Our Story

Chapter 27: Packing Up

They stared at each other a moment, neither quite ready to believe they'd found each other. But it was only a moment, because at the same time they both leapt forward, running to each other. His arms crashed around her as she wrapped hers around his waist, holding him tight. They kissed like two people who hadn't seen each other in ages. Though for the Doctor it had only been eight hours, thirty-four minutes, and twenty-nine seconds. Not that he was counting. For her—

He pulled back, staring into the depths of her deep blue eyes. "How long? How long have you been here?"

Her chest heaved as she caught her breath, trying to keep up with the excitement and running she'd become unaccustom to since coming here, and with the amazing kiss they'd just shared. She whispered, "One year, four months, twelve days, 10 hours, and forty-eight seconds."

Oh, Telana... he whispered into her mind as his hands came to her cheeks and he pulled her into another deep kiss.

Theta...

A throat clearing beside them brought them back to reality, and they broke away from the kiss, but the Doctor didn't let her go far, resting his head gently against hers.

"How long for you?" she whispered.

He sighed. "Only eight hours, thirty-nine minutes...and twelve seconds. But it was the longest eight hours of my life, Archie. I'm so sorry I couldn't come back sooner. But as soon as we found your book, we came to the closest time we could manage and we've been looking all day here around the city, and—"

"It's okay, it's okay, Doctor." She rested a hand gently on his cheek. "You're here now, that's what matters."

"But, can't we go back earlier, like we said? Now that she can tell us how far back to go?" Donna asked.

"No," the Archivist spoke as she leaned back, before the Doctor could speak. "I'm not taking any chances."

"Chances of what?" Shaun asked.

"Alien invasion, another Weeping Angel, tripping off the sidewalk into oncoming traffic..."

Jack's eyebrow lifted in curiosity. "Seriously?"

The Archivist looked at Jack. "Seriously. I'm not letting this man out of my sight, or out of my reach, for a good long while. The past one and a half years has already happened for me. I'm not chancing something happening and it being even longer instead of shorter." She turned her gaze back on the Doctor. Looking him right in the eyes as she spoke. "We're good. You're here. I'm not letting you go."

A very small part of him wanted to argue, wanted to attempt to make the time they were apart shorter for her. But a much bigger part of him agreed—it wasn't worth the risk, not when he had her in his arms now. "Alright. That's that then. Let's get you back to the TARDISes. They're going to be so happy to see you."

"I need to pick up my things from my apartment—well, it's not really an apartment, it's a room. But my things are all there and I can't leave without them."

"Alright, then." The Doctor released his grip from around her waist, but his hand slipped down to hers and held it tight. "We'll meet the rest of you back at the TARDIS after we pick up her things."

"There's only one problem," the Archivist said, chewing at the corner of her lip.

"What's that?"

"The house I live in—the owner, she has a strict 'no men allowed' policy. Even if I convince her you're my husband whose been gone trying to find work, I'm not sure she'll let you in."

The Doctor frowned. He truly didn't want to let go of her hand. They were already going to have to re-tie the ceremonial ribbon as soon as they got back to the TARDIS, but that didn't mean he wanted to let go of her now that he had her in his arms. After another moment of thought, he decided, "All right. Donna, come with us. If I have to let her out of my sight, I want someone else I trust implicitly by her side while she's packing up."