Not where she intended to be...(Intro Post)

[artfulscientist]

The change in landscape was drastic, and that concerned Nyssa. The road that the curly haired woman travelled down had been full of vegetation only moments before. The planet that hosted this war was famous for its vast forests and she wondered if she had simply overlooked the deserts while she had researched the geography. She continued on though

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[incorrigibledoc]

The Doctor hadn't intended on going to the lobby. It was only by the merest of coincidence that he happened to be wandering past the grand hall, his nose buried in a careworn paperback copy of H.G. Wells' "The Time Machine." It was purely coincidence that the soft voice made him stop in his tracks, the tone tickling at the edge of memory, backing up a few steps to catch a glimpse of the speaker.

He dropped his book.

"Nyssa!" Dashing up to the startled young woman, he caught her about the waist and spun her around, laughing and kissing her haphazardly on the lips. "Nyssa, Nyssa, Nyssa! Oh, I thought I'd never see you again!"

[artfulscientist]

She was startled. The Trakenite had not been in the lobby of this strange hotel for any more than a minute (it had been less than that even) and already she was being waltzed about and kissed by a stranger. Generally the men she met waited a day at least before daring such a thing.

"I beg your pardon!"

Nyssa let out a sound of protest as the stranger spun and kissed her. No, not stranger. He seemed to know her, he called her by name and spoke fondly, like a long lost friend. She studied him, and there was indeed something familiar to him.

She couldn't quite put her finger on it though.

"Have we met?"

[incorrigibledoc]

"Oh, of course!" The Doctor set her down gently, still holding her by the shoulders. "Of course you wouldn't... Nyssa, it's me. I'm the Doctor. Well, one of them, anyway, I've changed a few times since we last saw each other. But you, you look..."

She looked different, he realized. Not in any drastic way, but in little things. The length and style of her hair, the tiredness in her bearing, the slight sadness in her eyes. He gently brushed strands of her dark hair behind her ear, beaming at her all the while. "Lovely," he finished. "As lovely as ever."

[artfulscientist]

"Doc..." Her eyes lit up in a moment and her voice softened, "Doctor."

"You've regenerated." She told him as if it wasn't obvious. Recognition traced its way across her features and Nyssa made no move to shrug his touch off. A slight smile curved on her lips and she reached up to touch his cheek. "Curls again..."

At his compliment she ducked her head. "You flatter me, Doctor."

"How are you...?"

[incorrigibledoc]

"What, me? Oh, I'm fine, just fine, considering the... the circumstances..." The Doctor trailed off uncertainly before fixing his former companion with an intense look. "How did you get here, Nyssa? Did you-?"

Rather than finish the thought aloud, he released her and dashed pell-mell for the double doors. Throwing them open, he hurtled across the porch and down the front stairs, scanning up and down, but nothing was in sight except for the grounds and the dusty horizon. "Damn," he breathed in defeat, fingers twisting in his hair. "I'd hoped... damn."

[artfulscientist]

"Circumstances?" She questioned, curious now. "I--"

The Trakenite had started to answer his question when he suddenly moved and she took a few steps into the lobby, head tipped to one side as she tried to reason her old friend out. After a moment she moved into the door frame and watched him from there. He seemed troubled.

He is troubled. Nyssa decided as he took hold of his hair. She worried a moment before moving to him. "Doctor, what is it? What were you looking for? What is going on?"

[incorrigibledoc]

"I'd thought you might have a transport, something to get away from here, but..." He trailed off as Nyssa appeared at his elbow, her worry for him doing nothing to alleviate the tension already present in her form. "On second thought, let's go back inside, and I'll try to explain."

Placing a solicitous hand on her lower back, he gently guided her back up the stairs and into the lobby proper. "You," he began, "myself, my other self and several others are in a pocket dimension. More specifically, we are in a transcendentally-dimensional hotel in a pocket dimension. I've just recently arrived, but according to the others here, there's no way to leave. Any attempt to walk away from the Hotel leads right back to it, and I've not been able to discern any boundaries to the dimension yet."

He reached out and took both of her hands in his. "I'm sorry to say this, my dear, but I don't know how long we'll be here."

[artfulscientist]

"My vehicle's power failed several miles back. I walked the rest of the way." She frowned at him and she felt a sort of dread welling up inside of her. If she had learned anything from her time with the Doctor it was that if he was not calm you likely shouldn't be either. Still, she pretended that she was not concerned. "I think that sounds like a very good idea, yes."

Nyssa allowed this Doctor to escort her back into the hotel and listened to the man intently as he gave his explanation. Her lips pursed and she studied him with quite a bit of seriousness in her bright-blue gaze before she trusted herself enough to speak. "Yet. That's a good word, Doctor. Yet. There is Time yet."

She gave his hands a soft squeeze when he took them up and moved to meet his eyes. "I am sorry too, but I know that we will be all right."

[incorrigibledoc]

The Doctor wanted to explain. He wanted to explain that there wasn't any Time, that Time did not exist in this dimension... but what would be the point of that? I would only unsettle her further, and the Doctor had no desire to do that. There would be a place for further explanations... in the fullness of Time"I only hope that your faith in me is not misplaced," he said ruefully. "I've been here at the Hotel for days now. It's a prison, there's no mistake about that, but it's one of the most lavish and secure prisons I've even been in. And really, that's saying something! After all, I consider myself to be something of a connoisseur of the dungeon elite." This last was punctuated by a cheeky grin. "Five-star accomodations, Time-Lord-proof boundaries and no guards. In fact, the only person I've seen who isn't a fellow inmate was

[artfulscientist]

"You are the Doctor." Nyssa reasoned with him, a small smile curled on her lips and demonstrated the sheer amount of faith she had in the man. "You will find a way, and I will assist as I am able

[incorrigibledoc]

"There, you see?" The Doctor tried to smile encouragingly, but it faltered slightly when he lifted his eyes again and found that the Bellboy had vanished like a wraith. "Over and done. You shouldn't have to deal with him again

[artfulscientist]

"Good." Nyssa said, with conviction. She took in a deep breath and continued on, quietly. "I have a bad feeling about that man."

To Nyssa the mannerisms were the first clue of something more. She pondered on this when silence fell between herself and this Doctor and when he spoke she turned her bright blue eyes on him.

"Please, Doctor..." She allowed him to take his arm and studied him, softening her gaze. "This is not your fault, and we will make it." If only she believed that. "I would love to catch up, certainly."

"When last we separated I left the TARDIS to stay aboard Terminus to help cure Lazar's disease. I was triumphant in this for the most part and remained on Terminus until the Company Wars."

[incorrigibledoc]

"Company Wars?" the Doctor echoed, worry in his tone. He had a fleeting knowledge of the conflict, gleaned from the massive history text he called a mind, but hearing about it in connection with a dear friend was something else entirely.

He laid his free hand over hers as it rested near his elbow, squeezing her fingers gently. "Did you stay...? No, that's a foolish question, of course you wouldn't stay away from the conflict. You go right where you were needed the most, without thinking twice. But... are you all right, Nyssa? And I don't mean your patients or your fellow soldiers, I mean are you all right?"

[artfulscientist]

"Yes, Company Wars." Nyssa said, and she gave him a soft look. He was worried and she was ashamed she had done such a thing to an old friend. It would be her duty to assure she was fine now.

"I am perfectly fine, Doctor." The brunette promised. "If I were not you would be able to tell. I'm an awful liar. I have sustained no real or serious injuries. The only wounds I have are heartache from the loss of friends."

[incorrigibledoc]

"A war wound is no less serious for being invisible to the eye," the Doctor said gravely. "I would be the last person qualified to make light about such a subject. But all the same..." He paused suddenly, fixing her with a serious gaze. "It does my hearts good to see you again, Nyssa, to see you doing great things, making a difference, just by being you. I'm so very, very proud of you, my dear." Taking her hand again, he raised it to his lips in a not-quite courtly gesture, following it with a soft, sincere smile.

"Would you like the grand tour, then? There's a surprising collection of rooms, considering." And off he went on another tangent, his shiny magpie mind rarely settling for long.

[artfulscientist]

"My heart will be fine as long as I can remember that those I have lost were taken for a good reason." She promised. Nyssa was taken aback as the Doctor seemed to soften and her breath caught as he kissed her hand. Old fondness sparked in her gaze and she fussed to settle it back. "Thank you. I have missed you..."

"Yes, please. I would like that." Nyssa agreed with a nod.