You start to walk, and immediately you feel that it was the right decision. You're in control of your own progress now, no traffic jams or anything to stop you. There isn't even anyone very much on the pavement – just a young couple heading towards you.
Then your watch starts to bleep. Great.
Just a young alien couple heading towards you.
Still, doesn't mean anything. They're probably just here on holiday. It's not as though you have to say anything to them. They would probably find it a bit intrusive, anyway. You don't like the way Torchwood want to get their hands on every alien that comes here, and you certainly don't want to start acting like that.
Except that, as they get closer, you start to hear their conversation.
'But what are we going to do?' the man says. 'They're bound to find us! Wouldn't it be better if…'
'They may not find us!' the woman cuts him off. 'We can go somewhere else, we can find sanctuary somewhere! There must be somewhere in the universe that we can be together without fear of persecution!'
'And in the meantime, they tear apart whole planets looking for us!' he cries.
She shushes him, noticing you pretending not to notice them.
Here we go again, you think.
'Is there anything I can do to help?' you ask.
'We're fine, thank you,' the woman says, tightly.
'Look,' you say, 'I know you're not from Earth. I've got long-range communication equipment and things, if you need to get in touch with anybody who can help you. Are you in some sort of trouble?'
She smiles nervously at you. 'You see,' she begins, 'we'll be in so much trouble if they find us! And we didn't know where else to go!'
She stares helplessly at you.
'Right,' you say. 'I think you're going to have to tell me starting from the beginning.'
She opens her mouth.
'But not now,' you say, hastily. 'Soon, I promise. But there's something I have to do first. Do you think whatever it is can wait a couple of hours?'
They look at one another, and the woman nods. So what are you going to do with them now?
You'll just have to take them to the Parents' Evening with you. They can sit in a corner or something. You just don't have time to deal with this until afterwards, and you’re late already.
It's probably better to drop them at home – they can wait there until you get back. Mr Smith can keep an eye on them, and you'll only be gone a couple of hours.
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