Chase The Wind: Doctor Who/Studio C [Book 1]

Human Nature (Part 2)

Four—no, wait a minute, three: No getting involved in big historical events.

Mallory had found, in the past few weeks, that she preferred Jenny's upbeat personality to Joan's proper, mild-mannered way of thinking. Later that night, she found herself outside the village pub, hands clasped tightly around a mug of hot apple cider, while her friend was drinking something decidedly stronger. "Oh, it's freezing out here," she said. "Dunno why we can't drink inside."

"Now, don't get ridiculous, you do get these notions!" Jenny exclaimed. "It's all very well for those Suffragettes, but that's London, that's miles away."

"I just want to scream sometimes," said Mallory. "The way we're treated, like we're less then them. Don't you just want to smack some of them upside the head? Like those two boys, Baines and Hutchinson, I don't think there's ever been an hour in my life that went by slower then when I had to watch them this afternoon. Worth it, though, to have them actually do some real work."

"I dunno," Jenny said with a slight smile. "Things must be different where you're from."

"A lot different," Mallory said with a longing sigh. "At least I'm not staying here."

"You keep saying that."

"One more month," Mallory said. "One more month and we're free to go anywhere. I wish you could come, Jenny, you'd adore it."

"Where are you gonna go?" the other woman said, before cutting herself off. "Oh, Mr. Meese! What are you doing out here?"

"Can't let my wife freeze to death two days after I finally got around to marrying her, can I?" Matt took the seat beside Mallory and she tried to bury the pang of longing at the affection—dare she say love—firmly infused in his voice, knowing it was all part of the act. "And we're all friends here, it's just Matthew."

"Suppose so, sir," Jenny said.

"No sirs, either," he told her, wrapping an arm around Mallory's shoulders. Despite herself, she pressed up against him; it was cold out and he was remarkably warm. After a moment, he turned and kissed her cheek. Her breath caught, and it took her a second to make out the words he murmured in her ear. "I need to speak to you. Alone. It's about the Doctor."

She nodded, but quickly was distracted by Jenny's quiet sigh. "Oh, you two. You give me hope that love's not dead in the world."

"Suppose it's not," Matt said, though there was something deeper underneath his words that Mallory couldn't help but catch.

"Anyways, were you saying? Where are you gonna go?" Jenny asked again.

"Anywhere," Mallory told her. She glanced up at the night sky. "Imagine you could go to those stars, Jenny."

"You don't say half mad things!" said Jenny, with a laugh.

"That's where we're going," Matt said softly. As they looked, a bright green light flared through the sky, before disappearing again. "Hold up, did you see that?"

"See what?" Jenny asked.

"Yeah," Mallory said breathlessly. "I saw it. Right there, just for a second."

"I say you're mad, the pair of you," Jenny said. "There's nothing there."

The two travelers exchanged glances.

Just a few minutes later, all three turned at the sound of pounding, running footsteps. "Joan, are you all right?" Mallory asked in alarm, getting to her feet once she recognized the other woman.