Once Upon a Time Lord

Chapter Twelve

                  "Illustration" by Moi

Jane was confused.  Honestly, there was nothing about Killian that she understood.  He was a pirate, that much she knew, but he didn't act like one.  Heck, he didn't even have a crew.  And weren't pirates supposed to be uneducated?  Have wooden legs, missing eyes, and a crude way about them?  But Killian wasn't that at all.  Killian was handsome, and whole, and clever.  He had the way of a prince more so than a pirate.

Jane shook her head and pushed away from the wall.  Killian wasn't important.  All that mattered was getting—

"Uhmph!"  Jane ran straight into Lucy as she walked out the door.

"Oh!" Lucy exclaimed.  "I'm so sorry!  I was just—I mean, I saw Killian go into the room with you and I was going to leave you alone to... do whatever you were going to do.  But then he left, and you weren't with him so I just wanted to—"

Jane put her hand over Lucy's mouth.  "It's fine."

Lucy beamed as Jane put her hand down.  "Sooo?  How was it?"

"How was what?" Jane asked.

"The kiss!" Lucy exclaimed.

"He didn't kiss me," Jane said.

Lucy rolled her eyes.  "You're hysterical.  Seriously, tell me.  Is he a good kisser?  The Doctor is a magnificent kisser."

"TMI," Jane said.

"Come on," Lucy said, jumping up and down.  "I want details.  Is he or Peter a better kisser?"

"I already told you, he didn't kiss me."

Lucy examined her face.  "Oh my gosh.  He really didn't kiss you."

Jane threw her head back.  "Why do I even talk?"

"But why?" Lucy asked.

"Well, I feel a bit repetitive saying this, but we're still not dating."

Lucy opened her mouth to say something and paused, a sly grin creeping onto her face.

"Be right back," she said, dashing off in the direction Killian had gone.  It had happened so suddenly that it took Jane a moment before she understood what she was doing, but when she did she gasped and was about to run after her when the Doctor appeared by her side.

"Where's she going now?" he asked.

"She's—ugh.  She's going to find Killian and make him kiss me."

The Doctor raised his eyebrows.  "Talk about the direct approach."

"Right?  I've got to go."

"Wait!" the Doctor called after her as she started to run down the hall.  Jane glanced over at him as they ran.

"What?"

"Stop Lucy, sure, but I think maybe you should leave Killian alone for a bit."

"You're telling me.  Lucy's the only one that even wants us to kiss."  The Doctor gave her a skeptical look as they emerged into the control room.  Neither Lucy nor Killian were anywhere to be seen.

"That's not totally true, is it?" the Doctor said.

"What isn't?"

"That Lucy's the only one that wants you and Killian to be together."

"What, you too?" Jane said as she fumbled with the door.  The Dcotor snapped his fingers and they flew open.  Jane shot out like a racehorse at the sound of a gun.

The Doctor laughed.  "Maybe I do, but that's not what I meant."

"I don't ship it, if that's what you mean," Jane said.  "Pun not intended."

Without words they had both headed toward the Hollow.

"Also not true, but I was talking about Killian."

"Killian doesn't like me," Jane said, starting to run out of breath.

"You're right," the Doctor said, causing Jane to look over at him in confusion.  "Killian adores you."

"If that's true, why hasn't he kissed me?" Jane said, regretting the words immediately.  They had even sounded petty in her head.  Lucy's talk about what "should have" happened by now was evidently messing with her.

The Doctor looked at her strangely.  "Surely you don't mean that.  I took you for a girl that can understand love beyond the purely physical."

"No, you're right, it's just that earlier he almost did, and then he..." Jane slowed her running.  "I think I'm a little lightheaded, is all."

"Here, rest awhile," the Doctor said.  "D'you want me to go after her?" 

Jane shook her head.  "No, that's alright.  You're probably tired too."

The Doctor jumped up and down, testing his stamina.  "No, actually."

Jane's gasps for air slowly regulated.  "Sorry for stopping you.  I'm atrociously out of shape."

"You look quite good, actually," the Doctor said.  Jane gave him a look that was halfway between confused and annoyed.

"Hey, I have a girlfriend," the Doctor said.  "I'm not hitting on you, if that's what you took it for."

Jane rolled her eyes, smiling.  "You're all right, Doctor."

"Shall we go?" he asked.  "We still might catch up."

Jane glanced in the direction of the Hollow and shook her head.  "This is silly schoolgirl stuff.  Wanna go to the beach?"

The Doctor shrugged.  "You know, why not?"

When they reached the beach, Jane nodded at a spot in the sand.  "That's where Peter kissed me."

This was news to the Doctor, but he didn't act too surprised.  "Does Killian know?"

Jane nodded.  "He took it better than I thought he would, actually."

"To his credit, he doesn't overreact about much," the Doctor agreed, staring over the beach where the sun was just barely dawning over the horizon.

"So you're really going to take Lucy traveling after all this is over?" Jane asked.

The Doctor nodded.  "I'd like to, yes.  If she'd go with me.

Jane smiled.  "I don't think you'll have any problems convincing her there."

A/N: Illustration featuring clarifying notes on intent :)

So I'm back! Thank you all for hanging on during that huge break--my parents decided to extend our vacation two weeks longer than expected, making me a breaker of promises to you guys in the update department. At least no one is exactly holding their breath for the next installment of basically the cheesiest work of all time :) That's the main bonus of writing stuff like this.

Thanks for reading!