'Anyhoo,' the Doctor clapped his hands, 'We have news about the Bilholly strange fruit.'
'You found the cure, Doctor?'
'We certainly did.
It's..' He paused.
'It's eight hours
of rest, I'm afraid.' said Michelle.
'Oh. Phooey!'
'The good news is that the DWI will prevent all manifestations, so you'll be alright until we return.'
'What? Not again! I want to talk to your family! I want to show them the town! I want to see your wedding pictures! Wait! Return from where?'
'Forgot something, didn't you?' The Doctor tapped his temple. 'Creepy guy? Big sword? We're off to the Great Regretted Dynasty of the Lesser Green continent of planet Mixtomortus to get to the bottom of this.'
'Oh, that's good, I guess. Wait! Isn't he a hallucination?'
'No, he was here all day, remember?' said the boy, Ethan. 'Uncle Doctor thinks there's no connection to the fruit; he was actually waiting for the TARDIS to arrive.'
'Oh. Can the kids
stay?' The two brightened at the suggestion and looked imploringly at
their parents.
'Ehh,' said Michelle, 'Our schedule tends to be unreliable. Bill and I would miss them terribly if there was a detour, you know. Sorry! Come on, troops! Kiss your aunt goodbye and get inside!'
The children obeyed and reluctantly shuffled inside. Bill kissed Kayley on the cheek and gazed at her, grinning. 'I may have married the wrong sister.'
Michelle laughed. 'That's enough of that, sir. Get your ever-wider butt home, now!'
Bill chuckled, kissed Kayley again and followed orders. Michelle hugged her sister and beamed. Kayley was filled with warmth. 'They're beautiful, 'Chell. See you all soon?'
'I hope so.' She entered the machine and paused. 'Oh, by the way, 'The Complete Illustrated Book of American Dance', check it out. Bye!'
9:56 P.M.
Kayley knew the book, a
recent arrival she hadn't opened. She went to the section, still preoccupied by
thoughts of her new family, and touched another hand as she reached for the
book. She jumped backwards instinctively and tripped over an ottoman. The muttering
man looked down at her, sword drawn.
"Thirsty…
Thirsty…"
Kayley rolled aside as
the sword pierced the spot she'd just vacated. She grabbed a chair, held it
like a shield.
'Get back, creep! The Doctor and my sister will be right back, and you'll be in trouble then!'
She went on the
offensive, forcing the small man back. Throwing the chair, she grabbed the book
and raced for the stock room. With seconds to spare she slid the bolt home. She
chuckled at the creep's muffled howl of frustration.
'That's a metal fire door, chum. Bang on it all you want. You aren't getting in.'
10:14 P.M.
Kayley sat at the table,
opened book in front of her, as the DWI beeped quietly on Amy's forehead and
the creep thumped the door. Chapter five was Depression Era dance. And there
was the Doctor, onstage with a violin, beaming like a proud father as Michelle
and Bill danced in the foreground. A large, white, tiered cake rested on a
table to the side. The photo was dated 1936.
Kayley had to laugh. 'It's your wedding picture. You jerks.'
Wheezing, the TARDIS
materialized. Kayley waited for the door to open. Would the kids be grown? Oh!
Maybe she was a great aunt now. Smiling, she steeled herself for anything. Even
the creep seemed to catch the mood, for he stopped pounding on the door. But
the TARDIS just sat there, looking older than ever.
Frowning, she knocked on
the blue door. A distant thump came from inside. She tried the latch and the
door swung in.
The Doctor stood there,
a small bundle draped in his arms.
'Help me, please. Grab the locket from the console, now.'
He gingerly stepped into
the room, carefully avoiding the door frame. The bundle groaned softly.
'Oh my God! That's Michelle! What happened to her?'
'Nothing happened to her. She led a long, full life. Which, if you do not go get the locket, is ending very, very soon! Go!'
Stung into action,
Kayley raced to the console. A silver locket inlaid with oddly familiar blue
stones was slung between two knobs. She snatched it up and raced outside in
time to see the Doctor stepping away from the open stockroom door. Michelle,
impossibly old, lay on the table in front of the unseeing Amy.
The muttering stranger stood in the doorway, sword at hand. He looked around as if confused. The Doctor scowled. 'You got here early, you lamentably unreliable construct.'
He turned to Kayley. 'Quickly, put the Necklace on 'Chell and stand back!' Softly he added, 'It will be all right. You'll like this, I promise.'
Kayley did as she was
told. The stranger snapped to attention the moment she slid the necklace around
her sister's wrinkled, impossibly feeble neck. Kayley retreated as he strode
purposely toward the supine figure.
'Thirsty… Drink your death…' he intoned, as blue light erupted from Michelle's body and streamed into the sword. Michelle convulsed. The blue light became green-tinged and then yellow. With a flash the stranger disappeared. The Doctor clapped his hands. 'Well, that's that!'
Without another word he
winked at Kayley, gathered Amy in his arms and entered the TARDIS. It groaned
and faded.
Kayley turned to the still body on the table. Slowly she folded the hood away from her sister's face. In death she was young and beautiful. 'Oh, Michelle…'
The corpse sat up. 'What, ya jerk?'
LATER
Explanations were made,
questions were answered, and the years wore on. Sometimes the sisters would sit
on a certain hill and visitors would come. Sometimes it would be a man with two
children, sometimes an old man, alone but with messages from grandchildren. But
the blue box did not return. Of the sisters, who sometimes detected his
presence as the century turned and events in the world became stranger, only
Kayley saw the Doctor again.