As Brittle As Quicksilver (Fourth in The Creators Saga)

Voyage of the Damned

The Alchemist snorted loudly. Though she might have looked like she had money based on the glossy white wide-shouldered shirt and black skirt she wore and the silver rhinestone pins she used to keep her hair in its messy bun, rich was not the first word that came to mind when she thought of herself and the Doctor. "Not quite."

"Haven't got a penny," the Doctor said with a wide grin, then whispered, "stowaways."

Astrid's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. "Kidding!"

"Seriously."

"No!"

"Oh, yeah," he nodded.

"How did you get onboard?"

"Accident," the Alchemist answered. "We're still trying to determine whose fault it was, but long story short, we bumped into you guys and we saw a party, so . . . "

"Why not?" the Doctor grinned.

"I should report you," Astrid looked between the two of them.

"OK," the Alchemist said easily, checking her teal nails. "Let us know when the stewards come to arrest us, will you?"

Astrid finally smiled. "I'll get you drinks, on the house," she promised, leaving.

"You charmer, you," the Doctor beamed at the Alchemist, kissing the top of her head.

"Well, one of us has to be," she smirked up at him.

He laughed, and the Alchemist frowned when she heard another group of people laugh as well. She looked over her shoulder to see a well-dressed group of people laughing at a large couple wearing purple cowboy outfits, both of whom were obviously trying to ignore them, mostly to no avail. "Come on," she took the Doctor's hand and dragged him over.

"Just ignore them," the man was saying to the woman.

"Something's tickled them," the Alchemist looked at the group over her shoulder as they sat down.

"They told us it was fancy dress," the woman looked down at her outfit. "Very funny, I'm sure."

"They're just picking on us because we haven't paid," the man said. "We won our tickets in a competition."

"I had to name the five husbands of Joofie Crystalle in By the Light of the Asteroid. Did you ever watch By the Light of the Asteroid?"

The Time Lords frowned, thinking. "That had the twins, yeah?" the Alchemist finally asked.

"That's it!" the woman nodded. "Oh, it's marvelous!"

"But we're not good enough for that lot," the man scowled. "They think we should be in steerage."

The Alchemist narrowed her eyes, but the Doctor put his hand on her arm. "Well, we can't have that, can we?" he asked innocently, leaning back in his chair.

The Alchemist knitted her eyebrows, staring at him, but he just winked and casually crossed his arms. She heard a buzz, and suddenly the cork popped out of the champagne bottle on the table behind them, spraying alcohol all over the group's expensive clothes. They shrieked like little girls, and the Alchemist had to put her hands over her mouth, she was laughing so hard. The Doctor sat up again, mischief dancing in his eyes. The duo in cowboy outfits just stared at them. "Did you do that?" the woman asked.

"Maybe," the Doctor smirked smugly, holding up his sonic screwdriver.

"We like you," the woman grinned.

"We do," the man nodded, holding out his hand. "I'm Morvin Van Hoff. This is my good woman, Foon."

"Nice to meet you," the Alchemist smiled, shaking the woman's hand.