They landed for a brief stopover on a planet in the Trylios system, arriving in just the right place and the right time to see one sun set and the other one rise. The Scoobies spilled out of the TARDIS in a cascade of chatter and motion, eager to take in the sights and just as eager to claim a suitable spot on the beach from which to see them. Buffy took point, as she always did, although Jack was practically stepping on her shadow; a quick glance round from both of them freed the others to emerge, Rose, then Willow, then Dawn and finally Xander, burdened with the arm-full of blankets he’d elected to carry. Willow had her hands full carrying the picnic basket, Rose was loaded down with the drinks and the glasses, and Dawn was practically invisible behind her bundle of pillows and cushions.
Last to emerge were the two Time Lords, one pausing at the top of the dunes to stare out to sea, the other hanging back to admire the effectiveness of a functioning chameleon circuit. The Watcher’s TARDIS had disguised itself as a half buried, over turned boat, complete with weathered hull and an artistic cling of old shells and dried seaweed.
"Nice," the Doctor decided, stepping back a little to admire the effect. "Of course, no-one’s actually sailed on this sea as yet, and the place won’t even be colonised for another three centuries, but … when it is, we’ll fit right in."
"She likes to express her artistic side," the Watcher murmured, his eyes fixed on the distant horizon and the shimmering reflections of the slowly sinking sun.
"Don’t we all," the Doctor quipped, turning to close the distance between them. Two lanky strides brought him in sight of the view. "Wow."
The Watcher sighed. "Wow, indeed."
The sea spilled out in front of them, waves of silver lazily rolling in to break along a turquoise beach. The sky above it was a deep blue green, a depth of light and distance in which hung the sinking sun; glimmers of softer light were painted across the horizon in bands of smoky jade and subtle steel.
Below them, on the beach, their companions were busy setting out the picnic, laughter and teasing conversation dancing across the strand. Jack was striding around, giving directions and offering suggestions, most of which were being happily ignored. Buffy was digging a hole for the fire pit, and Xander was trying to spread blankets while being bombarded with cushions by Dawn. The situation was threatening to break into a full fledged pillow fight – especially when a stray cushion hit Rose; she picked it up and waded in with wicked determination. Dawn’s squeals of joy and protest drifted up the dunes and echoed out across the sea, a tumble of laughter swallowed by a world of majestic silences.
"Come on," the Doctor said, and tapping the back of his hand against a suede clad arm. "They’re not going to miss us. Not for a while at least."
The Watcher glanced down at the contact, then up at the man who’d made it. A slow smile curled onto his face. "The time has come, the Watcher said …"
"..to talk of many things." The Doctor grinned, tipping his head to suggest a walk along the rolling, sapphire dunes. "Of ships and shoes and … sealing wax?"
The Watcher draped his arm around the younger time Lord’s shoulders, sliding in a little closer as the Doctor reciprocated by wrapping his arm around his company’s waist. "Of cabbages …"
"… and kings …"
They strolled off together, quoting Carroll and laughing at everything and nothing. The soft amused laughter of those who have survived the worst, and understand that – sometimes – it is enough to simply live in the moment.
And to let tomorrow take care of itself.
Down by the shore line, Jack Harkness cast a glance back towards the TARDIS and grinned to himself. Quietly, and with no fuss, he picked up a blanket and strolled to the back of the picnic site, picking a small rocky outcrop just below the ridge. Once there he casually flapped the fabric out so that it spread across the sand and settled into its contours. A couple of pillows completed the layout, creating a comfortable seat overlooking the sea. A step back assured him of its acceptability, and then he turned and went to help Rose in the pillow fight, his laughter bubbling up through Dawn’s squeals and Xander’s manly giggles.
A long time after – which wasn’t really that long, but felt lost in eternity as they settled onto the sand – the laughter faded into happy silences as each of them found the right place to sit and watch the sun set. Xander picked the blanket nearest the firepit – which also happened to be where Buffy had been busy grilling the burgers. He started handing out plates as the rest of them filed by; Rose smiled her thanks at him and made her way to the blanket spread further down the beach. Jack paused to add ketchup to his combination of tofu and bread bun, which meant that he arrived at Rose’s side just as Willow appeared on the other. The two of them exchanged a look over the blonde’s head – then Willow winked at him and folded herself down onto the plaid with a happy grin.
"I like this," she said after they’d all spent a companionable period of determined munching and exchanging yummy noises. "All – friends and family together stuff. Doing the fun. Sharing what we have. Being … us."
"Yeah," Rose agreed, putting her now empty plate down by her feet.. "This is the kind of thing I signed up for. Seeing new worlds," she explained, indicating the shimmering green and sapphire landscape with a wave of her hand. "Partying on the beach. Watching the sun set …" Her voice trailed off. Her eyes went wide and her mouth slowly dropped open. So did Jack’s.
So, he suspected, did everyone else’s.
Because Trylios Major had just reached the horizon.
Ripples of liquid silver glistened across the darkening surface of the sea. Cold fire danced across the horizon. A halo of lustrous jade light shimmered around the slowly sinking sun, the colour deepening and intensifying as the disk descended. Everything the light touched it tainted, painting the air with mellifluous, molten colour; the world was drowning in chartreuse and emeralds.
The sun sank lower, its radiance edging the world with gemstones and beauty.
The sky grew darker. Silver flickered along the rim of the sea.
"Thus, for memories long holding, deep in dreams and endless sighs, the world engulfed by truth unfolding, deep within immortal eyes."
The Watcher’s voice was soft, a sound as smooth and sweet as honey. It resonated through the awed silences, adding to, not distracting from the sense of reverence that had settled in the air.
"Touched not by fleeting moments cherished, preserved in the eternal, two heartbeats chime; a single breath may perish, but all the world is time."
The Doctor’s tones were no less melodious, although they held a hint of laughter that those of his fellow Time Lord had lacked. Jack dragged his eyes away from the sunset and risked a glance over his shoulder; the two of them were sitting in the nest he’d made ready – just sitting, back to back, each leaning their weight on the other and their eyes fixed on the shimmering, silent horizon. The Doctor had his arms crossed, in that casual way he had – and the Watcher had one leg drawn up so that he could rest his right hand on his knee. Jack smiled and returned his attention to the view, gently reaching to drape his arm around Rose’s shoulders. She didn’t shrug him off, but leant in a little, drawing on his warmth as the air began to grow a little chill. That surprised him a little, although the way that Willow also took the opportunity to move in a little closer didn’t surprise him at all.
Slowly the sun sank the rest of the way, dipping down below the edge of the world, sending a final flare of defiant light arcing into the sky. The horizon glowed softly, then grew dim. The ocean turned black.
And overhead, one by one, the stars came out.
"Wow," Dawn breathed, expressing a common thought; her head was resting on Xander’s shoulder, a match to her sister’s position on the other side of their mutual friend. The light from the firepit danced across the trio, painting them with flickers of gold. In front of them the pitch dark sea reflected the myriad of diamonds that lay scattered across the sky.
"I’ll second that Wow and raise you a hoo-eee," Jack declared with feeling. Rose threw him a sideways look, as if unsure as to whether he was serious or not.
"Sunsets and poetry," Xander said. "Always knew there was something in this universe worth waiting for."
"Worth fighting for," Buffy corrected softly, lifting her head to turn and share a smile with the Watcher sitting behind her. She was just shape and shadow in the darkness – but that smile could have lit the world, all on its own. "That was – heavenly. Thank you."
"Don’t thank us before you have to," the Doctor advised, flashing one of his own 100 watt grins. "It’s not over yet."
"It’s not?" You didn’t have to see Xander to picture the frown he wore. "Then what happens next?"
"We wait," the Watcher announced confidently. Beside him, the Doctor had started a quiet countdown, half under his breath.
"8 … 7 … 6 …"
Jack straightened up, remembering what the Doctor had said about night on this world. Buffy had laughed at him, making a joke about ‘not leaving much time to patrol.’ But if he’d been right …
"4 … 3 … 2 … 1."
And the light of Trylios Minor softly blossomed from the depths of the sea.
Molten copper and the gleam of glory; light which spilled out and up, filling the air with a resonance of saffron and amber. Even the sand shifted hue, reflecting back in shades of bronze and hints of verdigris. The colours flooded out, washing across the world in a surge of brightness and brilliance. The darkness retreated, drawn back from the land while the shadows rippled like fluttering silk.
All in furious silence.
No birds sang to greet the dawn; no creatures lifted their heads to serenade the sun. Even the sea was briefly silent, the soft whisper of the surf dying away as the tug and pull of two opposing suns stirred the waters and dragged the waves away from the beach.
For one, long, breathless moment, there was nothing but the light, unleashed across the landscape, and pouring out in waves of warmth and honeyed weight.
Then the surf rolled back, and the thunder of the sea returned. Six sets of held breath were loosed with awed sighs – and eyes that had seen centuries turned to meet in the morning light.
"Fantastic," the Doctor murmured, seeing himself – rimmed with golden light – reflecting back from the smile that lurked beneath amber and hazel depths.
"Drink it in," the Watcher advised warmly, reaching to shiver a sprinkling of bronze sand from his company’s short dark locks. "It won’t do that again for another … six centuries or so."
"Only six?" There was a pause while the Doctor considered the information. "We could always – "
"Yes, we could. But by then, there’ll be hotels all along this beach. Viewing platforms. Fast food and souvenir postcards sellers. Tacky – "
"Kiss me quick hats. Holo-photobooths. Pieces of painted resin with ‘I saw the Trylios sunrise’ engraved on them …"
The two of them looked at each other for a long moment.
"You’d love it," the Watcher concluded with a pained sigh. The Doctor grinned.
"Yeah," he agreed, totally unashamed by the fact. "And you’d hate it. But you’d come. If I asked?"
"Probably."
They held the thought between them for a moment, each perfectly aware that other would go to hell and back if either of them required it.
"You know what I fancy? Apart from that." The Doctor rolled his eyes at the twinkle that rose in his friend’s. "I fancy a pint. A proper pint. One with a decent head and a good strong bite to it. None of this poncy American stuff. What d’ya say?"
The Watcher smiled. "I think that’s the best idea you’ve had all day."
"Which only started five minutes ago."
The smile got a little wider. "Your powers of observation never fail to amaze me …"
"Right," the Doctor announced, standing up and drawing everyone’s attention. "Five minutes to pack up and then we’re off. Don’t leave anything behind, and make sure that fire is out before we go. Any questions? No? Good. Last one back to the TARDIS is an ugly ape."