Torchwood 1944: The New Lords of Time

[The Meddler]

"What are you?" Captain Nelson hissed, his hand straying towards the pistol at his hip.

The Meddler lifted an eyebrow. "A Time Lord."

Behind him, he could hear Celia stir.

"And a man that is becoming increasingly irritable about you being so rude as to awaken my wife and disturb my children."

"They're not your children."

The other eyebrow was raised as well. "Really? I can assure you that I was there for the entire-"

"What seems to be the problem here, Captain Nelson?" She asked, a slight edge to her tone.

"Celia," the Captain said, sounding slightly embarrased, "I was just... uhm..."

The Meddler turned his gaze towards the bed and his family. "Joshua-"

"Don't call me that," the Captain said, his voice flat.

"-is understandably concerned for you and for the children, after what happened last night," he said with a smile. "And he was wanting to make certain you were safe."

He glanced back at the Captain. "Of course, rather than ask me what happened, he's rather rudly proceeding on the assumption that I have murdered Robert and am now wearing his skin like a disturbing suit."

He lifted an eyebrow again. "Isn't that about right, Joshua?"

"You," the Captain snarled, "Whatever you are, you don't get to call me that."

[Sisilaya Vulmecura]

The bickering between the Captain ad the Meddler was giving her a headache and she pinched the bridge of her nose agitatedly.

"They're not your children."

A mere few hours, before her children were saved she would have agreed to that. But she wasn't so sure any more because of this gut feeling. Whenever she looked in those strange eyes of the Meddler, full of swirling light at the back of his eyes, she felt some sort of strong recognition. Still, who was the Captain to argue who's children they were.

The Captain looked embarrassed when she had finally cut in, asking what the bloody problem was here.

She clutched her children a little tighter, kissing Morgaine's brow.

"Of course, rather than ask me what happened, he's rather rudly proceeding on the assumption that I have murdered Robert and am now wearing his skin like a disturbing suit."

He lifted an eyebrow again. "Isn't that about right, Joshua?"

"You," the Captain snarled, "Whatever you are, you don't get to call me that."

And Celia nsarled back with equal measure, why she did not know. It was like instinct drew her.

"What he is, is a Time Lord Captain Nelson. And the SS-G were willing to go as far as kidnapping my children to get their hands on one. There is no way in hell you or any doctor is getting anywhere close to him. We are not using him to win this war, Captain. And if you do insist, we will leave immediately and resign from Torchwood. I'm not aiding to more horror in this war then is already present by our hands."

She had seen what this Time Lord was capable of when they had gone to save their children, she still remembered the steaming dead bodies in the snow. The light that disintegrated their flesh from the inside out when they came to the building her children had been held. What those powers could do when used unwisely against an entire nation was something of such influence even the Sidhe would get involved. And then the beginning of the end would come. No one would survive that war. No human at least.

That moment, the bed next to them stirred, Moira was waking up.

[The Meddler]

"What he is, is a Time Lord Captain Nelson. And the SS-G were willing to go as far as kidnapping my children to get their hands on one. There is no way in hell you or any doctor is getting anywhere close to him. We are not using him to win this war, Captain. And if you do insist, we will leave immediately and resign from Torchwood. I'm not aiding to more horror in this war then is already present by our hands."

There was gratitude in the Meddler's face at her words. Captain Nelson didn't see it, though.

"Celia," he said, concern and anger and fear mixed in his voice. "That's not... that's not what I meant. I'm, that is, I just..."

The Meddler looked back at him with a gentle expression. "Jo... Captain Nelson. I appreciate your concern for my family. If it will give you any satisfaction - if it will really settle your mind - I will allow your doctor to examine me. He will find that I am clearly not human, though, and that will prove nothing."

He paused, and watched the struggle in Captain Nelson's face. "Even if you can't believe that I am still Robert, surely you can see that I mean no harm. I moved heaven and earth, and nearly killed myself, to rescue Ken and Morgaine."

The Captain sat down, head in his hands. "But... I watched Robert die. I felt the fires burn him to ash."

The Meddler leaned forward. "Joshua, give me two days. It's only right that I answer Celia's questions - and she has more than you will - and answer them first. And then, if you and Kate would care to join us for Christmas dinner, I will be happy to answer every question you have."

The hostile, terrified officer managed a wan smile. "All right," he agreed. "Although I think you might be better off coming to my house."

A shrug. "That's fine with me. What do you think, Celia?"

About then, Moira stirred in her bed. The Meddler's eyes darted towards her, and he almost - but not completely - hid the concern on his face. The Captain stood. "I should go, though." He paused in the doorway, and looked at Celia. "I'm sorry," he said to her. "I was worried for you."

Moira blinked, and rubbed her eyes. "Wha'... wha' happened?"

[Sisilaya Vulmecura]

Celia knew that even if the Meddler allowed himself to be examined, the Doctors wouldn't know what to do with it. And in these times, science often came before comfort and it wouldn't be long until someone took a scalpel out.

"Even if you can't believe that I am still Robert, surely you can see that I mean no harm. I moved heaven and earth, and nearly killed myself, to rescue Ken and Morgaine."

The Captain sat down, head in his hands. "But... I watched Robert die. I felt the fires burn him to ash."

"He saved the children, Captain. That accounts for something. And I.. I'm not so sure your theory is right. How else could he have Roberts memories if Robert supposedly turned to ash?"

She looked slightly pale, she too had been having internal conflicts on who the Meddler actually was, and if her husband was really gone. But the reality was, her children needed a father, and the Meddler cared for them like they were his own. She couldn't support them on her own, a mother wasn't even supposed to work in these times. Robert and her only continued to work for Torchwood only because together they could make certain their children were safe, she wasn't sure if she could now without Robert and Moira.

She looked at the Meddler. She wasn't sure if she even wanted anyone else.

Then, the Meddler made an agreement with the Captain and she nodded at him when he asked for her opinion. Two days in time would be fine, enough for him to answer her questions.

The Captain stood. "I should go, though." He paused in the doorway, and looked at Celia. "I'm sorry," he said to her. "I was worried for you."

"I know, Joshua. I'm not sure I'm fine yet either, but I'm sure that he will cause me no harm. I trust him." She said and saw the Captain finally vanish through the door.

Moira blinked, and rubbed her eyes. "Wha'... wha' happened?"

Her eyes widened, Moira was waking up. She sat up slightly, having a good look at the woman who had been dead before.

That's when Ken and Morgaine ran to the bed. "Auntie Moira!" She cheered out and crawled onto the bed next to her, big smiles on their face.

"Careful now! Auntie Moira was very sick!"

She looked at the Meddler for a moment, perhaps he knew better what to do. She.. she had seen the Sidhe enter the dead womans body. She didn't know anymore who was in there.. Moira or that Sidhe?

[The Meddler]

"He saved the children, Captain. That accounts for something. And I.. I'm not so sure your theory is right. How else could he have Roberts memories if Robert supposedly turned to ash?"

It wasn't exactly the ringing endorsement he'd hoped for, but he knew better than to think she'd understand. She was still under the Arch, after all. Still thinking like a human.

It didn't stop him from irrationally hoping she'd understand.

But, at least, he'd - well, they'd - convinced Joshua to listen to something approaching reason. As he watched the man leave, he found himself hoping he could convince him. Joshua was one of his oldest friends in Belfast, after all.

The Captain stood. "I should go, though." He paused in the doorway, and looked at Celia. "I'm sorry," he said to her. "I was worried for you."

"I know, Joshua. I'm not sure I'm fine yet either, but I'm sure that he will cause me no harm. I trust him."

"Thank you," the Meddler whispered, voice suddenly thick.

Moira blinked, and rubbed her eyes. "Wha'... wha' happened?"

He saw Celia sit up a little, staring at Moira, and watched with some amusement as Ken and Morgaine ran to the bed. "Auntie Moira!" She cheered out and crawled onto the bed next to her, big smiles on their face.

"Careful now! Auntie Moira was very sick!"

"I suspect she may be feeling better now, Celia," the Meddler laughed. He rose, wrapped the hospital dressing gown about him, and crossed the room. For a long moment, he watched Moira hug the Terrors close, seeming to study her intently. "And who are you?""

Moira looked up at him with a knowing smile. "Moira, o' course." The smile turned into a mischevious grin. "An' who else would I be?"

The Meddler's grin turned mischevious as well. "Éibhleann an lasair airgid?" he asked, lapsing into Irish.

Moira shrugged. "Ar ndóigh, Éibhleann chomh maith le."

The children gave the Meddler curious looks as he laughed - a sound of joy and relief - and clapped his hands together. "Wonderful!" he cried. "I wasn't sure it would work!"

"Well, an' it did."

"What worked, daddy?" Morgaine asked.

The Meddler hesitated, and Moira stepped in. "Why, ye little love, yer da - after all the trouble he was put to ta help yer ma rescue ye an' yer brother - why, he saved me life."

Ken gave her a curious look. "You mean, with the Christmas fairy?"

Moira laughed at that. "Aye, little love, wit' the Christmas fairy."

The Meddler stepped over, and sat next to Celia. "I suspect we'll all be able to go home in the next hour or so," he said, watching Moira play 'got your nose' with Ken. "Did you have any questions that can't wait until then?"

[Sisilaya Vulmecura]

She heard The Meddlers voice, thick after she had just confessed to the Captain that she trustd him not to hurt her. Their children didn't seem to treat him any different then daddy either, that had to account for something right? She just gave him a bit of a smile, she woud have squeezed his hand if he had been near. Sometimes it was so easy to still see Robert in him, as if he had never left.

And then Moira woke, and the twins pounced. The Medder got up and made over to her side.

"And who are you?"

He took the words from her mouth, was she still Moira or..?

"Moira, o' course." The smile turned into a mischevious grin. "An' who else would I be?

The tone alone made her slouch back into the pillows in astonishment.. that.. that wasn't Moira. Her thoughts were only confirmed when they both started talking in a version of Gaelic she did not understand, but knew very well. It was the version the Fae used. She had heard it whispered on the wind often enough.

And she came to the realisation that she suddenly felt very small and closed her eyes, biting back the horrible feeling.

Her daughters voice snapped her out of it.

"What worked, daddy?" Morgaine asked.

Yes daddy, what exactly had worked there? What the hell had happened there? Was Moira now just a shell inhabited by a Fae spirit? Was that what her long time friend was reduced to? The creatures that had hunted her down all her life now was one of her closest friends?

She clenched her jaw, biting back the tears that gathered in the corners of her eyes.

"Why, ye little love, yer da - after all the trouble he was put to ta help yer ma rescue ye an' yer brother - why, he saved me life."

Ken gave her a curious look. "You mean, with the Christmas fairy?"

Moira laughed at that. "Aye, little love, wit' the Christmas fairy."

She wanted to scream she was a Sidhe, that these were the creatures that had made her youth miserable. That her children had every right to fear them. She wanted to grab them, pull away from the woman to safety in her own arms.

But she in a room with a Sidhe and a Time Lord and she knew there was nothing she could do if she resisted and they decided they had enough. She would not desert her children like that.

She hadn't noticed the Medder sit down next to her bed untill she heard his voice suddenly upclose, her eyes flying open in surprise.

"I suspect we'll all be able to go home in the next hour or so," he said, watching Moira play 'got your nose' with Ken. "Did you have any questions that can't wait until then?"

"No-.. no I think they can wait. We should go." She said softly, trying the keep the wavering in her voice in check as she looked down at the sheets to keep her eyes away from his.

[The Meddler]

"No-.. no I think they can wait. We should go."

She was terrified. He could see it in her body language, hear it in the carefully-controlled tremble in her voice.

With some shock, he realized he could also smell the increased levels of adrenaline in her blood, he realized with some shock. And, this close, he could hear her increased pulse rate, and the way her breathing had become - subtly - shallower and faster. What's happened to me? he wondered, although he thought he knew.

Just like he knew why she was so terrified. She'd told him stories of her childhood - stories that, as Robert, he'd assumed were her way of coping with childhood trauma and abuse. And now?

She'd been Arched into an adult, so they couldn't be her childhood memories. So either the Nornir Loom had reconstructed her experiences at Xandavier's hands, or she had been inserted into the place of real (and now dead) person who had experienced those Hunts. (A third option welled out of the memories he retained from Éibhleann: that the Sidhe, creatures of psychic energy as well as matter, had Hunted her in her memories. And that thought brought back the urge he'd had as Robert when he'd hear her stories - the urge to find those responsible, and to hurt and then kill them.)

Hesitantly, he laid his hand on hers. "You have no reason to be afraid of Moira," he told her. "She died once, trying to protect you, and she would do it again if necessary." A pause, and a gentle squeeze. "As would I."

With that, he pressed the call button to summon the nurse.

---

Discharging the Goodall family was largely trivial - they hadn't formally been checked in, after all. One of the doctors still gave Kenneth and Morgaine a once-over, making sure they were none the worse for wear after their experiences, and word had gotten around that 'Robert' was to be left alone.

Moira Blake was another matter. She seemed perfectly healthy, and by now everyone had heard of the "Christmas Miracle" that had brought an angel to bring a dead woman back to life - the night nurse and the attending doctor had talked, after all - but miracles don't have a place in a patient's medical records. So the doctors had asked her to stay for one more day, so they could run some tests and make certain she was as fully healed as she seemed, and Moira had laughed and agreed.

They'd had to take a cab back to the Museum that served as the Institute's headquarters in Belfast. Robert's terribly-abused car was still in Corrstown, after all.

"Besides," the Meddler remarked as they waited, "I'm not at all certain how well it will drive without major repair work. I pushed the tolerances of the vehicle right to the limit, and it isn't as forgiving as the TARDIS."

"Daddy?" Ken asked, "What's a tardy?"

"TARDIS," he corrected with a laugh, sweeping both of the twins up. "You'll love her! She's a spaceship, like something out of your Flash Gordon serials, except that she travels in time as well!"

"Can we go to Mars?" Morgaine asked.

The Meddler laughed again. "Morgaine, we can go anywhere you want!" He bumped his forehead into hers, and dropped his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "Assuming your mother approves."

A second or two passed, and the snowflakes drifted down.

"Daddy?" Ken asked seriously, "When did you get a rocketship?"

"Ah, son," the Meddler laughed, "I'll tell you once I explain it to your mother."

---

The apartment above the museum was warm and strangely - at least, after the events of the past eighteen hours - unchanged.

"It seems like we've been gone for ages," the Meddler said, setting the Terrors down. He peered down the hall curiously, as if he were hunting for something, then began to look into each of the rooms in turn. ""Not... here..." he said, slowly, looking both puzzled and a little lost.

He sighed, then looked back at Celia. "Why don't I make us some lunch? Then we can put the twins down for a nap, and I can start answering your questions."

[Sisilaya Vulmecura]

His hand on hers comforted her somewhat, but the feeling remained that her husband had turned into something she didn't outright feared for his personality or hostility, no she trusted him in that. No it was the sheer power he housed, what she had seen when he took out the SS-G that made her feel like she was plain, little and obscure. She didn't know how to cope with it.

"You have no reason to be afraid of Moira," he told her. "She died once, trying to protect you, and she would do it again if necessary." A pause, and a gentle squeeze. "As would I."

" I.. I conditioned myself to fear the Fae.. it's what's kept me alive. It's.. it's hard to ignore that fleeing instinct now. I just don't understand why a Sidhe would want to help me, Robert. I'm a human, a Seer. They all want us dead, but instead she keeps calling me daughter and it just.." She shook her head " I'm used to trickery from the Fae, but I don't know what to think any more.." She whispered brokenly.

Eventually the called for the nurse so they could get out of there.

_____________________________________________


Discharging from the hospital had been a welcome change for her, the cold white rooms from the hospital were not helping on her mental state. She was still tired, having only caught about 5 hours of sleep. But still, she could be worse. She didn't look to be dying on her feet any more.

She breathed a sigh of relief when they entered their apartment above the museum which they had gotten after the explosion

She couldn't help but smile as the Meddler lifted up the children into his arms (she had stopped being about to do that when they turned two), talking about a space ship called a tardis. She blinked at first, space ship? Space travel?

"We've been doing a rubbish job at pick up extraterrestrial technology at Torchwood, I hear?" She said with a bit of a smile as she finally plonked down on the sofa, heaving a sigh. By God what a day it had been. he was just happy to have her children back.

She barely noticed the Meddler searching the rooms of the house, keeping her eyes on the active twins already took all of her tired minds attention She still was very quiet around the entity that inhabited Moira's body now, she didn't know what to do with the situation. She was distracted from the twin when she heard the Meddlers voice again.

"Why don't I make us some lunch? Then we can put the twins down for a nap, and I can start answering your questions."

She got up and made her way to his side, keeping a half eye on the twins who were now building a space ship out of wooden bocks with much ado on how it should look. She chuckled and shook her head.

"I'll make the lunch, you keep an eye on those two little ones." It was still her job to cook after all, seeing Robert cook would just be weird. Yet again, he wasn't just Robert anymore..

With that she vanished into the kitchen, the scents of fried bacon, eggs and toast coming from the stove as she cooked up a big hearty meal. They had planned this for a while, ever since Celia had gotten her hands again on egg and bacon. They had been lunching on tomato sauce, spam and beans on toast for the month before because of the rationing and the scent of bacon and eggs were heavenly now.

"Lunch is ready!" She called from the kitchen, the worked seemed to have perked her up a bit, the scent of food getting her body pumped up again. She hadn't eaten ever since they got the children back and her stomach was showing it.

Five plates were already set out on the kitchen table.

[The Meddler]

" I.. I conditioned myself to fear the Fae.. it's what's kept me alive. It's.. it's hard to ignore that fleeing instinct now. I just don't understand why a Sidhe would want to help me, Robert. I'm a human, a Seer. They all want us dead, but instead she keeps calling me daughter and it just.." She shook her head " I'm used to trickery from the Fae, but I don't know what to think any more.." She whispered brokenly.

The Meddler considered his words carefully. "Trickery is their stock in trade. But saying 'all Sidhe' is rather like saying 'all humans'." He looked over at Moira, playing with the children. "But you can trust her, at least."

---

"We've been doing a rubbish job at pick up extraterrestrial technology at Torchwood, I hear?" She said with a bit of a smile as she finally plonked down on the sofa, heaving a sigh.

In the background, the children could be heard. "Daddy? Can we help you look?"

"Sure."

"What are we looking for?"

"A door. One that leads somewhere you've never seen before."

The children shrieked and laughed and ran around, opening and slamming doors. Finally, the Meddler emerged into the living room, scratching his head. "Hmmm..?" he asked. "Oh, xenotech? Our branch of the Institute has, anyway. Although I guess it depends on your definition of a 'good job'. None of the local powers are going to take any serious notice of this planet until next year, anyway."

Bored with the search, the twins emerged into the living room and began playing with blocks. "Let's build daddy's tardy!" "Yeah!"

He smiled, and offered to make lunch.

"I'll make the lunch, you keep an eye on those two little ones."

"Are you sure? You still look exhausted." He smiled as she ignored him, and made her way to the kitchen. "This isn't about the cheese, is it? It really is intended to taste like that."

There was a clatter of metal on metal, and the gentle whuf of gas igniting. Soon, the scent of crisping bacon wafted from the kitchen. The Meddler's mouth watered, but he didn't look up from what he was doing.

Working carefully, following his input, the children assembled something loosely saucer shaped, with pillars on the edges. "Is that what your spaceship looks like?" Morgaine asked.

The Meddler nodded. "Kind of, yes. The same way a car made of blocks looks like our car."

The twins nodded understanding, and the Meddler picked up one tiny block. "Now here's the best part," he said, grinning. "This is the part that lands. And the whole ship is inside it."

"What?"

"Yeah. It's bigger inside than outside."

They gave him a 'don't be stupid' look. But before he could respond, Celia called "Lunch is ready!" and they scrambled for the table.

---

"I had almost forgotten," the Meddler said, "how much I enjoyed a good fried egg." He mopped up a last bit of yolk with a corner of toast and popped it in his mouth with every indication of enjoyment, then gave his mug a wary stare.

"I enjoyed it enough to not complain about this. I can't believe we're actually drinking roasted, ground dandelion root." He swigged from the mug, and smacked his lips in consideration. "Hmmm..."

Two pats of butter went into the mug, followed by nearly a tablespoon of salt. He stirred, and sipped again. "Better."

The children giggled.

"Not great, but it'll do." He sat the mug down, and grinned sheepishly. "I'm sorry," he said, "I shouldn't complain."

He swigged from the mug again, eyed it carefully, and added equal parts sugar and pepper.

The children giggled again. "All right," he laughed back, "that's enough from you two. Nap time."

"Aaaawww," Ken said.

"We want to hear about the spaceship too!" protested Morgaine.

"And you will," the Meddler promised. "But your mother gets to hear about it first. Now give us kisses and get off to bed, and I'll tell you all about it when you wake up."

Of course, it's never quite that easy. So, after fifteen minutes of foot-dragging and going to the bathroom and getting a drink of water and getting tucked in, the twins were finally in their beds.

The Meddler mixed a little more butter and salt into a fresh mug of coffee substitute. "So," he said, casually. "Where would you like to start?"

[Sisilaya Vulmecura]

"I had almost forgotten," the Meddler said, "how much I enjoyed a good fried egg."

She watched with pleasure as he mopped up every last bit of the egg with a piece of toast, the children too were enjoying their meal thoroughly.

"Yes well, eggs are scarce since war started. So is butter so I'm glad I managed to get my hands on some. Being part of Torchwood sometimes pays off."

"I enjoyed it enough to not complain about this. I can't believe we're actually drinking roasted, ground dandelion root." He swigged from the mug, and smacked his lips in consideration. "Hmmm..."

She finished her own meal just after the children did, dappling her lips with a napkin. She chuckled softly and took a sip of her tea, a smug smirk on her lip.

"Yes well, that's why I still drink tea love. I won't go anywhere near that vile stuff, including it's original. I still don't understand why you even drink it to begin wi-" The words were taken from her mouth as he was adding salt and butter to the brew. She shuddered visable when he took a swig of the drink.

"Robert that is utterly vile.." She began, but the man was already putting sugar and smacked his hand before he could begin adding the pepper. "The doctor already said to mind your salt intake Robert, remember your high blood pressure! You weren't just expelled from the hospital only to work yourself back in like this again!" She stared at the mug and it's contents as if it was something evil and she wanted to wash it's contents down the sink.

The Meddler decided to change the subject by telling the children it was bed time and she took the diversion with both hands. As usual, it took more then just telling them and she was dragging Morgaine slung over her shoulder back and forth from the bedroom a few times. The twins were growing up and becoming heavy.

When they were finally asleep she smiled and chuckled softly as she leaned against the wall outside the bedroom, just next to the door, waiting for the Meddler to emerge after he blew out the candles. She sighed a bit, her midriff constrained against her corsage. She was at home again and dying to get out of the thing. Due to her fatigue she hadn't noticed and completely fallen asleep as soon as her head hit the pillows but now she could feel after almost two days on constant wearing it she started feeling constrained.

The door clicked closed softly as the man she had always thought to be her husband emerged from the bedroom. They both silently walked down the stairs back to the living room. He started making that vile brew again.

"So," he said, casually. "Where would you like to start?"

She looked at him for a good moment, really taking him here. She didn't know where to start, but there was one question that had kept on repeating itself in her mind. A question that made her uncomfortable, that frightened her. She wrung her hands together. Better just drop the proverbial bomb, so to say.

"Am I still your wife?" She asked quietly, looking as if she were lost.

[The Meddler]

"Robert that is utterly vile.." The disgust in her voice was evident, as he added salt and butter to the coffee substitute.

He tasted it again. "I'd have to agree." Checking the table, he began adding sugar and pepper. She leaned across the table and smacked his hand, causing him to look at her curiously.

"The doctor already said to mind your salt intake Robert, remember your high blood pressure! You weren't just expelled from the hospital only to work yourself back in like this again!"

He smiled at that. "My blood pressure is probably in the range of 60 over 30, Celia."

He finished the mug, deciding that the sugar and pepper at the end had made it tolerable, then got to work putting the children to bed. When that was (finally) done he joined Celia in the living room, pouring himself a second mug of the coffee substitute, and adding salt and butter and pepper and sugar until it was tolerable.

"So. Where would you like to start?" He kept his tone light, conversational. But he felt like his hearts were lodged in his throat.

She sat in silence, thinking, wringing her hands. And the Meddler sat on the edge of the armchair he'd claimed as Robert, sipping the coffee substitute to cover his unease. The silence lengthened.

"Am I still your wife?" She asked quietly.

He sighed. "There are so many possible ways to answer that," he replied. He forced himself to give the question the attention it deserved. "Legally, I'm not certain. I don't know how mid-20th-century English common law addresses marriage between a human and..."

He made himself stop, shaking his head irritably. Then he sipped at his beverage. "I'm sorry," he said. "I have a terrible habit of lecturing and rambling, particularly when I'm nervous."

A sigh. "More than anything, I want you to still be my wife," he said with a nervous, hopeful half-grin. "We were... but no, that wouldn't be fair to tell you. I love you. Whether you are Celia or the Dreamweaver, you are my Sisilaya."

He swallowed, and looked out the window. "But you don't remember. I know you, as Sisilaya and as the Dreamweaver and as Celia. But you don't know me - you only know Robert."

The Meddler looked back at her, meeting her eyes. "I hope you are still my wife." He swallowed, voice suddenly husky with emotion. "But if you... if you need to get to know me first... I can wait."

A pause.

"I can wait forever, if that is what it takes."

[Sisilaya Vulmecura]

"There are so many possible ways to answer that. Legally, I'm not certain. I don't know how mid-20th-century English common law addresses marriage between a human and...

Her heart fell when he said that. Even though the man across from her was a Time Lord, he looked, moved and even smelled like her husband. And even though he wasn't human any more now, she wasn't sure if she'd be able to let go of him at all. She was too young to be a widower. She wasn't ready to let go of the man she loved more then anything.

He shook his head irritably, sipping the dandelion coffee with a grimace on his face. Her hands were in her lap, playing with the hem of her skirt nervously a she cast her gaze down. She knew it, their marriage would be void. She'd be on her own and-

"I'm sorry," he said. "I have a terrible habit of lecturing and rambling, particularly when I'm nervous."

"I understand" She said quietly, the only words she trusted to come from her mouth steadily. She felt the lump in her throat grow at threatening pace. She was keeping everything she had in ehr togther to keep herself from breaking down. He was apologising.

He was leaving.

"More than anything, I want you to still be my wife," he said with a nervous, hopeful half-grin. "We were... but no, that wouldn't be fair to tell you. I love you. Whether you are Celia or the Dreamweaver, you are my Sisilaya."

She looked up at him suddenly when he told her to still be his wife, her eyes full of relief and hope and tears she had been holding back threatening to spill. It was the uttered I love you that did make the tears fall and the ran down her pink by fatigue cheeks. "I love you t-" She started but ended in a suddenly double over with the suddenly flaring headache that name brought. Sisilaya.

She groaned, her lips not moving on their own accord. She heard that voice in her head again, only this time it transferred through to her mouth without her controlling it.

"Gestalt..My memories.. Tonks.."

She rose again, the fit had passed and she looked at him, her eyes wide with fright. "What's happening to me..? I can't let her.. the children.." She whispered brokenly. But the fit passed and she straightened herself, getting up to go over to the sink and drink down a glass of water.

"But you don't remember. I know you, as Sisilaya and as the Dreamweaver and as Celia. But you don't know me - you only know Robert."

The Meddler looked back at her, meeting her eyes. "I hope you are still my wife."

She set the glass down, turning towards the Meddler and giving him a weak smile, but an honest one. He cut her off before she could continue on, his husky voice making her feel warm.

"But if you... if you need to get to know me first... I can wait."

A pause.

"I can wait forever, if that is what it takes."

"Oh Robin.." She whispered, not knowing how much that nickname she always had for Robert actually meant. She made her way back over to him and stood before him wordlessly for a good few seconds, searching his eyes which emitted a soft amber glow.

"I know who she is. The Dreamweaver. But.. the children. They wont change, I can't just abandon them like that.." She whispered and that was the biggest reason she was fighting the Dreamweaver so harshly, she couldn't leave her children. She knew from the Blue Box files that Time Lords had to be hundred years old and she just couldn't do that to her children if they remained human.

Still, she looked down at the man sitting in the chair she had been so fond for so long of and she felt hear heart surge. He still love her.

Then, she leaned down and kissed him carefully, her hands coming to rest on his shoulders. It felt like she was kissing him for the first time all over again. Then, she recognised the feel of those lips, the scent of him filling her nostrils, the feel of his hair between her fingers as she ran her hands through them. Sensations she knew so well.

And so, she lost herself, deepening the kiss.

She needed this. More desperately then she knew.

[The Meddler]

The look in her eyes when he had told her he loved her - the look of mixed relief and hope, glistening with unshed tears - told him everything he wanted to know. The tension he'd felt began to melt away, replaced by a sudden lightening of his hearts.

"I love you t-" she started to say, then doubled over clutching at her head. With a groan of pain, she gasped out "Gestalt..My memories.. Tonks.."

The Meddler reached for Celia then, only to check his hand as she rose and staggered to the kitchen. He could hear the words she whispered to herself as she downed a glass of water.

He had to finish telling her, though. Finish his thoughts.

"But you don't remember. I know you, as Sisilaya and as the Dreamweaver and as Celia. But you don't know me - you only know Robert."

The Meddler looked back at her, meeting her eyes. "I hope you are still my wife."

She smiled at him, weakly but sincerely, and he wanted to take her in his arms right then, hold her and never let her go. But... but she didn't remember him. Not as the Meddler.

"But if you... if you need to get to know me first... I can wait."

A pause.

"I can wait forever, if that is what it takes."

"Oh Robin.." She whispered. She had reentered the living room now and stood before him, looking down at him like she was searching for something in his face. "I know who she is. The Dreamweaver. But.. the children. They wont change, I can't just abandon them like that.."

"Abandon them?" he echoed with a grin. "No, never. They may change over time - you did, and I have good reasons for saying that Ken, at least, will - but that isn't important. They're our children, and when the TARDIS arrives, they'll go with us. Or stay here with us. Whatever we decide."

He rested his hand on her stomach, feeling the warmth of her body and imagining the life within. His face turned serious. "I'm more concerned about what would happen to our third child, were you to deArch while pregnant."

He sat like that for a moment, hand on her belly, looking up at her. And then she kissed him.

It was gentle at first. Hesitant. Like she didn't know what to expect. The taste of her lips shot through him, fire and lightning tracing his nerves. He hesitated, wanting her and afraid that any action on his part would shatter the moment.

The kiss grew urgent, demanding, her fingers in his hair and her tongue parting his lips. And then she was in his lap, straddling him. One of his hands slid over and up her stockinged thigh while the other slid up her back and pressed her close.

The kiss ended as she drew back, breathing deeply. "So," he said, voice thick with desire, "What's the next question?"

[Sisilaya Vulmecura]

His hand on her slightly swollen abdomen gave her a feeling that was hard to describe, it felt like her breath stopped and the world around them stopped. Sometimes she got so caught in her emotions that she forgot she was pregnant, now two months along. Yet at the same time, that pregnancy was the reason she had such trouble keeping check of her usually so controlled feelings.

That the children would come along if they would ever leave was something that at least gave her comfort, but what kind of life would they have when both their parents would be not human? She already had problems dealing with the fact her husband was one.. but parents?

Then, she kissed him, and she lost herself in that kiss. She had not even noticed that she had sunk down to straddle him, but the stress of everything was catching up with her and she just needed this comfort. She needed the affection so badly, his hands on the thin fabric on her tigh and the small of her back as he pressed her close. Her fingers tangled in his hair tangled tighter as he broke the kiss, softly whispering against her kiss swollen lips.

"So," he said, voice thick with desire, "What's the next question?"

When had she ended up straddling him like a wanton woman? Yet the feeling of her hips against his, his large hand on her back keeping her close felt so familiar. Her cheeks tinted scarlet, her eyes shimmering yet the hold on his hair hadn't slackened. She wasn't willing to let go of him.

"Tell me.." She whispered, her green eyes looking at his lips like she would rather do something else then talking before she forced herself to look back up at him. She sucked in a deep breath.

".. what was it that you told me on our wedding night, when we on the Cliffs of Moher overlooking the sea..?" She whispered.

If eh really was Robert, if he really was her husband, he would know.

He would know.


[[OOC: feel free to make up something intensely mushy P:]]

[The Meddler]

The crimson blush to her cheeks and the shimmer in her eyes was, the Meddler decided, one of the most beautiful things he had ever seen. They were eyes he could lose himself in; eyes that he had lost himself in, and that he never wanted to emerge from. Her breathing was rapid and, with his oddly-heightened senses, he could hear the thunder of her pulse.

His own heartsbeats were up as well - nearly forty beats per minute - and the warmth of her body in his lap and against his chest was like a bonfire. He stared at her with a hungry intensity, the fingers of his right hand lazily tracing an elaborate circular design on her upper thigh as he waited for a response.

To be perfectly honest, this wasn't exactly how the Meddler had imagined things would go, when he'd thought about answering her questions. But also, to be perfectly honest, he was finding the reality far more interesting.

"Tell me.." She whispered, her green eyes looking at his lips like she would rather do something else then talking before she forced herself to look back up at him. She sucked in a deep breath.

".. what was it that you told me on our wedding night, when we on the Cliffs of Moher overlooking the sea..?"

"I seem to recall saying quite a few things to you on our wedding night," he said with a wink and a devilish grin. "When my lips and tongue weren't otherwise engaged..."

He maintained the grin for a second, and then it softened into a slightly distant smile as his eyes seemed to lose focus. "But," he said, "I believe I know the moment you are referring to."

The Meddler was looking in her direction, but he gaze was distant. "We left the hotel to walk along the clifs at dusk, hand in hand. After half an hour, we stopped to watch the moon rise. And I said 'Ní ba mhaith liom iarraidh ar aon chompánach sa domhan, ach tú. Is breá liom tú níos mó ná mar is féidir focail wield an t-ábhar. Tá tú níos mó daor ná spás radharc na súl, agus saoirse' - 'I would not wish any companion in the world but you. I love you more than words can wield the matter. You are more dear than eyesight, space and liberty.'"

His eyes and expression seemed to refocus on her face. "I'd spent weeks working practicing that, making sure I had the pronunciation right. And even with that, my pronunciation was far more Scottish than Irish." He grinned. "You didn't seem to mind."

(OOC: There. Both mushy, and a shout out to an earlier thread.)