Torchwood 1944: The New Lords of Time

[The Meddler]

"Then tell me what is going on, Meddler. Tell us what to do and we will follow." She whispered on the wind.

Her hand tightened on his.

He stood for a moment, breathing slowly and deeply, letting the chill of the wind sink into his mind. "The Time Lords," he answered, eyes looking forward and staring at something far away.

Then he turned to look at his wife. "What is going on? We've experienced a temporal shift. History has been altered, and only someone sensitive to the flow of time would have noticed."

He gestured around. "It can't have been too serious - just a few tweaks, probably starting with the failure of Operation Overlord. But it's enough. The outcome of this war is being changed."

The Meddler's face was grim. "And the Time Lords are doing it. I didn't want to believe it, but the liturgy in there confirmed it. They've deployed Culturesmiths to modify the civilizations of this world."

A pause.

"That means they're planning on staying. It's a classic example of cultural engineering - build imagery of the Time Lords into the civilization, so that we're accepted as... gods. Or the messengers of the gods. Or enlightened space brothers. Or whatever the civilization will readily accept as benevolent, and deserving of rulership."

Another pause.

"And we're in danger, because the TARDIS chose this time period for us when we had to hide from them." He shook his head. "I don't think they're here just for us, but if they're here that increases the liklihood they'll find us. And then..."

He shrugged. "Possibly just reeducation - alter our minds enough to make us loyal. Or maybe the Death of Personality, rebuilding us as new people with the same knowledge and skills." He frowned. "But I may be bound for the disintegration chambers. The Grandfather Paradox is dangerous to their world view."

Morgaine clung a little tighter, and the Meddler touseled her hair. Then he stared at her for a minute, lost in thought.

"We can't go back to the apartment," he decided. "We have to assume they detected the energy signature when I deArched, and I did that in the downstairs office."

Then he smiled. "On the up side, thanks to last night, our biodatic signatures will be entangled. They won't be able to simply deploy sniffers to hunt me down. And I'm invisible to seer engines. And, since Éibhleann's psychoenergetic patterns are different from yours, they shouldn't connect the Sidhe energy I used two nights ago with the Dreamweaver. So they may very well assume I'm alone."

"So, first we make sure Éibhleann's all right. Second, we get Joshua to give me use of the machine shops and electronics equipment he rounded up for me two nights ago. Then I build a device to signal the TARDIS, and you arm yourself, and we hope that she finds us before they do."

His grin grew wider, and he scooped up daughter. "And we have to hurry, because Father Christmas needs to know where to find us tonight. Right, Morgaine?"

"Right, daddy!"

[Sisilaya Vulmecura]

Someone had changed time, even she knew that had to be serious. It was the first time this had happened (for as far as she knew) and she was surprised that something worse hadn't happened. There had to be some repercussions to altering time like that, right?

"But.. Hitler is dead. That's good right? This has saved hundreds of lives, we knew as Torchwood what those Jew camps were doing. But.."

The words in the church still rang clear through her head, then with the Meddlers words it clicked. The Time Lords wanted to make themselves the new deities of this world.

"And the Time Lords are doing it. I didn't want to believe it, but the liturgy in there confirmed it. They've deployed Culturesmiths to modify the civilizations of this world."

"Like when the Tuatha Dé Danann took over Ireland and people had believed them to have descended straight from the heavens."

They all knew how that happened, sooner or later someone would rebel and a war would break lose. Humans were faithful people, but did not respond well to being treated like they were the lesser party. Dictatorship never lasted for long.

And then, he went off rambling again and she completely lost it. She still had no idea what the TARDIS exactly did except as purpose of a ship or vessel. The Arch had put them in this time frame?

"Possibly just reeducation - alter our minds enough to make us loyal. Or maybe the Death of Personality, rebuilding us as new people with the same knowledge and skills." He frowned. "But I may be bound for the disintegration chambers. The Grandfather Paradox is dangerous to their world view."

Ah, that she did understand and her hand went a little tighter on his.

"You're not going anywhere as long as I'm around." She said lowly, the way he said it, disintegration chambers made a chill ran up her back. "I'm not going to be some mindless drone, neither will my children." She said with a finality that usually made even men take a step back from her. She may not comprehend fully what he was telling her (which did make her feel a combination between irritation and helplessness, which in return irritated her again) but she knew danger when it was in her face. She just hoped she'd be able to keep up with it this time.

"We can't go back to the apartment," he decided. "We have to assume they detected the energy signature when I deArched, and I did that in the downstairs office."

"Perhaps Moira's house.." She mused but the Meddler had already rambled on. She had to get used to that, Robert had always been more thoughtful of his words. That or he had just been human, that might have been it as well she realized. Her afce went scarlet when he went on how their biodatic signatures had intermingled and gave him a hard nudge, hissing "Children present, remember?"

"So, first we make sure Éibhleann's all right. Second, we get Joshua to give me use of the machine shops and electronics equipment he rounded up for me two nights ago. Then I build a device to signal the TARDIS, and you arm yourself, and we hope that she finds us before they do.

His grin grew wider, and he scooped up daughter. "And we have to hurry, because Father Christmas needs to know where to find us tonight. Right, Morgaine?"

"Right, daddy!"

"Torchwood should have a few more heavy artillery in the basement which have been confiscated in the past. I'm sure I can pick something useful from there. It should be.. easier for me to find Evelyn, the fact I'm a Seer was the initial reason I was hired by Torchwood." She said with a smile. She stilled for a moment, her eyes losing focus. She just stood there, till after about fifteen seconds she snapped out of it suddenly.

"There's faint Sidhe activity that's north-north-west from here. I'm guessing that's her, since she's still in a human body."

She looked at the Meddler, Robert had never believed her fully on her Seer intuition and she wasn't sure if that had changed now.

[The Meddler]

"But.. Hitler is dead. That's good right? This has saved hundreds of lives, we knew as Torchwood what those Jew camps were doing. But.."

"But the Reich still lives," the Meddler finished. He sighed. "In four months time, the war would have been over in Europe. The National Socialist Party would have been smashed, their surviving leadership rounded up and put on trial, and the dream of a thousand-year Reich would be dead."

He shook the paper. "But now? The Reich continues to dominate Europe, through the end of the century at least. And, since Operation Paperclip won't happen, they'll also dominate space exploration for at least the next few decades." A grim smile. "Just imagine. The SS-G could end up handling Earth's first public contact with xenosentient life."

The Meddler continued. "And the Time Lords are doing it. I didn't want to believe it, but the liturgy in there confirmed it. They've deployed Culturesmiths to modify the civilizations of this world."

"Like when the Tuatha Dé Danann took over Ireland and people had believed them to have descended straight from the heavens."

"Yes. Exactly like that. Except that the Time Lords don't have the same sort of general respect for human life that the Sidhe have. And, I suspect, this version of them would be willing to wipe humanity out if they became an intractable problem."

He continued on, expaining why they were in danger, and what their possible fate could be.

"Possibly just reeducation - alter our minds enough to make us loyal. Or maybe the Death of Personality, rebuilding us as new people with the same knowledge and skills." He frowned. "But I may be bound for the disintegration chambers. The Grandfather Paradox is dangerous to their world view."

Her hand tightened on his.

"You're not going anywhere as long as I'm around." She said lowly. "I'm not going to be some mindless drone, neither will my children."

He smiled at the tone in her voice - ice and iron. "Have I told you that I love you yet today? Because I don't think I say that enough."
He continued on, thinking aloud about options, laughing a little when she blushed and hissed at him when he mentioned their 'biodatic entanglement'. Finally, he roughed out a plan.

"So, first we make sure Éibhleann's all right. Second, we get Joshua to give me use of the machine shops and electronics equipment he rounded up for me two nights ago. Then I build a device to signal the TARDIS, and you arm yourself, and we hope that she finds us before they do.

His grin grew wider, and he scooped up daughter. "And we have to hurry, because Father Christmas needs to know where to find us tonight. Right, Morgaine?"

"Right, daddy!"

"Torchwood should have a few more heavy artillery in the basement which have been confiscated in the past. I'm sure I can pick something useful from there."

He nodded in agreement. "You know, I don't actually know what we have in the basement. I wonder if it would be worthwhile for me to raid it..."

He shook his head, "No. I should focus on the resources I know we have."

"It should be.. easier for me to find Evelyn, the fact I'm a Seer was the initial reason I was hired by Torchwood."She said with a smile. She stilled for a moment, her eyes losing focus. She just stood there, till after about fifteen seconds she snapped out of it suddenly.

"There's faint Sidhe activity that's north-north-west from here. I'm guessing that's her, since she's still in a human body."

Her expression was interesting, as if she expected him to challenger her. Which was perfectly reasonable - Robert had been a skeptic, after all. A man firmly rooted in science.

The Meddler wasn't any different, really. Except that he knew far more than Robert had been allowed to remember.

"Can you tell how far? And exactly where?" he asked. "Or are we simply going to follow her trail until we catch up with her?"

He thought for a moment. "Let's go get her. I'd feel better about you going back to the Institute if she goes with you - not that I don't trust you or believe you're highly capable. I know just how capable you are." He smiled and took her in his arms, and Morgaine - still held in the crook of one arm - threw her arms around their necks as well. Not to be left out, Kenneth snuggled up agains their legs. "But you're carrying our child, and I believe that allows me to worry." His face turned serious, again. "And I also know that the Chancellary Guard will be a far more dangerous threat than the SS-G, if they're waiting."

He kissed her, a quick peck on the lips. "Also, I've just realized that I've been terribly presumptuous. I've been dictating what we're doing, instead of discussing plans with my partner." Another quick peck, and Kenneth made "eeeewww" sounds. "Forgive me?" he asked with a grin. "And what do you think?"

[Sisilaya Vulmecura]

"There's faint Sidhe activity that's north-north-west from here. I'm guessing that's her, since she's still in a human body."

She looked at him, knowing Robert was usually a sceptic. And for a moment, the Meddler gave her a look that she couldn't quite describe, the tension between them growing till he broke the silence.

"Can you tell how far? And exactly where?" he asked. "Or are we simply going to follow her trail until we catch up with her?

Her eyebrows rose, she was somewhat surprised that he had given in so easily, Robert usually acted up if she had used such abilities and it had been their sort of game when she'd look smug in the end because she was right. But for Robert, anything he could not explain was hard to admit to.

"Let's go get her. I'd feel better about you going back to the Institute if she goes with you - not that I don't trust you or believe you're highly capable. I know just how capable you are."

Then again, Robert had been a human. The Meddler was a Time Lord.

Robin Goodfellow the voice rang in her head and her eyes widened as he took her in his arms, her hands lingering on his chest. Again, his presence caused a flutter in her abdomen, his hands on the small of her back causing a feeling of relief to wash over her. Then, little Morgaine wrapped her arms around their necks and she felt Ken snuggle up too and she couldn't help but the smile that broke to her face, snuggling in to the warmth that was her family.

People passing them by, smiling at the scene of the young family. Some of them murmured a Merry Christmas to them as they passed by.

"But you're carrying our child, and I believe that allows me to worry." His face turned serious, again. "And I also know that the Chancellary Guard will be a far more dangerous threat than the SS-G, if they're waiting."

He kissed her, a quick peck on the lips. "Also, I've just realized that I've been terribly presumptuous. I've been dictating what we're doing, instead of discussing plans with my partner." Another quick peck, and Kenneth made "eeeewww" sounds. "Forgive me?" he asked with a grin. "And what do you think?"

She had wanted to cut in half way, asking what those cancel guards were? But she was quickly silence with a kiss and she did not seem to mind at all, kissing him back happily. Then, he kissed her again, and she heard Kenneth whine. She laughed and pulled him in for a kiss too, which only made him sputter more and Morgaine and herself laugh in return.

"I think, my love. You should take the lead in this. I know when I am out leagued, I have never dealt with these type of things before, Time Lords. If you weren't there Meddler, I never would have gotten Morgaine and Kenneth back. I believe Evelynn if about a mile or two from here, not far. I can sense the general direction, all I can do is follow that"

Which was weird, she never had to do that before, she usually went the opposite direction then where she felt their presence. She looked at him again, smiling at her. Then the voice from before caught up with her again.

"You're Robin Goodfellow aren't you? She told me."

[The Meddler]

"I think, my love. You should take the lead in this. I know when I am out leagued, I have never dealt with these type of things before, Time Lords. If you weren't there Meddler, I never would have gotten Morgaine and Kenneth back. I believe Evelynn if about a mile or two from here, not far. I can sense the general direction, all I can do is follow that"

The Meddler nodded. "All right. That makes sense, yes. Let's go find Éibhleann - although, I suppose we should get used to calling her Moira - first, and then sort out who goes where when."

Reluctantly, he released Celia. Then he bent down and scooped Ken up, sitting him on his shoulders. "I think we can make better time like this," he said, then gestured north-northwest. "Lead on, my love."

They walked in silence - well, as much silence as you can get when accompanied two four-year-olds singing Christmas carols off key.

"You're Robin Goodfellow aren't you? She told me."

"Thou speak'st aright," he said with a grin. "I am that merry wanderer of the night." He chuckled a little. "It's one of many names I've worn over the centuries. One of the better ones, actually, since your lips have lent it a certain charm."

A few seconds passed.

"Are we getting any closer?"

[Sisilaya Vulmecura]

"All right. That makes sense, yes. Let's go find Éibhleann - although, I suppose we should get used to calling her Moira - first, and then sort out who goes where when."

" She's not that far away, maybe a thirty minute walk, maybe a little longer with the kids." She was carrying Morgaine on her back now, the young girl starting to doze off, fighting to keep her eyes open. Children always managed to sleep in all situations, very much like their father in this case, or rather he human their father used to be. She was pretty sure the Meddler hadn't sept the night before and he didn't seem strained by it at all. She herself could fee the fatigue on her body, but that was most likely due to the pregnancy. She would have to eat something soon she realized.

The children's singing kept her spirits up thouh, even though it was a little grating at times. She just smiled and trotted on.

She decided to break the silence, carefully asking if it were true, that he really was Robin Goodfellow. She could hardly believe it. Still, that look in his eyes..

"Thou speak'st aright," he said with a grin. "I am that merry wanderer of the night." He chuckled a little. "It's one of many names I've worn over the centuries. One of the better ones, actually, since your lips have lent it a certain charm."

"I married the Puck" She said, astonished. "Someone should have told me that at the wedding" She said with a laugh and smiled, her eyes twinkling with that old mischief as she looked at him "And I see your smooth tongue has not changed, my love. May I call you Robin, dear Puck?"

They walked on for a bit longer, when the Meddler piped up again, they had hardly walked for two minutes and he was already complaining if they were already there.

"You know if you hadn't wrecked the car..." She eyed him with a smirk.

[[OOC: narrate on till they find Moira?]]

[The Meddler]

"I married the Puck" She said, astonished. "Someone should have told me that at the wedding" She said with a laugh and smiled, her eyes twinkling with that old mischief as she looked at him. "And I see your smooth tongue has not changed, my love. May I call you Robin, dear Puck?"

"You have for years now, love," he said with a smile. "Why stop now?"

"Daddy?" Ken asked.

"Yes?"

"What's a puck?"

The Meddler smiled. "A type of faerie."

"Like in mommy's stories?"

"Very much like in mommy's stories."

Ken mulled that over. "You can't be a puck, then," he said decisively, "Because you've got a rocketship. And you haven't got any wings."

The little boy pouted as the Meddler laughed, then returned to singing Christmas carols with his sister.

"You better watch out, you better not cry, better not pout, I'm telling you why," they warbled.

"Are we getting any closer?" the Meddler asked.

"Santa Claus is coming to town!"

"You know if you hadn't wrecked the car..." She eyed him with a smirk.

"He's making a list and checking it twice, gonna find out who's naughty and nice."

The Meddler waved his hand dismissively. "Then it would still be in Corrstown?" he finished with a smug grin.

"Santaaaa Claauss is coming to town!"

---

It didn't take half an hour, fortunately. Only about twenty minutes.

On the other hand, it was twenty minutes of increasingly bored children wanting to stop and play in the snow, peppered with the Meddler's intermittent litany of "Are we any closer?" and "Which direction now?" It was actually Morgaine who saw her first, shouting "Auntie Moira!" and waving her mittened hands vigorously.

They had tracked her down in the Belfast City Centre, where she stood on the Albert Bridge looking out to sea. The Meddler swung Ken down and helped Celia get Morgaine down, and stalked towards her in their wake.

Moira was making laughing "oofs" as the twins half-tackled her. "Come here, ye wee lil' bairns, an' give me a hug!"

"You were supposed to wait at the hospital, so we could come get you!" the Meddler snapped.

Moira looked up, grinning a lopsided smile very much like the Meddler's own, a mischevious twinkle in her slightly-luminous green eyes. "Is that right, Robin? An' can ye tell me when I started havin' to obey yeh?" The grin grew broader. "'Tis my daughter ye've married, no' me, an' I'll wager ye that she only obeys yeh when it's agreeable."

Then she looked at the tension in his and in Celia's faces and straightened up, pursing her lips in thought. "Ah, but sommat's amiss." She pointed with her thumb. "There's a public house across the bridge. Let's sit down an' get Celia an' the bairns a bite o' sommat, an' ye can tell 'bout yer woes."

[Sisilaya Vulmecura]

"You have for years now, love," he said with a smile. "Why stop now?"

"Perhaps that's why I always called you Robin every now and again instead of Robert. It just felt right."

Then, Ken broke their conversation and she smiled when he came to the conclusion that his father could not be the Puck because he did not have wings.

" Ah, but love, you should have paid better attention when I was telling my story" She mockingly berated Ken, Morgaine giggled on her back and finished what her mother wanted to say "Puck was not a fairy! He was a trickster!" she exclaimed and looked at her father again, as if she saw him in a new light for the first time. A big grin spread on her face as she and he brother went back to singing carols off tune.

______________________________________________


She was going to muffle him some time soon if he asked again if they were there yet, he was even worse then the children, who giggled last time he asked and she had tried to whack him over the head.

"Auntie Moira!" her daughter called and Celia looked up relieved as they finally found the woman in question. The twins both tackled the woman, who nearly toppled over by both their weight.

"You were supposed to wait at the hospital, so we could come get you!" the Meddler snapped.

Her brow rose, it was true but the woman was an adult, it hadn't even occurred to her she actually wasn't at the hospital. She wanted to open her mouth, but the elder woman was already ahead of her.

"Is that right, Robin? An' can ye tell me when I started havin' to obey yeh?" The grin grew broader. "'Tis my daughter ye've married, no' me, an' I'll wager ye that she only obeys yeh when it's agreeable."

She could feel the Meddler looking at her and when she turned to him she gave a lopsided smirk, shrugging with a look that says 'she's got a point'. Even though going around right now with the SS-G still lurking around, Celia was looking tensely at the woman with a whole completely different reason then the Meddler was. One, this woman was not the Moira she knew any more. Two, this woman in front of her was a Sidhe and most important three, this woman was her mother while she had always thought herself to be an orphan.

And so, she just nodded mutely to the woman's offer for dinner.

[The Meddler]

The "public house" - and the Meddler made a mental note to remind 'Moira' to update her vocabulary a little - was small and crowded. Still, the proprietor had managed to find a table in the corner that the three adults and two children could crowd around.

The Meddler ordered a pint of Murphy's and a bowl of beef stew, then cackled with delight and ordered a pot of coffee along with it. "Black," he ordered. "Don't even bother bringing cream or sugar to the table, either." He was still grinning when the waiter left.

"Well, we've found the one good thing about the time shift," he announced. "Rationing appears to be over."

"How c'n ye stand that stuff?" Moira asked, rolling her eyes.

"How can you not?" the Meddler countered.

She shook her head, laughing. "Now, what's got yeh two so riled up?" she asked. "Sommat to do wit' the time shift?"

The Meddler grimaced. "You sensed that, too?"

"Course I did," she nodded. "I didn't spend seventeen years sharing yer mind for nothing."

"Then you should realize the implications."

Moira thought hard about that for a moment, and kept thinking while the waiter brought the food.

"Time Lords? Are ye sure?"

"The Culturesmiths are preparing this civilization now."

"But surely the Courts will..."

"Die, if they oppose Gallifrey." The Meddler toyed with his stew for a moment. "No, they'll reach some sort of accommodation."

Moira started to protest, then stopped and seemed to think hard for a moment. "I think you're right."

"So, we need to signal my TARDIS and get out of here. And to do that safely, much as I hate weapons as a general rule, we're going to need to be able to defend ourselves."

The Sidhe woman grinned a manic grin, one that was a mirror of the Meddler's own. "Well, that I can help ye with. Why don't we head back to my house, once we're done eating?"

[Sisilaya Vulmecura]

She had quietly taken the daily beef and fig stew along with a glass of sherry. She felt like she needed the kick to keep her sane at the moment. She looked at the man grinning before her, her husband, who was an alien. Next to him was a Sidhe inhabiting the body of her former friend. A Sidhe who was supposed to be her mother.

She still had not come to terms on what that exactly made her.

She quietly ate, keeping the two children next to her busy at the the two ate. They were talking about the Time Shift, at least she had to agree that the fact there were no more rations was good. She could finally properly feed her children.

The food came and she ate, savouring the food. She sipped the sherry with her eyes closed, enjoying the smooth round texture of the beverage as it slid down her throat. Thank God the rations were gone, sh ehad not tasted this in years now.

Honestly, there was not really much she could add on to. She knew the terms of what they spoke, chancellary guards but only had a faint idea of what it all really meant.

She felt stupid.

And she couldn't stand it.

You are destined to be more then this, Celia. The TARDIS, she can make us whole again.

Her fork dropped on the table with an audible clang as the voice ran through her mind, her face blanching again as a look of fear came over her.

That woman again.

"Excuse me, Robert. Could you watch the children for a moment?" She called hastily and had already risen from her seat before he could answer. She made her way to the ladies room with quick stride.

_____________________________________________


She was looking at herself in the mirror, her hands heavily leaning on the sink while her face dripped with the water she had splashed in her face, slowly dripping in the full sink beneath her.

She was breathing deeply, slowly, staring at the woman she saw in the polished mirror before her, the tears running down her face. It was herself she saw in that mirror. Yet, it was not. The woman that looked back at her had eyes that had seen the ages, that shone with the light of the Sidhe, her skin aglow with their magic.

"What do you want from me.." She choked out.

To be whole again

[The Meddler]

"Excuse me, Robert. Could you watch the children for a moment?" She called hastily and had already risen from her seat before he could answer.

"Of course..." the Meddler answered, his voice trailing away as she strode away. For a moment he simply watched as she made her way through the crowd, feeling a quick stab of the old dread that she would leave him.

"She's worried, Robin," Moira said gently.

"Huh? Of what?"

Moira sighed and shook her head. "Of becoming like ye. And of not becoming like ye."

That's absurd... The words were right on the tip of his tongue, and he swallowed them. How would he have reacted, if Celia had become the Dreamweaver while he was still Robert?

He chuckled at the thought. I'd have been terrified.

"Why's mommy worried?" asked Morgaine.

The Meddler looked hard at the twins, realized they had picked up on the tension. "You listen more than we realize sometimes, don't you?" he asked fondly.

Morgaine ducked her eyes, and Ken stared at his father.

He smiled. "That's a good thing," he told them. "You can learn a lot, that way." Then he thought hard about how to explain what was happening. "Do you remember why I told you that I stole the TARDIS?"

"To get away from the Time Lords that wanted to hurt you," Ken answered immediately.

"Yes." He frowned, just a little. "They started chasing your mom and I, and we had to hide."

"Like hide and seek?"

"Yes. Only we had to hide so that nobody could find us. And we had to hide so that we couldn't remember who we were."

The eyes of the twins bugged at that.

"Because, if we could remember who we were, the Time Lords could find us."

Ken shivered, and Morgaine looked fascinated.

"And then, while we couldn't remember who we were, we found each other and got married. And then you two were born."

"But you remember," said Ken.

"Yes. I had to, to make sure we could get you back. But your mom doesn't, yet. And so she's worried, because she doesn't know what will happen when she does."

The twins looked at each other. "But she'll still be mommy, right?" Morgaine sounded worried.

The Meddler smiled gently. "Yes. Just like I'm still your dad, right?"

They nodded their heads, still looking apprehensive.

He knelt by their chairs, arms around their shoulders, hugging them close. "It'll be all right," he told them. "She'll still be your mother, no matter what."

They hung on to him for several minutes. "Promise?" they both asked.

"I promise."

They grinned at him. "Okay!"

He hugged them again, then looked up at Moira. "Can you watch them? I want to go see if Celia's all right."

Moira grinned. "They'll be fine. But if yeh're gone too long, Oi'm buyin' 'em dessert."

---

There is no dignified way for a man to wait outside a ladies room. He is guaranteed to look on edge, or bored, or like a pervert of some stripe.

Somehow, the Meddler managed to project an air of quiet confidence as he leaned against the bricks next to the door. Gently, he rapped on the door. "Celia?" he called. "Are you all right?"

There was an uncanny feeling of deja vu about the whole experience.

[Sisilaya Vulmecura]

The rapping against the door made her head snap up, turning towards the door with a jerk. The woman in the mirror was gone, her own reflection gain.

"Celia?" he called. "Are you all right?"

Damnit. She quickly straightened herself in the mirror, wiping away the smudges from under her yes and drying her face in case he'd come in. She had to wait for a second, compose hersef before she dared answering with a steady voice.

"Yes.. yes I'm fine Robin, thank you. I'll be right out, don't let your dinner get cold."

She looked in the mirror before her again, yet all she saw now was her own reflection this time. Her hands gripped the porcelain sink, the water rippling in it.

Get yourself together, woman. She told herself.

But she could not shake off this feeling of dread. She was frightened of becoming.. becoming one with this woman. Yet, she was more frightened what would happen if she didn't. She would be a sitting duck, unable to protect her children from those Time Lords Robin Goodfellow talked about.

Robert Goodall.. Robin Goodfellow. It was ironic how much the names were based on eachother.

She knew it wasn't irony this time though.

[The Meddler]

"Yes.. yes I'm fine Robin, thank you. I'll be right out, don't let your dinner get cold."

The Meddler lifted an eyebrow at her words, and smiled without humor. The stress in her voice was well-hidden, but it was there. He was confident that he would have picked up on it if he were still just Robert Goodall. But now..?

Now, he could hear it clearly enough that he was still waiting by the door when it finally opened and she emerged. "Celia..?" he asked, gently. "Can I talk to you, outside, just for a moment?"

He registered her glance towards their table. "Moira has the twins well in hand," he assured her. Then he offered her his arm. "Please?"

---

The snowfall had died down to a few flakes drifting in the afternoon sun. The air was chill and slightly damp, with a mild breeze coming off the bay. Sunlight shone like diamonds on the white drifts.

"I'm... sorry," he said, leading Celia to stand in one of the rays of sunlight. He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, breath hardly fogging in the chill air. "I've thrown a lot on you in the past two days. I've changed, and you've barely had time to come to terms with that, and then I told you about your mother and about who you are, and I've made plans for the us without asking, and I've expected you to absorb it without even having time to think about it."

He gave her a shy grin. "And you're amazing for putting up with all of it as well as you have."

The grin faded as his expression turned serious. "I'm doing it because I'm afraid. I'm afraid that if you stop and think about what's going on, then you'll decide that I'm not really Robert, and that you'll take our children and run."

The Meddler looked away, unable to meet her gaze. "And you deserve better than that. Far better. You've trusted me so much, and I'm sorry I'm letting my fears make this harder on you."

There was a moment of silence, and then he rallied back. Just a little bit. "You'll find, though, that I am a little manic. Just... call me out on it, if I get annoying."

[Sisilaya Vulmecura]

She had not expected him to still be there when she got out a few minutes later. She took a few moments to compose herself, fix the rest of her makeup and get the last tears stains off her face. She didn't want to show her children she was distressed. So had not heard the Meddler so she anticipated that he had done as she said and went back to dinner.

"Celia..?" he asked, gently. "Can I talk to you, outside, just for a moment?"

She sucked in a breath, her face snapping towards the direction his voice came from. She held her hand over her heart and gave a shaky little laugh.

"You started me, Meddler!" She took a deep breath, her shoulders slumping again as she relaxed. Get yourself together, Celia she told herself. She nodded and took his offered arm as they left into the cold outside.

______________________________________________


Once again, he apologised for what was happening to them. That it must indeed be hard on her to go through these changes, for her to adapt. She had heard it before, but it did worry her when he explained the reason why he was rushing everything along so much. That he was afraid she'd leave and take the children with her.

"And you deserve better than that. Far better. You've trusted me so much, and I'm sorry I'm letting my fears make this harder on you."

There was a moment of silence, and then he rallied back. Just a little bit. "You'll find, though, that I am a little manic. Just... call me out on it, if I get annoying."

She chuckled softly and shook her head. Without saying anything, she placed her hand under his chin and turned his face towards her which she finished of with a soft kiss as her hand caressed his slightly stubbled jaw.

"It isn't you, Robin. Well, partly, but we had a hectic life as Torchwood agents too. I've dealt with the alien for years and even though this is a little close to home.. I still love you and you make me feel safe."

She sighed and released his face, her hand slumping down. She took a deep breath again, trying to keep the tension from her body.

"It isn't you.. it's her. The Dreamweaver. I keep seeing her in mirrors or reflective surfaces, my dreams, hearing her voice inside my head. It's.. it's messing me up. She's impatient, she tells me we need to become one. Now. It scares me.. her power scares me. I'm frightened of becoming one with her, but she tells me we need to become one.. for the safety of the children.."

She took her hands in his, squeezing softly. She looked him in his eyes, th brown flecked with amber that took her breath away when she first saw them. But now, her face looked worried, frightened.

"I will do anything for the safety of the children, Robin."

[The Meddler]

"It isn't you, Robin. Well, partly, but we had a hectic life as Torchwood agents too. I've dealt with the alien for years and even though this is a little close to home.. I still love you and you make me feel safe."

Her words, and the gentle kiss she gave him, mad him relax. A little, at least.

"It isn't you.. it's her. The Dreamweaver. I keep seeing her in mirrors or reflective surfaces, my dreams, hearing her voice inside my head. It's.. it's messing me up. She's impatient, she tells me we need to become one. Now. It scares me.. her power scares me. I'm frightened of becoming one with her, but she tells me we need to become one.. for the safety of the children.."

The Meddler lifted an eyebrow at that, and quite literally had to bite his own tongue to hold his peace and let her finish talking. None of that was normal behavior for someone under the Arch - not that failing to have a Keystone was normal, either - and he was bursting with questions. But he forced himself to hold them back, to let her speak.

She squeezed his hands and looked him in the eyes. Normally, he'd be lost in them, allowing himself to drown in a sea of liquid jade. But the worry in her expression, in her voice (in the accelerated pulse he could feel with his oddly-augmented senses) kept him grounded.

"I will do anything for the safety of the children, Robin."

He nodded, unable to speak for a moment, then pulled her close and held her. "I know," he whispered, "I know."

He held onto her for a long minute, heedless of the stares they were attracting from passers-by. "That's what I said, two nights ago," he murmured into her ear. "And there's nothing I can tell you that will ease your mind. Not really. I can assure you that, when it happens, you will look back and wonder why you were so frightened." He paused. "But I remember being only Robert as well, unable to know what would happen, afraid that I would die when I stepped out of the Arch."

He hugged her tighter, then relaxed his arms a little. "You won't die. You won't cease to exist. You'll just become... more yourself. And it will hurt like nothing you've ever felt, when it happens. And you'll fight it the whole time it happens, untill you can't fight it any more." He kissed her gently. "And then, when it's over, you'll wonder why you fought it."

He kissed her again, and laughed lightly. "See why I said I can't reassure you, not really?" His face turned serious. "But, whether as Celia or as Sisilaya or as the Dreamweaver, you will still be my wife and you will still be our children's mother. That will never change."

Another quick kiss. "And I will be with you the whole way."

---

Inside...

"Are mommy and daddy doing mushy stuff again, Auntie Moira?" asked Ken.

She glanced out the window. "That they are, my boy."

Ken made a face. "Yuck. I'm never gonna kiss a girl."

Moira touseled Ken's hair fondly, and Morgaine giggled. "Ye kiss your ma, don't ye?"

"That's different!" Ken declared. "Mommy's not a girl! She's mommy!"

(OOC: Shall we look at moving on to collecting some alien weapons, and then finally trying to get the TARDIS to show up?)


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