A Tale Of Two Time Lords

Oliver Gilbert looked into the faded cracked mirror that hung in his dingy threadbare flat. He didn't recognise the man who looked back at him. He picked the debris out of his newly ginger hair, and peered at his new features. It was impossible, that explosion should have killed him. It killed the Captain, he had seen him trapped under the rumble unbreathing. Oliver had panicked, strange things had just happened to him. His whole body had been taken over by a sensation that he had never felt before. He stopped to think for a minute, he had felt it before when he was a young boy and had almost drowned. He continued to stare at the strange man in the mirror.


The Doctor had been travelling on his own for a while now, he'd forgotten just how lonely it was. He longed for Donna to be back nagging him again, but he knew that wasn't possible, she had her old life back and he would never hear her nag him again. He wondered around the consol remembering the room when it had been filled with people, not just people his friends, a small smile broke across his face. But where were they now? They had their own lives every one of them, and he was left alone.

A warning light began blinking on the consol. "What is it my lovely?" He said to the TARDIS "Oh, we're hungry are we? Lets see if we can stop off somewhere and get you something to fill you up", he said setting the co-ordinates. The TARDIS obeyed and moments later they were landing. "There that should do you", he said "Drink up and I'll be back later", he said deciding to go out for a wonder.

The Doctor stepped out for the TARDIS into the bright summer sun of Cardiff. He looked up at the water tower behind the TARDIS, it was covered in Strawberries "Um must be summer", the Doctor said to himself. "Now what do? Shopping? Maybe I do need a knew Dragon tea towel", A thought occurred to him, a smile crossed his face and he looked down at the ground under his feet "Or I could visit some friends".


Ianto Jones was sitting at his post in the battered Tourist Office when the door opened. In wandered a familiar looking man.

"Ah it's Ianto Jones isn't it?" the man said with the smile.

"Doctor?" Ianto said finally remembering where he had seen him before.

"Anyone else at home? Or are they off persecuting some poor alien?"

"No they are here sir", Ianto said flicking the switch and the wall opened behind the Doctor.

"Neat, I love secret passages me, and secret message too come to think of it", The Doctor said going through the new doorway followed by Ianto. "Bet Jack will be surprised to see me, he will wont he" The Doctor said grinning.

"I dare say he will sir".


The hub was quiet with everyone working away at their own projects, Jack was talking quietly to Gwen about the latest strange happen when the cog door rolled open. Everyone immediately looked up as they hadn't been expecting any visitors. Jack certainly hadn't been expecting this visitor.

"Doctor!" he said rushing over and embracing him as he walked in.

"Well it's bigger in real life", the Doctor said looking round "Not sure I should even be in another Torchwood establishment"

"Come on, you know we're different", Jack said with a massive smile across his face.

"Yes, I think you are".

"So what brings you here?"

"Needed to refuel the old girl, through I would pop in".

"Well we're glad you did".

"No Micky and Martha, I had the feeling they would be coming back with you".

"No, Micky's off doing god knows what, and Martha well you can't take the woman out of UNIT. She's been promoted again you know, that's what happened when the Daleks kill everyone".

"That's one way to get promoted", Gwen said coming over and joining them.

"It's Gwen isn't it?" the Doctor said "The one with the family in Cardiff?"

"Yes, well they were years back".

The doctor shook her hand and then gave her a hug, she had helped save the world after all. "Now it hasn't escaped my notice, being as fabulous at maths as I am, that there's more of you here than last time I saw you".

"Oh yes, there's been a couple of improvements" ,Jack said as he beckoned Owen and Toshiko over. "You don't know Toshiko Sato".

"We've met", The Doctor said smiling and shaking her hand.

"I forgot, you have".

"Have we?" Toshiko said rather puzzled

"I wasn't quite so good looking back then".

Toshiko frowned unsure what to make of that statement.

"The space pig incident".

"Oh", Toshiko said still not quite understanding, she continued to look at him and then the penny dropped "Oh!" he winked at her.

"Now I really haven't met his man".

"Doctor Owen Harper" Jack said and the Doctor shook Owen's hand.

"Another Doctor" He looked at Owen with a strange look in his eyes "There's something about you. You've been to the abyss and back, twice. But you're not fixed like Jack".

"Just lucky", Owen said putting his arm around Toshiko's waist, the Doctor looked at her again, and released she too had been there and back again.


The Doctor was talking to the others when Gwen pulled Jack away.

"Are you going to tell him about Oliver?" Gwen whispered

"No", Jack whispered back keeping his eyes on the laughing Doctor "I don't know he survived".