everything she did was so human.

“ Yeah—thanks. Get lost. ”

Her eyes were fixed straight ahead, and she kept on walking—unmoved, not even paying full attention, really—definitely not bothering to glance over her shoulder. Impassive, coolly detached.

She blinked a couple of times and tossed an errant piece of hair away from her brow, sniffing quietly—and then, from the corner of her gaze, she took real notice of the vehicle that’d eased up beside her.

“ Oh, you’ve got t’be kiddin’ me… ”

It was him, though—sure enough. Her lips were faintly apart, and she stood there on the concrete for a second or two—unenthused, not really all that surprised—vaguely critical. Puffing out an audible sigh.

“ Seriously—? Real slick. D’you always talk like that when I’m not lookin’, or am I gettin’ the special treatment—? ”

She’d walked around to the other side of the car, squinting a bit in the lowering sun—opening the passenger door and unceremoniously dropping herself down onto the seat. Sweeping a hand back through her hair.

“ Well, I reckon he could probably say the same thing about you, couldn’t he? I’m guessin’ that solution wouldn’t work the other way ‘round, though. ”

There was a quiet, neutral sort of quality to her voice—not letting very much on, and she stayed put—leaning in the doorway.

“ Seriously, how would you feel? B’sides, last I checked, the Tardis doesn’t exactly need much guardin’, so—we really can’t jus’ leave him. ”

Her eyes were downcast now, and she gave a little shrug, flicking a piece of hair away from her features—sniffing quietly. Sounding more casual than she felt.

“ Yeah, thanks. You’re tellin’ me… ” There was a dull, unenthusiastic quality to her voice—sort of gloomily reluctant.

Her eyelids flickered a couple of times, and she squinted—a slight frown crossing her features.

She took a deep, stiff breath—feeling a hitch of drowsiness in her lungs—and she lifted her head a few inches off her pillow, glancing briefly around the room.

And then she promptly slackened once more, puffing out an audible sigh.

“ —guess we could always jus’ stay home, I mean—it’s not really like they’re gonna sack us, are they? ”

She gave a quiet sniff and shrugged her shoulders a bit—staring at the opposite wall. Lifting her eyebrows slightly.

“ What—? Hey, wait a minute—! ”

Her eyes widened, a slight frown crossing her features, and the objection faltered on her tongue—as she found herself getting pulled along with him anyway, before she could so much as plant her sneakers on the concrete.

Habitually, she’d taken his hand, but her grip was loose, distracted—and she went on to glance back over her shoulder, more than once.

“ —okay. Bit rude, don’t y’think—? Like, even by our standards. Last I checked, we didn’t usually go runnin’ out on people without even givin’ ‘em a chance, yeah? Oi— ”

She jogged a few steps to keep pace with him, the knit of her forehead deepening, getting more skeptical, and she swiped a few errant stands of hair away from her eyes, slightly open-mouthed—sort’ve indignant.

“ Hey, d’you mind not puttin’ words in my mouth, thanks? I never said I didn’t b’lieve you. Quit your moanin’ already. blimey… ”

A slight, vaguely skeptical frown had crossed her features, and she puffed out an audible breath, squinting—lifting a hand to shield her eyes against the flashing hazard lights.

“ It’s jus’ not exactly one y’hear every day, is it? I mean, I always sort’ve figured you were probably busy takin’ credit for things y’didn’t mean t’do, not the other way round. ”

Her voice was a little bit absent, and she took a step forward, surveying the scene in front of them—biting at the inside of her bottom lip. Tucking a few strands of hair away from her eyes.

She tightened her mouth, looking thoughtful.

“ Nope, sorry—not gonna happen. ”

Her tone was cool, neutral—essentially unfazed, and—delicately, she tapped a few keys, remaining focused on the screens illuminated in front of her—the furrow of her brow giving a slight, pensive twinge.

“ Y’got yourself into this one, now y’can deal wi’ the consequences. ”

Gently, she dampened her lips, leaning forward a bit—and then, she caught a glimpse of him from the corner of her gaze.

She paused—exhaling, turning partially in her seat.