Can't Love You {Sequel to "Not Sherlock Holmes"}

Chapter Twenty-Three

Benedict's POV

After we watch the Doctor leave, we are all very quiet. We work around camp and tend to the wounded and console the people with now-dead friends and family. But it's all very depressing work. Our only hope just flew away in a blue box, and we have no idea if he'll ever come back.

Maggie approaches while I am starting a fire.

"So, you saved my life." She's looking at me curiously, but I try to keep it light.

"Did I?" I smirk, but she remains serious.

"You realize that I am now forever indebted to you?" I shrug.

"There's no need for that."

"But you saved my life." I stand and lay down my tools.

"And I would do it again in a heartbeat, dear Maggie." There's something achingly familiar about her, and I realize she's like a young Veronica. Always saying what's on her mind; not caring what anybody thinks. On impulse, I kneel down and hug the child. She puts her own arms around me uncertainly.

"What was that for?" she whispers, and I just shake my head.

"I'm glad you are alright."

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I see Veronica heading out into the woods with an ax, and I follow.

My original intent was to simply inform her that we need no more wood; I had just got a nice fire going. But I realize she's not coming out here for wood.

"Go away, Ben!" she calls out harshly, and I chuckle.

"Somebody needs to make sure you don't kill yourself!" She harrumphs and continues on without looking at me, and I almost have to jog to keep up as she traipses through the trees.

"I don't need you," she insists. She comes to a tree that she apparently finds satisfactory, and she begins carelessly hacking away at it. "I don't need you!" I stand and watch, and mid swing, she looks at me. "Wipe that expression off your face!" She let's the ax fall. "You know, you're really annoying sometimes. It's the end of the freaking world, and you've got that stupid teasing look on your face. Well guess what: WE'RE ALL GOING TO DIE!" Veronica swings at the tree again.

"We can't lose hope." She laughs.

"Ha! Hope? How do you even have any of that left? We have no reason to hope. We're doomed! Doomed to die in these stinking woods. Doomed to be slaughtered by the Soldiers, by those aliens - we are nothing!" She continues to hack, and I'm impressed to find a considerable chunk of the tree now gone.

"I'm so tired of this, Ben! I don't want to do this anymore. I don't want to lead. I don't want this on my shoulders!" She screams as she swings a few more times, then drops the ax to the ground. Her shoulders shake as she falls. "I don't want this, Ben," she cries. I kneel next to her slowly and I put my arms around her. She stiffens, but she doesn't pull away.

"I know this is hard. And I'm so sorry I haven't been here for you all these years. If I could go back and change it, I would." She sniffles.

"But if the Doctor hadn't saved you, you'd be dead." I shrug.

"I just can't stand knowing that you've suffered and I haven't been here to ease your burdens." It's like Veronica loses all of her will, and she falls limply into my arms. I cradle her, and her green eyes gaze up into mine.

"It's not your fault," she whispers. A few more tears streak down her face, and I wipe the wetness away with my free hand. She pauses. "You know, this would be when the boy kisses the girl." Now it's my turn to freeze.

"Are you sure that's best?" I finally ask. Because of course I want to kiss her. But the last thing I want to do is hurt her. She shrugs.

"We're all going to die anyway." She doesn't even finish the sentence. I silence her with a soft kiss. It is small and gentle and full of tears, hers and mine. She looks up at me, and for the first time, there's no hurt or hatred or pain reflected in them. She's 18 again, naive and young and beautiful.