Fic: Studies (1980s UNIT)
For the ficlet meme, the only one I've managed to do (at least so far) - for jjpor who gave me the prompt “Nat/Tilly, science leads.” (It's a bit dull, sorry.)
Title: Studies
Author: lost_spook
Rating: All ages
Word Count: 838
Characters/Pairings: Nat Webber, Tilly Holmes, Sergeant Kennedy
Notes/Warnings: None. (Set soon after Stardust, c. Nov 1987).
Summary: Nat wonders if science is really the answer.
***
Nat glanced across at Tilly. She was sitting at the lab workbench, her head bent over a book, pen in hand and a notebook beside her as she scowled down at the text.
“I think,” he ventured, “you should stop now. I didn’t notice the time, going over those tests, but we’re late -”
Tilly looked up, her mind only slowly deserting whatever she’d been studying to rejoin him. “Nat?”
He walked over, still drying his hands on the old towel after clearing up his own work. “I said, time to stop. You’ve been glaring at that every time I’ve looked at you for the past hour anyway.”
“Not glaring,” she said, putting the pen down and closing up the book. “Just - I suppose I have got a bit of a headache now. I only wanted to finish that chapter, but I think it’s been growing pages.”
He laughed. “I know the feeling. Come on, then, and we’ll lock up the lab.”
Tilly nodded and placed her notebook and pen neatly on top of the textbook.
“Look,” said Nat after a moment’s hesitation, “you don’t have to do that, you know. Not if you don’t want to.”
She looked up. “But I do - for the course, Nat. You know that. And it is part of my being here -”
Nat moved over. “No. I didn’t mean that. I meant - well. After. If you hate it, there’s no need for you to study one of the sciences. You can do anything you like, then. This arrangement was just the one that seemed best back when you first wound up here.”
“I didn’t say anything.”
“No, no,” said Nat, quick to deflect a possible argument. But she wouldn’t say, he thought, would she? “Only something to think about. You know enough now to make your own choice.”
Tilly bit her lip. “But I do want to. It is hard sometimes, but then - it would be.”
Nat leant against the workbench next to her. “Oh?”
“Nat,” she said again, giving him a smile. “Yes. I ended up here because of an experiment with time - and I want to understand. I tried to, then, but I couldn’t, not with all their complicated books and the aliens and all the other things they had. And, of course, I know now that people don’t really understand it anyway - definitely not them.”
“I certainly don’t,” said Nat. “I’ve done sixteen different tests on those rock samples and I still don’t even know what to do with the results I’ve got.”
Tilly elbowed him. “Don’t be silly when I’m trying to answer your question.”
“Oh, I am sorry,” said Nat. “And I wasn’t. One set turned blue and most of the others haven’t done anything at all… and I’m listening, I’m listening!”
She paused and he put his arm around her.
“That advanced science that none of us understand…?” he prompted. “Yes?”
“I need to work my way back to it,” said Tilly. “Up to it. To fill in all those gaps. It’s like I got up into the attics without ever going up any of the stairs. I would like to find one proper explanation for what happened to me and nobody seems to have one yet. And there must be, because it happened and it wasn’t magic.”
Nat kissed her head. “All right, I get that. You’re going to solve the problem of time travel yourself if no one else does?”
“Don’t be daft,” she said. “But I’d like to know enough to try. And for that,” she added with a quick, impish smile, “I at least need to finish that book.”
Nat nodded. “Okay. Fine. And if you tell me what it’s about, I might be able to help - at this point. Once you get back into your mysteries of aliens and time travel, it’ll be beyond me.”
“Nat -”
“And I wouldn’t mind some help with these results, as I said -”
“I can manage.”
“Yes, but I don’t think I can,” said Nat. “And for the moment - may I walk you home, Miss Holmes?”
Tilly glared, and then gave in and laughed. “You know it’s not even five minutes to next door.”
“Still,” said Nat.
“You may.”
He grinned at her and leant in to kiss her properly, just as the door to the lab opened.
“Bloody hell, not again,” said Sergeant Kennedy. “Can’t you two wait until you’ve left the premises?”
Nat turned. “We were about to go. Anyway, we should have gone an hour ago - and I’m beginning to think you wait outside the door on purpose.”
“Never mind,” said Tilly, elbowing Nat. “Did you want us for something, Sergeant? Is it important?”
Kennedy shook his head. “Only checking you had gone, that’s all. Thought you should have done and then I saw the light.”
“Well, now we will,” said Nat, walking across to take the coats down from the hook and passing Tilly’s to her, before leading the way over to the side exit. “Just you watch us.”
***
Crossposted from Dreamwidth -- Comments there:
Title: Studies
Author: lost_spook
Rating: All ages
Word Count: 838
Characters/Pairings: Nat Webber, Tilly Holmes, Sergeant Kennedy
Notes/Warnings: None. (Set soon after Stardust, c. Nov 1987).
Summary: Nat wonders if science is really the answer.
***
Nat glanced across at Tilly. She was sitting at the lab workbench, her head bent over a book, pen in hand and a notebook beside her as she scowled down at the text.
“I think,” he ventured, “you should stop now. I didn’t notice the time, going over those tests, but we’re late -”
Tilly looked up, her mind only slowly deserting whatever she’d been studying to rejoin him. “Nat?”
He walked over, still drying his hands on the old towel after clearing up his own work. “I said, time to stop. You’ve been glaring at that every time I’ve looked at you for the past hour anyway.”
“Not glaring,” she said, putting the pen down and closing up the book. “Just - I suppose I have got a bit of a headache now. I only wanted to finish that chapter, but I think it’s been growing pages.”
He laughed. “I know the feeling. Come on, then, and we’ll lock up the lab.”
Tilly nodded and placed her notebook and pen neatly on top of the textbook.
“Look,” said Nat after a moment’s hesitation, “you don’t have to do that, you know. Not if you don’t want to.”
She looked up. “But I do - for the course, Nat. You know that. And it is part of my being here -”
Nat moved over. “No. I didn’t mean that. I meant - well. After. If you hate it, there’s no need for you to study one of the sciences. You can do anything you like, then. This arrangement was just the one that seemed best back when you first wound up here.”
“I didn’t say anything.”
“No, no,” said Nat, quick to deflect a possible argument. But she wouldn’t say, he thought, would she? “Only something to think about. You know enough now to make your own choice.”
Tilly bit her lip. “But I do want to. It is hard sometimes, but then - it would be.”
Nat leant against the workbench next to her. “Oh?”
“Nat,” she said again, giving him a smile. “Yes. I ended up here because of an experiment with time - and I want to understand. I tried to, then, but I couldn’t, not with all their complicated books and the aliens and all the other things they had. And, of course, I know now that people don’t really understand it anyway - definitely not them.”
“I certainly don’t,” said Nat. “I’ve done sixteen different tests on those rock samples and I still don’t even know what to do with the results I’ve got.”
Tilly elbowed him. “Don’t be silly when I’m trying to answer your question.”
“Oh, I am sorry,” said Nat. “And I wasn’t. One set turned blue and most of the others haven’t done anything at all… and I’m listening, I’m listening!”
She paused and he put his arm around her.
“That advanced science that none of us understand…?” he prompted. “Yes?”
“I need to work my way back to it,” said Tilly. “Up to it. To fill in all those gaps. It’s like I got up into the attics without ever going up any of the stairs. I would like to find one proper explanation for what happened to me and nobody seems to have one yet. And there must be, because it happened and it wasn’t magic.”
Nat kissed her head. “All right, I get that. You’re going to solve the problem of time travel yourself if no one else does?”
“Don’t be daft,” she said. “But I’d like to know enough to try. And for that,” she added with a quick, impish smile, “I at least need to finish that book.”
Nat nodded. “Okay. Fine. And if you tell me what it’s about, I might be able to help - at this point. Once you get back into your mysteries of aliens and time travel, it’ll be beyond me.”
“Nat -”
“And I wouldn’t mind some help with these results, as I said -”
“I can manage.”
“Yes, but I don’t think I can,” said Nat. “And for the moment - may I walk you home, Miss Holmes?”
Tilly glared, and then gave in and laughed. “You know it’s not even five minutes to next door.”
“Still,” said Nat.
“You may.”
He grinned at her and leant in to kiss her properly, just as the door to the lab opened.
“Bloody hell, not again,” said Sergeant Kennedy. “Can’t you two wait until you’ve left the premises?”
Nat turned. “We were about to go. Anyway, we should have gone an hour ago - and I’m beginning to think you wait outside the door on purpose.”
“Never mind,” said Tilly, elbowing Nat. “Did you want us for something, Sergeant? Is it important?”
Kennedy shook his head. “Only checking you had gone, that’s all. Thought you should have done and then I saw the light.”
“Well, now we will,” said Nat, walking across to take the coats down from the hook and passing Tilly’s to her, before leading the way over to the side exit. “Just you watch us.”
***
Crossposted from Dreamwidth -- Comments there: