Touch The Sky: Doctor Who/Studio C [Book 3]

Truth Exposed

Truth Exposed

(Original Interlude)

A/N: Going on hiatus after this chapter to work out the next arc. Not sure how long. I do have a new story out to keep you guys entertained in the meantime if you haven't checked out The Six Inch Rule yet.

She was okay.

It seemed impossible, after everything that had happened today—knocked out, cloned, nearly blown up, almost drowning in an alien bog—but she was okay, and the Doctor had assured her that, against the odds, so was the baby.

Mallory pushed open a familiar door, finding her old room on the other side. She dropped her shoes by the door, did her best to avoid dropping now-flaking mud on the floor, and headed for the bathroom.

While her bedroom was unchanged, the bathroom had been rearranged, a massive soaker tub now along one wall that immediately influenced her original plan for a shower. She laid a hand to the wall, sending up a silent thanks, and was rewarded with a pleased hum.

She let out a sigh and turned on the tub's faucet, trying to ignore the flood of nostalgia. She'd missed the TARDIS and everything it entailed, but today had been absolute proof of why she couldn't go back. It wasn't just her anymore, because it a few short months she was going to be a mother and she couldn't take the risk of getting herself killed under some alien sky.

Especially since it seemed the man she'd married in another lifetime had no inclination to be part of her life again.

With another tired exhale, Mallory slipped into the bath and found herself, a few minutes later, dozing off.

~~~

Something like two hours passed before Matt started to get worried. He hadn't felt the TARDIS land, so either Mallory was still on board or he'd somehow missed her leaving completely. He wasn't sure which was worse.

He finally made his way into the console room and found the Doctor, unsurprisingly, stretched out under the console. "You haven't dropped Mal off yet, have you?"

"No," the Time Lord said. "Actually, tell you what, go ask her if she wants to have dinner before she leaves. I've got a spot in mind."

"Can you have Donna do it?" Matt asked, trying not to sound too sullen.

"Donna's not here," the Doctor said sharply. "Actually, if you see her, tell her too."

"All right, all right," Matt said, turning and trying to quell the apprehension rising in him.

He found her door quicker than he expected—apparently the TARDIS wasn't going to give him much chance to brace himself. Tentatively, he knocked twice, and heard her invite him in.

Mallory was facing away from him when he stepped inside, wearing a fluffy white bathrobe that fell to her knees and with her hair up in a high ponytail. "Need something?"

"The Doctor wanted to know if you wanted to have dinner before you go home."

"Mm, yes," she said. "I'm starving and I know I'll have a monster debriefing from UNIT. I don't want to do that on an empty stomach." She finally turned and he tried desperately not to stare, not at bare legs or curves he'd never had a chance to explore or a face that absolutely fit the 'pregnant glow' stereotype. "Oh, as long as it's not that place on Cetyi V, I was sick for two days after that."

"I remember," he said softly. He wasn't used to her babbling at him—that was usually his distraction technique, and having it turned back around on him was disconcerting, to say the least. If she was in the mood to chatter, though, maybe he could coax something out of her. "Why were there two of you back in the factory?"