Run While You Can

Mal followed closely, not paying attention to where they were headed until the scent of food wafted in her nose. Almost comically she seemed to perk and glance around the place. Oh man, she was hungry. Her curious eyes watched the Doctor as he ordered and didn't pay. Wow, when he said they were invisible he wasn't fooling around. No one even glanced their way. It was both a major relief and a little freaky. Mainly relieving. Where was this handy perception all her life? It would have been a really great thing to have. But then again Mal would be absolutely alone. Pros and cons to everyone, she supposed.

"Ugh, I love you." Mal said as she started to eat. Rude, probably, but she didn't really care at this point. Chewing thoughtfully she looked at him, to his shoulder, and started to nod. "Probably would be best, yeah. I'm surprised you didn't do it sooner."

He wants to point out her clingy attitude but settle for a roll of his eyes. He breaks pieces of flesh apart and begins his repairs, the pain being over ridden by his hunger. He finishes quickly, supplies stored and then tucks into his own meal. He had gotten Mal bigger sizes, seeing as she was eating for two now. Paige had basically told him there was no way she wasn't pregnant and at this point he wasn't going to take chances by starving her. He smiles through a mouthful and then goes back to eating.

She watched as she ate, still finding it odd ad intriguing he could just heal himself in that matter. Better than dying and regenerating. Mal was rather fond of this face. It was one of his better ones, if she was going to admit it. She felt giggly, the smile that was crawling on her face impossible to hide but she managed to swallow down her laughing fit by taking in another mouthful of food. Now would probably be a highly inappropriate time to laugh given their situation though if you took into account the lack of sleep, emotional strain, and physical exertions... her body was trying to release the load of dopamine via laughing. Maybe she should just let it happen but didn't think she could take an odd stare from the Doctor or anyone else who happened to look past the filter. If that was even possible.

He sees her smile, and he can't help but grin around his mouthful of pie. He reaches and holds her hand, tapirs complete and shoulder no longer stumped. He wants her to let out everything. To be herself... Because from what he figures he isn't going to last to see her future and taking everything in now is his only choice.

Mal turns her palm up so when the Doctor holds her hand she runs her index finger over his wrist. She begins to laugh and shake her head, looking up at him with mischief. "I wonder what your past incarnations would think of this. Probably give them a double heart attack, eh? Oh, especially Nine." She could just imagine it. Watching the goofy grin of the Ninth Doctor drop off his face as he stared at her in shock. He was always teasing her about people talking due to the way they behaved around one another. The leather wearing Time Lord could be insufferable which only made Mal snappier. People could mistake it as a cliché relationship.

"Man, that would be hilarious." She started to laugh again.

He'd gingerly massage her palm. He'd finished eating and now he was looking at her with fond eyes. She was the future of a doomed race. This simply extraordinary girl. He can't help but stare.

The laugh faded as she finished her meal, staring down at the empty pie plate. Mal used her free hand to run it up and down her thigh and gripped the Doctor's hand tighter with the other. She finally raised her head and cautiously looked him in the eye. Immediately a jolt struck her. But what was it? Fear? Anxiety? Angst? Maybe something else she didn't quite understand. Though this moment was a reminder why eye contact always made her uncomfortable. Your eyes were the window to your soul. The Doctor's held concern, compassion, and fascination. It was all directed to her and she just couldn't understand why he felt that way. Then she began to wonder what he saw in her eyes. She would ask but wasn't sure she wanted to know. Instead she became quite solemn as she addressed her latest difficulty.

"I never wanted to be a mother, you know. I've already mentioned it... but I don't even like kids. I hardly understand them. People have said that it's easy to like children if you just recall what you were like at that age. But me... yeah I don't think most kids were put in the situations I was. Some were, yeah. I just don't want to screw up. I can't erase this so I have to make myself better, right? No neglect. I'd be damned if I let the kid- our kid- grow up and fend for itself. I know what that does to a person. Sirus, my brother, I wouldn't be surprised if he's a murderer now considering the path he went down before just... leaving me. And me? I just... I hated a lot of things. I blamed... still blame.. my parents for all of this. I just don't want anyone to go through the same experiences I did. So I have to be better. I have to." Mal felt like she was rambling and she dropped eye contact almost as soon as she began to speak. Her gaze was focused on the empty plate as she spoke softly She wasn't sure if he would understand and she wasn't saying these things to make him feel bad. Mal was simply being honest.

He studied her as she spoke and admired her conviction. She was tough, yet gentle and reserved and for the cards she'd been dealt it wasn't an easy case on her part. Her sense of self worth was depleted and her confidence shot yet she concluded, on her own, that her child would not be the same way. She wants to break the circle, to raises a better person, to nurture an be there.

"I can see why your my mate eh?"

It came out wrong but he can't take it back and he squeezes her hand, hoping she understands. Love wasn't a concept he let get in the way of things but a child was different. It was an embodiment of two people who decide to spend their time together, to raise and nurture parts of themselves and in the process create something bigger and better.

Mal let out a single laugh and glanced towards the door. "Mate... right." She didn't even know what to say to that so left it there. Mate. It was a word you'd use to describe animals. But really, Mal was made to feel like one. Damn Torchwood. Why couldn't they just stay out of her life? Oh, quit bouncing back and forth between everything! You'll give yourself a headache. It's pointless to worry. Good advise.

".... Do you think this is the point? The whole point of all of this?" She seemed to be asking herself the question. The gears in her brain were running overdrive again. Mal sighed and stood from her chair and, without letting go of the Doctor's hand, walked out of the eatery. It was time to move on.

"I hope your friend doesn't mind..."

He smiles at her, knows her mind is racing and as she asks he realizes he doesn't have the right mind to answer her questions right now. As she gets up and leads him out he looks over the eatery, the bored clerk and rough looking patrons. He's so utterly jealous. They get their own life, to live and die in their own terms... Well most of the time. As they head outside he can't help but like the warmth Mal's hand in his own.

"Where is it that we're going?" Once again Mal realized she was clueless of their destination. She should probably just let him call the shots and whatnot since she tends to be clueless. But her life was all over the place, always in the hands of other people or things. Like fate. The jerk. When did she get to choose what happened next? You had your chance for years. You never took it. Nah, but that wasn't true... she just needed a nudge. Or a push.

"Oh my god I'm going to get fat, aren't I?" Of course that was what her brain decided to worry about...

He begins to walk her towards a pier. He needed to contact said friend first and he needed a quiet place to disperse a signal. As they neared it, he leans against the railing, and when he hears her worry he gives a laugh.

"Children do tend to change you inside and out.. Although it's a timelord child, you'll only get bigger on the inside."

He tugs out his sonic, tinkering with it to try and see if he can scan for the signal he knew he'd need.

At first Mal doesn't look impressed at all by his comment. But soon she snickers and shakes her head at him. "I hope you're not making a comparison between my body and your TARDIS. Because I can assure you there is a big difference. I don't let people in and out all day." A cheeky grin spread on her face. Yeah, probably shouldn't go there but it was too late and she didn't really regret the comment like she normally would.

It was always amusing to watch the Doctor, any Doctor, play with his sonic screwdriver. The look on his face was concentrated and looked like it itself could make the device work to their desired effect. Mal wasn't even sure what he was trying to accomplish but stood there waiting until he gave a nod of confirmation.

He arches an amused brow at her comment before the sonic whirs to life. It's steady and not as shrill as he's used to hearing but he's sure it could be heard...

There's a flash before them and suddenly what looks like a potato in a space suit is on one knee before him. The alien stands, his smile wide.

"Finally my debt is to be repaid."

"Gah! Wh-what the hell?! Is that Mr. Potato head? In a space suit?! Oh... my... god.... Oh crap, that's rude, isn't it? I'm sorry but.... look! It's a freakin' potato alien!" Mal can't help but laugh and she instantly slaps a hand over her mouth. The last thing she needed was to make an enemy. "Wait a minute... is this your friend? How is he suppose to help us. No offence, man."

Strax glares at her and Eleven rolls his eyes at them both. He places his hand on Strax, eyes now full of determination.

"We need a safe place to live for a while. I take it Vastra and yourself have found a way?"

Strax nods, a communicator flipping open on his wrist as he relays a message back towards the mistress. He knew if he brought them unannounced she'd have his head for not having time to accommodate them. He looks at the Doctor, nodding as if they'd gone through the motions of an entire conversation.

Mal coughed awkwardly and glanced away into a random direction. Do not make the creepy potato mad. Do not make the creepy potato mad. No potato mad. She cleared her throat and side glanced Strax before looking at the Doctor. "Wow, you do have connections. Wait... does this dude live on earth? How has no one noticed? And if they have why haven't they asked questions? Sheesh. Okay... it doesn't matter... but we are staying on Earth, right? Well I guess if leaving is... ugh. And who's Vastra? Sorry... nervous questioning." Mal bit her lower lip and looked around the area before pacing casually.

The Doctor turns to her, taking her hand and squeezing it in reassurance. Strax would take them somewhere safe... the question is when. What timeline had they managed to wedge themselves into? Strax shoves his communicator/time vortex manipulator under his nose. He turns to Mal again, speaking lowly.

"We'll be on earth... but not in this time zone. It looks like Madame Vastra has managed to start a small detective agency in 1888... we need a place to stay and this is our only shot."

He nods towards Strax, the alien typing in coordinates as he turns towards Mal with an apologetic look.

Mal blinked at him and squeezed his hand in return. Usually this wasn't a good sign. Usually this meant something she didn't want it to mean. Like she was going some place she probably didn't want to go. And there it was. "You're kidding. You can't mean that. Really? Doc, I can't survive in an era like that! Oh man..."

She covers her face in her hands and takes a few breaths. Her hands dropped to the side and she straightened. "Fine just.... let's go. Come on, then. Who needs human rights anyway?" The bitterness just slipped out but she hoped they could all overlook it.

Strax looks like he's ready to pounce when The Doctor shoves his arm against him.

"oi, give her a break. She's been through alot, not to mention she's seen me naked, I've seen her naked and now she's having my baby. Oh by the way, here."

He reaches into his pocket, the diamond sparkling in the light of the dock. Amy had given it to him, before she died, and Rory had given him his as well. They probably remarried where they had gone, probably tried to have children, but he tries not to think about it.

"Your marrying me. As soon as anyone finds out your an unwed mother I don't think they'll hide their disdain. Now, off we pop!"

There's a blinding flash and then nothing. Paige curses, stopping mid run as she glares at the now empty dock. Her swat team falls back and she instantly calls Yvonne.

"Their gone, and we have no trace of them nearby. We saw them with a Sontaran, maybe they were granted asylum there?"

Mal shuffled behind the Doctor when the potato gave her a death glare. She cleared her throat and stared at the ground. Awkward wouldn't even begin to describe how she felt right then. Strax didn't really have to know...

"I'm what?" Mal snapped her head up to look at the Doctor with wide eyes. Well that was unexpected. "Oh, you're talkin', like, a guise, right? We pretend we're married so I'm not damned by the citizens and... the rings are to convince everyone, eh? You're not talkin' actual marriage..." She cleared her throat again and scrunched up her face. Weddings usually meant those large white dresses, obnoxious bells, a massive body of people all focused on the couple. It was terrifying as well as repulsing to her. And the actual meaning behind wedlock had been corrupted from it's traditional sacredness. It was suppose to represent love and being with one person for the rest of your life but the way people wed and divorced right, left, and center was an accurate representation of the lack of security it really brought.

There was no time for an answer, the three of them shot into the vortex and by the time they reached their destination Mal felt so sick she was convinced she would hurl. Somehow, however, she kept everything down and chose to complain about time travel under her breath. The TARDIS never made her feel like this, why did any other means of 'teleportation' make her feel so crappy?

She raised her head to see a large Victorian aged estate looming in front of them. "Jesus..." The place was big enough to house an entire city! Okay, that was probably an exaggeration, but still. Mal was staring up at it when the front doors swung open, causing her to flinch in surprise.

"Madame Vastra has been expecting you. Come in!" The woman was all smiles and whatnot. Not to mention wearing a dress. Like all the other woman in this age. Did that mean... did that mean Mal was going to have to conform? No. No, damn it! She would rather hide in a cubby hole until Torchwood forgot about her and the Doctor before she wore a dress that was all for show and restricted the act of breathing.

Fake Marriage and dresses. He sees Mal's eyes and holds her hand, squeezing as Jenny leads them inside. The parlor is big, and a woman in all black, veil and all, sits there, sipping the quietly. He grins, letting Mal go before stepping forward, head bowed.

"Madame, thank you for taking us in, we-"

He was wrapped in strong arms quickly and then released, Madame Vastra now standing before him, no veil and a vast smile on her face. Her cheeks seemed flushed and pupils dilated. He had noticed the same look on Jenny... He feels his skin flush.

"Right... sorry for interrupting, just a life and death emergency, I'm sure we could have waited until morning..."

She scoffs, before looking over his shoulder. They whisper, heatedly and soon Jenny offers Mal a seat and Strax is off to change in 'proper' attire. As Eleven sits, taking Mal's hand, Madame Vastra fixes her with a hard stare, unsure of how true the story she had been told was. Jenny pulls a hair up behind her and she sits directly in front of them, as if she wanted to keep her words close.

"So, a timelord child... tell me girl, do you think your fit for the predicament your in? Time Lord, especially children... their quite a handful."

At this she eyes the Doctor warily.

Mal trailed behind the Doctor, glancing back at Strax as he waddled behind the crew. No offence to him but the potato alien was a bit intimidating. She watched as the Doctor bowed to their hostess and immediately felt awkward. Was she suppose to mimic the gesture? Instead she just stood stalk still, seemingly stiff and awkward.

When Mal finally caught a glimpse of the Madame she gaped in shock before clamping her mouth shut. That was rude. So was staring. She instantly dropped her gaze to the ground and cleared her throat, speechless and unsure what she should do. Probably an introduction would be polite but she couldn't really bring herself to make one, plus the looks they were giving her were making her uncomfortable.

Mal stared at the chair she was being offered before glancing up at Jenny and sitting, murmuring her thanks. She sounded very insecure and just couldn't sit still. She kept fidgeting and whatnot. The need to close herself up became too much. Slipping her hand from the Doctor's, Mal wrapped herself up in a hug, staring at the ground as if it was the most interesting thing on the planet.

Of course, the questions. Of course, they knew. Of course. Of course, of course, of course. Mal was convinced she was pale again, nausea washing over her but she bit the inside of her cheek to prevent anything from coming up. There were a lot of ways she could react to Madame Vastra's intense gaze and hard questioning. She could cry, remain silent, run. But what she did threw even herself off guard.

Mal began to laugh and had to bite her lower lip to cut herself off. It was humourless, seemingly hollow. She didn't once look at anyone but answered with a distant expression on her face. "No, I don't. But it doesn't matter, does it? What matters is I deal with it accordingly like everything else that pops into my life." There was more she wanted to add but left it there. She was angry, she realized, and she wasn't quite sure what part made her mad. All she knew is she didn't want to take it out on anyone and she didn't want to make herself look ruder than she already had.

"Deal with it?"

He's talking before he can stop himself and Madame Vastra is giving him that look but he hoesntly doesn't care. He stands, promptly leaving the room. Jenny knits her brows together before she follows him and Madame Vastra turns towards her, her voice a bit cold.

"If you think that is all a child is, your sorely mistaken. You might've had a bad life, and for that I'm sorry, but don't objectify a being the way you are simply because it's what you humans might refer to as a burden. That child is going to save you girl. It's going to clutch you tight and save you from everything, even from yourself. Don't you dare insult such a gift, especially from a man as great and as powerful as the Doctor."

Vastra liked the flesh man. He was an exact copy but his emotions peeked through much more dramatically and she has seen sides of him she never knew were possible. Jenny comes back sans Doctor and whispers in her Mistress' ear before taking her leave. Madame Vastra stands.

"He won't be joining us for dinner. I think he's tired..."

The "He's tired of you", hung in the air and the Silurian leaves without another word. Strax comes back, escorting her towards the dining hall.

Mal watches as the Doctor leaves the room, regret and guilt instantly hitting her.  She shouldn't have worded it like that, probably should have kept her mouth shut altogether.  But you can't just take things back like that.  She'd have to go apologize to him later.

But right now she was being chewed out by the lizard woman.  Her words were sharp and Mal tried to swallow the lump in her throat.  They were heavy but probably true.  It was just a shame everything happened with her.  Yes, the Doctor, any Doctor, was fantastic and wonderful and more than most men were.  But that didn't mean Mal was anything.  The poor kid would probably be born with some defect thanks to its mother's faulty genes.  Wow, that was optimistic.  

With a shake of her head, she shut her eyes and kept them like that while Vastra and Jenny left the room.  Strax was there and though Mal rose from the chair she highly doubted her tightly coiled stomach would be able to handle even a scrap of food.  Her appetite was gone but she figured she screwed up enough and couldn't skip out.  

One step, maybe two steps in the direction of the hall and something caught Mal's attention.  She turned her head and instantly panicked, probably screamed too but her focus was elsewhere and she wasn't aware if she did or not.  On the wall hung a fresh corpse nailed to the wall and leaking with blood.  It stained the nice walls with streaks of red, ruined the tiles beneath with a pool of blood.  The corpse was only clothed in a pitiful loan cloth, face shredded off to reveal his skull.  The pieces of metal that protruded from its body were nasty, dangerous.

And soon Mal found herself shutting her eyes tight.  After counting down from ten she opened them and stared at the wall only to find a lovely portrait of Vastra and Jenny hanging there.  She wasn't aware of when it happened, but she was sitting on the ground, back pressed to the wall and head throbbing.  She probably hit it on the wall when she backed away.

Swallowing heavily she closed her eyes again and wondered what the hell that was.  Well, she was lacking sleep even though she caught a couple of hours of rest on the bus.  Wasn't hallucination a symptom of lack of sleep?  Yes, that was it.  She was probably just tired.  Exhausted.  She should sleep and forget it all.