Interlude - Missing
"Where'd he come from?" Joyce said, jumping in surprise as Missy's flerken hopped up onto the console and walked in front of her. "Where's he been for the past few weeks?"
"He comes and goes," Romana said. "Seems to have his own way of traveling. He's been left behind more than once only to show up back in the TARDIS weeks later."
"So, he takes after Missy," Joyce said, pushing his tail out of her face. "Or does she take after him?"
"Missy would claim to be the original wandering Time Lord, and he is just following in her footsteps." Romana said.
"Did you ever figure out where flerkens come from?" Joyce said, carefully picking him up and moving him out of her face.
"Not this universe, or our home one," Romana said.
"So another multi-universe refugee?" Joyce said. "You seem to attract them. Missy, the flerken, the Mechanic. Who else?"
"That's plenty," Romana said. "Fortunately, only Missy seems to consider us her ticket home."
"Places to be, people to annoy, worlds to ruin," Missy said, appearing behind Joyce. "So that's where he wandered off to," she said, picking up the flerken. "Come along Chewie, I know some people who actually appreciate us."
"Where?" Joyce said. "How do you know where he went?"
"He told me," Missy said. "Oh, right, Furlings are stuck in their own heads. Can't communicate with civilized beings."
"I can hear Idris," Joyce said, glaring at her.
"A shrub can talk with Idris if she wants to," Missy said. "Big Whoop."
"Where did Chewie go, if I may ask," Romana said. "Do we need to be concerned?"
"You can ask, I'm sure he won't tell you," Missy said. "But the destruction and chaos looked glorious." Lifting Chewie higher, Missy pranced out of the console room.
"Do you think she actually talks to her alien cat?" Joyce said. "What kind of things does a cat who likes Missy think about?"
"I can't say," Romana said. "Trying to understand how Missy thinks and does the things she does is migraine inducing enough."
"I thought Time Lords didn't get migraines?" Joyce said. "You said so last week."
"Missy tends to cause a reaction that I'm sure is really close to a migraine," Romana said.
"And, that didn't take long," Joyce said, as Chewie jumped on the console in front of her again, and laid down. "Do you think he wants something? Or is he just being a cat?"
"I don't spend much time around cats," Romana said. "Do they like annoying people?"
"I'm a dog person," Joyce said. "Darlene is allergic to cats so we've never had one."
"What do you think, K-9?" Joyce said, looking over in the corner where K-9 seemed to be sleeping.
"Cats are not known for being concerned with the lives of those they consider lesser beings," K-9 said.
"That's almost profound," Romana said. "Did you think that up yourself?"
"Negative, Mistress," K-9 said. "Mistress Leela would often say it."
"Who's Leela?" Joyce asked. "A cat person?"
"She traveled with the Doctor for several years," Romana said. "I am not aware of her current status or fondness for cats, but a flerken would have fit her. Do you K-9?"
"Negative, Mistress. Keeping track of the whereabouts of former companion of the Doctor is not within the parameters of responsibility for this unit," K-9 said.
"An I don't know would have sufficed, K-9," Romana said.
"Affirmative, Mistress," K-9 said.
"And he's gone!" Joyce said, looking around. "Did anyone see where Chewie went?"
"No," Romana said. "I'm sure he's around here somewhere."
"The 'cat' is not in the TARDIS currently," K-9 said.
"So, he's not even trying to hide his disappearing act any more," Joyce said. "He must not care that we know."
"You are assuming he cared before this," Romana said, leaning over the console and brushing away a few cat hairs.
"Right. Alien cat-like creature with a bottomless pit for a stomach. He doesn't care what we think. Let's talk about something else," Joyce said. "How's the weather in the gardens?"
Wet," Romana said. "Idris seems to think it should always be raining."
"So, before taking a stroll in the gardens, find an umbrella?" Joyce said.
"That sounds like a reasonable plan," Romana said. "Shall we?"
"Go walk in the garden in the rain?", Joyce said, staring at her in surprise. "When did I agree to that?"
"In thirty seconds," Romana said.
"Clever," Joyce muttered. "You knew I'd agree to come."
"Yes," Romana said. "The TARDIS gardens are a wonderful place to visit. Fresh air. Nature at its peak."
"And no Missy," Joyce said.
"There's that also," Romana said. "Care to join us, K-9?"
"Negative, Mistress," K-9 said. "I need to run a maintenance program. Rain would be detrimental to accomplishing that."