InsaneJournal

Clara Oswald is going the long way round (alwaysbeenthere) wrote in valarlogs, @ 2020-05-04 11:01:00

The problem with a diner that chose to move around willy-nilly was that Laurence wasn’t quite sure how to find it. Now that he was back on solid land, he was eager to see his old friends again, and among them was Clara.

If only it wasn’t so tricky to find her.

He had been traipsing up and down the Boardwalk hoping to spot the diner, though to no avail so far. He was just beginning to consider the fact that surprising people with his return may not have been the smartest course - something that he really should have considered revising when he had tried to surprise Pidge at their workplace - and perhaps he should have phoned her first, when, from the corner of his eye, he finally spotted the small diner. He let out a breath, his shoulders relaxing. He wasn’t sure if it had been there before, but he would not waste any extra time thinking about it.

“Good afternoon, Clara,” he said warmly, stepping through the door and smiling at her.

One could never be sure if the TARDIS was where it was even a moment before. Clara certainly didn’t. She had once again put it on ‘choose your own location’ and let it go to work. Honestly she was a bit distracted and trips to the library only helped so much. Ugh stupid having to make decisions she didn’t want to make.

“Mistress.”

“Please, it’s Clara.”

“Yes, Clara.”

Well now that they had that figured out, Clara looked to K-9 and quirked a brow.

“Was there something you wished to tell me?”

“Just that a location has been chosen.”

Nodding, the brunette stepped out from the control room to play waitress. And after not even five minutes? A familiar voice spoke up and she looked up with a bright smile.

“Laurence, you’re land bound again!” Grinned and came out from behind the counter and hugged him, “When did you get back?”

It seemed as though everyone were hugging him now that he’d returned. He stiffened, slightly, at the unexpectedness of it, but then relaxed into the hug and returned Clara’s embrace. “It’s good to see you,” he said into her hair before he released her. “I just returned yesterday. How have you been?”

Laurence acted as if Clara weren’t the type to greet him with a hug after they hadn’t seen each other for a while. It was like he didn’t even know her. Nodded some as she went and to get him a cup of whatever he wanted just the way he wanted it. It came with the diner bit. “Oh you know, I’ve been good.” Outside the whole start of the year and now what she was needing to figure out. But that was irrelevant. “How about you?”

“As well as ever,” Laurence said. “It’s good to be home again. I was, of course, greeted by a dream as soon as I got home, but as much trouble as I’m sure my upcoming ones will be, I’m glad for it. I found that I missed them while I was gone; is that strange, do you think?”

“Well of course. It’s not Orange County if it doesn’t happen that way.” Most people got at least a day, but she remembered Raven had posted about not being back 24 hours and getting a new set of dreams entirely so never put anything past the area. “I don’t think it is. Sometimes I miss mine.” Well the fun adventures. Not the ones that were emotionally scarring.

Laurence wondered sometimes if he should feel guilty for his dreams, given the difficulties so many others had with their own, though he had to admit that he felt better that Clara shared his sentiments, at least to some extent. “Do you not get them anymore?” he asked, taking a sip of his coffee. He smiled a little; Clara always did make some of the best of coffee this side of the Atlantic.

Oh, Clara definitely had her issues with her Dreams, even the repeats could mess with her. But the travelling and adventures? Those she missed and while the repeats were fine for those…. Was it so wrong to want a new adventure? “Nothing new. I get repeats…” Which had caused problems at the start of the year, “But they’ve been done for...over four years now?” Yeah. Dying in the early morning hours of Christmas 2015. No need to go into that particular conversation.

Laurence cleared his throat, feeling a little sheepish, for he’d known that Clara had finished her dreams, and he couldn’t imagine how he had forgotten. Perhaps it was the months at sea, helping to deal with the pirates in Southeast Asia, that had wiped it from his mind. He took a sip of his coffee. It was good of Clara to not have drawn particular attention to his slip. “And how has Mr. Barnes been? Well, I hope?” He hadn’t yet had the pleasure of meeting Clara’s betrothed, though he’d certainly heard good things.

Clara didn’t think too much of it. She had been fairly certain they had discussed the end of her Dreams before but with all the coming and goings of people and life and just general insanity of Orange County (even if Laurence of course had been at sea a few months now), some things were forgotten.

As for Bucky. There was a complicated minefield through no fault of anyone’s really. Mostly just the things she was trying to not think about that she needed to think about.

“He’s well. He’s been in New York for a couple months now working with a charity that uses dogs to help vets with PTSD.” It was very Bucky and he was happy. And wanted to settle and it was just so much more clear now that he was away from Orange County. And Clara was Clara, she still needed adventure and after losing herself for a month and a half it was as if that need was amplified and suddenly they weren’t quite on the same page anymore.

Laurence was well-versed in being apart from your betrothed. He had been at sea for much of his and Edith’s relationship, and while the distance had been what had ultimately torn them apart, he knew that that was not the same for all. He hoped that that would be the case with Clara and Bucky, and so it was with warmth that he responded, “It sounds as though he is doing good work there. I suppose with the particular nature of the diner, you are able to visit him often.”

“He is.” And she was proud of him and what he was doing, “But yes, I am able to visit him often.” When the differences became more and more obvious. Again it was no fault of either of them, just the nature of being away from Orange County for an extended period of time and that desire to settle and live a normal life up against Clara and her need for adventure. Especially lately. But hardly something to dwell on while she was catching up with Laurence.

The corners of Laurence’s lips tugged downward slightly, having the mildest impression that something may not have been entirely right, though of course he could not ask about such a thing if Clara did not wish to volunteer whatever it was herself, and so, instead, the prudent thing to do was to change the subject.

“So, what have I missed in my absence? I trust that the county was as interesting as it always is?”

Oh that stiff British upper lip and proper manners so not wanting to intrude. And Clara was ever so good at the whole...not talking about her issues and trying to find something else to focus on. So much easier than dealing with the real world and unpleasant matters.

“Nothing too intense. Typical December things, there was what could have been a reenactment of World War II which was interesting so mostly just helped to get people to safety, ghost soldiers, things like that. Then people changing ages and genders on April 1st along with unspecified pranks and...the Easter bunny.”

So really, typical Orange County happenings.

“That sounds dreadful,” Laurence said, balking a little. In all his time in the county, through everything, he didn’t think he’d lain witness to something as awful as a re-enactment of the second world war. “The war, I mean. I’m sorry you had to witness that.” The rest of it, well, it did sound like typical Orange County fair. He remembered once turning into a child himself. It had been a rather awkward experience.

“It was...something. I couldn’t tell you which battle, lots of fog, sea battle, but the uniforms and weapons? Definitely WWII era.” Then again, Clara had seen enough in her travels that part of her just shrugged it off. She was just relieved she hadn’t ended up a child. That had been awkward waking up as an eight year old and Bucky having to call her dad because she was hiding in a closet. “But you know Orange County, it lasts for up to a week and then it's like nothing happened.”

“Nothing except what remains in our minds.” Laurence knew that that didn’t fade quite as quickly or as cleanly as the odd occurrences that frequently happened in the Orange County. “I must confess that I’ve sometimes missed the unexpectedness of it.” His deployment hadn’t been boring, exactly, but it had lacked the absurdity that the OC offered.

“Exactly.” People not in the know just forgot about it and moved on but if you were aware of the nature of this place? Well, it was a different matter entirely. “But I definitely know that feeling. There is just...something...about the unexpected nature of Orange County that keeps us here.”

Laurence’s lip twitched. “I suppose it must take a particular type of person who actually enjoys such things.” He was sure that, had Edith moved to America with him, she would not have been quite so content with all that happened.

“It really does. Nothing wrong with that, but you know…” Shrugged. That was becoming a thing she was seeing for her and Bucky. But she also well understood his desire to just….live his life and settle down. Between his time in the army and then the dreams and what he’d gone through, it made sense. But after losing herself and coming back to herself, that drive for uncertainty and adventure had seemed to become amplified and here she was, avoiding a conversation she knew she would need to have.

“At least the Network ensures that we’ll be in good company,” Laurence said, and took another sip of his coffee. “I am glad that you decided to remain in the county. It would have been a little lonelier without you around.”

“Yes, it does allow for that.” Smiled at the comment about how it would be a little lonelier had she not been there, “Well that’s sweet. But it’s that Orange County pull it seems. Still, I’m glad you’re back.”

“I’m glad to be back,” Laurence said warmly. Maybe he’d indulge a little and order something to eat too, while he was here.