[kabuto_rocks]

"Where are you taking me?"

It wasn't often that she was the one asking that. In fact, Euphoria couldn't remember the last time she'd been taken anywhere by something which wasn't her own ship. It was meant to just be a quick stop on Evelon, but as usual they'd gotten carried away. After a rather exhausting but highly amusing misadventure with a four-headed alien, she had been all but ready to fly away. It seemed though that her companion had other plans.

It took all of her willpower not to peek. After all, her intense curiousity was basically the reason she did anything. But she had promised Ben she wouldn't look, and she intended to honour that promise. Besides, it was sort of exciting. He was leading her through what felt like a forest, her eyes squeezed shut so she wouldn't see. That didn't mean that she wasn't trying to figure out where she was though. Craning her ears, she was sure she could hear the faint sound of gushing water. A river perhaps? It had to be somewhere important. He had sounded utterly thrilled when she agreed to come with him

{3/5, 18}

[kabuto_rocks]

He couldn't believe he was doing this. Really, the whole thing was crazy. He should turn around right now. But it had taken all of his courage to get him this far, and he wasn't about to give up now. He might not be brave enough to tell her how he felt with words, but if he showed her this place then surely she would understand? She had to. He wasn't sure he could take this anymore.

It was pathetic really, if you thought about it. All he was doing was pining, day in and day out. And worst still, she probably had no idea. She was the very definition of oblivious. Even if she was aware, how could she ever love him? He was just an ordinary guy and she was so...so...

Exquisitely odd.

"Okay, we're almost there now." he grinned, surpressing a laugh as she stumbled around. Of course, he made sure she wouldn't hurt herself. But it was still quite humourous to see her so helpless for once. As they stepped into the clearing, his heart gave a lurch.

"We're here! You can look now."

{4/5, 19}

[kabuto_rocks]

She had to admit, for once she had no idea what to expect. All Ben had said that was he wanted to show her something which was pure Evelon, somewhere that she would never have been before and some place that he could finally know more about than she did. She didn't have the heart to tell him that she had in fact already been to most places in Evelon. He looked so eager about it that she didn't want to crush his spirit. Anyway, she was pretty sure she could act well enough to convince him she was surprised.

As her eyes opened they were hit with a bright streak of sunlight. Her mouth fell open as she gazed around the landscape in front of her. It was beautiful! Lush green plants surrounded her, dotted with coloured flowers and exotic fruits. Through the trees she could see a gorgeous waterfall, spewing down over rock and turning into a gently-rippling stream. It was breathtaking, it was serene and it was new. She'd never been here before. And she was utterly delighted.

"It...it's perfect!" She cried joyfully, jumping up and down and laughing with delight. She couldn't decide which part to look at first. Turning back to her companion, she smiled warmly, "Thank you."

{4/5, 19}

[kabuto_rocks]

That smile! It was so dazzling he literally forgot to do anything. Include breathe. Once he had stopped coughing, he faced her with his own semi-awkward smile. He was pleased she liked it. It was great to see her so enthusiastic, especially since he'd been rather worried that she might have been here before and it would all be old news. Thankfully that wasn't the case. He had loved coming to the falls ever since he was a kit, when his mother used to take him and his siblings to play in the water. As much as he loved his adventures with Euphoria, it was nice to return home every once in a while.

"No problem! After all, you've taken me to enough amazing places. I figured I should at least try to return the favour." He turned to the water, his heart leaping in his chest. What was he supposed to do now? He hadn't really thought this far ahead. He wanted to tell her how he felt but he wasn't sure he'd be able to. There was no way she would feel the same after all, right? So why tell her? But it was literally causing him pain, keeping it a secret. At the same time, he didn't want her pity. That would be the worst thing. He didn't want her to think of him as some dumb Kuhna with a crush, not when she was so special. Far too special to care about someone like him

{5/5, 20}

[kabuto_rocks]

Something wasn't quite right with Ben, she could tell that much. He almost seemed jumpy, a very unnatural emotion for him. Part of the reason she loved him so much was how brave he could be in a crisis. And by love, she of course meant love as a companion. Nothing more, nothing less. As if she'd be stupid enough to fall for him after everything she'd been warned against...

No man can ever love you

Yeah yeah, I know. Give me a break

Turning away quickly, she decided to head for the water first. It was one of those Evelon evenings she loved so much, where the earth was still warm after a whole day baking under the sun. She delicately pushed her way through the various plants, her eyes lighting up the second she saw the water. Thankfully this was one place untouched by pollution. The water was clear and welcoming. Glancing back at Ben, she gestured him over.

"Look at this! This water is some of the freshest in the galaxy. How did you find out about this place? I can't believe I've never been here before." See, this was why she loved exploring. No matter how many places you visited or how many people you met, there would always be something new. Undiscovered. That word drew Euphoria like a moth to a flame

{5/5, 20}

[kabuto_rocks]

It was wonderful, just to watch her whizzing about. That was one of the main reasons he travelled with her really. Yes, admittedly it was incredible to speed off to other planets and experience sights that other people only ever dreamed of. But it was also incredible to just watch this alien being, see how eagerly and fearlessly she experienced the world. It was like watching a child.

"My mother used to take me here," he slowly made his way towards her, carefully avoiding crushing any of the flowers. They were so pretty it would be a shame to step on them, "And I'm guessing you've never been here because...well, it's not really a place people tend to go alone." He blushed slightly. She turned those curious eyes of hers on him and he knew he would have to elaborate. Perhaps he should have thought it through a bit more. If he told her what this place was known for, surely she would guess why he had brought her here and how he truly felt? That was one problem he often had travelling with her-she was far too quick to work things out.

"This is Idalani falls." He added, wondering if that would be enough. Or too much

{1/5, 21}

[kabuto_rocks]

A lot of different thoughts flooded through her mind at the mention of Idalani falls. The first was the slight relief at realising she had actually heard of this place. She was ashamed to admit it, but part of her Timelord pride was pleased to discover that there wasn't a gap in her knowledge that she hadn't been aware of. The second thought was slightly sadder. The reason she had never been here before was because she didn't particularly want to see all of the happy couples, prancing around being blissfully in love without the fear of ramifications from a bunch of angry aliens. The third thought was the one which took the longest for her to get.

Ben had brought her here.

She eyed him up cautiously, not sure if what she was thinking was insane or not. She did have a habit of jumping to ridiculous conclusions. Then again, those ridiculous conclusions were usually right. Could it be possible...? No, of course not! She was just being silly, wistful even. She would know if her companion...wouldn't she? Surely she wasn't that oblivious? Glancing at Ben, she wasn't so sure. He seemed awfully nervous all of a sudden.

She decided to play it safe.

"Oh yeah, I've heard of this place. 'The Lover's Triangle' right?" She smiled innocently at him, hiding the fact that her two hearts were now going so fast it was like some crazed jungle drumbeat right in her head

{1/5, 21}

[kabuto_rocks]

Perhaps it was best she didn't realise how well he could read her. He'd spent long enough with her to notice when she was thinking, to see all the little expressions she pulled in between her musings. When she was really focusing you could practically hear the gears whirring around, far faster than any human brain he was sure. He still knew when she got it though. Perhaps fortunately, she seemed to decide to pretend to be oblivious for the meantime. That was fine with him. He was starting to really regret his decision to bring her here.

"That's right," he squeaked, annoyed with himself for being so stupid. Clearing his throat, he continued quickly, "I thought you wouldn't have been here before and it seems a shame that you wouldn't see it. It is such a lovely place. And you know, it's not only lovers that come here, despite all the rumours. Sometimes it's good friends, or family members, or...work colleagues." He was struggling now, choking on his words in the rush to get them out. Maybe if he spoke quickly then she would be distracted enough to not notice how red he was turning. This was really a bad idea. What did he think was going to happen, she was just going to fall into his arms? Proclaim her own secret love for him? Now he would be lucky if she let him back on the ship. He knew how much she hated dealing with awkward human emotions

{2/5, 22}

[kabuto_rocks]

" Of course!" She agreed hastily, feeling silly. His words simultaneously brought her relief and disappointment. Of course she was jumping to conclusions before! He didn't have feelings for her, at least, not the sort of feelings that she had for...she had thought he had. It was a good thing really. Less complicated that way and really, wasn't that all she wanted? A less complicated life?

Of course it is. That's why you accepted your mission and spend most of your time zipping from place to place seeking out trouble.

Slightly despondant, she leaned over the river and idly swirled the water with her paw. Even if he didn't have feelings for her, it was still nice of Ben to bring her here. It had been a while since she'd had time to just sit somewhere and not have to worry about explosions or deadly aliens or her companions wandering off and getting themselves into trouble. Smiling slightly at the thought, she grinned at Ben.

"Now, just because we're in a quiet place doesn't mean you can wander off. Knowing your luck you'd end up in some kind of life-threatening danger the second you were out of my sight."

{2/5, 22}

[kabuto_rocks]

Rolling his eyes at her comment, he padded over to join her by the riverside. He had long since grown used to her making condescending comments like that and it rarely bothered him anymore. Particularly since on more than one occassion it had been him pulling her out of some difficult scrape she'd gotten entangled in.

"Excuse me, I believe it's you who keeps getting us into life-threatening situations." He sat down beside her, gazing down at the water. It was nice to not be running for his life for once. Would she enjoy the quiet though? He threw her a nervous look, trying to judge her mood. Phew-she looked contented enough. He was suddenly scared of boring her. Maybe it was stupid to take her here. After all, she had seen thousands of wonderful sights from all around the universe. Why would a measly waterfall and some pretty plants impress her?

Face it Ben, you were always going to be out of your league with her.

"If it's boring you, we can always leave." He blurted out quickly, giving her a sideways glance. God, he felt so nervous! She scrambled his brain, she really did

{3/5, 23}

[kabuto_rocks]

Surprised by his sudden remark, she tilted her head.

"Bored? I'm not bored! This place is gorgeous. And I always like being with you." She smiled, the words slipping out before she could stop them. Oops. She really needed to start having better control over what she said. That was the trouble with taking on companions. It was far too easy to get close to them. Particularly ones like Ben, which she liked more than she was supposed to.

It's all harmless, really she insisted It's not like anything is actually going to happen.

But it felt awfully dangerous, being here with him. This place had an air about it, an atmosphere. Every inch of it practically screamed 'Fall in love!'. Perhaps if things were different then Euphoria would have taken a chance. would have risked it all for him. After all, the way Ben looked at her sometimes made her wonder if he might just feel the same. But no, this was different. She had been forbidden from falling in love. She had a mission to complete. If she allowed herself to express what she was feeling, then she'd let her people down. And that was something she would never let herself do.

And yet it was so hard sometimes.

"Ben," she turned away from him, instead choosing to look up at the sky. It was late afternoon and the sun was just beginning to set, making the sky look like it was on fire. She liked that. It reminded her of home, "What do you suppose you'll do when all this is over? When you stop travelling with me I mean?"

{3/5, 23}

[kabuto_rocks]

Yep, his heart definitely stopped when she said that. And he had to be careful-after all, he only had one of them. He couldn't help flushing with pleasure though, utterly thrilled by her comment. It was pathetic really, probably nothing more than light praise but it made him want to jump for joy. Oh yes, he had it bad. He was utterly in love with this remarkable creature. And it was destroying him.

If her first comment filled him with joy, the second one was like a knife to the chest. Instantly his head snapped up and he fixed her with terrfied look. Leave? She wanted him to leave? But then he noticed her expression and he relaxed a little. No, she wasn't asking him to leave. It was just a hypothetical question. Still, it worried him. Why was she thinking about this now? Maybe he really had screwed up.

"Stop?" He laughed, somewhat shakily. Hopefully he sounded more confident than he felt, "I'm never going to stop. I'll be with you forever remember? You'll have to drag me out kicking and screaming if you ever want me to leave." He smiled his usual smile but inside he was still panicking. Her question had startled him, made him consider things he didn't want to. What would happen when he left? Could he leave? How could anyone begin to leave all this behind, to leave her behind? It didn't bear thinking about

{4/5, 24}

[kabuto_rocks]

She felt bad when she saw his panicked expression. Oops. Maybe she should have phrased it a bit better. Still, his words made her heart skip, and at the same time they filled her with sorrow. That's what they all said, near the start. Granted, she hadn't had as many 'companions' as some Timelords she knew. But she'd had enough to know how it went. At the start everything was perfect, each adventure glittering and new. Then things started to lose their shine. Maybe it was one too many close encounters, maybe they just started to miss home and their old lives. Whatever it was, people left. Giraffe had left, and look how long they'd been together! No, she knew better than to count on Ben. He might insist now that he would always stay, but she knew the truth. In the end they always left.

"Glad to hear it," she smiled, "I wish all my companions were as adamant as you. Still, you have to think about it sometimes. What things would be like if you'd never met me." She'd certainly thought about it. Sometimes she felt like a chaotic force, meddling needlessly in other people's lives. Perhaps something else entirely was supposed to happen to Ben. Maybe he'd been supposed to meet someone, fall in love with them and have seven kits by now. It was always an issue with being a Timelord. What if one day you meddled in something you weren't supposed to be meddling in?

{4/5, 24}

[kabuto_rocks]

He could sense something had changed in her, something he wasn't sure he understood. She seemed almost...sad. That was quite rare. Apparently Giraffe had told him Euphoria used to be a lot less happy than she was now, but he'd only ever known her in this joyful form. Occasionally she was melancholy, but not often. Wanting to reassure her, he gazed straight into her eyes.

"I have thought about it," he replied seriously, "And every day I'm grateful that I did meet you. Life before...yes, it was a lot safer and a lot easier maybe. But you've shown me so many things, amazing things. You've shown me how life should be. And besides, I really like being around you. I...I love you." The words came out before he could stop himself. Blushing violently, he quickly looked back down at the water. He hadn't meant to say it like that. That was far too honest. He supposed he could backtrack, quickly skate over the issue and pretend it never happened. She'd probably be glad of that in all honesty. But he couldn't bring himself to do it. The words were out now and he didn't want to take them back. After all, they were true

{5/5, 25}

[kabuto_rocks]

Uh oh.

She knew she had brought this upon herself. She knew that she should have nipped this thing in the bud months ago, back when she'd first suspected that Ben's feelings for her might not be all that platonic. She knew that this was dangerous ground, that she was now in a situation she couldn't just fly away from in her ship. She knew all that.

But at the same time, the first thing she felt when she heard his confession was joy. Pure and simple, instinctive joy. Both of her hearts wanted to leap out of her chest, to do cartwheels and beat out a triumphant sympathy. Unfortunately her brain was firmly rooted in reality. This was a disaster! Ben couldn't love her. Not when she was so in denial about loving him herself. Now she would have to lie about her own feelings, let him down gently and make him think that she didn't reciprocate them. And that would be worse than anything else she'd ever had to do.

"Ben-" she began, swallowing her joy and looking straight at him. He had his head bent down, his cheeks bright red and his expression guilty. She realized with a jolt that he was expecting this, expecting her rejection. Not because he knew about her mission either. He genuinely had no idea about her feelings. It was then that her head and her heart split directly in two. She couldn't tell him no, not when he looked like that. He had to know how she felt.

"Ben look at me," she continued, without a second's thought. Those blue eyes met hers, still expecting rejection. She smiled gently, "I love you too."

{5/5, 25}