Stargazing [Open]

[unearthlysusan]

Susan Foreman was lying on her back and staring up at the black evening sky. The garden was submerged in shadows. If her mind had been on Earth with the rest of her, Susan might have wondered who actually owned it, now that that version of Sarah Jane had gone. She might even have wondered where that version of Sarah Jane had gone

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[unearthlysusan]

When he fell silent, Susan began to wonder if he'd forgotten who she was. Or maybe it was something even worse? Maybe he'd never known at all! It was a truly terrifying idea - more terrifying than any of the aliens she'd encountered over the years - but it wasn't actually impossible. There were so many different versions of her Grandfather here, from so many different universes. She didn't think she could bear it if that was the case, but she didn't dare rule it out completely.

Please say something. Please tell me you know who I am. You're frightening me, Grandfather!

Admittedly, even when he did speak, he didn't do very much to sooth her fears, but at least the Doctor was speaking. At least he didn't ask any questions that indicated her name was unfamiliar.

"I'm fine," she said carefully, reaching out to touch his arm, before deciding against it and dropping her hand back to her side. Best not to do that, not just yet. It was a familiar gesture for her, but she should really wait until she was sure he was familiar himself. "Are you?"

[clever_wanderer]

The tensity of the moment worried him. It was awkward, unusual, unfamiliar. How had they managed to get to this point? It was true he hadn't seen her in decades, centuries even, but to be this standoffish with one's own relation...was it time that had done it, or something else?

"I'm fine," he said, stuttering a bit, echoing her words. This was not how he'd pictured meeting her again, not how he'd seen it the moment he left her behind.

Of course, he'd had know way of knowing exactly how it would have turned out. He'd always pictured it in his first incarnation, even when he was several regenerations past that. He thought of the two of them and thought of his first self, never his current self. Perhaps that was throwing it off a bit? Perhaps that's the reason it was so hard. He was a different man now, would she still see him the same way?

This was ridiculous. He took her hand and looked at her eyes. He wouldn't hug her, not yet. He wasn't sure of her reaction. But for the moment, her hand was enough.

"It's good to see you again, Susan," he said, grinning.

[unearthlysusan]

Susan let out a ragged sigh of relief when he took her hand. He knew her! He cared about her!

Unable to stop herself even if she'd actually wanted to, the young Time Lady found herself wrapping her arms around her Grandfather's neck, hugging him tightly.

"Oh, I thought you'd forgotten who I was!" she exclaimed, "Or that you'd come from a universe where I didn't exist..."

Or something equally unpleasant. She didn't want to try and work out what.

[clever_wanderer]

As quickly as it had come, the tensity vanished, replaced by a brilliant, returned familiarity.

"How could I forget you, Susan?" he said, his grin twice as wide as before. Whole centuries could go by, faces change, time continues on, and yet, in a weird sort of way, they still seemed to be able to pick up where they'd left off.

"And why would I come from a universe where you didn't exist?" he asked, jokingly, mid-hug, "I'd hate it! What a terrible universe!"

He didn't mention that, according to his now remarkably screwed up time line, she hadn't existed in the universe for quite some time. That didn't matter, not now, not here. There had to be some advantages to dangerous fluctuations in time.

"So how are you," he asked, still grinning as he let her go, "Really? And don't just say 'fine' this time, I want actual details."

[unearthlysusan]

"Oh, I don't know," she said. Susan was vaguely embarrassed by the thought, now she was finally certain that it wasn't true. She should have known better! Some things would never change, despite the twists and turns of time lines she didn't fully understand.

"But I am fine," she laughed, "I miss David and the children quite a lot, but it's wonderful seeing Ian again. And seeing you, of course."

She hadn't really wanted to add the last part - it hardly seemed necessary, after all - but she found herself saying it anyway.

[clever_wanderer]

"You've got children?" he asked, suddenly a bit concerned. He wasn't entirely sure what the concern was about, perhaps it was the thought of his granddaughter growing up? No. He'd watched his own children grow up, sort of, he'd watched friends and companions grow old, his granddaughter growing up and living a life with a husband and children shouldn't bother him.

But it did. And suddenly, he realized why.

"That makes me a great-grandfather now," he said, suddenly, "Blimey, that's a bit odd, isn't it? Me, a great-grandfather. Take some time getting used to, I think."

He grinned, "But it's good to hear you're doing well. That's brilliant, really."

[unearthlysusan]

"Adopted," she said, with a smile, "I doubt David and I could ever have had children naturally."

It was a biological impossibility, although it was something they'd discussed in detail. In the end, they'd chosen to look after the war orphans rather than waste time and energy (and money they didn't have) on trying to conceive.

"Their names are Barbara and Ian," she added, proudly. "I've told them both so much about you. Your great-grandchildren."

It did sound odd. Wonderfully odd.

"What about you?" she added, "How are you doing?"

[clever_wanderer]

"Barbara and Ian!" he was grinning, beaming now, actually. He probably looked like a complete fool, but for the moment that really didn't matter. Here she was, his granddaughter, his beautiful, brilliant granddaughter, getting married, two children, living a life all her own.

And all this time, he'd been blundering about, running, wandering, chasing, fighting, never knowing that somewhere he had two great-grandchildren who only knew him through stories their mother told them.

His grin faltered a bit. What was that he'd said about one day coming back?

"I'm doing...er, well-ish," he said, "You know, as well as you can be with 99% of the universe sort of disappearing on you, and the TARDIS not working, and-" he glanced at her again, straight at her. She was gone, to him, she'd been gone for years - more than that, eternities, it seemed. And now here she was.

"It's been an interesting few centuries," he said, finally.

[OMG! I'm so sorry it took me so long to respond! It's been a bit chaotic, here. Promise I'm back though!]

[unearthlysusan]

Susan had never forgotten the promise he'd made. In fact, it had never been particularly far from her mind. She'd always been confident that her Grandfather would keep his word and return to her one day, but she'd also been aware of the fact that he was wandering in the fourth dimension, while she herself remained static (for the most part). It was going to be very hard for him to keep track of things.

"My TARDIS isn't working either," she said with a wry smile, "I've stopped trying to fix her. If you - any of you - haven't been able to, then I doubt I'll be manage to succeed!"

She raised an eyebrow, looking at him carefully, her head tilted to one side.

"Well-ish?"

Don't worry about it! This seems to be a hectic time of year for most people.

[clever_wanderer]

He shoved a hand into his pocked, and somewhat nervously scratched the back of his head, "You know," he said, "Well-ish. That sort of well you are when you're in the middle of a multiversal crisis. Well-ish." He tried another grin.

It was difficult to look at her. On the one hand, he was completely and utterly overjoyed to see her again, as any grandfather separated from his granddaughter for several centuries would. He enjoyed listening to her, to where she was, her life, her family, her children. All those years he wondered, where had she gone next?

But at the same time, he couldn't quite stand it. Not her in anyway, he loved hearing from her, but the sensation that came with it. It felt wrong when he looked at her. She was dead, in his time line, dead in most time lines now, and yet here she was. Completely alive. It was an anomaly, something that wasn't supposed to happen but was. And though he loved, though he was so, so glad she was back -

There were moments he wished he could turn half of his mind off.

[unearthlysusan]

He was lying to her. They'd been parted for centuries, and she certainly didn't know him as well as she once had, but she could tell that. It was in his eyes. He wasn't just older than she'd ever seen him. He looked older too. In his eyes, were it really mattered. And he looked sad, too, which was even worse.

Well-ish was probably his current approximation for 'no'.

"You don't have to pretend, Grandfather," she said, gently, as if she was the older and more sensible of the pair. An adult, despite the fact that she still remained in the body of a teenager. "Not with me."