A Thunderstorm Rescue

"Doctor!," called a familiar voice out into the night. He flicked his ears and glanced up at the sky overhead, lightning flickered through the air and thunder rumbled.

"Doctor!" the voice called again. The voice, of course, was that of his companion, Elaine. She thought of herself as the boss but even she had the wisdom to acknowledge him a true Time Kitty. She was calling him to come inside. His original plan was to stay out all night and spy on the workings of those strange alien creatures called birds. They were sleeping and he would have a better chance of sneaking up on them and figuring out what their plans were for the invasion. He hadn't had much of a chance to ferret out their evil intentions while in Korea - living in an apartment does limit your exposure to the outside world. He knew what birds were, of course. He was a Time Kitty. He pretty much knew everything - or that was what the world was supposed to think. But you know those Americans. They always were very strange and while Cleveland might appear to be a quiet city where NOTHING ever happened and Painesville a quiet little town on the outskirts... appearances could be deceiving. It was the perfect place to launch an invasion because it was the last place anyone would expect. People would expect the Browns to win a Super Bowl before they'd expect alien birds to invade.

"Doctor!" The Doctor twitched his tail in annoyance just as thunder crashed again overhead. Yes, yes, she was probably right. If he didn't hurry he was going to get very very wet. The bloody alien birds would just have to wait. He'd take his sonic mouse and infiltrate them with a perception filter tomorrow. He set out for the front door as the storm came closer and closer.

Of course, just like most Companions, when you REALLY wanted them to stay put and be useful they were nowhere in sight. Of course, Elaine was NOT at the door and it was securely shut he saw JUST as the sky opened up and torrents of rain fell down from the heavens. In a matter of seconds he was not just a Time Kitty. He was a very wet and disgusted Time Kitty. He made a dash for the bushes and crouched under them as the storm continued. Maybe it wasn't a normal storm... Perhaps the birds were using it as a cover for aerial manuvers and the lightning was really weapons fire. He'd have to add it to his list of possibilities if he ever got dry again.

"Doctor!" Elaine called as she opened up the door!

"Mew!" he called. He was soaking wet and he was not about to leave the relative shelter of his bush. She wasn't there to hold open the door when he was ready to come in so she could just come out and get him.

"Doctor!"

"Mew!"

Elaine walked out the door in her kitty cat night gown, bare feet, and with a hot pink umbrella. The storm was really blowing now with lightning flashes every few seconds and enough water falling down to refill the Great Lakes in nothing flat.

"Doctor!"

"Mew!"

Of course, she walked to the end of the walkway and peered into the bushes.... just the bushes in the opposite direction from where he was. She called into the bushes, holding her hand out for a few more moments before giving it up and going back inside the house. That woman really does need to heed Time Kitty telepathy better. He was over HERE, thank you, and getting wetter every second! Fine Companion she made!

"Doctor!"

"Mew!"

She was back, still in bare feet, a now very wet kitty cat nightie, and pink umbrella. This time she had a flash light. Yet, again, she went in the WRONG direction, pointing her flashlight at the wrong bloody bushes and calling for him. Blasted Americans!

"MEW!"

She turned around and started calling for him. She finally seemed to have gotten the right idea since she started walking down the walkway towards him, feet splashing through puddles and pointing her flashlight at the right direction.

"Doctor!"

"Mew!"

"There you are!" she called, in relief and amusement. She reached down under the bushes and pulled him out by the scruff of his neck. He loudly mewed in protest. He was a Time Kitty and in charge of this operation! Alien birds were probably watching their every move looking for a weakness and she had the gall to appear in kitty cat pajamas with a hot pink umbrella and drag him out by his scruff? That was NOT dignified! You can't show any weakness to those birds! You have to razzle dazzle them with technobabble and timey wimey pazazz and kitty cat pajamas and looking like a drowned rat do NOT cut it!

"Mew!" he said, trying to convey his outrage as she scampered, laughing back into the house with him under one arm. She seemed to think this whole adventure was highly amusing. Bloody Americans. He WOULD have to have a crazy cat lady as a Companion.

She showed him off in all his mortified bedraggleness to her Mom, laughing and relaying the whole adventure before grabbing some towels - one of them pink, of course - and heading back to her basement dungeon. After vigorous application of the pink towel (pink! HONESTLY! Time Kitties are NOT pink, woman! If we must have a color we choose blue! NOT PINK!) he was still bedraggled but also very fluffy and still not amused.

It was all her fault for not being there when he was ready to come in, he thought to himself as he hurried groomed himself, trying to regain the tattered fragments of his dignity. At least his prior regeneration was due to make a visit in a few days. Then perhaps they would be able to figure out what went wrong and get him back into his proper form - preferably still ginger and with certain manly bits fully intact and operational. Nobody could EVER know that the Doctor had gotten... neutered... If the Daleks and Cybermen - or even worse - Captain Jack (not the kitty one) found out he would never live it down. He shuddered and groomed himself faster, curling up on his blanket. He would sleep and pretend this whole adventure was nothing but a dream. Tomorrow, however, he would get to the bottom of what those birds were up to. Something nefarious he was sure... But for now... he yawned.... it was time for a Time Kitty cat nap.