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lizbeeChapter 2: Lots of Planets Have a Scotland
In which Livia drinks tea, covets a shiny catsuit and makes a sheer mockery of the laws of time. Oh, and she's still chasing her brother.
Prologue | Chapter 1 |
Chapter Two: Lots of Planets Have a Scotland
"Livia!"
The Doctor appeared. He was a short, solid man now, with dark hair and a kind face. "Livia," he repeated, "this is Jamie--" the Scotsman, having pulled himself to his feet and rearranged his kilt, said, "We've met," and the Doctor continued, "and this is Zoe--" a pretty girl wearing the shiniest catsuit Livia had ever seen waved from the other side of the console, "and we've ... well, we've been expecting you."
"You said a friend would be dropping in," said Jamie. "I didn't realise you meant it."
"Sorry," said Livia, blushing again.
"Ah, no harm done."
"Do you have my brother?" Livia asked the Doctor. His face fell.
"Well," he said, his fingers resting on his lips, "not as such."
"But he's the other end of the temporal distortion!" Livia's voice cracked. Here she was, hugging nieces and crushing harmless Scotsmen, and her baby brother was lost in time, all alone. "He's just a little boy," she said. "He thinks he's a super-genius because he's so much more advanced than human children, but he still bites! And sometimes he eats crayons."
"The thing is," Zoe said, "this device--" Livia realised she was tinkering with the particle generator -- "is terribly unfocused. Your brother appeared in our time twelve hours ago, and we had no idea if you'd arrive at all!" She squinted, and blew some dust off the chronoton focusing crystal. "Fortunately," she added, "I think I know how to improve it."
"Er, yes," said the Doctor, "I'm letting Zoe have a bit of a go at it." He managed to sound simultaneously generous, apologetic and a bit humble. "She's nearly as clever as I am, you know."
"And so shiny!"
"Perhaps we should have a cup of tea while we wait?"
Livia gave him a grateful smile. This temporal chaos was seriously interfering with her dinner plans (which mostly consisted of ordering picking anchovies off her pizza and drinking something caffeinated, but she'd been looking forward to it.
"Will there be biscuits?" she asked.
"I think I could achieve biscuits," the Doctor said. "Jamie?"
"Aye," said Jamie, and followed him out of the console room in search of biscuits.
"I like the chocolate ones," Livia called after them, but there was no answer. Instead, she joined Zoe at the console.
"It's a clever design," Zoe said, "just ... careless."
"We were in a bit of a rush." Livia poked at the particle amplifier. "I love your outfit," she said.
"Thank you! It's a bit outdated, but who's to know?"
"Say it's vintage," Livia said. "Or 'retro'."
"That's a lot nicer than any of the things Jamie said about it."
"Oh, well," said Livia, "that's boys for you." Not that she had much experience with the breed, on account of how, on the rare occasions that they weren't being overprotective, her parents were probably off being unspeakably embarrassing. But she had some theories. She'd read books, and watched multiple Joss Whedon programs. And one day, hopefully before her sixtieth birthday, she might get to test some hypotheses.
"Could you hand me the wrench?" Zoe asked.
It really was an amazingly shiny outfit.
The Doctor and Jamie returned, armed with tea and three kinds of biscuits, none chocolate. Livia took three sugar biscuits and blurted out, "Your kitchen must be a bit more organised than in my time. Snack food's just not safe around my dad--"
She stopped. "Sorry. Wouldn't be the first time a family anecdote has destroyed the fabric of time and space, but Mother has very strict rules about paradoxes."
The awkward silence that followed was filled by Jamie saying, "So you travel with your family, then. That must be fun for the Doctor."
"Sort of. My mother gives him a hard time."
Livia caught the Doctor's eye He gave her a sudden warm smile and sipped his tea.
"Zoe," he said, "let's see how you're doing with that generator."
Livia was left alone with Jamie. Not properly alone, but in the conversational sense. She'd once read an article, by a journalist who'd clearly not met her parents, that said boys didn't like girls who were demonstrably more intelligent tha them. Fortunately, there would be no chance of that, with her tongue swollen and her cheeks bright red. And she hadn't even said anything stupid yet.
"So," said Jamie, "are you from very far in the Doctor's future?"
"A few, um, centuries."
"Right."
"He's a lot different, now."
"He needs looking after."
"At least he's got you, then." Livia leaned forward and said, quietly and recklessly, "he once taught me how to remember things that other people want you to forget."
Jamie stared at her as if she'd suddenly sprouted antennae and initiated an insectoid mating ritual. "What?" he said.
"Listen." Livia lowered her voice. "You start with one memory, one with a strong trigger, like a smell or a taste. Then you build everyting around that, and you keep it in your head while they're trying to make you forget. Keep the memories safe, do you understand?"
"No," said Jamie, "you're as bad as he is."
Livia beamed. "Thank you!" she said. "Just -- remember, okay?"
Any response he might have made was interrupted by the Doctor. "Finished!" he said, clapping his hands. "With any luck--"
"I wouldn't call it luck," Zoe said, "just proper logic and a bit of care."
"--You'll arrive at the same time and place as your brother." The Doctor paused. "Probably," he said.
"Right," said Livia. "If I end up scattered through the vortex in pieces..." She trailed off, considering the mental image. "Well, no harm in trying."
"Do be careful," said Zoe, and the Doctor squeezed her shoulders. Jamie said nothing, but he smiled when she caught his eye.
"Now," said Zoe, switching the generator on.
Livia jumped, and didn't look back.
to be continued
