“Donna!!” The sudden voice startled her. She pulled back from the door and turned to face the lanky, tweedy young man who had just called her name.
“Donna, that is your name, isn’t it? I mean you look like a Donna,” the young man rambled on as he worked himself between Donna and the blue box.
“I’m sorry, do I know you?” she asked him.
“No! I mean, how could you know me? I mean if you knew me you’d remember me, wouldn’t you? And since you clearly don’t, you clearly don’t. QED, as they say.”
“Right. So it this yours?” She asked, pointing to the box.
“This? Yes, I mean no, this is nothing of any consequence. Not something you need to concern yourself with. Just an old police box. Nothing to see here.”
“Nothing to see? Well then, I’d just like a quick look at nothing if you don’t mind.” And before he could object she pushed past him and into the box.
-
-
Amy and Rory heard the scuffle just outside the door and were just about to investigate, when the door burst open. A ginger-haired woman burst in with the Doctor close behind.
“No, don’t!” the Doctor cried and lunged at her as she crossed into the control room. He grabbed her and covered her face with his hands. “Don’t mind any of this, it’s all an elaborate hallucination. Just forget you saw any of it.”
The woman wrested herself free and took a look around. “So it is a TARDIS. I knew it was,” she said.
The Doctor watched her carefully, skittishly. “Um. So you remember… I mean, you recognize…”
“Oh, I’ve seen a TARDIS before. This one isn’t quite as nice as the Doctor’s, mind you, but it’s close enough. Same make, different model I expect?”
“It is…” Amy began, but the Doctor cut her off.
“It’s more like than you might think,” he said. “And you’re feeling all right…? No imminent brain-explosions…?”
“I should hope not.”
“Um, Doctor, what…?” Rory interjected, though no one was really paying any attention.
“But you do remember the Doctor…?”
“Remember him? I only just left him the other side of the hill there.”
“Of course you did! That’s why … it hasn’t happened yet, has it?”
“What hasn’t…?”
“Oh nothing. Nothing at all for you to worry your pretty little old head about.” He grabbed her in a great big bear-hug – or as big a bear-hug as his lanky frame would allow. “Ah, Donna, it is so very good to see you again, I can’t even begin to tell you.”
“Oi, there, not so chummy,” the woman snapped as she pushed the Doctor away. “Not till we get a few things sorted out here.”
“Ah, there’s the old Donna,” the Doctor said affectionately.
“Doctor, what’s this about?” Rory tried again.
“Doctor?” the woman, Donna, looked around. “Is he here?”
“He’s right there…” Amy started to say.
“Yes, we’ll get to that,” the Doctor said.
“Ah, there he is,” Donna said as a wiry little man in pinstripes and sneakers came into the TARDIS.
“I say,” he said, “I like what you’ve done with the place,” He crossed to Rory. “Doctor, is it?”
“Um, no,” Rory said. The pinstriped man turned to Amy. “Doctor?”
“No,” Amy said, shooting a questioning glance at the Doctor.
The pinstriped man followed her gaze. “Oh.” He showed a momentary disappointment which quickly gave way to enthusiasm as he approached with a hand extended. “Doctor!”
“Yes, of course,” the Doctor said, shaking the man’s hand.
The pinstriped man touched his own hair and indicated the Doctor's as he muttered, “Still not ginger …”
“I know,” the Doctor replied.
“Ah, well. Good to meet the next … the next?”
“Yes.”
“Of course. The next … so how do I, how does it…?”
“You really don’t want to know.”
“No, I expect you’re right.”
“Doctor!” Amy and Donna both called out simultaneously. Both men turned in response.
“Right,” said the Doctor. “I guess some introductions are in order. Amy, Rory, Donna," he pointed out each in turn, followed by the pinstriped man. “And the Doctor. Myself. In a previous life, you might say.”
“Okay,” said Rory. “I think it’s time for some kind of explanation.”
But before either Doctor could respond, another strange man – tall, with shoulder-length wavy hair and a sort of Victorian-style outfit, strode boldly into the TARDIS. “So,” he said. “I suppose we’re all wondering why I’ve called myself together here.”
“You know, I’ve always wanted to say that,” the pinstriped Doctor said to nobody in particular.
“And now you have,” the tweedy Doctor replied.
“Yes, I suppose so,” the pinstriped Doctor said. “Somehow not quite the same though, is it?”
< Chapter 9
