"Excuse me," the woman says, standing in the threshold. She is what Sarah Jane would normally describe as 'unassuming,' except for that her next question is, "I wonder if you could tell me who I am," which assumes a great deal. As it happens, most of what it assumes is true.
"You're Romana," Sarah Jane Smith says, and opens the door a bit wider for her. "Why don't you come in for tea and I'll give you the details I'm privy to. I'm afraid none of them include how to pronounce your name correctly."
~
"That sounds reasonable," Romana admits, watching the steam rise from the top of her cup. "It also sounds like something that man would decide was a good idea."
"Yes," says Sarah Jane, watching her assume: the size of the cottage, the dye in Sarah Jane's hair, the unquestioning faith at the door, and again wishes not quite so much of it was right. "Would you like your watch now?"
Romana smiles unexpectedly. "No."
Sarah Jane takes a long breath in.
"No," says Romana, again, "because from what you tell me, being a Time Lord is a great deal of waste, and from what that man--" Sarah revises this; those capitals were audible-- "That Man tells me, there aren't enough of them." She shrugs. "I'd rather be human. I have a very nice position, you know. UNIT. I'm surprised I haven't seen you around the office."
"I don't work with men with guns," Sarah Jane says, and Romana adds, off-handedly, "besides, I quite like being a lesbian, and from the way That Man looked at me I'm sure that wasn't the case."
Right, Sarah Jane doesn't say. Assume your way out the door. Instead she says, with a little smile into the tea, "What a coincidence."
~
Neither of them make crude jokes about going to see the bedroom; instead they unpack Romana's bags. For a few days, the Doctor said, just until she comes to her senses. They wait, and smile at each other, and size each other up piece by piece. Romana leans her chin over Sarah Jane's shoulder to help her with the crossword. Not all of her help is accurate.
~
Sarah Jane hands her the watch, and Romana kisses her, slow and certain, and tucks it back into Sarah Jane's hand. Later she will trace foreign alphabets onto Sarah Jane's skin. What has been lost will lie between them, and will be comfortable, familiar, invisible, assumed and therefore true.
Requests: Martha/William Shakespeare, Fitz Kreiner/Tenth Doctor, John Smith/Seventh Doctor
Sarah Jane/Romana II
"Excuse me," the woman says, standing in the threshold. She is what Sarah Jane would normally describe as 'unassuming,' except for that her next question is, "I wonder if you could tell me who I am," which assumes a great deal. As it happens, most of what it assumes is true.
"You're Romana," Sarah Jane Smith says, and opens the door a bit wider for her. "Why don't you come in for tea and I'll give you the details I'm privy to. I'm afraid none of them include how to pronounce your name correctly."
~
"That sounds reasonable," Romana admits, watching the steam rise from the top of her cup. "It also sounds like something that man would decide was a good idea."
"Yes," says Sarah Jane, watching her assume: the size of the cottage, the dye in Sarah Jane's hair, the unquestioning faith at the door, and again wishes not quite so much of it was right. "Would you like your watch now?"
Romana smiles unexpectedly. "No."
Sarah Jane takes a long breath in.
"No," says Romana, again, "because from what you tell me, being a Time Lord is a great deal of waste, and from what that man--" Sarah revises this; those capitals were audible-- "That Man tells me, there aren't enough of them." She shrugs. "I'd rather be human. I have a very nice position, you know. UNIT. I'm surprised I haven't seen you around the office."
"I don't work with men with guns," Sarah Jane says, and Romana adds, off-handedly, "besides, I quite like being a lesbian, and from the way That Man looked at me I'm sure that wasn't the case."
Right, Sarah Jane doesn't say. Assume your way out the door. Instead she says, with a little smile into the tea, "What a coincidence."
~
Neither of them make crude jokes about going to see the bedroom; instead they unpack Romana's bags. For a few days, the Doctor said, just until she comes to her senses. They wait, and smile at each other, and size each other up piece by piece. Romana leans her chin over Sarah Jane's shoulder to help her with the crossword. Not all of her help is accurate.
~
Sarah Jane hands her the watch, and Romana kisses her, slow and certain, and tucks it back into Sarah Jane's hand. Later she will trace foreign alphabets onto Sarah Jane's skin. What has been lost will lie between them, and will be comfortable, familiar, invisible, assumed and therefore true.
Requests: Martha/William Shakespeare, Fitz Kreiner/Tenth Doctor, John Smith/Seventh Doctor