Divine Intervention ~*Maria*~

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Ah! Morocco! A quaint little country nestled in the northwestern most part of Africa. Not exactly what twenty-two year old had in mind when he said he wanted to get away. It was hot, and he was always cranky when he was hot. How in the blue blazes his Papa liked Africa so much was beyond him. The heat wasn't unbearable, but it wasn't exactly going to make it to Leon's list of top ten favorite places to visit. That and he didn’t understand the language. Although there were a few that he encountered who spoke French, their heavy middle eastern accents weren’t helping at all.

But he was determined that he was going to enjoy himself. Architecture of different cultures intrigued him, finding the mechanics of their constructions fascinating. However, there was a slight problem. No matter how low key or inconspicuous he tried to be, trouble was always hot on his heels. It was a talent inherited from his parents. His quick thinking was usually his only savior but that didn't seem to be helping this time.

He'd been overtaken by four men with guns pointed at him. He didn’t know the language they were angrily shouting but from their contorted faces, it probably had something to do with the fact he looked very much like his Papa because everyone kept calling him Xavier. He calmly tried explaining that he was not Xavier Riocard Keâts. It annoyed him slightly that no one ever seemed to believe him, since he prided himself on being a mostly honest person.

He also realized, much too late, that being dressed the way he was; Black slacks, black button down shirt and a high white collar and his father's rosary dangling from his neck, it didn’t do well to look like a Catholic Priest in a heavily Muslim country. He raised his hands with a nervous chuckle, smiling, the scar in his lips causing the right side to twist up into a smirk. “Come on, we can talk about this, oui?”

He really didn’t want to have to take out his knives have things get ugly. He was fast enough, he could dance around a few bullets if he had to but he was not fond of the bloodletting. What he needed just then was some sort of divine intervention.

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The TARDIS had this sort eerie feeling about it.. At least, it did... now that Rio had left. For the young Timelord, the Tardis seemed empty, and sometimes terrifying. Especially since the ship had made it her personal mission to make Maria feel as inadequate as humanly possible. And if that wasn't enough... Maria's TARDIS was having quite alot of fun messing with it's pilot.

For example, for the past week.. Maria's TARDIS had been turning off the main lights, which in turn cause the 129 year old Timelord to walk into things while trying to find a way to bring the lights back. Recently the TARDIS had been, more than the normal, switching all the rooms and hallways around. Making it feel like a proper maze, and also making the poor woman feel extremely stressed. It didn't help that she was still pining over the fact that Rio had left her all alone.

It also didn't help that she kept talking to him, only to stop whenever she got to close to saying his name. She didn't think that him leaving was actually a possibility. Until he was already gone.

And now, the TARDIS sensed that there was somewhere it needed to be. Pacifically, Morocco.

So here Maria was, excitedly looking around at the different stands. Just trying to distract herself long enough so she wouldn't have a complete mental breakdown. Or something along those lines. And so far, she was doing a good job of it. Even if she couldn't understand anything anyone was saying. (Though, that was entirely her fault, she had been attempting to fix her TARDIS. Sadly, she had ended up breaking the translation circuits.)

It was only a moment when she had got past the food stands, rugs, shoes, and other items for sell. That she heard some rather angry voices from nearby, along with the name Xavier Riocard Keats. Had he really managed to find her? Well it was always a possibility.

Moving towards the voices, she saw a tall dark haired, satchel on the shoulder, and very bright green eyed french man trying to calm the others down. Rio?

Maria's hearts fluttered from absolute happiness, it had to be him. Who else could it possibly be, right?

Smiling brightly, she ran at him, jumping as she got close. Clinging tightly to him, looking up at him with almost teary eyes.

"You came back," She said, her quiet tone verging on hysteria. "Oh Rio, you came back." She nuzzled her head into his chest, not caring about whatever eyes were watching.

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He was calmly trying to explain and show the distinct difference between himself and his Papa. It didn't help that the two of them were practically twins. So trying to prove that he WASN'T his Papa was proving extraordinarily difficult. And as much as he loved his Papa, he wasn't an idiot and was NOT about to admit that he was related to him, because he was NOT about to let these bastards think that they had the upper hand on his papa by holding his son hostage.

He sighed, quite annoyed as he felt his fingers twitch. He was going to have to defend himself and that would unfortunately mean that these four men were about to die. That didn't upset him much. What upset him was that if these men died, it would be his Papa who would catch the blame. He shifted his foot and dug it into the ground slightly, creating a solid spot to launch himself from, just as his Papa had taught him.

"You came back!!" Those bright green eyes went wide as he spun around to meet the oncoming voice of hysterical happiness. Normally he would have been blissfully elated to see his grandmother but this wasn't exactly the best of circumstances for a family reuinion.

"M.. Maria? What are you doing here?" he nearly choked as she threw her arms around him "Oh Rio, you came back." Leon froze. She thought he was his Papa too? Oh that was just peachy. He clutched his grandmother tightly to him kissing the top of her head as he looked at the four equally confused men as they stared at Maria. "Time to go!" He chirped, hoisting Maria up by her small hips and over his shoulder to make a mad dash. "You sure having timing!"

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"M.. Maria?" She looked at him, her blue eyes practically watering up. "What are you doing here?"

"My.. TARDIS.. She brought me here.. I guess she knew she knew you were here!" Maria answered cheerfully, as he kissed her forehead. She had found her best friend, and they were going to have adventures like old times. He came back to her, and his hands were on her... Were on her hips. His hands were on her hips. She could already feel her cheeks starting to heat up.

"Time to go!" 'Rio' said as he suddenly picked her up (causing her to squeak), and held her over his shoulder, as he made a run for it. "You sure having timing!"

"R-Rio?" She asked, her hands clutching to the fabric of his dark shirt. "Why do we have to run? Did something happen again?"

To be honest, she was happy Rio was back in her life. "Oh! The TARDIS, she looks like one of the market stands... But.." She really should've payed more attention to what her TARDIS changed into. "I forgot which kind..." Surprisingly, 'Rio' had managed to find her TARDIS just fine. Despite her awful recollection skills.

As the ship's doors closed behind them, it seemed to make a soft whistle sound. Maria smiled at the ship, just as she wiggled her way down to the TARDIS floor. She placed her right hand to his face, taking in the sight of him. She really missed him, and he had been gone for so long. Well, really just a week... But still.

"I really missed you, Rio.." Maria whispered as she moved closer to him, having to stand on her tippy toes just so she could kiss him. Her fingers moving to his shirt, curling into the fabric, as if trying to even out their height.

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He felt a bit guilty for tossing his grandmother over his shoulder like a rag doll, but he was not about to risk her getting hurt. He'd never forgive himself, and his Papa would probably skin him... Literally for letting something happen to the Saint.

Once safely inside the TARDIS, Leon shuddered a low and deep sigh. He was beginning to have a deeply seeded hatred for cops. He couldn't go anywhere without some form of law enforcement breathing down his neck thinking he was his Papa.

With the TARDIS doors firmly shut behind them, he gently set her down. He honestly hadn't been listening when she was explaining why she was here or how she had found him. He was too busy running trying not to have them both of them shot.

He looked her over, cupping her cheek and smiling down at her when.. "I really missed you, Rio.." And she stood on her toes, grabbing the lapels of his shirt to pull him down into a kiss. He leaned in at first because, well, he'd kissed his grandmother plenty of times. Soft and loving family kisses.

But there was something different about the way her lips ran over his, almost needfully. It made his stomach coil tightly and his cheeks and ears burned scarlet. He coiled his arms around her, uncertainly closing his eyes before finally pulling his face from her is a breathless chuckle. "M.. Maria... I'm not Rio.. "

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Her face felt hot, as she felt his arms wrap around her, pulling her close. As he pulled his face away from hers, she let out a rather content sort of sigh. Maria rested her head to his chest, listening to his heart beat. Funny... it sounded like his heart was racing. She wondered if he could feel how fast her hearts were going, she didn't care.. He was back, hopefully back to stay. She held onto him, her fingers intertwining into his shirt. She felt that if she let go, that he would want to leave again...

Suddenly, he spoke. "M.. Maria..."

Maria looked up at him, a ecstatic smile on her face. "Yes, Rio?" She asked, wondering what he was going to say.

"I'm not Rio.."

"..."

Maria studied his face for a moment, hoping that he was joking. He had to be Rio, right? Though... He did have a couple new scars on his face. She trailed the scar that went across and down his nose with her index finger. Then the scar on his lip. There was a scar missing, in place of the new ones. The one on his cheek. He didn't have it... Maria's eyes went wide as sudden realization hit her, and she took a step back from him.

"L-Leon?" She asked, knowing as she said his name, that it had to be him. Maria's hearts fell, from both guilt, and for being so foolish. "I'm.. I'm so sorry." Her voice wavered, and she looked down at her feet. She didn't want to look at him, fearing that she might have one of her breakdowns and just start crying.

She walked to the nearest corner and slid down the wall. Pulling her knees to her chest, as she proceeded to hide her face. She didn't want anyone to see her cry, to see how much she really cared for her companion. It hurt to think about it, it hurt to remember... He left her, he left her all alone, and she felt like it was her fault. No wait... He left to go find her... The girl that Rio wanted to kiss, the girl Rio had fell for. Surely, it was all her fault he left. If... If it wasn't for her, Maria would still have her companion. She would still have her best friend. She wouldn't have kissed Rio's son.

"I-I'm sorry.." She managed to get out, even if it did sound almost as if she was pleading. She really couldn't help it, both her hearts hurt, and it made her cry.

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He saw the look on Maria's face and he felt his stomach twist in guilt. He made her cry. He bit his own lip to stop the burning sensation in his nose that was usually the precursor to tears. He awkwardly came over and knelt in front of her, gently placing a hand on her shoulder.

He was so bad about this who comforting thing. He had a little brother that he rough housed with so, comforting someone wasn't exactly high on his list of skills. He wished his Papa was here. Rio always made his mama smile when she was sad, and he always knew what to say to make Maria happy.

Maybe.. If it would make her happy.. He could pretend to be his Papa.. Although that felt like he was some how insult him. His papa was so brave and smart and.. well.. Leon idolized his Papa. Pretending to actually BE him felt so wrong. but he couldn't bear to see Maria crying.

His hand trailed from her shoulder up to her cheek and he offered that wide grin.. He didnt have his Papa's scar but he had his Mama's dimpled smile so.. it was close enough. "Hey, Lapin.. Dont cry."

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Maria felt Leon's hand on her shoulder, and she had to look up at him. He looked so much like him. It wasn't fair. It just wasn't fair. Although she was happy to see him, it also hurt because of the near perfect resemblance to Rio. She had to bite her lip, as she used her sleeve of her jacket to wipe away the tears forming in her eyes, and on her cheeks.

His hand moved from her shoulder to her cheek, that oh to familiar grin on his face. She leaned her head into his hand, staring blankly at him for just a moment. "Hey, Lapin.. Don't cry."

She blinked, her mind finally understanding what he called her. 'Lapin', Rio's nickname for her... He called her Lapin. She smiled at him, before throwing her arms around him, holding onto him as she sobbed into his shoulder. "Thank you, thank you." Maria muttered close to his ear, sniffing as she tried to calm down. She kissed his cheek, before she let him go, giggling as she dried her eyes.

"I'm sorry, I must look so... so pathetic..." She laughed softly, as she stood up. She gave him a light smile, before continuing. "We... we should get out of Morocco though, wee?"

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Leon's cheeks flushed deeply as she wrapped her arms back around him. He ran his hand up and down her back, trying to be comforting. It was something he often saw his Papa do when his Mama was upset. He nuzzled his cheek to hers, feeling his slight stubble scrape against her smooth skin. "Thank you, thank you" and Leon chuckled breathlessly, as her breath gently caressed his ear, causing his cheeks and ears to turn red.

"I'm sorry, I must look so... so pathetic..." and Leon shook his head at her. "You're fine." as he looked at her, his fingers trailed up to his lips. She'd kissed him. Not the soft gentle peck that he was used to, but a deep and needful kiss that suddenly had his stomach flipping. He looked down at her, fingers still touching his lips. It was so confusing to him. Even though they were not related by blood, Maria was still his grandmother, even if she didn't know that yet.

"We... we should get out of Morocco though, wee?" Her words snapped him back to reality, and he suddenly smiled brightly at her "Ouais! That sounds like a good idea to me!" he chirped brightly. He kissed Maria's forehead and went up to the console before stopping and looking at the controls like he'd just seen a murder scene. "Lapin!? What did you do to Ma Ange???" He squeaked, looking at her, horrified.

The console panel looked as though Maria had tired to fix it with a blow torch.

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"You're fine." Leon said in response to her comment of how she looked, before he sort of... dazed off. Maria watched as he touched his lips, immediately causing her to blush and look away from him. If she had known that it wasn't Rio, she might never have kissed him.

Rather then have anyone find a way into her TARDIS, Maria made a suggestion. "We... we should get out of Morocco though, wee?" She really didn't want to chance having the guys with those guns find them. Considering they thought Leon was Rio...

"Ouais! That sounds like a good idea to me!" He said happily, and turned towards the center console. There was a look of horror on his face as he looked at Maria's control panel. Maria had to look down at her feet, feeling just a bit ashamed at the state of her TARDIS. "Lapin!? What did you do to Ma Ange???"

She fiddled with her fingers, as she figured out what to say. "She kept turning the lights off... the cloister bell keep ringing in my head.." She was feeling exhausted, mainly thanks to her TARDIS messing with her, keeping her up. "I thought something was wrong, so I tried to fix her... I'm not good at fixing her. I shocked myself at least ten times, and then she starting playing horns and.." Maria had to stop explaining what happened between her and her TARDIS. She walked over to her chair by the console, pulling her feet up onto the seat, holding onto her knees. "I think she likes to pick on me.."

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He watched her spazz out as she explained what had happened to her in the last week and flop into the seat, frustrated and obviously exhausted. Those bright and gentle green eyes narrowed softly as he walked over and knelt in front of the seat and gently put his hands on her knees and smiled.

"Hey, don't worry about it" he chirped lightly tilting his head to the side, trying to sound reassuring. He hadn't meant to flip out on her. The TARDIS would be easy enough to repair. He and The TARDIS had this strange bond than he couldn't really describe or understand. He could hear her, understand her. He knew how to fix her.

"You look exhausted.. Come on." And he stood, gently pulling Maria up and into his arms. She was so small and light. He couldn't hep but chuckle. Now he understood why his Papa had called her 'Pixie'.

"You sleep.. I'll get us somewhere safe and then I'll start on the repairs, okay? Don't sweat it, Lapin. She's just bored.. She's just a kid, after all" he smiled as he carried her down the hallway.

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Maria looked at him as he knealed in front of her, his hands on her knees. She felt that his smile was contagious, cause as hard as she tried. Her lips curved up into a soft smile of her own. "Hey, don't worry about it." Leon tilted his head to the side, the tone in his voice made her feel a little better about screwing up her TARDIS. If only just a little.

"You look exhausted.." He mentioned, standing up. "Come on."

"I feel exhausted..." She said quietly in a reply. She squeaked as he pulled her up from her seat, holding her in his arms. She had to hold onto him, almost afraid that she might fall.

He chuckled, "You sleep.. I'll get us somewhere safe and I'll start on the repairs, okay?"

Maria nodded, as she rested her head on his shoulder. Listening to him explain why her TARDIS was doing this to her. "Don't sweat it, Lapin. She's just bored.. She's just a kid, after all." Maria looked up at him confused, her TARDIS... was just a kid? What did that mean?

"Just a kid?" Maria had to ask, otherwise it was going to drive her nuts. "What do you mean by that?"

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Leon smirked as she looked up at him confused. "Just a kid?" Maria asked "What do you mean by that?" He shrugged lightly as he made his way through the labyrinthine corridors of the TARDIS.. Leon stopped and made a slight grown as he glared at one of the panels. "Ange, behave!"

The TARDIS seemed to make a faint whining sound before coming to a stop in front of a door and nudged it open with his foot. He looked at the messy lay out and disheveled appearance. He was hit with the sudden realization. This had been his Papa's room. He made his way over and gently set her on the bed and passed his fingers through her blond hair.

"I can hear her.. like I hear you.. I don't know how or why.. but I understand the TARDIS." he explained a little sheepishly, drawing the covers over her. "She's a Type 70 that was pulled from batch before she was fully mature.. She's.. um... like the same as a human ten year old" He rubbed the back of his head, wondering if that even made sense.

"Anyway, That's not important. You sleep.. I'll get us moved and get her fixed up, oui?" he said before leaning over her and kissing her cheek softly.

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He stopped, making a soft groan as he reprimended the TARDIS. "Ange, behave!" Maria wasn't sure why, but for some reason the TARDIS would actually listen to him. Even when they first met him, in that african jungle, with a cut opened snake bite in his arm. He was so small then, and now... Time travel was so strange sometimes.

Leon managed to open a door to one of the several rooms in the ship with his foot. Maria knew the room as soon as she was carried inside, she had been inside it several times in the past. It still smelt like Rio.. Leon had the same scent. She almost wanted to cling to Leon as he set her on Rio's bed. A soft sigh escaped her lips as his fingers ran through her hair. As he pulled the covers over her, he started to explain why the TARDIS acted the way it does.

"I can hear her.. like I hear you.. I don't know how or why.. but I understand the TARDIS." Leon started, "She's a Type 70 that was pilled from the batch before she was fully mature.. She's.. um... like the same as a human ten year old." Maria could understand that, well she supposed so anyway. Maria yawned, covering her mouth with her hand as he continued. "Anyway, That's not important." He said as he leaned over her and kissed her cheek. "You sleep.. I'll get us moved and get her fixed up, oui?"

She had a light blush across her face, as she gave him a tired nod. "Kay.." Maria agreed, turning onto her side and curling up under the bed covers. Before he left the room, she muttered a soft "Thank you.." As she drifted off to sleep.

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He stayed by her side, gently petting the hair from her face until she fell asleep. He couldn't help the sigh that escaped him. Had his Papa's leaving her really effected her that deeply? And why had she been trying to kiss him when she thought he was his Papa? He shifted uncomfortably as he moved from her side.


A lot of things weren't making sense right now. But he needed to keep his mind occupied before it drove him crazy worrying about it. He looked to the console and smiled gently. "Alright, Ange.. Get us out of here. " Once The TARDIS had changed their location, he noticed a sudden drop in the internal temperatures. Oh lovely. The cooling and heating unit was out as well? He shook his head softly as he looked down at the console hatch that led down into the ship's core.

He shrugged off his shirts and neatly laid them over the guide rail surrounding the console and sighed. Maria had made a right mess of the TARDIS and it was going to take several hours to undo what she'd done to the console room alone. But, Léon really didnt mind.. It there was anything in all of the universe he was good at, it was working with his hands.

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a good seven hours had rolled by and Léon was sill tinkering around under the console, disconnecting, repairing, reconnecting, and rewiring the main console. He'd burned and electrocuted himself a few times but it hadn't really bothered him since it was the arm he couldn't feel anything in that was getting the brunt of the abuse.

At least he'd gotten the lights and heat working properly again. He climbed out from underneath and sighed happily, his skin glistening in sweat and he closed his eyes, content with his work for now.