Happy Birthday Jinxed Wood!
I know what you're thinking, Have I accidently transported myself several hours into the future? Well, fear not dear reader, especially you jinxed_wood, you haven't, but this was written especially for your birthday and as I know I'll be working late tomorrow, I wanted to post now so you get it early on your birthday (or tonight). Anyway, this bit of fluff was written for you with love. Thank you for being a friend, muse and supplier of quality uploads.
Big thanks to
silvercobwebs for the beta on this.
Disclaimer: Not mine, not one little bit.
Getting There is Half the Fun
The Doctor strolled down the street, enjoying the Paris sunshine, and the fact that he wasn’t currently being chased. As he neared the Seine, he heard the distinctive sound of metal clanging against metal. And, being curious as always, and not having been in peril for twelve hours straight, he decided to investigate.
He followed the sound to a patch of deserted scrubland, hidden from view by a bridge. As he drew nearer, the sound grew louder, echoing off the underside of the bridge. It was joined by the sounds of people grunting in exertion. Quickening his pace, the Doctor rounded the side of the bridge to be confronted by the sight of a tall dark-haired man and an equally dark-haired woman duelling.
Such a strange sight in twenty-first century Paris; there was only on conclusion to draw. Immortals, the Doctor mused with a shake of his head. Much as he hated killing, and had tried to reason with them in the past, he knew it was pointless interfering. He was about to walk away when he realised that he knew the woman. Surprised, he called out her name, without thinking.
“Amanda!”
Startled, the woman turned, confirming that it was indeed Amanda Darieux. But the Doctor instantly regretted his actions as her opponent took advantage of her lapse in concentration. He brought his sword forward, running Amanda through the abdomen. She gasped in pain and surprise, falling to her knees and dropping her sword. The Doctor dashed forward, about to call out to the man, try to reason with him, but there was no need. The man lowered his sword, held out a hand to Amanda and helped her to her feet. Stunned, the Doctor stopped in his tracks.
“I win,” the man said with a smile. Amanda smiled back and shook her head in amusement before they both turned their attention to the Doctor.
“Doctor, darling! Lovely to see you, as always, although your timing could use some work,” Amanda said wryly. “This is Nick Wolfe. Nick, this is the Doctor.”
“Doctor who?” Nick asked as he stuck out his hand. The Doctor shook it although he was still cautiously eyeing Nick’s sword and Amanda’s wound.
“Just ‘the Doctor’. Nice to meet you, Nick. Any friend of Amanda’s…” he said, looking to Amanda for confirmation that Nick was indeed a friend.
“We were just sparring. Nick is my current student,” Amanda explained. She hugged the Doctor, causing her to wince slightly. Nick turned to her, concern clear on his face.
“Hell, sorry,” Nick said, tenderly touching the place where he’d cut her. It was already beginning to heal, but it was deep.
“Don’t be, I shouldn’t have let myself get distracted,” Amanda answered.
“Er, sorry, thought you were in mortal danger. Or, Immortal as the case may be,” said the Doctor. Amanda chuckled.
“What are you doing here, anyway? Should I be running for my life?” she asked, eyebrow raised, a wry smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. The Doctor shook his head.
“Not today. Completely chase free, me. Ooh, that rhymes,” he replied with a grin.
“Who the hell are you? Amanda, who is this guy?” Nick demanded.
“We told you, he’s the Doctor.”
“That doesn’t help. Doesn’t he have a name? Doctor of what exactly? And how does he know about us?”
“You’ll have to excuse my friend, he can’t help himself. He used to be a cop,” Amanda explained to the Doctor, amusement sparkling in her eyes.
“That’s okay. The Doctor is what everyone calls me, have for…ooo, forever. Doctor of everything, and I’ve run into your kind on several occasions over the years,” he replied, counting off the questions on his fingers. Nick didn’t look satisfied.
“Over the years? You don’t look much more than thirty. What possible reason…you’re not a Watcher are you?”
“Huh? Oh, you mean those…oh, no, not one of them. I’m a Time Lord,” the Doctor answered, shaking his head.
Nick snorted derisively. Amanda placed a hand on his arm in warning, though she was smiling.
“Nick, the Doctor is a Time Lord. He’s not from Earth. I know you’ve only been Immortal a decade, but can’t you feel that he’s different?” Amanda asked patiently. Nick scrutinised the Doctor for a moment before nodding.
“There’s a feeling, in the back of my head. Like when an Immortal’s around, but different,” he said. Amanda and the Doctor nodded.
“That’s my ship, the TARDIS. She’s alive, and telepathic. Immortals are particularly sensitive to her. We’re connected, so it’s her you feel, through me,” the Doctor enthused. Nick shook his head.
“You’re an alien? And you have a living, mind-reading spaceship?” he said incredulously.
“Yup. She’s not far. Come on, I’ll show you,” the Doctor said, and set off at a steady jog, back the way he’d come. After a brief glance at each other, Nick and Amanda followed.
“Why’s he running?” Nick asked. Amanda laughed.
“He does that a lot.”
*-*
“I don’t believe this,” Nick said, staring in awe at the inside of the TARDIS.
When they’d arrived at the blue telephone box, he’d been all for calling the men in white coats right away. It was only at Amanda’s insistence that he’d gone inside, although he’d been convinced she was playing an elaborate joke on him.
“It’s bigger on the inside,” he breathed as he took in the cavernous interior.
“Is it?” the Doctor said.
“I hadn’t noticed,” Amanda and the Doctor said in unison.
“You know you ought to get some new material, Doctor. That’s getting a little old,” Amanda said.
“Look who’s talking,” the Doctor replied, sulking a little that she’d stomped over his line. He quickly recovered though, bouncing toward the central console. “So, where to then? Or should I say when? No point going to the future, hopefully you’ll live long enough to see that yourself. So, the past then, or another planet. Which is it to be?”
“It travels in time too?” Nick said.
“She. She travels in time. Hello, Time Lord, remember?” the Doctor said testily.
“She really does Nick, I’ve been travelling with the Doctor. He can go anywhere and anywhen,” Amanda confirmed.
“Then I’d like to go back and see Amanda’s past.”
“Oh no!” Amanda protested, putting up her hands and waving them. The Doctor thought about it and grinned.
“Well, we’d have to go back to before she was Immortal, so she doesn’t know you’re there...” he mused placing his glasses on and stroking his chin thoughtfully.
“No! N. O. How can I make it plainer? We are most certainly not going to go back to that time. It was filthy and squalid and…no!” Amanda said with a scowl and began pacing up and down.
“Although, if you promised to stay far enough away from her, it might be okay…” the Doctor continued, oblivious to Amanda.
Amanda stopped and looked thoughtful for a moment. She stepped toward the Doctor and laid a hand on his arm.
“So, we could choose any date and place in my history?” she asked. Both Nick and the Doctor recognised that tone in Amanda’s voice. It meant that she’d thought of something, and it usually involved a heist of some sort.
“Theoretically. But you can’t mess with your own timeline,” the Doctor warned.
“Oh, no. I want to see Becca again. Not talk, just see her one last time. Please?” Amanda asked in her most coy tone, batting her eyelashes. The Doctor sighed.
Nick looked from one to the other, knowing Amanda had won. He might be a Time Lord, but the Doctor was still a man, and very few men could resist that kind of assault from Amanda.
“I don’t know Amanda. I took someone back once before, and it didn’t end well…” the Doctor protested half-heartedly. Amanda pouted.
Oh, that’s it, he’s had it, Nick thought to himself, amused by the exchange. To his surprise, the Doctor shook his head again. Folding her arms, Amanda changed tactics.
“Don’t forget, Doctor. You owe me,” she reminded him, her tone changed from coy to demanding. The Doctor regarded her for a moment.
“We’d be even?” he asked with a sigh. Amanda nodded. “Give me the date and the place.”
*-*
“Don’t leave the TARDIS! Her shields should stop the Amanda in this timeline and Rebecca from sensing your presence if I miscalculated and we’re too close. I’ve put a perception filter up too, so we’re basically invisible,” the Doctor instructed. Nick and Amanda both nodded, but they were too excited to really pay attention, both for different reasons.
“If you’ve landed on the right date, I’m not even here,” Amanda said absently. She was going to see Rebecca again, and her heart raced at the prospect.
“What do you mean? The whole point was so I get to see a younger you!” Nick remonstrated.
“Self, self, self. You’ll still be seeing the medieval period, Nick. Isn’t that enough? Besides, it’s not like I’ve changed at all,” she said and patted his cheek. Nick scowled a little but said nothing. Amanda threw open the doors dramatically and stuck her head out. “Er, Doctor, this isn’t Rebecca’s home,” she said, confused. The Doctor ambled over.
“What do you mean? Of course it’s Rebecca’s….oh,” he finished as he took in their surroundings.
Instead of the rich interior of Rebecca’s castle, they were confronted by dense woodland. The trees were tall and thick, hundreds or thousands of years old, and the ground was populated with ferns. Off to the left, they could see a wide expanse of prairie, and they were obviously on the very edge of the wood.
The Doctor ran back to the console and began punching buttons.
“We’re in the right place…” he fiddled with a monitor. “Yes, definitely the right region of France, we should be right on top…Ah!”
Amanda left the door and walked over to the Doctor. He looked up at her, sheepishly.
“It seems I may have miscalculated. We’re in the right place, just not the right time,” he admitted apologetically.
“How far out are we?” she asked.
“By about sixty million years or so, I’d guess,” Nick called out from just outside the door. Amanda and the Doctor ran back to the door to witness as a T-Rex ran past the TARDIS. “Well, you’ve convinced me, Doctor. You can travel in time. Can we go home now, please?”
The three of them watched in wonder for a moment as a group of Parasaurolophus ran from the gigantic predator. Amanda and the Doctor walked forward to get a better look, before they realised the herd was heading directly toward the TARDIS and all three bipeds scurried back inside, the Doctor pelting to the console to start her up before the dinosaurs crashed into her.
THE END
Big thanks to
silvercobwebs for the beta on this.
Disclaimer: Not mine, not one little bit.
Getting There is Half the Fun
The Doctor strolled down the street, enjoying the Paris sunshine, and the fact that he wasn’t currently being chased. As he neared the Seine, he heard the distinctive sound of metal clanging against metal. And, being curious as always, and not having been in peril for twelve hours straight, he decided to investigate.
He followed the sound to a patch of deserted scrubland, hidden from view by a bridge. As he drew nearer, the sound grew louder, echoing off the underside of the bridge. It was joined by the sounds of people grunting in exertion. Quickening his pace, the Doctor rounded the side of the bridge to be confronted by the sight of a tall dark-haired man and an equally dark-haired woman duelling.
Such a strange sight in twenty-first century Paris; there was only on conclusion to draw. Immortals, the Doctor mused with a shake of his head. Much as he hated killing, and had tried to reason with them in the past, he knew it was pointless interfering. He was about to walk away when he realised that he knew the woman. Surprised, he called out her name, without thinking.
“Amanda!”
Startled, the woman turned, confirming that it was indeed Amanda Darieux. But the Doctor instantly regretted his actions as her opponent took advantage of her lapse in concentration. He brought his sword forward, running Amanda through the abdomen. She gasped in pain and surprise, falling to her knees and dropping her sword. The Doctor dashed forward, about to call out to the man, try to reason with him, but there was no need. The man lowered his sword, held out a hand to Amanda and helped her to her feet. Stunned, the Doctor stopped in his tracks.
“I win,” the man said with a smile. Amanda smiled back and shook her head in amusement before they both turned their attention to the Doctor.
“Doctor, darling! Lovely to see you, as always, although your timing could use some work,” Amanda said wryly. “This is Nick Wolfe. Nick, this is the Doctor.”
“Doctor who?” Nick asked as he stuck out his hand. The Doctor shook it although he was still cautiously eyeing Nick’s sword and Amanda’s wound.
“Just ‘the Doctor’. Nice to meet you, Nick. Any friend of Amanda’s…” he said, looking to Amanda for confirmation that Nick was indeed a friend.
“We were just sparring. Nick is my current student,” Amanda explained. She hugged the Doctor, causing her to wince slightly. Nick turned to her, concern clear on his face.
“Hell, sorry,” Nick said, tenderly touching the place where he’d cut her. It was already beginning to heal, but it was deep.
“Don’t be, I shouldn’t have let myself get distracted,” Amanda answered.
“Er, sorry, thought you were in mortal danger. Or, Immortal as the case may be,” said the Doctor. Amanda chuckled.
“What are you doing here, anyway? Should I be running for my life?” she asked, eyebrow raised, a wry smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. The Doctor shook his head.
“Not today. Completely chase free, me. Ooh, that rhymes,” he replied with a grin.
“Who the hell are you? Amanda, who is this guy?” Nick demanded.
“We told you, he’s the Doctor.”
“That doesn’t help. Doesn’t he have a name? Doctor of what exactly? And how does he know about us?”
“You’ll have to excuse my friend, he can’t help himself. He used to be a cop,” Amanda explained to the Doctor, amusement sparkling in her eyes.
“That’s okay. The Doctor is what everyone calls me, have for…ooo, forever. Doctor of everything, and I’ve run into your kind on several occasions over the years,” he replied, counting off the questions on his fingers. Nick didn’t look satisfied.
“Over the years? You don’t look much more than thirty. What possible reason…you’re not a Watcher are you?”
“Huh? Oh, you mean those…oh, no, not one of them. I’m a Time Lord,” the Doctor answered, shaking his head.
Nick snorted derisively. Amanda placed a hand on his arm in warning, though she was smiling.
“Nick, the Doctor is a Time Lord. He’s not from Earth. I know you’ve only been Immortal a decade, but can’t you feel that he’s different?” Amanda asked patiently. Nick scrutinised the Doctor for a moment before nodding.
“There’s a feeling, in the back of my head. Like when an Immortal’s around, but different,” he said. Amanda and the Doctor nodded.
“That’s my ship, the TARDIS. She’s alive, and telepathic. Immortals are particularly sensitive to her. We’re connected, so it’s her you feel, through me,” the Doctor enthused. Nick shook his head.
“You’re an alien? And you have a living, mind-reading spaceship?” he said incredulously.
“Yup. She’s not far. Come on, I’ll show you,” the Doctor said, and set off at a steady jog, back the way he’d come. After a brief glance at each other, Nick and Amanda followed.
“Why’s he running?” Nick asked. Amanda laughed.
“He does that a lot.”
*-*
“I don’t believe this,” Nick said, staring in awe at the inside of the TARDIS.
When they’d arrived at the blue telephone box, he’d been all for calling the men in white coats right away. It was only at Amanda’s insistence that he’d gone inside, although he’d been convinced she was playing an elaborate joke on him.
“It’s bigger on the inside,” he breathed as he took in the cavernous interior.
“Is it?” the Doctor said.
“I hadn’t noticed,” Amanda and the Doctor said in unison.
“You know you ought to get some new material, Doctor. That’s getting a little old,” Amanda said.
“Look who’s talking,” the Doctor replied, sulking a little that she’d stomped over his line. He quickly recovered though, bouncing toward the central console. “So, where to then? Or should I say when? No point going to the future, hopefully you’ll live long enough to see that yourself. So, the past then, or another planet. Which is it to be?”
“It travels in time too?” Nick said.
“She. She travels in time. Hello, Time Lord, remember?” the Doctor said testily.
“She really does Nick, I’ve been travelling with the Doctor. He can go anywhere and anywhen,” Amanda confirmed.
“Then I’d like to go back and see Amanda’s past.”
“Oh no!” Amanda protested, putting up her hands and waving them. The Doctor thought about it and grinned.
“Well, we’d have to go back to before she was Immortal, so she doesn’t know you’re there...” he mused placing his glasses on and stroking his chin thoughtfully.
“No! N. O. How can I make it plainer? We are most certainly not going to go back to that time. It was filthy and squalid and…no!” Amanda said with a scowl and began pacing up and down.
“Although, if you promised to stay far enough away from her, it might be okay…” the Doctor continued, oblivious to Amanda.
Amanda stopped and looked thoughtful for a moment. She stepped toward the Doctor and laid a hand on his arm.
“So, we could choose any date and place in my history?” she asked. Both Nick and the Doctor recognised that tone in Amanda’s voice. It meant that she’d thought of something, and it usually involved a heist of some sort.
“Theoretically. But you can’t mess with your own timeline,” the Doctor warned.
“Oh, no. I want to see Becca again. Not talk, just see her one last time. Please?” Amanda asked in her most coy tone, batting her eyelashes. The Doctor sighed.
Nick looked from one to the other, knowing Amanda had won. He might be a Time Lord, but the Doctor was still a man, and very few men could resist that kind of assault from Amanda.
“I don’t know Amanda. I took someone back once before, and it didn’t end well…” the Doctor protested half-heartedly. Amanda pouted.
Oh, that’s it, he’s had it, Nick thought to himself, amused by the exchange. To his surprise, the Doctor shook his head again. Folding her arms, Amanda changed tactics.
“Don’t forget, Doctor. You owe me,” she reminded him, her tone changed from coy to demanding. The Doctor regarded her for a moment.
“We’d be even?” he asked with a sigh. Amanda nodded. “Give me the date and the place.”
*-*
“Don’t leave the TARDIS! Her shields should stop the Amanda in this timeline and Rebecca from sensing your presence if I miscalculated and we’re too close. I’ve put a perception filter up too, so we’re basically invisible,” the Doctor instructed. Nick and Amanda both nodded, but they were too excited to really pay attention, both for different reasons.
“If you’ve landed on the right date, I’m not even here,” Amanda said absently. She was going to see Rebecca again, and her heart raced at the prospect.
“What do you mean? The whole point was so I get to see a younger you!” Nick remonstrated.
“Self, self, self. You’ll still be seeing the medieval period, Nick. Isn’t that enough? Besides, it’s not like I’ve changed at all,” she said and patted his cheek. Nick scowled a little but said nothing. Amanda threw open the doors dramatically and stuck her head out. “Er, Doctor, this isn’t Rebecca’s home,” she said, confused. The Doctor ambled over.
“What do you mean? Of course it’s Rebecca’s….oh,” he finished as he took in their surroundings.
Instead of the rich interior of Rebecca’s castle, they were confronted by dense woodland. The trees were tall and thick, hundreds or thousands of years old, and the ground was populated with ferns. Off to the left, they could see a wide expanse of prairie, and they were obviously on the very edge of the wood.
The Doctor ran back to the console and began punching buttons.
“We’re in the right place…” he fiddled with a monitor. “Yes, definitely the right region of France, we should be right on top…Ah!”
Amanda left the door and walked over to the Doctor. He looked up at her, sheepishly.
“It seems I may have miscalculated. We’re in the right place, just not the right time,” he admitted apologetically.
“How far out are we?” she asked.
“By about sixty million years or so, I’d guess,” Nick called out from just outside the door. Amanda and the Doctor ran back to the door to witness as a T-Rex ran past the TARDIS. “Well, you’ve convinced me, Doctor. You can travel in time. Can we go home now, please?”
The three of them watched in wonder for a moment as a group of Parasaurolophus ran from the gigantic predator. Amanda and the Doctor walked forward to get a better look, before they realised the herd was heading directly toward the TARDIS and all three bipeds scurried back inside, the Doctor pelting to the console to start her up before the dinosaurs crashed into her.
THE END