ashes ➝ Doctor Who²

XV

"Such sweet music shows your blood to be afire."
- Lilith, The Shakespeare Code

"I still think it's a dumb idea."

Penelope paced around her room, refusing to look properly at Jasper as he held the vortex manipulator. He was giving her a look that somehow made her feel guilty.

"You haven't had a chance to grieve yet. And the higher ups think you should take some time off to cope and to stop you from drowning yourself in work. We both know you don't deal with death in the best way."

"I resent that statement."

"Penelope you literally cried every time a flower came on screen. It's not healthy to bottle it all up but I know you will anyway. So bottle it up somewhere fun and then come to me once you've blown off some steam." He held out the piece of equipment in her direction. Which forced her to stop pacing, this, in turn, stopped the clicking of her heels which was the only other sound in the heavy atmosphere. Crossing her arms tightly, she reluctantly took it from him and gestured with it.

"We still don't know if it works properly. I took it off a dead body for Christ's sake. It could be dangerous."

"It could be, or it could take you to see Love's Labour's Lost. I know you've been reading it cause you left it in my apartment again." Penelope looked away and cursed quietly. She had been reading it and couldn't remember where exactly she had last fallen asleep whilst holding it. Of course it was at Jasper's, just her luck.

"I don't need it."

"Yes you do. It doesn't have to be for a long time. Just go and see Shakespeare and come back when you're ready. How bad can 1595 be anyway?"

"Love's Labour's Lost was first shown in 1599."

"See you even know when to go to."

She dropped it on the table and turned away from him, eyes scanning the details of Mary McCrimmon's portrait. She's sure that she knows every stroke of that painting now. He walks round to her, blocking the painting and leaning over to pick up the vortex manipulator.

As he did Penelope was able to watch him close, without him really knowing.

His eyes have always seemed really dark and far away, but there was a ring of a light brown around his pupil that she had never seen before. She honestly couldn't account for the last time she was this close to anyone.

He stood back up again and she looked around, trying not to acknowledge how close her friend was to her right now. He's just trying to help her. Give her a way to grieve after last time didn't go well. Jasper knows full well she would happily lay back on that sofa until he came to get her again if given the chance.

He also knows that he would come back and get her every time.

"Look, I'll show you it's safe." After punching a few buttons on the vortex manipulator, he vanished with a flash. It caused a surge of panic in Penelope's chest and she unfolded her arms, waiting for him to come back.

When he didn't in the next few seconds she circled round to her phone, praying that he was within reach to receive calls and didn't go somewhere that would kill him instantly. It didn't even ring before the phone provider claimed the phone was currently unable to take calls.

Which obviously didn't make her panic subside in the slightest. It, of course, only sent her further into a spiral.

There was a flash behind her and Jasper was grinning at her, with something in his hands that she barely even acknowledged. Her first instinct was to fling the phone at him that was still in her white hot grip. He was lucky that it was screwed to her table after last time. And yet even the deadly glare on her face didn't quiet his smile.

"If you ever do that again, you won't make it to retirement Jamie Jasper."

"I got you something." The anger burning in her chest and the back of her eyes was momentarily halted as he continued to smile at her. He held out a small book, and all she could do was put the phone back into the holder and edge forward. It was Crooked House by Agatha Christie. Arguably one of her favourites, she had lost her only copy after leaving it on the balcony for a week in the worst torrential rain she had seen in a long time.

"You caused me all that damn panic for a book."

"Not just a book. Your favourite Agatha Christie that you almost cried about after that storm. And not just that, take a look on the inside." Opening it slowly, she nearly dropped the book in surprise. There was a small inscription from Agatha Christie herself on the inside cover, it said her name and something else she couldn't quite make out from the tears blurring her vision.

"You.. never do that again." She put the book down and pulled her friend down into a hug he was happy to accept. Although it was mainly so that he couldn't see her cry. No one had done something that nice for her in the longest time.

"So," he pulled back and looked at her knowingly, taking the vortex manipulator off his arm and onto hers. "Go and enjoy the theatre and I'll be here when you get back." Nodding a little, she put in the coordinates and the date that she knows for a fact Love's Labour's Lost was performed.

"Thank you Jasper."