This was just a little story idea that popped into my head and I had to write it. I recently started watching Merlin and Colin Morgan has become one of my new favourite actors. Because of this, Jethro from Midnight has become fascinating to me. Two more things.. I left Amy and Rory's departure vague since we do not know exactly how they are leaving as of the writing of this and I'm a sucker for canon, so I don't want to contradict the show. Also, you should notice a little Merlin reference in this as well.. Now, no, I do not own Doctor Who or these characters so enjoy! :)
The Doctor was sitting in the TARDIS alone and thinking. He had just recently ended his travels with the Ponds. He missed them terribly and he was completely alone once again. There was River, of course, but he couldn't drag her out of Stormcage all of the time. She had a sentence to serve, so she couldn't continue to disappear anymore than she already does.
He stood up and walked over to the console. After fiddling with a few controls the monitor displayed some planets he could visit. The Doctor browsed the list and ran across one that made his hearts skip a beat. Midnight.
"I think that was the most terrifying day in my entire life, old girl," he said aloud to the TARDIS. "That is quite remarkable seeing as I was present during the Time War and I've face all sorts of other dangers as well. I wonder how the others coped with that traumatic experience."
That's when the idea hit him. He would do a check up visit on all of the survivors of that terrifying day. Seeing as he had regenerated and they would no longer recognize him, he could pose as a person assigned to check in on them.
He turned his attention back to the monitor and typed in all of their names. Professor Winfold Hobbes, Dee Dee Blasco, and the Canes: Val, Biff, and Jethro. They were all from the same planet, Albion. He had never been to that planet before so he pulled up some information on it. Albion was settled in the early 26th century. Most of its residents originated in the United Kingdom back on Earth.
"Geronimo!" the Doctor shouted as he kicked the TARDIS into motion. He put in the coordinates and arrival date of exactly one year after the Midnight incident. When the TARDIS landed, he pulled on his tweed jacket, making sure his psychic paper was in the pocket and exited the blue box. He was in what seemed to be a retirement community. He made his to the closest house and knocked on the door.
An older gentleman answered and asked, "May I help you?"
"Ah, yes. I am John Smith, a representative of the Leisure Palace Company. I am here to check in on the victims of the Midnight incident." He held up the psychic paper.
"Oh, yes. Of course, come in. I had a feeling something like this would happen. I'm just happy the reporters stopped turning up. It lasted for about five months after the whole thing."
"I am sorry to hear about that. It will be a quick visit, Professor Hobbes." Once they were seated in the sitting room, the Doctor said, "Tell me about yourself after the incident."
"Well, after it happened, I abandoned my research on Midnight. It was much too dangerous to return and they closed the leisure palace and cancelled all ships to the planet. I continued on a few of my other projects but I eventually retired. My former assistant, Dee Dee, took my place at the university and began her own research, she mostly continued her research on the Lost Moon of Poosh."
"I've heard about that. It was found wasn't it?"
"Indeed. Dee Dee found it with her expedition team."
They continued their talk and the Doctor deemed it a worthy visit. Professor Hobbes seemed to have done relatively well after that traumatic day.
"Thank you very much for allowing me the time to speak with you, Professor. I'm glad that you have fared well after that terrifying day. I must be off now, I have two more visits to arrange and I only have a certain amount of time to do so."
"Thank you, Mr. Smith," he said before shutting the door.
The Doctor returned to the TARDIS and set off for the university were Dee Dee would be working. He arrived in front of the science building, a large, glass building. "Very 27th century," the Doctor muttered admiring the architecture.
"May I help you?" a woman in the lobby asked.
"Yes. Could you please tell me where I can find Professor Dee Dee Blasco?"
"Certainly. Take the lift over there," she indicated the lift at the back wall of the room, "to the 10th floor. Once there, turn left and follow the corridor until you reach the balcony. Turn right and her office is the fifth door on the right."
"Thank you," the Doctor shouted behind him as he ran toward the lift. He punched the 10 button and used his sonic screwdriver to speed the elevator up. He followed the woman's directions and found the door with a plaque bearing the name Professor Dee Dee Blasco. He knocked.
Dee Dee opened the door and looked him up and down. "What can I do for you?"
"My name is John Smith and I'm from the Leisure Palace Company. I'm doing a routine check in on the victims of the Midnight incident. It will only take a few minutes of your time."
"Certainly. Come in, come in. Would you like a cup of tea?"
"That would be briliant. Thank you." Once she set the tea in front of him, along with a plate of Jammy Dodgers. "Oh, these are my favourites!"
"Mine too! I always have them stocked up," Dee Dee laughed.
"So, has your life returned to normal after that day?" he asked.
"Very much so. Its much better in fact. Poor Professor Hobbes retired after he couldn't resume his Midnight research and I took his place."
"I yes, I recently visited him. He briefly spoke about your accomplishment at finding the Lost Moon of Poosh. Congratulations."
"Thank you. It was very odd. I led the expedition to the coordinates the moon was in before it disappeared and it was just there. It was as if it had never gone anywhere."
"That is odd," the Doctor said, smiling. He remembered twenty-seven planets in the Medusa Cascade. He and Donna unknowingly caused Dee Dee to achieve her dream.
"It was. Since then I have began work on numerous other projects. Mostly inspired by the journey on Midnight." She went on to explain ways she had discovered to make travel safer and faster.
"I'm happy to hear you have done so well after such a traumatic experience, Professor."
"As am I. Thank you very much for your visit, Mr. Smith," she said smiling.
"No, thank you for your time," the Doctor said.
He returned to the TARDIS again and set the coordinates to find the Cane family. They lived several hundred miles from this university. He set the TARDIS in motion and listened to the familiar weezing sound. After the TARDIS landed again, he exited it to find himself in a storeroom.
"That's odd," he said to himself as he opened the door and entered a corridor full of more doors. He was at the end near a window, he walked over to it and looked out to find he was in a building full of flats. By the looks of it, he was at least twenty-five stories up. The Doctor turned and wandered down the corridor looking at the doors. They bore the name of the family living there. Tate, Tennant, Gillan, and Smith. He also passed a few lifts. Finally he found it, the door bore the name Cane. He knocked.
Jethro answered the door. "You aren't the pizza man," he said, disappointed.
"Sorry, no. My name is John Smith, I'm with the Leisure Palace Company," the Doctor said, holding up the psychic paper. "I'm here to check in on your family after the Midnight incident."
Jethro gave the psychic paper a strange look, then gave the Doctor the same look. "If you say so. Come in." He turned an called down the hall, "Mum, dad, there's someone here."
Val and Biff came into the hall from the sitting room. "Oh, hello," Val said.
"How do you do, Mrs. Cane, Mr. Cane? I'm John Smith from the Leisure Palace Company checking in on the victims of the Midnight incident."
"Come into the sitting room," Val said, practically pulling him in and shoving him into a chair. Jethro sat in the chair across from him while Val and Biff sat on the couch to the Doctor's right.
"What can we do for you?" Biff asked.
"Well, this will just be a quick visit. I've already visited Professor Hobbes and Dee Dee Blasco, you are my last visit. I'm just checking to see if your lives have returned to normal since the incident."
"My son and I have. My son more so than I. My wife on the other hand, she has terrible nightmares. She used to be a teacher, but when the children mocked her and copied what she said, she panicked and ran from the room. Hasn't taught since. That was only two months after it happened."
"I'm sorry to hear that. What about you, Mr. Cane?"
"I returned to work. I have terrible dreams sometimes, but other than that, I'm perfectly fine."
"I'm very glad to hear that, Mr. Cane. What about you, Jethro?"
"I'm fine. What about you?" Jethro asked with a strange look in his eyes.
"I wasn't there. I'm glad you are coping well."
"Sure. I'm going to take a walk," Jethro said, getting up and leaving the room.
"Thank you for your time, Mr. Cane, Mrs. Cane."
"Thank you for coming, Mr. Smith," Val said.
They walked the Doctor to the door and he headed down the corridor toward the room where the TARDIS was. He turned the corner to see Jethro standing near the lifts."Are you alright, Jethro?" he asked.
"I'm fine, Mr. Smith. Or should I say Doctor."
"I have no clue what you are talking about. Doctor who?"
"I'm not an idiot, Doctor. I know its you. I don't know how its you, but I know it is."
"Fine, you got me. How did you know?"
"A few reasons. Firstly, the paper you held up at the door, it was blank. Second, you just give off the same vibe as the Doctor did on the Crusader 50 and even used the same name he had used. Lastly, you mentioned visiting Dee Dee and the Professor and said we were your last visit. You never mentioned the Doctor."
"You are very clever, Jethro, has anyone ever told you that?" The Doctor started off toward the store room.
"Where are you going? The lifts are right here."
"I don't need the a lift."
"Okay? So, how did you do it? You look completely different."
"I'm not human. I'm a Time Lord. When we die, we can change our appearance with a process called regeneration. Not long after the Midnight thing, I had to absorb a lot of radiation to save my friend. It killed me but I regenerated."
"So, I was right. You weren't human. I thought so all along." Jethro noticed the Doctor heading for the storeroom door. "What's in there Doctor?"
"My spaceship," he said simply.
"Can I see? My parents refuse to go anywhere, we haven't been off this planet since we went to Midnight a year ago."
"I don't see the harm in it. Want a trip? Just one. I can take you anywhere, anywhen."
"Anywhen?""Its a time machine too."
"Cool." The Doctor opened the storeroom door and Jethro saw the Doctor pull out a key and walk over to the blue box.
"Its a bit small isn't it?"
"Take a look," the Doctor said, smiling. He turned the key and pushed the door open.
Jethro walked inside and said "no way!"
"Yes way."
"Its bigger on the inside!"
"I love it when people say that," the Doctor laughed. "Welcome on board the TARDIS, Jethro Cane. It stands for 'time and relative dimension in space.'"
"Its brilliant!"
"She loves to be called brilliant. Well, she also loves to be called 'sexy' as well. So where do you want to go?"
"Um, 21st century Earth. Its my favourite time period, in case you hadn't notice," he gestured to his appearance.
"Ah, yes, the goth look is very 21st century, isn't it? Very well. Anything in particular you want to do there?"
"Surprise me," Jethro laughed. "My parents hate surprises so I rarely get any. Living with them is so boring, sometimes I just want to run away. I couldn't bare to hurt them like that though."
"That makes you a very good person. Your parents may upset you and get on your nerves, but its because they care and its great that you care enough for them to no hurt them like that."
"I guess so. Can I ask you a question?"
"Certainly."
"What is the deal with the bowtie?"
"Bowties are cool!" the Doctor defended making Jethro laugh again.
"If you say so. So do you always travel alone? You were alone last time."
"Not always. The last time we met, I was with my friend, Donna. She was from 21st century Earth, but she wanted to stay behind in the leisure palace. After I regenerated I travelled with a girl called Amy Pond. She got married and her husband Rory came with us as well. They're gone now."
"I bet you miss them don't you?"
"With all my hearts," the Doctor said.
"Hearts? Don't you mean heart?"
"No. I have two hearts. All Gallifreyans do."
"Gallifreyan? I thought you said you were a Time Lord."
"I am. I'm Gallifreyan because I'm from the planet Gallifrey. All Time Lords are Gallifreyan, but not all Gallifreyans are Time Lords."
"That's confusing. Could we see Gallifrey then?"
"No," the Doctor sighed. "I hate it when my friends ask me that."
"Why?"
"There was a terrible war. The Time War, between my people and a race called the Daleks. They were all destroyed. The entire planet burnt. Its all gone now."
"Doctor, I'm so sorry, I didn't know."
"Its alright. Let's find a distaction." He put the TARDIS in motion and shouted "GERONIMO!"
"Geronimo?"
"That's what I say now. My last self, the one you met, said 'allons-y.'"
"What is that noise?" Jethro asked.
"Its the time rotor. The TARDIS dematerialises from our universe and appears in the time vortex where it travels until it reaches the time I entered and then it materialises back into the universe."
"I think I understood some of those words," Jethro laughed. The TARDIS landed.
"Now, outside of those doors is London in 2013. I'm sure we can find something you would enjoy."
They both headed to the doors and Jethro pulled them open first. "You've got to be joking!"
"What?" the Doctor asked, concerned.
Jethro pointed to a sign. "They're my favourite band! And they are doing a show today! Can we go please?"
"Did you really think seeing that was a coincidence? I did my research."
"I'm glad you did. Best surprise ever. I can't believe I get to see my favourite band and they've been dead for like 600 years!"
"Yes, well don't go shouting that. People may think you've gone mental and lock you in the mad house. Trust me, I've been there before, not fun. Some of these 21st century humans are very narrow-minded."
After what seemed like an eternity to the Doctor, he and Jethro left the building after the show. The Doctor was digging in his ears.
"That was... interesting," he confessed.
"Brilliant aren't they?" Jethro asked.
"Certainly. Wouldn't surprise me if the ringing in my ears followed me into my next regeneration."
"I know you said one trip, but don't want to go home just yet. Can't we do something else?"
"Well, I did say one trip, but I'm quite good at bending rules. I don't see why not!" They headed for the TARDIS and a new adventure.
Well, did you catch the small Merlin reference? :D As for Jethro's favourite band.. I'm not goth, nor do I know what kind of music goths listen to and I wasn't going to pretend otherwise. I'm leaving his favourite band up to your imagination. That way no one will be insulted if I picked a band that you hated or something :) I hope you enjoyed!