The Time Travelers Wife

The Boat

He knew that name. Not Anne-Marie of course. That was too human, but Almund. That, was Gallifreyan. "Repeat that?" the Doctor said softly. Almost so softly he wasn't sure she heard but Anne-Marie replied right away.

"Anne-Marie Almund. Are you hard of hearing?" she asked. He could hear the teasing in her voice. Like she was about to laugh, but she knew not to laugh at an adult.

"I am not hard of hearing. Now could you be a dear and untie me?" he asked struggling with his restraints again. She was walking around the control panel gingerly touching the edges of it but not pressing any buttons. The Doctor thought that was unusual. Didn't little kids love to push people's buttons? "Whoa, Whoa!" he shouted as he tumbled over onto his side. Her laughter rang out like a bell.

"What is this place?" she asked instead of coming over to untie him. The Tardis made a whir and a click sound that echoed of the walls.

"What!" the Doctor shouted. He understood and it looked like Anne-Marie understood too. "Absolutely not! I forbid it!" the Doctor shouted at the Tardis. But even as he spoke the doors slammed shut and a glass case opened up on the control panel. Under it a. Big. Red. Button.

"She doesn't take no for an answer." replied Anne-Marie smoothly making her way toward the button.

"Don't touch that button! Stay away from that button!" warned the Doctor unsuccessfully trying to crawl his way toward the center of the Tardis.

"What are you going to do about it?" Anne-Marie asked her hand hovering over the button. "You're a bit tied up at the moment." she slammed her hand down on it and squealed as the Tardis made a giant WHOOSH and whirring sound as it disappeared into time. The Doctor was thrown into the door. His back against it,

"Ahhh!!" he shouted as the Tardis tumbled though time and space. Anne-Marie shouted with joy clutching to the sides of the control panel. "This is a bad idea!" the Doctor shouted.

"Live a little!" Anne-Marie shouted back looking at him eye's flashing. The Doctor's breath caught in his throat. For just a second her eyes looked to be the color of gold. Then it was gone. Then it stopped. There was the familiar whirring and whoosh as it settled down on the ground. "Let's see where we've landed why don't we!" Anne-Marie said as she skipped toward the Doctor who was still sitting with his back against the Tardis door.

"Untying me first might be a better thing to do." the Doctor said looking down at his hands unhappily. Anne-Marie reached down with her little fingers took up the end of the rope and smoothly pulled the knot away. The Doctor's wrist were chaffed he rubbed them as she did the same motion with the ropes on his feet.

"How do you not know that knot." Anne-Marie said as she marched past him out the door.

"Wait a minute!" the Doctor called out as she ran out the door. Standing up he raced out the door closing it after him. They'd landed in an alleyway. The Doctor sniffed the air and ran out of the alley. Spinning around he took everything in. "France somewhere in the early.." he licked his finger and held it up in the air. "Somewhere in the early twenties. It's winter." The Doctor said watching the slight snowfall. The fact that they were in France didn't seem to phase him. "Been weirder." he said with a smile. He spun around one more time. No Anne-Marie.

"Now Almund. It's not right to hide." the Doctor called out. He walked down the street hurriedly swooping past people looking into windows and under people's legs because she was small enough to be anywhere. "Can't be to careful." the Doctor mumbled to himself. There was a ruckus farther down the street. A hustle and bustle of people moving. Men hauling crates. Women clutching children and walking swiftly umbrellas high. Old gentlemen being pushed around in the rush as they hobbled their way to the platform.