A/N: I'm back with another one. This has been on my mind for a while, so I'm glad that I was able to finish it today. I'm thinking of doing two more stories with this crossover, so we'll see how that goes. Please review.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters you recognize.
A Cup of Tea
Josephine hated when the Avengers had to go out of the city, state, and country. It was boring without any of her friends or brother in the city that never seemed to sleep. No matter how much she got acquainted with this time period–though it's been over a year there was still new things Josephine found–she wasn't much into the culture of those her own age. Maybe it was due to her preferring the slow pace of her time, for as the world moves around her she–like her brother–takes it one day at a time.
Tony Stark had once teased her of how alike she and her brother were, trying to get a rise out of her as often he does Steve. But the young woman merely shrugs and walks away. That was the difference between her and her brother–no matter how much she loves him–Josephine will never take things to heart because she knew how to look at both sides, unlike her brother who only sees his way. Doesn't the idiot realize not everyone can get used to the fast pace?
So, here she was sitting on a bench in Central Park–bored out of her mind–watching people walking–or jogging or biking–past with vivid interest, wondering where they were going, why, and what they were thinking at that moment. It's been over a year since she last saw the Doctor, but she still had hope to see him again. It was spring and everything was green, colorful, and blooming.
Who knows, maybe this time he would come on this nice day rather than a cold winter like he's done in the last two visits. Has he changed his appearance again? If so, has she or her brother passed him on the street? Will he remember her this time? Because if you changed your appearance, wouldn't your memories change or forget?
With a sigh Josephine closed her eyes and tilted her head back to feel the sun filtered through the trees. The light breeze carried the wonderful scent of spring as the quiet park with laughter echoing towards her gave her peace. She wasn't sure how long she sat like that but Josephine felt rather than hear the person sit next to her. She didn't mind so long as the person wasn't Nick Fury because she really didn't feel like talking to him about her brother's life back in their time. Then a familiar male voice spoke up, making Josephine's joy lift up from the loneliness of not having her brother or friends around. Oh, she always wondered if she would meet this wonderful strange man again; too long since she last saw him.
"Beautiful day, isn't?"
Snapping her eyes open, Josephine turned to see the Doctor in the same position as she, except his eyes were wide open. His face hasn't changed, which was a good sign,
"Doctor! What brings you here? Don't tell me you're still running?"
The Doctor turned to look at her, smiling "No, I returned to the ones I was running from. I decided to leave again after re-acquainting with them–though they weren't too pleased."
Josephine laughed, "What is your excuse to being here this time, Doctor?"
"Actually it was the TARDIS, she brought me here. I rounded the corner when I saw you sitting here. Where's your brother?"
This time her smile faded with a sigh, her gaze returning to the people passing by. The Doctor frowned, trying to think back into his memories. His gaze then started to look around the people passing by as his memories showed the Avengers getting into trouble for a couple of months, if he read the date on the newspaper in the garbage bin next to him right. Than an idea hit him and he quickly jumped to his feet, startling a man walking with a dozen dogs–the animals barking at the Doctor.
"Come on, come with me." he said, hauling her up.
"Go where?" Josephine laughed as the strange man hauled her down the path.
The young woman laughed as the strange man maneuvered around the people, occasionally yelling an apology over her shoulder. Her breath left her as soon as she saw the familiar blue box sitting in the middle of the trees, everyone passing by it without a glance. The Doctor pushed open the door, letting her hand go, his large smile not once leaving his lips. Josephine could feel her mouth open in awe. The inside was completely different from the last time she was inside the time machine.
Smiling even wider, the Doctor moved around the stunned woman and begun to do what he does best; flipping switches on opposite sides, pushing buttons, pulling levers on opposite ways, rotating wheels clockwise and counterclockwise. With a laugh Josephine rushed up the steps and looked over the control counsel, marveled by all the lights and buttons and levers, and wheels. As the familiar grinding noise begun Josephine was thrown back against the chair as the Doctor yelled out. He truly was a mad man! But Josephine couldn't help but laugh at him.
"Geronimo!"
The Doctor continued to smile as he moved around the counsel, Josephine trying to hang on to the chair. Once the TARDIS leveled herself Josephine was able to stand up and walk around, fascinated of the time traveling ship. She smiled when the Doctor jumped close to her, pushing a few buttons close to a television. He then press the television and many different colors and planets passed before Josephine's wide eyes. The Doctor smiled at her reaction, glad to have given her this once in a lifetime opportunity.
"We're now passing through the Three Pelotens Moon Galaxy right now; eight thousand light years away from Earth."
Josephine shook her head, smiling at the idea of flying through outer space. Of course her imagination never reached the world she now lives in. So why would her imagination ever reach of her flying through space with a strange alien that looked human.
"I can't believe I'm actually flying through space!" she laughed. "I mean, I'm actually flying through space!"
The Doctor chuckled, pushing the television away and danced around the counsel as he continued to navigate his ship. How he was able without really seeing where he was going was beyond Josephine. But, no matter, there was only one important question.
"Where exactly are you taking me?" Josephine asked the Doctor as she followed him around.
"Well, I'm taking you for a cup of tea." he told her as though it was obvious.
Josephine frowned and stopped following him. "Couldn't we just have a cup of tea right here in your spaceship?"
The Doctor grinned, peeking over to the young woman. "Yes, but what would be the fun in that?"
Moving away from her sight once again, he pressed down on a button and pushed up a lever to feel the TARDIS suddenly stop making the grinding noise. Excitement rising inside her once again as she knew that they had finally landed somewhere. Josephine moved over to the Doctor, looking towards the door, scared and excited to see a whole new world that the Doctor has brought her to just for a cup of tea.
"Come along, Miss Josephine Rogers; lets you meet the city of Trozana on the planet Sieraon."
Taking her hand once more the Doctor rushed towards the doors and pulled it open, standing back. He smiled at Josephine, waiting for her to go through first. Biting her lower lip she slowly walks out and takes in her surroundings. At first glance it seems like ordinary Earth, but breathing in the fresh air told her differently. With a laugh, Josephine turned and saw the Doctor leaning against the other door, smiling at her.
He walked completely out, the door closing behind him, and nodded towards a stand. "Come on, let us have a cup of tea."
Josephine looked all around her, not able to keep her eyes away from the surroundings or the people. There were normal looking humans (of course she figured there were different then her or others back at Earth), cat-like people, people with skin all green or blue or red, and some robot-like type (which were nothing like Tony Stark's own robots). At the stand the Doctor ordered two cups of tea from the all green skin man and sat down on a table facing a purple lake with what should have been ducks floating around.
"This is unbelievable!" Josephine whispered, continuing to look around and sipping her tea (which turned out to be just regular old tea). "Thank you so much, Doctor, this means a lot to me!"
The Doctor smiles, "It was no trouble at all, Miss Josephine Rogers. Now, why don't you let me know what you and your brother have been up to and how you have been coping with your new lives?"
It took her the better half of the day to tell the Doctor all that's happened since the last time she's seen him. Once the stories ended and the tea finished the Doctor flew her back to the day she left–which was a surprise in itself as it seemed like he could never fly to the right time. He figured the TARDIS had something to do with that little tidbit. Walking out of the box with her, Josephine looks around her with brand new eyes before turning to smile up at the Doctor.
"Thank you, Doctor, you have truly made my day."
The Doctor gives her a curt nod and hugs her tightly, looking down the long walkway. "It really was no trouble, Josephine. Stop worrying about your brother, he is going to be fine; some bumps and bruises but nothing too grave." he pulled back to see her smile ruefully before taking her shoulders and turning her around. "Now, stop yapping my ear off and go say hello to your dear old brother."
Seeing Steve jogging down the walkway, looking around, Josephine begins to run towards him only to stop after a couple of steps and turns back to the Doctor.
"Goodbye, Doctor, I do hope to see you again soon."
With a curt nod, the Doctor watches her turn and run towards her brother. Steve finally sees her and smiles, wrapping his arms around his sister once she was close enough. With a smile the Doctor turns and walks back inside his TARDIS, the box quickly disappearing into thin air. Josephine turns back but smiles, knowing that she would see the strange alien man once again–and hopefully he will take her to another exciting planet far, far away.
"So, what have you been doing the whole time we've been gone, Josephine?" Steve's asks his baby sister, wondering what she was looking at.
Josephine smiles mysteriously up at him before wrapping her arms around his waist and begins to walk towards the street to go back to the SHIELD agency. She loved her brother to death and had told him nearly everything that's happened to her, but some things she rather keep to herself; her own memories to remember time to time until she meets the Doctor once again.
"Oh, nothing much, just had a cup of tea with an old friend is all."