first_in_time | Zagreus Sits Inside Your Head (for Splendid

Barbara looked out at the view as Ian put the last of their things in the car. From the front door of the little Bed and Breakfast, she could see beautiful rolling hills for miles. The last of the morning was being chased away as the sun rose higher in the sky, thawing everything out. Even the cows seemed more active on one particular hill.

"I wish we could stay for a little longer," she sighed to Ian, turning her back on it all so that it might be easier to leave. Her arms folded, one hand still held on to the key they were yet to return. "I don't suppose your car has a secret time traveling device so we can spend an extra few weeks here?"

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From:

splendid_roman

"That's a good idea." Ian put an arm around Barbara's shoulders. "I knew I married you for a reason." He grinned at her.

From:

first_in_time

"I'm glad that it was for more than how pretty I can be sometimes," she grinned back.

From:

splendid_roman

"You're always pretty," he said in a more serious tone, and kissed her. As he did he heard scuffling and broke off quickly to look around. He saw the rabbit again. It had come out of a camouflaged rabbit hole and now hopped down the hill complaining about being late.

From:

first_in_time

Barbara snapped around just in time to see the rabbit dash away. As much as she would like to stand on a high hill and kiss her new husband as the sun set, it was a lot more important that they catch the white rabbit.

"Quick, let's go!" she said to Ian and ran.

From:

splendid_roman

Ian agreed with that and he caught hold of Barbara's hand as he ran down the hill. The trouble with running downwards was that it was harder to stop - or run slowly. It did mean they could keep up with the white rabbit better, at least until it reached the bottom and vanished again.

All Ian could see was a dark space that he presumed was some sort of ditch. He made sure to keep on his feet, but it was no use because he suddenly found the ground vanished from beneath him and he was falling.

He worried for a moment and thought that he should of let go of Barbara's hand, rather than pull her down with him, until he realised he wasn't falling so much as floating.

From:

first_in_time

Barbara felt as though she was slowly falling forward but then righted again, only to still not be able to touch the ground. Her dress looked as though it were a parachute, slowing her down but when she held it into her (heavens knows what could be beneath them), she began to plummet. Best leave it alone, then.

"I can't remember this part of the story," she said, watching herself go upwards in a mirror while she went down.

From:

splendid_roman

"Didn't Alice get into Wonderland this way?" They seemed to be falling past some sort of storage room for odds and ends. There were a few cupboards on the walls, which Ian didn't dare open, although they were falling slowly enough that he probably could. A bookshelf they passed was full of identical copies of Alice in Wonderland.

"Odd sort of hole, though," he said, just as they found themselves out of it and fell gently on the grass by the car.

From:

first_in_time

Barbara looked around and saw their car before them. She glances at Ian then back at the car, then up and down the road.

"Do you think we're back, or do you think that it's part of this Wonderland?" asked Barbara quietly, braced for a surprise.

From:

splendid_roman

Everything looked normal, which was a good start. "I think we're back," Ian said cautiously. "I suppose we'll find out if anything odd happens."

He still had the car keys in his pocket, he found, which was something. "I wonder what time it is." The sun had moved round a bit, but it was hard to be precise.

From:

first_in_time

"We'll find out eventually I suppose," she replied, "particularly if we listen to the radio; they often give updates on the time, date and weather."

Barbara put out her hand out for help from the ground and dusted off the back of her dress. With any luck, they'd have come back just before they left, unlike when they got home from the TARDIS.

From:

splendid_roman

As Ian helped Barbara up he considered that he was as probably as dusty and dishevelled as she was. "We'll put the radio on," he promised. "And stop at the next services."

He was glad he'd put everything away and locked the car before he'd gone off into the forest in search of Barbara. It at least meant no one had stolen the car while they'd been gone.

Everything continued to stay normal while he unlocked the car, got in, started it up and turned the radio on. He was half expecting the car to turn into a carriage pulled by pigs or something like that.

From:

first_in_time

She remained on high alert until Ian had pulled away and began down the road but nothing happened. No burst of light, no music, no mice soldiers or anything out of the ordinary. Her hand found Ian's leg once she was sure that nothing was going to happen.

"I think you might be right," she said at last, "I think we might be back."

From:

splendid_roman

"And not long after we left, either." The radio had given today's date and the time was only an hour later than his watch said it was. And they had been in Wonderland a while.

"I wish I knew what it had all been about."

From:

first_in_time

"Me, too but I don't think we ever will," she replied and squeezed his leg gently. "So long as it doesn't happen again."

From:

splendid_roman

"I hope not." He sighed. "I thought we'd left all that sort of thing behind us when we left the Doctor."

From:

first_in_time

"But if we're definitely out, we can always hope that we never have to face anything like it again," Barbara said to him, "and on the bright side: no Daleks."

From:

splendid_roman

He smiled. "No Daleks is always a good thing."

Having reached the services, he pulled off the road and parked the car. "I wouldn't mind a cup of tea while we're here." It would make a nice change from everything they'd just been through to stop and relax for a bit.

From:

first_in_time

She smiled at him. "That sounds lovely."

Before Ian could get out of the car, Barbara pulled him back toward her for a lengthy, enjoyable kiss. They hadn't quite finished their honeymoon yet, even if they'd had a detour to somewhere rather unusual.

From:

splendid_roman

He put a hand on her cheek and smiled when they parted. "Are you sure we have to go home?" More time spent with just him and Barbara sounded far more appealing.

From:

first_in_time

"I'm positive," she said quietly and placed a hand at either side of his face to keep him close to her so that she might sneak in a few extra kisses before they got out of the car. "And besides, our families are probably wondering just where we've gotten to. If any of them have tried to contact us in the last week."

From:

splendid_roman

He sighed. "I suppose we should let them know not to buy any more wedding outfits." He got another kiss in before reluctantly letting Barbara go and getting out of the car. Although he took her hand to walk from the car park to the services.

From:

first_in_time

"I'll find us a table," Barbara said once they were inside and squeezed his hand before letting it go to sit at a table in a corner by the window.

She watched the cars drive by while waiting for Ian to fetch their tea and maybe something sweet to share, and thought on all that had happened. Could they have really visited the TARDIS? If so, how did the TARDIS manage to re-enact an old story? Barbara guessed that she'd never find out the answers to those questions.

From:

splendid_roman

Ian returned not long after with some tea and a slice of cake. It was bigger than he really wanted, so he'd picked up two forks as well.

"What should we say to our parents?" he said, as he poured the tea from the pot. "I suppose we can't just turn up and say 'by the way we got married'."

From:

first_in_time

"We should probably sit then down and tell them that we love them very much," Barbara began but wasn't sure where to go after that. "Perhaps telling them outright might not irritate them as much than if we dance around the point." Unfortunately, Barbara knew she'd do that regardless. "Would you like that pleasure of breaking the news? I'll hold your hand for support."

From:

splendid_roman

He nodded. "They might notice the rings, so perhaps we should just tell them." There wasn't really any other way to put it and it wasn't as if it was bad news they needed to break gently.

"I'll tell my parents, you can tell your mother." He didn't really want to be there at all when Barbara told Joan, but he was sure it wouldn't go well, but he had married Barbara, so he would have to put up with Joan for a long time yet.

A forkful of cake and a sip of tea made him feel better though.