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Characters: Oliver Day (

oliverplus) and OPEN
Location: Your reality!
Time: After Oliver's fairytale has ended, and during or after yours, as you prefer
Summary: Oliver goes on an involuntary reality-hopping tour of the multiverse~
Warnings: Oliver is a geek, and depending on your reality, he might just show it. Possibly a lot.

Tag in if you'd like Oliver to visit you! Prose-style or action tags are fine; just tag in the way you feel like playing.

"Samwise! Don't go under there!"

Oliver had learned a long time ago that "getting lost" and "going somewhere in the TARDIS" were basically synonymous, so he'd long since given up on getting annoyed when it happened. Instead, he usually just looked at it as another adventure to conquer--plus, you never knew what sort of cool things you might find in the meantime. And that was all well and good when he was alone, but this time he'd made the mistake of bringing one of his pets along. Watching a dwarf rabbit run off to be lost in the TARDIS was not the sort of adventure he'd had in mind for today.

He crouched down by the random large machine that was sitting by one of the walls of a room that otherwise appeared to be some sort of study. Aside from the hulking metal contraption, the room was lined with comfortable sofas and armchairs, the lighting coming from lamps on sidetables. Fancy rugs were scattered about on the polished wooden floor, although the area around the machine was bare aside from some telltale scuff marks. And while the space underneath the machine was large enough for a rabbit to fit, Oliver doubted he could even get one of his hands in there. "Come on, come out! I'll get you some nice greens?"

As he leaned down to look under the machine, he just caught sight of a furry ball shooting out and across the room. "Samwise!" He jumped to his feet, realising now that he'd been so intent on the rabbit that he hadn't even thought to close the door to the study when he came in. And, of course, he pet was making straight for it. Oliver ran after him, hoping to grab the door and shut it before Samwise could reach it and disappear into the corridor. It was going to be a close thing. He grabbed at the side of the door--

--and missed. Oliver skidded to a stop, almost falling over in his surprise. Because it was immediately apparent that he hadn't simply missed in his grab--the door wasn't there anymore. The study wasn't either, nor was the familiar hum of the TARDIS.

"What...?" Oliver breathed, looking around him in confusion. "Where am I?"

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In the old days, Leela had always taken the time to watch the suns setting on Gallifrey. Not any more. She could not see the suns, any more than she could see the red grass that she felt between her bare toes or watch the silver leaves flutter in the same breeze that tugged at her hair.

She patrolled the winding corridors of the Capitol late into the night, searching for the hidden dangers that were sure to come. The planet was as beautiful as ever, even in the aftermath of a vicious civil war, but Leela was restless. Romana and her few friends on Gallifrey were all that she had left.

Except for her friends on the Plane, of course. But she had not expected to hear any of their familiar voices here.

"... Oliver?"

Appearing in a dark room was definitely not Oliver's favourite thing, especially when he had absolutely no idea what world--or even what sort of world--it was on. He was startled enough already that he jumped rather spectacularly at the voice, quite as surprised as Leela was. It took him a second to realise who it was. "Leela!?" he called. "Where are we?"

It was a reflexive question to ask when you were in the dark. Considering where he'd been appearing up until now, he at least knew that Leela being here meant he was on her world--but he gasped as the realisation hit him. He knew what Leela's world was. "Is this...is this Gallifrey!?"

Oliver was not the first person from the Plane to have visited her unexpectedly on Gallifrey. Her surprise did not last long and she could not help but laugh in response to his gasp of apparent delight.

"Yes," she confirmed, "This is the Capitol and I do not think you are here to visit the High Council. Did the Plane send you here?"

"Whoa, I'm in the Capitol!?" he gasped. This just got better and better. He was so surprised that he couldn't think of a single thing to say and settled for looking around in squinting awe. Thankfully, her question at least got him speaking again. "Huh? Oh, yeah! I don't know, it just keeps happening, and I can't go anywhere by thinking about it. I'll probably end up somewhere else soon."

But first he was definitely getting a look at Gallifrey. "So the High Council is here? Of the Time Lords?" he asked, the awe and excitement slipping easily back into his tone.

"It would be best if you stayed here," she noted, "You will be safe here."

Not for long - they were a planet on the edge of war, after all - but for long enough for the experiment to end. He had no way of knowing what other realities he would be thrown into by the cruel and complex workings of the machine.

"Yes," she said, laughing at his tone. "They would not allow any other knd to meet on Gallifrey."

And no other council would be so proud and convinced of their own power to give themselves such a title, surely?

"Really?" Oliver asked, unable to help sounding disappointed. He was on Gallifrey! He wanted to see as much of it as he could. Still, he could understand Leela's concern. Even if he didn't know the details, he knew there was a war, which was enough to keep him from protesting further. "Are there brighter places around, at least?" he asked. Corridors that weren't well-lit might not have bothered Leela, but he wanted to see as much of the Capitol as he could do.

"Wow!" he breathed, still awed at the thought of all those powerful Time Lords. "Oh, yeah, 'course. But still! There are Time Lords here!" He waved his hands with his declaration, wondering why Leela didn't seem to realise how fantastic and amazing that was.

Leela had lived on Gallifrey for too long to share Oliver's enthusiasm. She no longer found Time Lords fascinating, if she had ever thought of them in such a way. She had always considered them a proud and stubborn race.

"Come," she said, "I may not understand your joy, but I can help you to enjoy your visit. The suns will be rising soon. We should watch them from the highest point in the city."

Since the Doctor was the only Time Lord that Oliver really knew and he admired him more than anyone, it was probably no wonder that he was ridiculously excited to be here. He was sad to hear that Leela didn't feel the same, though, especially since this was where she lived all the time. He almost asked why, but he had a feeling that finding out from Leela exactly what she didn't like about Gallifrey would more than likely just spoil this for both of them, so he didn't interrupt.

But upon hearing her offer, his eyes widened, his excitement overflowing yet again. "Ohhh definitely!" he declared. "How many suns is it? That sounds fantastic!"

The Doctor meant - and would always mean - a great deal to Leela. She trusted him with the whole of her single human heart, just as she loved and trusted her other friends among the Time Lords. It was the ones that she could not count of friends that sullied an otherwise happy life on Gallifrey.

"There are two," she answered, "They are twins. When the rise, the silver forests blaze with their light. You will never forget the beauty of it."

She turned through a door on the left, leading Oliver through winding white corridors at a brisk pace. Though she could not see, it was clear from her lack of hesitation that she knew the Capitol as well as the back of her hand.

Oliver stared at Leela in the sort of wonder that comes of trying to picture something that sounds too amazing to envision. "Oh wow." The words didn't really convey his current feelings, but they were all he could think of to say. Hopefully something more eloquent would come to mind when he saw the actual sight, although he already had the impression that it wasn't likely.

He followed quickly after Leela, glad he was used to running after the Doctor. He was impressed by how fast she could be even when she couldn't see. "You go there a lot, huh?" he asked, only realising belatedly that he should be careful not to imply he didn't think she could handle something as well as other people.

Fortunately, Leela thought exactly the opposite. By asking if she watched the suns regularly, Oliver implied that she could do what she wished, regardless of her blindness.

"I would watch them often with Andred, in the old days," she replied, finding the electronic data pad that opened the door and allowed them access to the roof of the building. She placed her palm to the metal. "I watch them alone now. I will be glad to have company."

The door slid open.

Oliver still regretted his question, as he hadn't meant to remind Leela of sad memories, but her words did make him even more glad that he could do this with her. "I bet he enjoyed that," he said softly. He reached forward to put his hand briefly against hers arm--not in an attempt to direct her, just as a show of support.

As the door opened, Oliver's eyes widened. "Can we go out?" he whispered, as though afraid someone would appear any second and tell him that outsiders were forbidden from a sight like this. It was a silly feeling, but he couldn't help it. This seemed too amazing to be possible. So for the moment, he watched for Leela's cue before advancing.

"I did not bring you hear to stand in the corridor, Oliver," she said with a laugh, brushing off the memories of the past in favour of the more pleasant truths of the present. Andred was gone, yes, but she was not alone. She had friends that were very dear to her and she was determined to make sure that Oliver enjoyed Gallifrey. He was clearly delighted to be there.

Oliver laughed at the absurdity of the question, too--a sheepish, relieved sort of laugh. "Yeah, I know. Just... well, all right, let's see it!" He shook his head, chasing away the last of his nerves, and started to grin broadly. The longer he thought about what he was about to see, the more his excitement was becoming overwhelming. He'd hesitated for more than long enough now. He had to make every minute on Gallifrey count!

Already in awe just at the thought of what was coming, Oliver stepped out of the corridor to the roof at the highest point in the city.

Leela stepped out behind him, moving to the edge of the roof instinctively. The spires and towers of the Citadel stretched out before them, glowing bronze and gold in the early morning light. In the distance, snow capped mountains carpeted with crimson grass and forests of silver leaved trees were starting to be revealed, shining as the shadows retreated.

After giving him a moment to adjust, she asked: "What do you think?"

Even after a moment to adjust, Oliver was still staring open-mouthed. He couldn't believe what the planet looked like--not the colours, not the shapes, not the sight. It was like nothing he'd ever seen before.

"Leela," he finally said, his voice soft, as though breaking the silence could somehow ruin the perfection of this moment, "this is..." But he trailed off there, shaking his head. There were no words for this. Instead, he took her hand in his, hoping she would understand the message he was trying to send. A moment like this didn't need words; it just needed a friend to share it with. Still, he breathed a very soft, "Wow," under his breath.

She understood. Even before Oliver summoned up the courage to speak, his sense of awe was palpable. Leela could read it in his quickened breathing and sudden stillness.

Smiling, she squeezed his hand.

"It is not enough to call it beautiful," she said, "But that is the only world we have."

Oliver nodded at Leela's comment, squeezing her hand back to let her know that was exactly how he was feeling. "Nothing--nothing I've seen anywhere--is like this..."

He meant it, too. He may have only seen a small fraction of the universe, but he had seen a lot of incredible things in that fraction. And even knowing that, it wasn't difficult at all to call this the most beautiful and amazing of them all.

"Thank you," he whispered.

"Thank you," she countered. She could no longer see the suns with her own eyes, but the catch in his voice when he tried to speak was just as vivid. It allowed her to experience it again and, for Leela, it was as if she was experiencing it for the first time. "I am glad you are so pleased."

"'Course I am," Oliver said quietly, still grinning fit to split his face. He squeezed her hand again.

But all of a sudden, something changed about the view before him. Oliver stiffened a little. At this point, it only took a second for him to realise what was happening. He was seeing double again--the amazing sight of Gallifrey mixed with the sight of the next world he would be going to.

"Sorry, but I think I'm off now, Leela," he said. "Thanks again." Knowing he had very little time left, he gave his friend another smile. However, as he turned to her, his eyes widened all over again at the sight coming through behind her. He gasped. The floor, the doorway, the walls--they were unmistakable. "It's the TARDIS!" he exclaimed, excited for a completely different reason now. "Where I left it! The Plane's sending me back!"

Leela could not see the world changing around them, but she trusted Oliver's eyes as well as her own instincts. Something - something more than the suns rising in the distance - had changed.

She squeezed his hand in return, thinking of how much time had passed - and how much had changed, both on and off the ship - since she had travelled on the TARDIS.

"Then I will next see you on the Plane," she said, "Be well, Oliver."

He continued to smile, excited and relieved and, for this moment, just too happy to believe. He'd gotten to share in so much during these brief travels, and now he didn't even have to worry about how he was going to get back. It couldn't have worked out better.

He gave Leela's hand another squeeze before he let go. He had a feeling he was about to start fading, and he didn't want Leela to feel that. "You too, Leela!" he called cheerfully, waving even though he knew she couldn't see it. "Thanks! See you soon!"

And with that, he faded from Gallifrey and back to the TARDIS.

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[Location: Gallifrey]

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