Child of Nowhere

The Crying Time Lady

There was something relaxing about Jack knowing my powers, as I have said before.

One great thing was that I could have him in my bedroom, knowing we wouldn't be having sex.

He had been sitting on my bed. He was squished under Hero's bunk. It was heartwarming to see. "Bunkbeds? Really?"

"Mahina loved them." I answered, letting the door close behind me.

"Mahina Jookiba, right?" Jack asked.

"Yeah." Sitting on my bed, I pushed him away with a bump of my hip. I had told him about Mahina earlier. It was freeing to not have to cleverly explain her away. "She's why I wanted to talk."

My companion took what I said in stride.

"I loved that place. Hero always got the top bunk. You know they have a Gideon's Bible? I call it Hero's Bunk. He loved climbing up the ladder, like a little red koala. I remember being so mad at my brothers whenever I saw them on the top bunk. My parents could never figure out why got me so worked up." I reminisced. My wistful smile turned to a protective growl. "Don't you dare think about touching it."

Jack held up his hands. "Yes ma'am." He got up to his feet, leaving me alone on the bunk. "How long has it been for you since you saw them?"

"One hundred forty-three years." I answered.

Jack whistled. He gave me a once over. The teasing was already in his blue eyes. He was preparing for an attack at my age.

"Don't think about it, Buttface." I warned, in the same way a sister warms a brother about climbing a tree.

The two of us laughed. It let off the stress that I hadn't known was creeping up my back.

My attention went to the homebox. It had not moved from desk since it's first night on the TARDIS.

Jack knew about it too.

"Have you looked inside it yet?" He asked, voice calm, curious, but also reassuring.

"It's hard. Emotionally." So that's a no. "I was 37 when I lost them...practically a kid. I've...been a lot of people since then. This is like..."

"Like facing your past?" Jack asked.

"Yeah."

"It's okay. Take your time, TJ." Jack gave me his patented grin. His hand brushed on my back. The hoodie was gone, a blanket for Blon, so all I had was the black tank top. "I'm not going anywhere. Neither are they."

'They're exactly where I abandoned them all those decades ago.'

"Boyfriend cancelled a date?" My words were soaked by the tears in my throat.

Jack noticed my deflection. He played along, though probably to help me relax. "Girlfriend, actually."

"Ah."

"She brought me into her bedroom." My companion went on. "Apparently she hasn't done that before. I thought it was a big deal, but nope. She wants to show me a box."

"She sounds dangerous."

"Oh she's a teddy bear."

I punched his arm.

"Come on." He bobbed his head at the box. "You need this. No point in dragging in on any further."

"Maybe I wanted to talk about something else." The words were forced out, coated in the old hurt I was feeling as new.

Jack knew that. He tilted his head, blue eyes glinting with this face of knowing. "Terra. You need the closure. There are a lot of things from my past that I still have no idea about. If one of us can get answers, I say we find them."