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?"

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

first_in_time

"Yes, Daleks have so far been all the same but perhaps our intruder was one of a kind just like the Doctor was. And for that I'm very glad. On both accounts."

Barbara sipped at her water then ate the last mouthful and sat back in her chair.

"Did he break the door's lock?" she asked after another moment of thinking.

From:

splendid_roman

"Not that I could see." Ian glanced over at the door, but he'd have a proper look at it later. They hadn't heard him come in either, but they hadn't been listening at the time.

"I suppose he must have had a lock pick or a skeleton key." He didn't sound worried about it because he didn't see what they could do about it. "We definitely need to save for a house."

From:

first_in_time

"Or a stronger lock on the door," she sighed and stood to start clearing away the plates, "but I suppose that if he has a skeleton key, then he could get in anyway."

From:

splendid_roman

He finished his water and followed her to the kitchen with their glasses. "I don't think he's likely to come back." But Ian sounded hopeful about that, rather than confident.

From:

first_in_time

"Well I hope not. I don't want to remember what we saw this afternoon, and I'd far rather be the only one making lines at my husband." Barbara glanced at Ian from over her shoulder while she busied herself with the washing up.

From:

splendid_roman

"I agree," Ian said, thinking of how suggestive Harkness had been towards Barbara. He picked up a tea towel to dry up and then paused as he reached the draining board. "He didn't direct any of that at me, did he?" It never occurred to Ian that he might have been.

From:

first_in_time

"Any of what?" she asked as she put another plate to the side to be washed.

From:

splendid_roman

"Any of his suggestive comments." He picked up a plate and started drying it. "I thought they were all directed at you or us together."

From:

first_in_time

"If it was directed at both of us, then we can probably assume that some of it was directed solely at you, too." Barbara turned back to the washing up to hide a small smirk. As much a she didn't like anyone else being suggestive to or with Ian, it was amusing to see him react to a man's suggestions.

From:

splendid_roman

He frowned, worrying about that. What sort of man made suggestive comments about another man, especially in the company of his wife? Perhaps the same sort of man who made suggestive comments about a woman in the company of her husband and was equally happy about breaking in to people's homes.

"I don't think he had any morals at all," he concluded.

From:

first_in_time

"Then think of something else," she replied, "he's gone, he hopefully won't be coming back and we can get a stronger lock put on the door. Why don't you go and read a book or make some tea while I finish here?"

From:

splendid_roman

"Good idea." Putting the tea towel down and the plate away, Ian put the kettle on and then left Barbara to make the tea as well, while he settled on the sofa with a book.

From:

first_in_time

Barbara finished the rest of the washing up while contemplating, not for the first time, how very strange it sounded to refer to Ian as her 'husband' and for it to be real. She'd done as much in her head a few times before they eloped, and they'd discussed what it would be like to be each other's husband and wife. Now that it was real, however, it was strange. A good kind of strange.

She dried her hands and tidied a few other things left around in the pokey little kitchen (which would always look untidy for the little amount of space it had) before making their tea. Barbara carried both mugs of tea out to the lounge and placed both on the table so that she could sit next to Ian would spilling any of it on either of them.

"Here you are," she said and passed him one tea. "What are you reading?"

From:

splendid_roman

"Thank you." He smiled and leaned over to kiss her carefully without spilling the tea. "It's about Isaac Newton and how he made the discoveries he did." He showed her the cover before putting the bookmark back in it and leaving it on the coffee table. "Once you follow the thought processes he must have made, it's easy to see how you get the same answers he did." He found it interesting, even if Barbara wouldn't.

((OOC: I have made that book up, but I think it sounds really interesting :) ))

From:

first_in_time

Barbara smiled at him, thinking it strange that he wasn't reading one of his science fiction stories as usual. But it still sounded just like his interests, so she wasn't going to ask what was wrong.

Her hand reached out for his as she said: "tell me about Newton and his theories."

((OOC: I'd read it))

From:

splendid_roman

He took her hand and shifted a bit closer so their legs were touching. "They're fairly basic really. They seem obvious now, but weren't at the time, of course." He sipped at his tea. "They describe the movements of objects and they apply to a ball as much as to a planet."

From:

first_in_time

"Nothing seems obvious until it's explained by someone who understands," Barbara told him, squeezing his hand. "It probably sounds obvious to your students when you explain it."

She blew on her tea and watched him over the top of her mug. "How's your tea, Husband?"

From:

splendid_roman

"It's very nice, wife." He grinned at her. "How long do you think it'll take before we get bored with saying husband and wife?"

From:

first_in_time

She sipped at her tea and chuckled. "Hopefully never," Barbara grinned and kissed the back of his hand, "but maybe in the next couple of weeks or months. Whenever this honeymoon period wears off."

From:

splendid_roman

"It feels half worn off already. What with Wonderland and Captain Harkness." He sighed and sipped at his tea, wishing they'd been able to spend another day just them and no one else intruding.

From:

first_in_time

They could bring it back, it wouldn't be difficult. Barbara decided that she'd wait until their tea was finished before she did any such thing, however.

"We'll get it back," she said instead and busied herself with her tea.

From:

splendid_roman

"It won't last for long, though," he said morosely, leaning back against the back of the sofa. "It'll only wear off again tomorrow."

From:

first_in_time

"Then we can have all the fun of getting it back again," she told him happily and made the effort of attempting to finish her tea but it was still rather hot and she couldn't drink as much as she wanted to empty the mug.

From:

splendid_roman

Ian considered what they could do to get it back and couldn't be too unhappy about the prospect and he smiled. "I suppose it's a bit like going back to school after the summer holidays. We'll have to get used to not being on our honeymoon any more."