Aug 31 - Return from Phase
Title: Day 31 - Return from Phase
Author: acswatwst
Rating: FR-13
Crossover: BtVS / Ghost Busters (1975)/ Secrets of Isis/ Dr Who / Mary Poppins
Word Count: 1,527
Disclaimer: This is a derivative work. All BtVS characters and concepts belong to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, Fox Television, and others. Funimation/NBCUniversal owns the original (1975) Ghost Busters and Secrets of Isis. All things Dr. Who are owned by the BBC. Mary Poppins is owned by Disney?
Note: The ending is a bit rough. Ran out of time. Had to cram the ending into too few words. Maybe an epilogue next year to finish things up? And send Joyce home? (Or I might just add an epilogue when I post this to AO3/TtH. We'll see.
Summary: How will they escape from this one? Are they stuck 'out of phase' with their timeline forever? At least they now know what happened to Spectral Investigations (Pete and Freddie).
"It's very quiet here," Joyce said, hearing her footsteps echoing down the hall on the second floor. "Where is everyone?"
"There shouldn't be any other living thing here," Isis said. "They should be on the other side of the phase."
"Pete and Freddie have been missing for over a week," Joyce said. "Does that mean. they've starved to death?"
"Wasn't their apartment missing?" Isis said. "If they had food in it they should be fine."
"So, how did Mary Poppins and Bert phase them here?" Joyce said.
"In the same way that Missy phased them elsewhere," Isis said.
"Do you think we'll run into Mary Poppins and Bert here? Did Missy phase them to the same place as Pete and Freddie?" Joyce said.
"I can't answer that," Isis said. "The TARDIS seems to be able to travel between these phases, but they are likely still stuck in it, out of phase."
"Good," Joyce said. "But how are we going to get back to our phase?"
"That might be an issue," Isis said. "Hopefully the detectives have a way."
"Which they would have used?" Joyce.
"If they knew how to use it," Isis said.
"Oh!" Joyce said. "If they have the scepter? Do you think that will help?"
"If not we'll find a different way," Isis said.
They reached the end of the hallway. On one side was apartment 221A and on the other was the doorway to the missing 221B. Stepping up to 221B, Isis knocked firmly.
They could hear something on the other side of the door. A shuffling noise, and muttering voices.
The door opened a crack and a face peered out at them.
"Do we know you?" it asked.
"Freddie Franklin?" Isis said.
"Hey! That's me!" a different voice shouted.
"Which makes you Pete Patterson. Correct?" Isis said. The door opened a little wider, revealing a skinny man dressed in a grey suit.
"Who wants to know?" he said. There was a scuffle behind the door and it flew open.
"Let them in, Pete," a short, stocky man said. Pete grimaced and stepped back.
"Who are you?" Freddie said, in a friendly voice. "How'd you find us?"
"I'm Joyce," Joyce said. "My uncle is one of the Ghost Busters. They sent me."
"Must be Eddie," Freddie said. "You don't look like a Jake or Tracy."
"Yes," Joyce said. "You've been missing for weeks and your Mr. Zero wanted someone to find out what happened."
"I told Jake they should have gotten Zero to fix things for them with the local mob after their trip out here," Pete said.
"I don't know anything about that," Joyce said. "I'm just the summer intern."
"My condolences," Pete said, with a straight face. Joyce wasn't sure if he was serious.
"Pete! That wasn't nice," Freddie said. He turned to Isis. "And you must be the delightful Isis we've heard so much about," he said. "Would you like to come in?"
"How did you find us?" Pete said. "This looks like our apartment, and the mansion, but we haven't been able to find anyone since we ran into that Bert and those mummies."
"So, you were investigating Mary Poppins?" Joyce said.
"I knew Bert looked familiar," Freddie said. "I said 'I've seen him somewhere before' didn't I Pete."
He shook his head and sighed. "So it was Mary Poppins? She's a tough bird."
"She always escapes right after we catch her," Pete said. "Very unusual. None of the usual techniques work against her. She isn't quite harmless but is easily stopped."
"She's an alien ghost," Joyce said. "Right Isis? And Bert is something also."
"Bert appears to be a regular ghost," Isis said. "It wasn't clear what she is."
"Oh, right," Joyce said. "Missy said Time Lords can't become ghosts normally."
"Missy?" Freddie said. "Not familiar with her. Is she one of these Time Lords?"
"I wouldn't recommend trying to," Joyce said. "She's another alien, with an odd sense of humor. Claims to be a Time Lady."
"It's likely she wasn't joking," Isis said. "But Joyce is correct. Getting involved in one of Missy's schemes would be dangerous."
"We'll keep that in mind," Pete said. "What happened to Poppins?"
"Missy took care of her and Bert," Joyce said. "And then stole her TARDIS thing. I don't think you'll have to worry about any of them."
"You didn't answer how you found us," Pete said. "Does this mean you have a way to leave?"
"Mary Poppins TARDIS dropped us off here," Joyce said. "I'm not sure how to explain where this is, still."
"We're out of phase with our original time," Isis said. "It seems to be a favorite way of these Time people to deal with annoyances."
"Out of phase?" Pete said. "Hmmm. That would explain it. Will this TARDIS be back?"
"Not unless Missy decides to come back," Joyce said. "She seemed to be in a hurry to go somewhere so not very likely. Do you have any coffee? It's been a long day."
"Sure," Freddie said, grinning. "Pete's a tea person, all that hoity-toity British stuff but I just put on a pot of joe."
"Good," Joyce said. "Lead me to it!"
"You have a way to return us to our phase?" Pete said, frowning as he watched Freddie lead Joyce away.
"Several possible ways," Isis said. "Unless Missy comes back, that option isn't available. I have a limited ability to manipulate time but haven't experienced different time phases before so that may take a while to figure out. How are you doing for food?"
"Running low," Pete said. "This phase? This phase doesn't seem to have anything edible in it. Unless you want to eat grass or bark."
"Mary Poppins mentioned something called a scepter," Isis said. "Claimed you'd stolen it from her. It's a Time people artifact of some sort."
"Not sure what she was talking about," Pete said.
"A scepter?" Freddie said, returning with a tray, two teacups, and two mugs, that he put down on a nearby coffee table. "That belonged to Mary Poppins?"
"It's Mary Poppins," Joyce said. "Not sure how close she is to the Disney character but it could have been Bert's chimney broom or her umbrella?"
"Bert had that when Missy shoved them out of phase," Isis said. "Mary didn't seem to have an umbrella or anything from the Disney movie."
"Oh!" Freddie said. "I know what you mean." He rushed out of the room, returning holding an antique looking umbrella. "Is this it?"
"If I could see that?" Isis said. Freddie handed it to her. Turning it over she examined it carefully. Stepping back from them to give herself room she opened it. "It looks like an umbrella. Belongs in a museum, but otherwise it appears to be just an umbrella."
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Putting down her empty mug, Joyce sighed. Listening to Pete and Isis discuss time and getting back to their phase, she stared at Mary's umbrella. It really did look like just an umbrella. Fancy but nothing special.
Picking it up, she opened it up and twirled it around. Gripping it in one hand, she felt an odd raised surface. Bringing it closer she noticed that it was a slightly different color.
"What's this?" she asked out loud, pressing down on it.
"What's what?" Freddie said, coming over to where she was sitting.
There was a flash of light and the umbrella became something else. A thin rod that glowed faintly, and felt warm in her hand.
"Isis?" Joyce said, getting her attention. "I think it's more than an umbrella."
"That has possibilities," Isis said. "Though we still don't know how to use it."
"Maybe it'll talk to you like that TARDIS?" Joyce said.
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There was a flash of gold light and suddenly it wasn't silent. There was a distinct feeling of energy in the air. Looking outside, Joyce saw several people wandering down by the river.
"It worked!" she said. "Let's not do that again. I need coffee." Joyce shuddered. It had taken Isis and Pete a week to figure out how to use the scepter to return them to their own time phase. She hadn't had coffee in days.
"We need to get to our office," Pete said.
"Umm," Joyce said. "It might not be there. Mary Poppins TARDIS might have eaten it."
"If your phone works, I need to make a phone call," Isis said. "Joyce and I need to go. I'd rather not deal with Lis'an right now. And you probably want to avoid her for a few days," she said to Pete and Freddie. "She wasn't happy with you the last time I spoke with her."
"It's time to move," Pete said. "And find a new office?" He sighed. "All of our case files will need to be replaced."
"Aren't you glad I got us that storage locker and put copies of our case files in it?" Freddie said.
"Yes, yes, very happy," Pete said. "But we will still need a new office if our old one was 'eaten' by some alien device."
"Pizza," Joyce said. "Can we get pizza, and coffee, for dinner?"
"We'll see," Isis said, picking up the phone.
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End Notes: Yes, poor Andrea has been stuck as Isis the whole time. Weeks even! And Pete and Freddie's apartment is back where it belongs. How long have they been gone Did time flow atthe same rate when they were out of phase? That's an interesting question. And did that TARDIS really eat Pete and Frediie's office building? Time will tell.