"Clara's choice," the Doctor announces, scribbling something on a chalkboard beside Peyton who sits slumped in an armchair reading a book on atomic fission, ignoring a dull ache above her right eye that had been on and off for the past two weeks. "Wherever, whenever, anywhere in time and space."
"Well..." Clara begins, Peyton watches over the top of her book as the woman circles the console below. "There is something, someone I've always wanted to meet. But I know what you'll say."
"Try me," the Doctor challenges without looking away from his work.
"You'll say he's made up, that there is no such thing."
This gets the Doctor's attention, turning to lean on the balcony railing. "Go on."
Peyton sticks a bookmark into her book, now just as curious.
"It's Robin Hood!" She squeals excitedly.
"Robin Hood?" The Doctor echoes.
"Yeah!" Clara smiles, running up the staircase toward them. "I love that story. I've always loved it, ever since I was little."
"Robin Hood, the heroic outlaw," Peyton chuckles, leaning back against the railing as Clara places herself between the two Time Lords. "Who robs from the rich and gives to the poor."
"Yeah!" Clara giggles wistfully.
"He's made up. There's no such thing," the Doctor glares at her.
"Ugh, you see?" Clara rolls her eyes.
"Old-fashioned heroes only exist in old-fashioned storybooks, Clara," the Doctor says, grabbing an old leather-bound tome from the shelf.
"And what about you two?"
"Us?" Peyton frowns.
"Yeah, you two," Clara turns to watch the Doctor put the book back and wander away. "You both stop bad things happening every minute of every day that sounds pretty heroic to me."
"Just passing the time." the Doctor shrugs, pulling a spoon from God knows where and lifting it to his mouth.
"Hey, what about Mars?" Peyton changes the topic.
"What?"
"The Ice Warrior Hives!" She encourages.
"He said it was my choice!"
"Or the Tumescent Arrows of the Half-Light!" The Doctor supplies. "Those girls can hold their drink!"
"Doctor-"
"And fracture fifteen different levels of reality simultaneously. I think I've got a Polaroid somewhere," the Doctor continues, gesturing with his spoon and sending a wink over Clara's should to Peyton who cringes at the memory.
"Doctor!" Clara yells as jumps down the stairs. "My choice! Robin Hood. Show me!"
"Very well," the Doctor sighs, much to Peyton's surprise.
Peyton and Clara follow him down to the console, standing on either side of the Time Lord by the monitor.
"Earth. England. Sherwood Forest," the Doctor drawls as he inputs the coordinates. "1190 AD... ish."
He nods to Peyton who then preps the Vortex Stabilisers before resting a hand on the Dematerialisation Lever.
"But you're probably going to be disappointed."
Peyton pulls the lever down and the Tardis groans into action, dials spin and lights flash as the time machine hurtles through the vortex.
• • •
YOU ARE READING
The Time Lord's Apprentice
Fanfiction"But, you're impossible!" "Yeah, and the world is ending, I don't think now is the time." Peyton is an orphan, taken from her mother as an infant by the Unified Intelligence Taskforce. She is raised separately from other children because she is spec...
