" it's greatly appreciated. " she pauses in thought, her lips pausing as she reflects on their discussion. " . . . can he genuinely not fly the ship? is that the truth, at least? "
" rest assured, a secret i'll certainly be keeping to myself. . . " this encounter is one he wouldn't mention at any point anyway. no reason to, and it ๐s an accident after all.
" he's tremendously good at that. i suppose it must be ingrained in him, " she admitted ; and it was less of a surprise than she would have liked to say. " though we're fond of him now, ian and i. i'll thank you not to tell him. "
" stubborn in different ways, i should think. and always a thorn in my particular side, " then again his 'side' was often not the one anyone should opt for.
" strange. it's hard to imagine him as a child. " though she's picturing it now. that's the thing about their travels ; she's far more open to accept the unimaginable now. " was he always so stubborn? "
it's a curious comment, one which barbara has to sit with for a little while before she questions it. eventually, with narrowed eyes, " . . . you are familiar with him, then? "
" that is what tends to happen when you fail all courses, and still opt to steal a ship, " he chuckled, revealing the doctor's more 'rocky' start away from home.
comical, to him.
" then you're a greater pilot than ours. though don't tell him i said so - he can be rather defensive, " she admitted - though her expression was fonder than her tone would have him believe.
" typically i plan where i wish to be, and follow through with it. but there at at times . . . derailments. " is he a poor pilot? no. his TARDIS isn't truly bonded to him.
it was chancellor goth's machine before, after all.
" you're like us then. we're wanderers, too. " not exactly like them, she would hasten a guess. but similar enough for her to feel an affinity with him, of sorts. " still. we try to leave things better than we found them. "
" a few weeks. enough to turn the tide of the people to a degree, " an admittance that he was 'no good,' but she didn't really need that.
it's blatant. he ๐ooks like a damn bond villian after all.
" time and place. " she repeats, humming. she's getting used to the fact that they are not the only wanders in time and space, therfore he doesn't shock her. " have you been here a while? "
" it wasn't an insult, " yet that didn't make it a compliment, however she opts to take it. it was one of his . . . nicer comments.
" as for what i do, it hardly matters, but ๐๐ this is far from my own time and place, " chuckling.
" i think i will take that as a compliment, " she concluded, crossing her arms over her chest. it was reassuring, to cling to rare comforts of home.
" and what do you do? forgive me, but you don't exactly seem at home in this time. "
" clear as day, " he added, only to sigh. once again, these are people he wouldn't harm, at least, not in a physical manner.
he does still respect some degree of established history and ๐ome of the doctor's friends.
" . . . i was calling to my son, " she explains to him after a small while ; she nods to the small child climbing the tree ahead of them. " john, there he is. i'm sorry if i startled you. "
โ โ
He turns fully. A clap of hands, completely unaware of the crooked bowtie.
โSorry โ thought I heard something.โ A squint as he advances. โDid you say something?โ
โ โ
" is it so obvious? " a raised brow, muted slightly by a small smile. " i haven't been in a classroom for a long time. i wondered how much we had changed. "
" ๐๐๐ โ i see my guess that you're a school teacher is correct then, " he suddenly commented, laughing just a little bit. nothing malicious, just pure . . . amusement.
" that, entirely depends on how you value people. and life itself, " both of which he hardly ever considered, unless they would bend to his will and needs.