A Solo Journey

It was nearing the end of the school year which also meant that it was nearly time for the Big Day. There were still so many things to do! But there was one thing that only Mika could do.

“Remus,” she said one late evening when they were both seated in the living room by the fire going over the last round of essays on Vampires and Zombies.

Mika had been fascinated by the subject of vampires and even added some of her own experiences to the classroom lectures. Well, they weren’t exactly ‘her’ experiences, but rather the ancient lore of the universe and the Gallifreyans and early timelords. She had told them about the Ancient Ones, giant vampires that once roamed the universe depleting planet after planet of its life forms just to sustain themselves. The early timelords took it upon themselves to rid the universe of these parasites and managed to destroy all but three. These three had escaped into E-Space, another universe outside our own. The Doctor, a timelord friend of Mika’s who roamed time and space doing much the same thing as she did, only not officially, accidentally passed through a CVE (charged vacuum emboitment) where he encountered these three. He and Romana and Adric eventually destroyed them thus ridding the universe of these terrible giants once and for all.

The children were fascinated, of course, but since it wouldn’t be on the final exam, Mika didn’t want to spend too much time on it. “Ask me about it in my last Saturday meeting,” she smiled at them then handed out their homework, which she and Lupin were grading now.

Lupin looked up after he had finished reading over the parchment he was on. “Yes, peppermint?” he said. They had taken to calling each other after the sweets they had eaten before their first kiss. ‘How nauseating,’ Ron said once.

“There’s something I must do before the wedding,” she hesitated.

He looked at her expectantly as if he didn’t see what she was going on about.

“Alone.”

He put down the parchment and gave her his full attention. “What is it?” he asked, concerned.

Mika tried to put on a brave face, but it was clear that she was loath to tell him or even do what she must.

“I need to go back to Gallifrey and petition the timelords for some time off. I don’t think they’ll be happy about it.”

Lupin got up and came over to sit beside his future wife. He still couldn’t believe his luck that this beautiful, wonderful creature wanted to marry him, the pariah in even the magical world. “What’s wrong, Mika. I am sure they’ll let you off. It wouldn’t be fair if they didn’t.”

Mika leaned against him and he put his arms around her, holding her close. He loved to feel her warmth, her sweet flowery scent enveloping him making him think of fields of poppies and jasmine in a light summer shower. She was so strong and yet the softest thing he’d ever felt. To him she was magic.

“Oh, Remus, I’m sure you’re right, but still, I’ve had to face the Council before. They might not take kindly to my actions this time. Of course they didn’t exactly agree with my actions before either, but I had a very eloquent speaker defending on my behalf.” She smiled at the memory of so long ago.

“Do you have to go on your own? Surely if they saw how happy we were they would not hesitate to grant your request?”

Mika shook her head. “You don’t know the timelords. They are a cold, stuffy, bureaucratic lot. And they don’t take kindly to aliens. Which you are. Of course I am too, but that’s different.” She smiled.

Lupin shook his head. He had never thought of himself as an alien, but he supposed to another race of beings he would be so considered. It was all new and very strange to him. Suddenly it occurred to him that his was a truly unique situation. “I suppose if you must do this then you must. But you will be back before the wedding won’t you?”

The timelord laughed. “Of course, silly. I am a timelord after all. With any luck I won’t seem to be away more than an hour or two at most.” She got up to leave.

“What? You’re going right now?” he frowned.

“No time like the present,” she sighed. “It has to be done, Remus, if we want any chance of a life together – uninterrupted.”

Lupin moved aside the stacks of parchments and stood to join her. “I suppose you’re right, as usual,” he smiled sadly. “Still, it’s worth it to be together and happy at last.”

Mika kissed him and held him tightly. She only hoped that the Council would grant their request.