Arcadia's Love (Book TWO)

Experiments

Phina:

Remind me why we're in the US again? Last time I was here, I died, and the time before that, the skin copy of myself that my kidnappers had created was kidnapped by the same people who proceeded to steal my baby and raise her up to kill her father and then trigger the death in the US. It's safe to say I no longer had good experiences of America.

"Mercy. Eighty one residents." The Doctor smiled at me, kissing my hand. Don't be cute with me, sunshine, I didn't want to come here.

Amy frowned looking at thing ring around the edge of the area. "Look at this. It's a load of stones and lumps of wood. What is it?"

"A load of stones and lumps of wood." I thought that would have been obvious.

Rory looked at the sign himself, holding Amy's hand. The Pond couples, insert cute smiley face here. No, really, I wish I could put a smiley face in this. "The sign does say Keep Out."

"We see Keep Out signs as suggestions more than actual orders, like Dry Clean only." Yes, and this is why we can't have nice things, Doctor, because you shrunk my Demon outfit, when it was made of leather and not supposed to go in the washing machine! We stepped over the stones and wood encircling the town and then headed down the street, the residents watching silently. An electric street lamp outside the Post Office sparked. Then we realised. "That's not right."

"It's a street lamp."

We can see that, Rory. Oh, I was sarcastic again, good to know. "An electric street lamp about ten years too early."

"It's only a few years out."

The Doctor and I raised our eye brows, what little he had left. "That's what you said when you left your phone charger in Henry the Eighth's en-suite."

"Phi, Doctor, er."

"Anachronistic electricity, Keep Out signs, aggressive stares." I smiled, looking at my family. "Has someone been peeking at my Christmas list?"

"Phina."

We both walked hand in hand into the saloon, the Doctor chewing a tooth pick. But everyone went silent, including the piano player as we walked in, the Doc and I heading to the bar. "Tea. But the strong stuff. Leave the bag in." Seriously?

"I'll have a double shot of bourbon, thanks." I smiled, then looked around the bar.

"What're you doing here, son, darlin'?"

"Son?" He laughed, kissing my hand. "You can stay."

Then an African American in a black suit spoke from the back. "Sir, Ma'am, might I enquire who you are?"

Well, that was the most polite and impolite we'd ever been asked. "Of course. I'm the Doctor. This is-" Everyone stood up. "No need to stand. You see that? Manners. Oh, thank you." Someone started measuring him behind us, making me growl and scare him. "I don't need a new suit."

"I'm the undertaker, sir, ma'am."

A younger man in a brown suit and bowler hat stepped forward. "I got a question. Is you an alien?"

I really didn't like this. "Well, er, bit personal. It's all relative, isn't it? I mean, I think you're the aliens, but in this context, yes. Yes, I suppose I am." The men shoved me out of the way, and before I could get him, they'd already started carrying him out of town. "Guys!"

"Doctor!" I snarled, pulling out my knife and going to help him. "Put him down!"

Another woman grabbed me, holding me back. "Don't think we won't kill you."