Walk The Earth: Doctor Who/Studio C [Book 2]

Bitter Perfume

Bitter Perfume

And if I am afraid of what the future holds / Then let me live for now, before I find out / And if I am awakening too slowly / Then I'd rather stay asleep and live in my dream. -Evoke and Laura Brehm, 'Future Holds'

A/N: Happy Valentine's Day you guys! In honor of the date, brace yourselves from THREE updates from me today: here on WTE, a Ridiculous oneshot, and a teaser for my upcoming story Ludicrous! They'll be uploaded throughout the day so keep your eyes peeled!

In other circumstances, Mark could have been counted as a harsh taskmaster.

As it was, with so little time to cover so much distance, the two couldn't help but appreciate the crash course he gave them in all things equine as they headed toward the outskirts of China and into Kazakhstan.

No one spoke much. There was too much heaviness in the air.

"Gotta say," Mark admitted one night, "I don't envy you having to make your way through Shipyard One."

For a moment, the only sound was the gentle thump of the horses' hooves against the ground and quiet way they tore the grass from the dirt.

"You're not staying with us much longer, are you?" Mallory ventured.

Mark shrugged. "At some point, I'm going to turn into a liability to you two. Even stealth training isn't quite the same as a perception filter, it seems." He paused, furrowing his brow for a moment. "I can make it well enough on my own. You two are your own team. It's better that way."

"So," Matt said, "where are you planning on heading from here?"

"I was going to head south. India is still just as populated as it was before this year, so I'll be able to talk to a lot of people. If I've got time when I've headed through there I might try to catch a boat and venture down to Australia, since unlike you I don't have anywhere specific I need to be by the end of the year."

"Seems solid," Mallory agreed. "We'll miss you."

Mark chuckled. "Please. How long have you been married now? A year? You'll be glad to have me out of your hair," he teased.

She furrowed a brow and his laughter died out. "How did you know that?" she queried softly.

"You must have mentioned it." He shrugged. "Might as well take watch while I'm still here to do it, though. Go ahead and get some rest."

He wasn't sure how long he sat there, watching the stars spin over his head and wondering how many the two beside him had visited. He had heard many of the tales that had spread around the world—Weeping Angels, Carrionites, Daleks, and many more. Yet he couldn't help but wonder about the stories they hadn't told.

Mark shook his head. In due time, he thought.

A glint on the horizon drew his gaze and he squinted.

That was not a star.

That was definitely not a star.

He jumped to his feet, mind kicking into overdrive. "Wake up," he said hurriedly, already gathering the few supplies they had laid out for the night.

"...Wha?"

With their voices thick with sleep, Mark couldn't be bothered to figure out who had actually spoken. "Get up, pack up, and mount up," he said urgently. "We've got company."

~~~

Rath was dead.

Barton, his second, had figured that out pretty quickly once word of the Japanese disaster came through Overwatch. Still in Vladivostok, he had chuckled to himself.