Ties Between Freedom and Love

✦05✦

Chapter Five
Flash Doubt

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Emma stopped in the furthest hallway she could find, she inhaled and exhaled deep breathes as she stared out of the window. Orange and yellow flames engulfed the Earth, and all she could think about was how everyone she knew and loved was long dead. Everyone except her angel dad and the rest of her angel family.

A squeaking of sneakers on a polished wood floor ripped her out of her thoughts and back into reality where she was on a spaceship waiting for the Earth to implode.

Emma spun around and saw a few feet away stood one of the ship's workers, a girl, she was pretty and she looked about just as startled as Emma felt.

"Sorry, am I allowed to be in here?" Emma asked and the girl darted her eyes back and forth as if looking for someone else Emma was talking to but when she saw she was the only one there she quietly said.

"You have to give us permission to talk."

She looked at Emma expectantly and Emma stuttered slightly, "Uh... umm. Okay, I... give you permission?" she said but it came out sounding more like a question.

But nevertheless, the girl smiled, "Thank you. And no," she shook her head, "you're not in the way. Guests are allowed anywhere," she reassured before stepping in front of the wall's control panel.

"Okay."

Emma walked up behind her and leaned her arm on the closest corner wall as she watched the worker do whatever she came down here to do.

"What's your name?" Emma politely asked.

"Ruffalo."

"Ruffalo," Emma said trying out the name with a smile, "it's a pretty name."

"Thank you, Miss," she replied shyly, "I won't be long," she reassured, as she pressed another button on the panel. "I've just got to carry out some maintenance. There's a tiny little glitch in the Face of Boe's suite," Ruffalo explained. "There must be a blockage in the system, he's not getting any hot water."

"So you're a plumber?" Emma asked.

"That's right, Miss."

Emma smiled in amazement, "You still have plumbers?"

Ruffalo laughed, "I hope so, else I'd be out of a job."

"Where are you from?"

"Crespallion."

"That's a planet, isn't it?" Emma asked and Ruffalo stopped unscrewing the grate on the vent to look at her with a kind smile.

"No. Crespallion's a part of the Jaggitt Brocade, affiliated to the Scarlet Junction, Convex 56," she explained and Emma stared at her in confusion before simply just nodding like she understood every word. "And where are you from, Miss?" Ruffalo asked before quickly adding, "if you don't mind me asking that is."

"No, of course not," Emma shook her head, "Um... I'm not really sure," she lied. "A long way away. I just sort of hitched a ride with this man and I dragged my best friend with me. I didn't even think it through properly," Emma admitted. "I just did it. I don't even know who he is, he's a complete stranger."

It was like everything from the last couple of hours all came rushing back to her, along with her common sense. She left London, she left Jackie. She dragged Rose along with her. Neither one of her dads know where she is. What the hell was she thinking?! Right, she wasn't.

Emma quickly snapped out of her existential panic and politely smiled, "Anyway, don't let me keep you from your work. Good luck with it. It was nice meeting you, Ruffalo," she said as she started walking away.