Ficlet: Technical Hitch (DW/S&S)

[thisbluespirit]

Title: Technical Hitch
Author: lost_spook
Rating: All ages
Word Count: 540
Characters/Pairings: Silver/Liz Shaw
Notes/Warnings: None.
Summary: Liz is beginning to have her suspicions about strange happenings in her lab...

And another one, this time from persiflage_1’s prompt in dw_straybunnies July 2012 Prompt of the Month (Silver/Liz).

***

Liz pulled out her notes and smoothed down the pages before turning her attention back to the apparatus on her workbench, ready to continue with her tests. However, she first stopped to examine the contents of the test tubes, and gave a small grimace as she spotted that one of them was empty yet again. For the past three mornings, she’d arrived to find one sample – a different one each time – had vanished during the night. It was getting past a joke and fast heading towards sabotage.

“You’re very persistent, you know,” said a voice from behind her.

Liz raised one eyebrow, but didn’t bother to turn around. That, she thought, explained nearly everything, at least. “Well, how else do you think I got where I am?”

“Oh,” Silver said, moving forward and leaning against the workbench to one side of her. “I suppose.”

“And I was beginning to wonder. It was a little too neat – the rubber seals untouched, everything exactly as I left it, as if someone could miraculously extract the alien substance without even opening them.”

“Then I’m surprised you continued.”

“I wondered,” said Liz. “That’s all. I didn’t know, because someone very rudely didn’t take the trouble to drop by and ask me to stop, or bother to explain.”

Silver’s expression shifted guiltily, but then he smiled at her. “I see.”

“Yes,” Liz said. “So, what catastrophe are you trying to avert by swiping my samples? Am I endangering the universe in my pursuit of scientific knowledge, or are you just bored?”

Silver waved a hand. “Not quite a catastrophe. Not yet, or they’d have sent someone else. More of a technical glitch of sorts. You could, if you continue, discover something you aren’t ready for.”

“You know, that sounds suspiciously like the same sort of superstitious nonsense people have always used as an excuse to halt the progress of science.”

“It may sound like it, but it isn’t.”

Liz raised her chin. “I’d still like an explanation, if you don’t mind. Otherwise I might keep trying anyway. It’d make a change for someone to be annoying you, wouldn’t it?”

“An explanation?” said Silver. “But I’ve –” Then he smiled again and raised an eyebrow. “Oh,” he said. “Oh.”

Liz looked across at him. Of course, it wasn’t sensible, and she certainly shouldn’t have asked, even in a roundabout way. On the other hand, if she was going to have three days work wasted, she deserved something in exchange.

Silver smiled widely and then kissed her forehead, on the temple, and for one moment she could see again, as he could, the threads and building blocks of the universe. It was too much to take in, as it had been before: an instant of coldness, an impression of something like snow or dust and cobwebs – silver strands everywhere. She blinked, and it was gone.

She’d instinctively hung onto his arm, and now she let go, and tried to hide her reaction, even though she knew even without looking at his pleased expression, that he knew.

“Really,” she said, becoming severe again, “you could simply have left a note.”

Silver only smiled again. “Oh, I don’t think that would have been nearly as much fun, do you?”

***

Comments

[kaffy_r]

Liz and Silver - why does this not surprise me? And I am struck, happily so, by the way you describe what Liz sees when Silver kisses her forehead.

A pleasure to read!

[thisbluespirit]

Aw, thank you! :-)

Liz and Silver - why does this not surprise me?

I don't know, it's not as if I wrote some epic Five Things fic with them... /o\ :lol:

[seriesfive]

That woman is a saint. Having to put up with the Doctor can be trying enough, but getting occasional visits from far too wayward elements, and staying sane...that would be pushing it for everyone. :D

[thisbluespirit]

:lol: True. Well, Liz can cope with anything! :-)

[john_amend_all]

Ah, more Liz/Silver! It's hard to think of any other companion/Element pairing that works so well. (Apart from Lead/Peri, of course :^) )

[thisbluespirit]

:-) yes! Well, to be fair, I am probably quite capable of pairing Silver with anyone, but this one does work out as a more-than-once thing in a way it probably wouldn't with somebody else.

[john_amend_all]

Anyone?

(In my browser, your LJ tag list is on the left as I type this comment. Somewhere near the top of the screen: Elizabeth I. Before I knew it, there was this).

"Reverend Thurloe," the Queen purred. "These are my private apartments. I hope you don't intend to abuse your position as a guest."

"I must confess that I came here with that in mind," Silver replied.

"Really? So forward, for a man of the cloth. Come, sit with me." The Queen patted the couch beside her.

I'm in. And now to abuse my position. Silver's hand stole toward her auburn ringlets. Just not how she expects.

"Edmund! Melchett!" The Queen's infuriated cries rang through the palace. "That horrid man Thurloe's stolen my crown! After him! This instant! Off with his head!"

[thisbluespirit]

:lol: Very funny. :-)

[mab_browne]

He's a flirty devil, that Silver. :-)

[thisbluespirit]

Heh, he is. Thanks for reading! :-)

[persiflage-1.livejournal.com]

I have the biggest dopiest grin of pure pleasure on my face now.

Thank you!

[thisbluespirit]

Aw, glad you liked it. I wrote it at the time, but somehow I could never quite manage to type it up!

:-)

[persiflage-1.livejournal.com]

I am very glad that you now have... *hugs*

[llywela13.livejournal.com]

Aww, fun.

There needs to be more Liz fic :)

[thisbluespirit]

Thank you!

And there does, there does.

[astrogirl2.livejournal.com]

This is cute. And an unexpectedly workable pairing. I also really like that brief little glimpse of... something. :)

[thisbluespirit]

Thank you! Silver/Liz came up in a meme (they're always to blame, aren't they?) and sort of took somehow, with several of us. One of those things you'd never think of, but when you do, it does actually work. :-)

[jjpor.livejournal.com]

I like it. And the hints of past history between the two. I wonder how they first came to know each other? Thereby hangs a tale, no doubt.

[thisbluespirit]

Thank you! :-)

And ha. Aha. Yes, thereby hang several tales, including two not even by me. Silver/Liz has a bit of previous round these parts. *sheepish*

[jjpor.livejournal.com]

Intriguing... Would searching about the place turn anything up I might want to read? :)

[thisbluespirit]

Would searching about the place turn anything up I might want to read?

Well, searching would indeed turn up some more Liz/Silver, but as to whether you'd want to read it, only you can answer that. (Here, the Liz Shaw/Silver tag on AO3. Wonder no more.)

Also, unrelated, but my last post was one with a ridiculous list of 500 prompts that need characters/pairings added by my flist. I only mention this because this was my Cunning Plan which hopefully - hopefully - might even let me join in who_at_50 sometimes, if I have a suitable prompt already. Which I might not, I really don't know.

Which is the long way round of saying, you are welcome to give me some characters/pairings there (plus a number, it's easy) if you wanted to. (Especially since nobody has given me Seven and Ace for important using of which when it gets to his month. If that works out. Which it might not. I'm unwilling to commit myself. ;-p)

[jjpor.livejournal.com]

I saw your post. And then I saw your reminder post. And then...

This comm-running, you know - takes more time than you'd think. ;D

I will look into it. I've got to give some prompts to akashasheiress too. So yes, I will get to it. Kick me in a gentle, reminding sort of way if I don't in the next couple of days or so.

And thanks for the tag. :)

[thisbluespirit]

Oh, don't worry, you don't have to. And I know you've been busy - calufraxing again as well, and everything. Of course, if you did have a moment at any point, I'm always delighted to have extra prompts.

:-)