Living a Lie (1/1)
Title: Living a Lie
Author: tromana
Rating: PG
Characters: Thomas Brewster
Spoilers: The Haunting of Thomas Brewster, The Boy That Time Forgot, Time Reef
Summary: A new start. A new beginning. A new lie.
Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who but I do have a kitten called Nyssa.
Notes: Doesn’t really make sense without having heard Time Reef first. Also, note to self: keep up to date with posting fic.
The TARDIS was sleek, clean and spacious. Brewster couldn’t believe just how big the machine was. Being used to being squashed into the tiniest of spaces and entirely forgotten about, this was like heaven in comparison. And positively a mine field for getting a bob or two! He sat down, head spinning. First things first, a change of clothes and maybe a bath. In something this size there had to be a clean shirt or two lying around…
It ground to a halt, in an unknown destination. The machine didn’t seem particularly happy about this and there were a lot of sparks flying from the central console. Brewster had tried shouting at it, in disgust, then pressing random buttons. After all, it wasn’t his fault that the TARDIS had decided to move on its own accord. Whilst this was all exciting and new, it scared the willies off him. Apprehensively, with a key he had found in one of the rooms safely stashed away in his new togs, he opened the door.
He couldn’t believe what he saw. It had to be an apparition, like his mother had been in old London town.
He stepped outside. The land felt real enough. Metal, though. It didn’t matter, after the TARDIS he felt he could cope with anything. Immediately, he was jumped on by the commander of the ship. He cursed silently; he should have known to be more careful.
“You’re trespassing on my ship,” someone sneered down his ear.
“Yeah, and?” Brewster retorted. “What ya gonna do about it? Throw me overboard?”
“No,” the man considered. “Who are you?”
“I’m…” Brewster started. “I’m the Doctor. Yeah, that’s him. Me, I mean. Yeah. Who’re you?”
“I am Commander Gammades.”
Brewster sized him up. If it came to fists, he knew that he’d come off worse. Then again, he figured nine times out of ten he would. Good job he was so good at running. Best to get on this Commander’s good side then.
The Commander decided it would be a good idea to give Brewster, or rather, the Doctor, a guided tour of the ship. Every so often he would point out something that was broken or just missing entirely from it. Brewster generally remained mute, something that was a miracle for him. But then, he was quite out of his depth. It was helping, slightly, however, pretending to be the Doctor.
They reached the TARDIS once more, and Brewster darted inside. He picked up a thing. He wasn’t quite sure what it was, but it couldn’t be of any use. He chucked it at the Commander, who caught it with deft hands.
“Here,” he grinned. “Free of charge, that one.”
“But what is it?”
“A, ah, distress beacon. Yeah.”
“Thank you.”
“I have everything else you’re missing too, only you’ll have to pay for that.”
Whilst raiding the TARDIS, and being given the right to roam freely across the ship, Brewster became quite firm friends with a fair few of the crew members. Doubtless, it was helped by the fact he was ‘replacing’ their broken bits and pieces.
When it all went wrong, he escaped in the TARDIS, somehow.
He had no idea where he’d end up next. But as the Doctor, that was part of the thrill. After all, that was how the real Doctor would treat it.