[Theatrical Muse] Response
It's your birthday! If anything were possible, what would be your perfect way to celebrate?
The universes were ending and at the foot of a house which would someday belong to her, Sarah Jane sat watching the hustle and bustle of all the numerous TARDISes. At some point, she had lost count as to how many there were. The number kept changing every day, with more popping up. Not less, though, only ever more.
With most of space (and presumably time) gone, there was nowhere for any of them to travel. They were stuck. All of them were stuck.
And she still didn’t know half of them, Doctors and companions alike. Sometimes Sarah Jane wondered if she wanted to.
Either way, today had been much like every other. She had woken up in his TARDIS. Some days they would share breakfast together. Today was breakfast alone: jam on toast and a banana. Then a run about the neighborhood. Then time in the library, using the laptop and the Doctor’s extensive wealth of knowledge to do her share in researching a solution.
A normal day, just like every other. She hadn’t even been aware of the date until later that night when she glanced at the calendar in her room.
May 28th. Sarah Jane was, by all intents and purposes, another year older.
She hated it.
Today had been like any other day up until that point. In staring at the calendar, she felt a weight on her shoulders. What right did she have to think of something so absolutely ordinary and… and human… when the whole of the universe was at stake?
She had wandered outside. Staring at the house hadn’t helped (how many more years till that?). Watching some of the Doctors served only to remind her how the day could have been.
If he had still been here, even with the universes ending, she knew everything would be all right. He would have taken her to dinner. He would have surprised her with some small, quaint, yet utterly charming gift. Maybe she’d teach him a new trick or two with that scarf.
Despite it all, though, she would have had his smiling face watching her every moment.
It had been quite some while since she had last thought of him.
It had been quite some while since Sarah Jane had actually wanted to celebrate her birthday.
She sighed, blinking back tears as she stared up into the darkness above. There wasn’t much left to the night sky now. It was as lonely as she was. In some selfish way, that thought comforted her. Sarah bit on her lip, watching the few lone stars try to shine, enveloped in a never-ending struggle against the darkness.
Stars (for the most part) were not sentient. Yet, in her well of self pity, she wondered if one of them up there wished for someone to share their day with.
“A penny for your thoughts.”
A coin clattered on a step next to her, startling her more from her reverie than the voice did. It was indeed a penny, but not like any penny Sarah had ever seen exchanged on Earth. The coin glittered in the porch light. The symbols were angular and foreign. The TARDIS could translate them if she wanted her too. A strange face reflected back to her. Even the metal felt weird.
“Duchamp 331 standard.” The Doctor, her new Doctor, sat down next to her. He pulled his knees to his chest and flashed Sarah a small smile. “Dime a dozen, these pennies. All of ‘em absolutely worthless.”
Sarah Jane nodded, turning the penny over. A souvenir from a planet she might never see. It’s probably gone now and even if it comes back, presuming they all survive, he may not want to take her with him. A lovely birthday thought for a lovely birthday. She sighed.
“I won’t even ask how many you have tucked away in your pockets then.”
At least the quips still came easily enough today.
She tried a smile, a half hearted smile that really had no effort to it. Sarah wanted to pretend that everything was alright. Today really was just like any other day. And she was only tired, not upset. She knew though, without a doubt, that her smile was one the Doctor saw right through. Best friends knew how to do that sort of thing, after all.
He smiled back softly as he wrapped an arm around Sarah’s shoulders, pulling her to rest against his chest. Sarah closed her eyes. How long would this moment last? She felt safe in his arms, even being that independent woman who refused to make him coffee all those years ago. She didn’t want to move.
The Doctor did, though. It was the slightest of movements, a simple shift of Sarah to his right so that he could reach into a jacket pocket and pull out a wrapped box that in no way seemed capable of fitting in the pocket he had kept it in. Still, the movement had startled Sarah Jane. Her heart skipped a beat and fear washed through her. Was he leaving?
No.
He ran a hand through his hair as he handed her the gift. She sat up straighter to look at him. The Doctor shrugged, reminding Sarah very much of that awkward lunch they had a while back. “I’ve never forgotten, Sarah Jane.”
She opened the box, eyes widening at the blue leather bound journal within. Sarah touched the edge carefully, tracing the indentations before looking upward. It reminded her of something else, something currently quite easily found on Bannerman Road. Wherever he had found it, it wasn’t on Earth. The leather was too fine and not quite proper in texture. The paper was too perfect.
Sarah Jane blinked and looked at him.
He smiled one of those knowing, arrogant smiles she couldn’t stand. It comforted her just the same. The Doctor reached over her to turn open the cover and tapped a finger on the page. Cursive letters slowly appeared.
“The words’ll only ever be visible when you want it to be,” he explained, interrupting Sarah before she had a chance to read the caption. “I found it while I was rummaging through the wardrobe. Blimey, you should see the stuff back there. Forgot I even had this. Think psychic paper but smarter. It’s a completely fail safe journal. Absolutely brilliant stuff, especially for a journalist.”
There was another quick smile followed by an awkward kiss on her forehead before he stood again. The touch of his lips against her skin lingered. Sarah looked up for a moment before her eyes fell downward, seizing the lieu in conversation as a chance to skim the letter.
We’ll laugh about this someday, you and I. Big, ole laugh right there in that swanky little joint on Orion’s Belt. Never did get you there, did I? Consider this-
--been a long time, I know. Haven’t even gotten a chance to tell you the half of it yet. Like that time on-
--I won’t ever forget, Sarah. I can’t ever forget. So every year I’ll-
--Don’t you ever forget me, Sarah Jane Sm-
--Love-
“Doctor!” Sarah stood quickly, nearly dropping the box. Her hands clenched tightly around the now-closed journal. In the time she had spent searching through the words, he had already turned to head back to the TARDIS. “Doctor!”
He stopped and turned around, a hesitant look on his face. The oncoming storm. Her best friend. Tears in her eyes ignored, Sarah beamed at him. “No need to wait till all of this is over to celebrate, is there? I happen to know this great little restaurant a few blocks away. Oddly enough, it’s called The Restaurant…”
[ooc: based on events in relative_space. clever_wanderer borrowed with mun permission.]
The universes were ending and at the foot of a house which would someday belong to her, Sarah Jane sat watching the hustle and bustle of all the numerous TARDISes. At some point, she had lost count as to how many there were. The number kept changing every day, with more popping up. Not less, though, only ever more.
With most of space (and presumably time) gone, there was nowhere for any of them to travel. They were stuck. All of them were stuck.
And she still didn’t know half of them, Doctors and companions alike. Sometimes Sarah Jane wondered if she wanted to.
Either way, today had been much like every other. She had woken up in his TARDIS. Some days they would share breakfast together. Today was breakfast alone: jam on toast and a banana. Then a run about the neighborhood. Then time in the library, using the laptop and the Doctor’s extensive wealth of knowledge to do her share in researching a solution.
A normal day, just like every other. She hadn’t even been aware of the date until later that night when she glanced at the calendar in her room.
May 28th. Sarah Jane was, by all intents and purposes, another year older.
She hated it.
Today had been like any other day up until that point. In staring at the calendar, she felt a weight on her shoulders. What right did she have to think of something so absolutely ordinary and… and human… when the whole of the universe was at stake?
She had wandered outside. Staring at the house hadn’t helped (how many more years till that?). Watching some of the Doctors served only to remind her how the day could have been.
If he had still been here, even with the universes ending, she knew everything would be all right. He would have taken her to dinner. He would have surprised her with some small, quaint, yet utterly charming gift. Maybe she’d teach him a new trick or two with that scarf.
Despite it all, though, she would have had his smiling face watching her every moment.
It had been quite some while since she had last thought of him.
It had been quite some while since Sarah Jane had actually wanted to celebrate her birthday.
She sighed, blinking back tears as she stared up into the darkness above. There wasn’t much left to the night sky now. It was as lonely as she was. In some selfish way, that thought comforted her. Sarah bit on her lip, watching the few lone stars try to shine, enveloped in a never-ending struggle against the darkness.
Stars (for the most part) were not sentient. Yet, in her well of self pity, she wondered if one of them up there wished for someone to share their day with.
“A penny for your thoughts.”
A coin clattered on a step next to her, startling her more from her reverie than the voice did. It was indeed a penny, but not like any penny Sarah had ever seen exchanged on Earth. The coin glittered in the porch light. The symbols were angular and foreign. The TARDIS could translate them if she wanted her too. A strange face reflected back to her. Even the metal felt weird.
“Duchamp 331 standard.” The Doctor, her new Doctor, sat down next to her. He pulled his knees to his chest and flashed Sarah a small smile. “Dime a dozen, these pennies. All of ‘em absolutely worthless.”
Sarah Jane nodded, turning the penny over. A souvenir from a planet she might never see. It’s probably gone now and even if it comes back, presuming they all survive, he may not want to take her with him. A lovely birthday thought for a lovely birthday. She sighed.
“I won’t even ask how many you have tucked away in your pockets then.”
At least the quips still came easily enough today.
She tried a smile, a half hearted smile that really had no effort to it. Sarah wanted to pretend that everything was alright. Today really was just like any other day. And she was only tired, not upset. She knew though, without a doubt, that her smile was one the Doctor saw right through. Best friends knew how to do that sort of thing, after all.
He smiled back softly as he wrapped an arm around Sarah’s shoulders, pulling her to rest against his chest. Sarah closed her eyes. How long would this moment last? She felt safe in his arms, even being that independent woman who refused to make him coffee all those years ago. She didn’t want to move.
The Doctor did, though. It was the slightest of movements, a simple shift of Sarah to his right so that he could reach into a jacket pocket and pull out a wrapped box that in no way seemed capable of fitting in the pocket he had kept it in. Still, the movement had startled Sarah Jane. Her heart skipped a beat and fear washed through her. Was he leaving?
No.
He ran a hand through his hair as he handed her the gift. She sat up straighter to look at him. The Doctor shrugged, reminding Sarah very much of that awkward lunch they had a while back. “I’ve never forgotten, Sarah Jane.”
She opened the box, eyes widening at the blue leather bound journal within. Sarah touched the edge carefully, tracing the indentations before looking upward. It reminded her of something else, something currently quite easily found on Bannerman Road. Wherever he had found it, it wasn’t on Earth. The leather was too fine and not quite proper in texture. The paper was too perfect.
Sarah Jane blinked and looked at him.
He smiled one of those knowing, arrogant smiles she couldn’t stand. It comforted her just the same. The Doctor reached over her to turn open the cover and tapped a finger on the page. Cursive letters slowly appeared.
“The words’ll only ever be visible when you want it to be,” he explained, interrupting Sarah before she had a chance to read the caption. “I found it while I was rummaging through the wardrobe. Blimey, you should see the stuff back there. Forgot I even had this. Think psychic paper but smarter. It’s a completely fail safe journal. Absolutely brilliant stuff, especially for a journalist.”
There was another quick smile followed by an awkward kiss on her forehead before he stood again. The touch of his lips against her skin lingered. Sarah looked up for a moment before her eyes fell downward, seizing the lieu in conversation as a chance to skim the letter.
We’ll laugh about this someday, you and I. Big, ole laugh right there in that swanky little joint on Orion’s Belt. Never did get you there, did I? Consider this-
--been a long time, I know. Haven’t even gotten a chance to tell you the half of it yet. Like that time on-
--I won’t ever forget, Sarah. I can’t ever forget. So every year I’ll-
--Don’t you ever forget me, Sarah Jane Sm-
--Love-
“Doctor!” Sarah stood quickly, nearly dropping the box. Her hands clenched tightly around the now-closed journal. In the time she had spent searching through the words, he had already turned to head back to the TARDIS. “Doctor!”
He stopped and turned around, a hesitant look on his face. The oncoming storm. Her best friend. Tears in her eyes ignored, Sarah beamed at him. “No need to wait till all of this is over to celebrate, is there? I happen to know this great little restaurant a few blocks away. Oddly enough, it’s called The Restaurant…”
[ooc: based on events in relative_space. clever_wanderer borrowed with mun permission.]