Fic: Den of Thieves (Mel/Seven/Ace, PG-13)
Title: Den of Thieves
Author: livii
Pairing: Mel/Seven/Ace
Rating: PG-13
Summary: "You've gone for ages, you've already gone, you're still here, just arrived, haven't even met you yet. It all depends on who you are and how you look at it. Strange business, time."
Notes: Thanks to eve11 for the speedy beta; remaining problems/errors are mine from fussing with it. ~900 words.
She was hard to miss, even in the middle of a crowd.
"Glitz?" she said, laughing, tossing her hair behind her. "Oh, dear old Glitz. Got himself nicked on a moon colony and won't be out for seventy-five; cryogenic storage for criminals, saves on maintenance costs."
"We can't leave her here, can we, Professor?" Ace asked, looking around at the dusty spaceport.
"Always room for one more," the Doctor said, holding the door to the ship open. Mel noticed that his smile didn't meet his eyes.
* * *
"You're still as much trouble as always," Mel said, looking down at the chaotic scene below fondly. "Overthrowing governments, what a lark."
"It's wicked," Ace said. "Should I throw another one? I've got three canisters of the nitro-9 left."
"I think we've caused enough of a distraction for the Doctor by now," Mel replied. "Besides, we should be covering his flank." She pulled out a hypersonic gun, small but powerful, and primed it.
She smiled at Ace's surprised look. "Got to be prepared for anything, when you're out there."
"We'll be making a fighter of you yet," Ace said approvingly. "Can you get me one of those?"
"They're only for devils and rogues," Mel said, "so you'll do. Catch. I'm more of a surveillance type, anyway."
Ace grinned as she caught the gun, looking it over with love.
* * *
They reconvened in the after, people picking up the pieces.
"Why did you leave?" the Doctor asked, surveying the wreckage quietly.
"There was...a moment," Mel said. "I can't describe it, not really. Glitz said, come with me, adventure, and treasure, and all that. I looked left, and I looked right, and there was this gap, in between, that told me I had to take a chance. So I did."
Ace's ears perked up. "Treasure? What, were you a pirate, or something?"
"Still have my cutlass somewhere," Mel said, "and I'm only half joking. Glitz and I weren't exactly good, you know."
"You're corrupting my crew," the Doctor said, with a frown. "She's only sixteen."
"She'd make a fine pirate," Mel said, ruffling Ace's hair. "Just con games, tricks, a little bit of magic space dust, you know, that sort of thing, that's all we did. No one really got hurt."
"Trust and loyalty, nothing important," the Doctor said, and turned away.
* * *
Mel stood back and admired her handiwork. "There, that looks terrific." Ace peered into the mirror, touching her hair with distrust.
"It's girly," she said, looking at the brushed waves.
"It's lovely," Mel countered, "and disarming. Always a handy trick to have up your sleeve, believe me."
"You're not the same," the Doctor said, making them both jump; they hadn't heard him enter the room.
"Change is good, Doctor," Mel said. "You should know, of all people."
He shook his head and left the room as silently as he'd entered. Mel watched him go, eyes dancing.
* * *
"Mel," the Doctor said, soft and dangerous, "Melanie, this isn't a game."
"I know," she said, and shifted her hands lower, slower. "You shouldn't let adults travel with you, Doctor." She'd been with Glitz for ten years in her timeline, after all; she wasn't a child any more.
"You're a speck in my eye," he replied, "a tiny ripple in time. I have existed since before you can imagine, Mel. I will continue to exist and you will have faded into the dust."
"I know," she said again, "and I don't care. The universe is so incredibly large, Doctor, and here you are, once more."
He leaned in, then, palms on her shoulders, one index finger twisting her hair round and round. Mel sighed and let her head fall back, until she heard a sound.
Ace was standing in the doorway.
Mel yelped, and pulled up the blanket, but the Doctor was serene.
"Just thought, why would they go off alone?" Ace said, worrying her heel against the doorjamb. "What is there that we can't all share?"
"A child," Mel said, as Ace protested ("Glitz, you know it was Glitz,") but she already knew that she couldn't deny Ace anything; that she didn't want to deny Ace anything. She stretched out her hand.
"How far have I fallen?" she whispered, some time later, as they moved together, better with three. "Trust and loyalty and oh, Doctor, I'm so lost."
"This is up," the Doctor said, "there's only going up, here, and you know how to do it."
Ace watched the discussion with a fearful look on her face. "You're going to leave again, aren't you?"
"It's a con game, Ace," Mel replied, "and I've forgotten what role I used to play. I can't stay."
Ace grabbed Mel's hand, held it tight. "Memorize us, then," she said, and Mel laughed at the absurdity of it, the naiveté of it, but with fingers and lips, she tried the best she could.
* * *
Mel kissed him goodbye this time; always a vague regret, that she hadn't been bold, that she hadn't taken the risk.
"Meet you once again, sometime," she said. "Who knows who I'll be by then?"
"Or me," he replied, a smile dancing on his lips.
"It's just you, now," she said to Ace, taking the girl's hands in her own. "What are you going to be?"
Ace smiled, triumphant. "Amazing."
* * *
She kept her hypersonic gun; after all, you couldn't be too careful out there, finding your way.
Author: livii
Pairing: Mel/Seven/Ace
Rating: PG-13
Summary: "You've gone for ages, you've already gone, you're still here, just arrived, haven't even met you yet. It all depends on who you are and how you look at it. Strange business, time."
Notes: Thanks to eve11 for the speedy beta; remaining problems/errors are mine from fussing with it. ~900 words.
She was hard to miss, even in the middle of a crowd.
"Glitz?" she said, laughing, tossing her hair behind her. "Oh, dear old Glitz. Got himself nicked on a moon colony and won't be out for seventy-five; cryogenic storage for criminals, saves on maintenance costs."
"We can't leave her here, can we, Professor?" Ace asked, looking around at the dusty spaceport.
"Always room for one more," the Doctor said, holding the door to the ship open. Mel noticed that his smile didn't meet his eyes.
* * *
"You're still as much trouble as always," Mel said, looking down at the chaotic scene below fondly. "Overthrowing governments, what a lark."
"It's wicked," Ace said. "Should I throw another one? I've got three canisters of the nitro-9 left."
"I think we've caused enough of a distraction for the Doctor by now," Mel replied. "Besides, we should be covering his flank." She pulled out a hypersonic gun, small but powerful, and primed it.
She smiled at Ace's surprised look. "Got to be prepared for anything, when you're out there."
"We'll be making a fighter of you yet," Ace said approvingly. "Can you get me one of those?"
"They're only for devils and rogues," Mel said, "so you'll do. Catch. I'm more of a surveillance type, anyway."
Ace grinned as she caught the gun, looking it over with love.
* * *
They reconvened in the after, people picking up the pieces.
"Why did you leave?" the Doctor asked, surveying the wreckage quietly.
"There was...a moment," Mel said. "I can't describe it, not really. Glitz said, come with me, adventure, and treasure, and all that. I looked left, and I looked right, and there was this gap, in between, that told me I had to take a chance. So I did."
Ace's ears perked up. "Treasure? What, were you a pirate, or something?"
"Still have my cutlass somewhere," Mel said, "and I'm only half joking. Glitz and I weren't exactly good, you know."
"You're corrupting my crew," the Doctor said, with a frown. "She's only sixteen."
"She'd make a fine pirate," Mel said, ruffling Ace's hair. "Just con games, tricks, a little bit of magic space dust, you know, that sort of thing, that's all we did. No one really got hurt."
"Trust and loyalty, nothing important," the Doctor said, and turned away.
* * *
Mel stood back and admired her handiwork. "There, that looks terrific." Ace peered into the mirror, touching her hair with distrust.
"It's girly," she said, looking at the brushed waves.
"It's lovely," Mel countered, "and disarming. Always a handy trick to have up your sleeve, believe me."
"You're not the same," the Doctor said, making them both jump; they hadn't heard him enter the room.
"Change is good, Doctor," Mel said. "You should know, of all people."
He shook his head and left the room as silently as he'd entered. Mel watched him go, eyes dancing.
* * *
"Mel," the Doctor said, soft and dangerous, "Melanie, this isn't a game."
"I know," she said, and shifted her hands lower, slower. "You shouldn't let adults travel with you, Doctor." She'd been with Glitz for ten years in her timeline, after all; she wasn't a child any more.
"You're a speck in my eye," he replied, "a tiny ripple in time. I have existed since before you can imagine, Mel. I will continue to exist and you will have faded into the dust."
"I know," she said again, "and I don't care. The universe is so incredibly large, Doctor, and here you are, once more."
He leaned in, then, palms on her shoulders, one index finger twisting her hair round and round. Mel sighed and let her head fall back, until she heard a sound.
Ace was standing in the doorway.
Mel yelped, and pulled up the blanket, but the Doctor was serene.
"Just thought, why would they go off alone?" Ace said, worrying her heel against the doorjamb. "What is there that we can't all share?"
"A child," Mel said, as Ace protested ("Glitz, you know it was Glitz,") but she already knew that she couldn't deny Ace anything; that she didn't want to deny Ace anything. She stretched out her hand.
"How far have I fallen?" she whispered, some time later, as they moved together, better with three. "Trust and loyalty and oh, Doctor, I'm so lost."
"This is up," the Doctor said, "there's only going up, here, and you know how to do it."
Ace watched the discussion with a fearful look on her face. "You're going to leave again, aren't you?"
"It's a con game, Ace," Mel replied, "and I've forgotten what role I used to play. I can't stay."
Ace grabbed Mel's hand, held it tight. "Memorize us, then," she said, and Mel laughed at the absurdity of it, the naiveté of it, but with fingers and lips, she tried the best she could.
* * *
Mel kissed him goodbye this time; always a vague regret, that she hadn't been bold, that she hadn't taken the risk.
"Meet you once again, sometime," she said. "Who knows who I'll be by then?"
"Or me," he replied, a smile dancing on his lips.
"It's just you, now," she said to Ace, taking the girl's hands in her own. "What are you going to be?"
Ace smiled, triumphant. "Amazing."
* * *
She kept her hypersonic gun; after all, you couldn't be too careful out there, finding your way.