me fix cars."
"When we get home, you can fix all the cars you want." Thorax offered. I whined, still annoyed. "I'm making dinner anyway."
"Back in two ticks." The Doctor told Barclay.
==POMW==
The three of us began a trek through the sand. The Doctor hadn't said a word, not outloud. Bee stuck close to my side, our hands brushing as we walked.
'We could search the sand dunes for something. If something made that wormhole, it should be nearby.' The Doctor said.
I hummed. 'Above or below the sand?'
'Oh like in Dune.'
'I was thinking of Tatooine.' I began a scan of the horizon, searching for any signs of life. The ship would be the first thing we spotted but there's a chance of catching the swarm too.
'Also good. Let's hope it's above. Don't think that little spade can dig that far down.' The Doctor noted. He glanced over his shoulder, looking at Thorax.
Suspicion and curiosity, something off kilter and unsafe. He's got questions about my husband. Given my husband's mission logs, it's fair. Drax had taken plenty of off color missions for the HAVEN. Some even had him crossing paths with the Doctor. I'm here to be his lawyer.
But I won't entertain any stupid questions. This isn't a courtroom but I am not above calling an objection on the grounds of hearsay.
"Easier if you left that backpack behind." The Doctor noted.
"'If you have a Bag, use it.'" Drax recited.
"A backpack with a spade and an ax." The Doctor continued on. "Loki, king of Asgard, or Drax of the Guardians. Which are you?"
"You can talk. Let's just say we're two equal mysteries." He beamed at me. "We make quite a couple."
I continued scanning the horizon.
The Doctor gave him a look. "We don't make any sort of couple, thank you very much."
"I was talking to the lovely Lady. You're not my type." Drax smirked at me. I continued ignoring him. "Come on then. Tell me. If Carmen's right, if you're right, if that wormhole's not an accident, then what is it? Has someone done this on purpose?"
"I don't know-"
"Again, talking to the Lady. The one that's more psychic than you." Drax praised me. "Starry, anything?"
"...I wanna leave this planet and never come back." I answered.
Drax nodded. "So we can leave?"
"We can try." I offered.
Drax shook his head. "No. You never offer up a choice unless you're sure you can do it."
"Well yeah." I shrugged. "I don't wanna give you false expectations."
Drax beamed. "You never have."
I blushed again. The changeling does not play fair. Is he playing? I'm not sure. It's still unfair. "Bee. Don't flirt when I'm working."
Drax creased his eyebrows together. "I was flirting?"
"Bee? Another name?"
"That's her name for me." Drax immediately argued. "You can call me Drax. Well, actually, it's Lord Drax." He boasted, posing like a proper king. It made me giggle. "Right, my Lady?"
"You're about to get hit."
"By Cupid's arrow?" Drax slid down the sand dune. I snorted, shaking my head at him. "Too late."
"Marrying Terra doesn't make you a lord." The Doctor countered. "You're not even a king."
"No, but who said that's what I wanted?" Drax asked. "Maybe being the husband to the Lady is all I want."
"It's a big estate." I added. Cause at this rate, nobody was going to say it. "All of time and space. As long as it fits in the Bag Or the HAVEN."
The Doctor hummed. "Aren't you supposed to ask me for the Lady's hand?"
"That would imply she couldn't give me her own hand." Drax held out his hand. I grabbed it, squeezing tight. His mind felt like 'everything nice' from Powerpuff Girls. "So, Starry, being smarter than either of us, can probably figure this out. The tech she's got, the confidence in her walk. She's got that. That. What is it?"
"Je ne sais quoi." The Doctor deadpanned.
Drax shook his head, frowning. "No, not whatever that is. I don't have the words for it."
The Doctor blinked, looking so much like Nine for a minute that I nearly fell to the ground laughing. 'This one. This one?'
'Somedays are better than others.' I admitted. My thumb brushed Drax's hand. He squeezed my hand in response. 'My answer's always yes.'
'You know him that well?' The Doctor asked. 'Nothing to hide?'
'Seven years, Doctor, that's longer than I knew you.' I pointed out. He bristled at that. 'Come on. He's not that good at hiding things from me. Anymore.'
'He lied to you before. About being Loki.' The Doctor recalled.
'Yes. We agreed both of us were lying about ourselves, so we apologized for our lies and agreed to stop doing that.' I admitted. 'For seven years, we have.'
'And if he's hiding more?' The Doctor asked.
I smiled innocently at him. 'He can't.'
The Doctor sighed. "Anyway, come on. Allons-y."
"Oui, mais pas si nous allons vers un cauchemar." I replied.
The shapeshifter blinked at me, smirking in a way that might make Jack blush. "My Lady, you speak angel?"
Instead of making me blush, the response had me standing straight and waving my fingers in excitement. Drax let my hand go without complaint. "A-Actually I was speaking French. The real language of the angels is called Enochian. It's a lot harder to understand than people think. There are some parts that aren't able to be produced by a human tongue. The translations from Enochian to English don't make much sense. The jokes are less funny. Not that I said a joke- not really. I know an Enochian joke but it- the translation- It's a...okay." I dragged off, not sure where I was going with it.
Drax just nodded. He was looking at me in what I wanted to describe as awe.
"Wh-What?" I asked, confused by his expression.
"You're just-" Drax slipped his hands into his pockets. "You're so beautiful."
"Y-yeah." My hands slipped together nervously. Why was I so bashful all of a sudden?
"I don't speak French either." He admitted, with his own bashful laugh. "But I would listen to you say it forever."
My hands just fidgeted with the Bag strap. "Cou de crayon means pencil neck."
His blue eyes lit up in delight. "I want to kiss you until you can't breathe." Drax requested.
My blush reached down to my neck. Yeah it's time to work, so I should focus. Yet he looks so happy and delighted that I can't refuse. I don't want to. "Okay."
Drax came up, cupping my face in his hands before leaning in for a kiss.
'I have- these lungs- I don't need to breathe very often.'
'We can kiss for longer?' Drax asked, elated and kissing me harder. 'Been married seven years, and you keep surprising me.'
'Speaking French gets you going?' I giggled.
'No. You being you gets me going.'
"I actually like Terra breathing." The Doctor noted. "And helping."
I pulled back. Drax whined, but I patted him on the shoulder. "Back to work."
"Aww, okay."
Adjusting the Bag, I walked up to the Doctor. "Anything new?"
He pointed up ahead.
"Oh eww."
The next sand dune better have this ship over it. Drax chased me, nearly tripping. The Doctor watched us from a wide berth.
The sand dune didn't have the alien ship. Something worse was on the horizon. It stopped me in my tracks, as an ugly chill went down my spine.
I shrugged, using it to hide the shiver.
"Terra? What's wrong?" Drax asked. He scrambled after me. He looked off in the distance. "Storm clouds? That means- wait what does that mean for this place?"
"It's getting closer." The Doctor told me.
"Not a rain storm." I told Drax.
He nodded. "Right. Sand storm. Oh no, we'll be ripped to shreds. We should-"
"It's a storm. Who says it's sand?" The Doctor pointed out.
Drax's face fell. He reached for my hand. I squeezed, rubbing his palm. "Still see us getting out?"
"Don't give up hope yet." I kissed his cheek. "Come on."
==POMW==
Barclay was finishing up the bus. My hearts burst with grief. Or from the monsters coming up on the horizon, but that's unlikely. It just feels like a hundred metal bugs are crawling all over my body. It's gross.
"Where is it?" The Doctor repeated.
"I'm not giving you his phone!" I snapped.
Drax followed in behind us. "I think it fell in our seat."
"Don't give him your phone!" I scolded again. The Doctor snatched it up. I tried yanking it from him.
Drax winced. He shrugged, apologetic. "But we're not on Earth. How will he get a signal?"
The Doctor used the Sonic. "Ah, gave it your own upgrades?"
"Patched the signal through the HAVEN." I tried again to grab the phone.
The Doctor used one arm to keep me away. "Right. Now, bit of hush, thank you. Got to remember the number, very important number." He typed it in.
"Hello, Pizza Geronimo?"
The Doctor hung up. He shoved me back. Drax caught me. When I got to my feet, Drax held onto me. "And again. Ah. seven six, not six seven."
"This is the Unified Intelligence Taskforce. Please select one of the following four options. If you want to-"
The Doctor rolled his eyes. "Oh, I hate these things."
"If you keep your finger pressed on zero, you get through to a real person. I saw it on Watchdog." Angela suggested.
The Doctor did so. "Thank you, Angela."
"UNIT helpline. Which department would you like?"
"Listen, it's the Doctor. It's me." The Doctor said.
As the Doctor got access to Captain Magambo, Drax spoke in my head.
'Starry, what's wrong with him holding the phone?' Drax asked. 'It's a phone.'
'It's your WORK phone.'
'Yeah?'
'UGH! And I don't trust him with our work!'
Drax considered that. 'Can we trust him for one phone call?'
It's not fair. That phone being in his hands is a security risk. What if Freddie texts about his status, or Darcy? I don't like this risk.
Drax reached up. He held my shoulder, squeezing. I let out a breath.
The hold music switched off.
"Doctor? This is Captain Erisa Magambo. Might I say, sir. It's an honor."
The Doctor frowned. "Did you just salute?"
"…No."
"Erisa, it's about the bus. HQ said you're at the tunnel, yeah?" The Doctor asked.
"And where are you?" Magambo asked.
"I'm on the bus. But apart from that, not a clue, except it's very pretty and pretty dangerous." The Doctor reported.
"A body came through here. Have you sustained any more fatalities?" Magambo asked.
"No, and we're not going to, but I'm stuck. I haven't got the TARDIS, and I need to analyze that wormhole." The Doctor explained.
"We have a scientific advisor on site. Doctor Malcolm Taylor. Just the man you need. He's a genius." Magambo said.
"Oh, is he? We'll see about that." The Doctor snarked. He looked at me. "Anyone can call themselves a genius."
I nodded, forcing my lips in a line. Watching him hold the phone made my hearts race. It's fine. It's fine. Rocket won't text. He won't. The odds of that happening right now-
I pulled out my work phone. Freddie's texts were recent, mission orders and nothing deeper.
Me: If you text Drax right now, I will kill you 100%
"It's the Doctor." Magambo said.
"No, I'm all right now, thanks. It was just a bit of a sore throat. Although I've got to be honest, a cup of tea might be nice." Malcolm Taylor replied.
"It's the Doctor." Magambo clarified.
The Doctor rolled his eyes, impatiently. He glanced at me. A new message popped up on my phone.
Rocket: I was just wondering if he was dead or in jail. How did you know I was gonna reach out?
Me: 10 has the phone
Rocket: oh that's way worse.
Rocket: does he still think I'm dead?
The tension seeped out of my shoulders. Drax continued squeezing them, stepping closer to hug my side.
"Do you mean the Doctor Doctor?" Malcolm asked.
"I know. We all want to meet him one day, but we all know what that day will bring." Magambo replied.
"I can hear everything you're saying." The Doctor pointed out.
"Hello, Doctor? Oh, my goodness!" Malcolm cheered.
"Yes, I am. Hello, Malcolm."
"The Doctor. Cor blimey. I can't believe I'm actually speaking to you. I mean, I've read all the files." Malcolm admitted.
"Really? What was your favorite, the giant robot?" The Doctor asked, delighted. He shook himself out of it. Drax snorted. "No, no, hold on. Let's sort out that wormhole. Excuse me." He stood up, making his way to the front of the bus.
I went after him. Drax grabbed my arm. I turned, glaring. 'Keep the passengers from following us.'
Drax nodded. He blocked the path between the passengers and the driver's seat. I went up to the Doctor's side. That phone isn't leaving my reach ever.
"Malcolm, something's not making sense here. I've got a storm and a wormhole, and I can't help thinking there's a connection." I leaned against the guard rail. "I need a complete full range analysis of that wormhole. The whole thing."
"Well, I've probably got the wrong idea, but I've wired up an integrator. I thought it could measure the energy signature." Malcolm suggested.
"No. No, no, no, no, no. That'll never work." The Doctor dismissed the idea. "Listen."
"It's quite extraordinary, though. I'm measuring an oscillation of fifteen Malcolms per second." Malcolm cheered.
The Doctor blinked. "Fifteen what?"
"Fifteen Malcolms. It's my own little term. A wavelength parcel of ten kilohertz operating in four dimensions equals one Malcolm." Malcolm explained.
The Doctor squinted. "You named a unit of measurement after yourself?"
"Well, it didn't do Mister Watt any harm. Furthermore, one hundred Malcolms equals a Bernard." Malcolm explained.
"And who's that? Your dad?" The Doctor joked.
"Don't be ridiculous. That's Quatermass."
"And I'm done." I yanked the phone from his hand.
"Oi!"
"We were both gonna die of old age." I snarked, tilting my head to the phone. "Hello Malcolm. Terra Stardust here."
"Oh! His companion! But I thought it was Johnson-?"
"You're very smart, did you set the scanner to register what it can't detect?" I asked.
"Well, yes, and then I inverted the image." Malcolm said.
"You did what?" The Doctor spoke up.
"Is that wrong?" Malcolm asked.
"Nope, that's the correct thing to do."
"Terra, that's brilliant." The Doctor praised. "So he can actually measure the wormhole."
"He was already doing it, I started nothing." I reminded, deadpan.
The Doctor was still smiling. "Okay. I admit that is genius."
"The Doctor called me a genius."
"I know. I heard."
"Good! Then run a capacity scan. Full report at earliest convenience." I ordered.
"Of course, Ma'am!"
"Malcolm!" The Doctor called out. "You're our new best friend."
"And you're mine too, Sir." Malcolm beamed.
I hung up. "Bee! I'm holding the phone now."
"But it's mine-" Drax started. I raised an eyebrow. "-fine. Fine! I said fine. It's fine. I don't need it."
I tucked the phone in my bag. It'll ring when Malcolm is ready, and I know when Malcolm will be ready. Alone, I left the bus.
The storm still waited way off in the distance.
==POMW==
The phone is old, yes. It's kept together by replacement parts. Old junk from various worlds crammed together to keep an old Motorola flip phone working.
Somehow, the camera is the least functioning part. Taking pictures is better with a camera.
I plucked out my Sonic. It buzzed, pressed up against the camera. It's a quick fix that can hopefully last until we make it back to the HAVEN. My husband deserves a work phone that can take pictures. What if he sees a cute dog? Or another orphan? Or a butterfly on a flower? Or another orphan?
The Doctor brought out his sonic. "Need any help?"
"No, it's good." I snapped a picture of the storm. "Sending to Malcolm now."
"See? Told you she'd say that." Drax chuckled. He's probably ruffling his hair too. He knows I'm trying to focus on the storm, and yet he's being cute out of sight. "She wouldn't accept any help if she were on fire. You know what she'd say if that happened? Something like-"
"I very much planned on being on fire. It's not a concern."
Our family supersuits needed to be fire resistant. I was testing the materials against dragon flame, which was needed. Imagine using Lilac's magic fire to teleport, and our clothes didn't make the trip. Humiliating.
His shadow was at my side. He gestured at me.
I glared at him from over my shoulder.
He smiled.
That's not fair. It's physically illegal to be that fucking cute. I turned away.
"Is that metal?" The Doctor walked up beside me. He pointed to the horizon.
The storm of giant metal robots glinted randomly. The three suns shined. Sometimes, they hit the creatures in a way to reflect.
They buzzed in my mind. The intent of a beast. A collective hoard that only wanted to eat.
Eat. Eat. Hungry. So hungry. Hungry. Eat. Must eat. Food. Food ahead. Food.
"Yes." I texted Malcolm the picture. Let him deal with these things. My mind can focus on more important stuff.
I turned around. Drax stood there, watching with a content smile. So I ignored him to look out on the dunes.
"Terra?" The Doctor started. "You see something?"
Drax tilted his head. "Yeah? Me?"
I giggled, but gently moved him aside. "We have company."
Drax tensed.
At that moment, the Tritovore came out from behind the dunes. They raised a gun to our heads.
The Doctor chittered. The TARDIS was on another planet on the other side of the universe, which made translating very difficult. I hummed, disappointed. The alien paused. "That's wait. I shout wait, people usually wait."
"You speak the language?" Drax asked.
"Every language." The Doctor replied. 'Terra can you-?'
'TARDIS is too far.'
The Doctor nodded. 'Great time to learn.' He chittered again. "That's begging for mercy."
The Tritovore gestured with the gun.
"That means move." Drax added in a voice that begged for me to whack him upside the head.
"Oh, he can be taught." The Doctor mocked.
I glared at the Doctor.
We did obey the instruction. The Tritovore guided us down the dune in a new direction.
Drax beamed. "I had a good teacher." He looked at me, proud.
I'm letting him have that.