Doctor Who: Series A [COMPLETE]

Episode Nine: Past Lives

Even after all of the time spent wandering the TARDIS' winding, infinite corridors, Jade was still no clearer on how to navigate from one end of the ship to the other. It seemed to go on forever, shifting and changing, producing rooms she never thought she'd find in a spaceship - a pool, for instance - and on more than one occasion, the young woman had found herself calling out for a bit of assistance. The TARDIS was always happy to oblige.

When it came to finding Callum's room, however, she instinctively knew the way - or perhaps the living time machine made the route much simpler for her own devious matchmaking reasons. Regardless, there was no aimless wandering needed to find herself outside of Callum's door, knocking lightly as if they were teenagers sneaking around behind their dad's back.

Such an idea was useless in the situation; the Doctor often moseyed on by, nose stuck in a book, while she waited for Callum to open up. It was entirely innocent, of course - they just hung out, listening to music and sharing their similar experiences of Earth - so why did Jade feel like she was holding onto a precious secret?

Little did she know, that hers wasn't the only secret being held tightly to the chest. Nor did Jade or Callum realise that the books the Doctor was absorbed in each and every night all delved into one subject: cheating death.

***

"Say that again?" Jade asked, rubbing the sleep from her eyes as Callum yawned into a mug of coffee.

"The Star Gardens of Quantico Nine! I can't believe I've never thought to take you there. Oh wow, you're in for a real treat."

"Why there?" Callum asked, sleepily, "and why so early?"

"Well, it's what you do, isn't it? When you go on holiday? Part of the fun. Get up early, pack the car up, and off you pop."

The Doctor looked at his companion's blank, unimpressed expressions.

"What? Have you never...?"

"Yes, we have," Jade answered, stopping him with a firmly raised hand, "but you have an actual time machine; early mornings shouldn't be a thing we have to do. And is now the time for a holiday?"

The Doctor stopped in his tracks and plastered the biggest smile he could muster on his face.

"Why not now? Eli is behind bars, Trap Street have their cure..." his expression saddened, eyebrows and smile dropping as he asked "do you want to go home?"

Both Jade and Callum scrambled forward in protest.

"Absolutely not! What Jade means to say," Callum shot her a look, "is that, is a holiday our priority right now? Aren't there scrapes to be getting into, and evil time agents to defeat?"

The Doctor held up his fingers and counted off on them: "evil time agent? Done. Scrapes aplenty. Done. Chilling out in the Star Gardens of Quantico Nine..."

He hovered over a third finger, baiting his companions, who sighed in defeat and nodded.

"We could do with a break, I guess."

"Good, I knew I'd convince you. We're already here," the Doctor announced, flouncing his way towards the TARDIS doors.

"He's up to something," Jade said, arms folded.

"Agreed. But maybe this is what we need?" Callum replied, fighting the urge to reach an arm around Jade, or slot his fingers between hers. It really was getting unbearable being around her.

***

"Behold! The Star Gardens..."

"...Of Quantico Nine, we get it," Jade finished, still groggy from the early start.