Aria: Hello! This is my first story I've written in ages, I hope you enjoy it. As a writer, I've enjoyed researching and writing this story so much, "people from the past coming to the present future" have always been my favorite trope. So a quick few warnings. There is two OCs in here, so beware. (I've tried to write as non-Mary sueish as possible) Also, I've tried hard to be as historically-accurate as possible in the speech and knowledge of a person living during the late 19 century so if you see any accuracy errors, please tell me. Alas, I don't own anything, except perhaps my two ocs. So without further ado, begin!
I believe it was an early Saturday morning when it happened. I was watching a show in my living room when there was a knock at my front door. It was a firm, steady rap against the wooden door. Not to soft, but not too loud either. My Australian shepherd had barked nosily at the sound.
"Hush, Minnie," I grumbled to my dog, "It's probably just an door-to-door salesmen, wanting me to buy some product of theirs."
But when I looked outside my small one-story home in my suburban neighborhood, I found something completely different. There stood a cowboy at my front door. A truly, honest-to-goodness, authentic cowboy was standing outside my doorframe. He was a tall, lanky tanned fellow. A red, wet bandana hung around his neck, a ten-gallon hat sat atop his golden brown locks. He wore a plaid shirt with a leather vest over it; there was a pair of old-fashioned looking revolvers tucked into his belt holsters. He had those big, puffy pants (chaps? shaps?) that cowboys wore and of course, a pair of brown cowboy boots on his feet.(1) To top things off, there was a dappled grey mustang, with a big ole' western saddle and all, tied to my mail post, patiently waiting for his owner to return.
"C-can I help you?" I stuttered.
"Pardon me, mad'm. I was wonderin' if you could tell me kindly where I am." He murmured in his long, southern drawl, taking off his hat and uncomfortably looking away from my stare. "I don't quite 'member what I'm doing here for."
He looked uncomfortably away from my stare and that's when I realized what I had on that morning. I was wearing an old anime t-shirt stained with ketchup from last night's supper with a pair of super short pajamas shorts. My hair was in a very messy bun and I had one sock on, where the other had disappeared to, I had no idea.
"Um-um," I stuttered, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear and looking away from the cowboy as well, "We're in Fort Worth, Texas."
He looked up at me abruptly, "Naw, that ain't right. I've driven droves of cattle right into the stockyards of Fort Worth, this ain't Fort Worth." (2)
At this point Minnie decided to make her presence known by a low growl towards the stranger.
"A-ah, don't mind Minnie, she's all bark no bite, y'know?"
"I understand." He hesitated, looking like he wanted to enter but was too polite to ask.
"Would you like to come in? I-mean, will your horse be alright out there alone?"
He looked almost offended by my comment, "I know how to break a mustang, mad'm."
"Uh, you don't have to call me that," I said as he stepped through my door, the spurs on the bottom of his boots clinking, "Please, call me Bridget."
"Alright, Miss Bridget," He gave a wry smile, "I'm Daniel."
There was an awkward silence that followed as he gave a glance around the inside of my tiny home. It wasn't much. The front door opened to my living room, which I had a screen TV surrounded by a couple small couches. I had some pictures of friends and family around my pink wallpaper walls. Behind the living room, a small hallway led to my kitchen and the rest of my two-bedroom home. It was pretty humble compared to modern society's standards but to him, it must have looked luxurious.
Daniel gave a low whistle, "You sure have a nice home, Miss Bridget."
"Thank you," I replied. "It sure beats having to live next to loud neighbors in an apartment complex."
He nodded uncertainly, not sure how to reply. Minnie was calm now, and even came up to sniff the cowboy's clothing. Daniel petted her silky fur.
"Pretty Spanish shepherd you have here," He commented, friendly trying to make small talk with me. (3)
Spanish shepherd? Where have I heard that before? Right, Minnie's breeder went on and on about the breed's history and the many names it was called before the name Australian Shepherd stuck. I had wondered, briefly at the time, why he had called her that.
"Yeah, she's a pretty blue merle, ain't she?" I responded. "Would you like a cup of coffee?"
"Yes please, mad'm." The man nodded politely.
He followed me into the kitchen, while he sat at the kitchen table and watched me skeptically as I prepared the coffee via coffeemaker. He seemed almost distressed by the way he tapped his foot against the floor and crossed his arms. When he noticed my questioning gaze, he gave me a brief smile, I guess his way of reassuring me that he was fine. Minnie laid down by his feet, completely at ease with the cowboy.
"How'd you like your coffee?"
"Just black is fine, thank you."
I nodded in understanding as I poured him a cup of coffee. "So, uh Dan, where'd you from?"
"Ah," He took a sip of his coffee, "I'm from Austin,"
"So are you an urban cowboy then?" Daniel gave a snort to my question.
"Urban cowboy? There's ain't no such thing!" He cheerfully pointed his thumb towards himself, "We cowboys ain't some bunch of namby-pamby city slickers."
My eyebrows furrowed. "Hey, Daniel?"
"Yes, Miss Bridget?"
"Can you tell what year it is?"
He scratched his head uncertainly. "Is it the early Summer of 1880? I was on a cattle drive to Abilene, one moment me and Silver were chasing after a stray dogie, next moment we found ourselves in front of your home." (4)
"Wait," I gaped, "You really think you're an actual cowboy?!"
"I think?! I know I am!" The cowboy gestured towards his clothing. "Is something wrong with that?"
W-well..." I murmured, not sure how to put it lightly, "The current year is September 20th, 2014."
Daniel gave a spit-take, coffee splattering all over me.
"So-sorry mad'm," He shakily said, handing me a napkin, as he gave me a wild-eyed look, "Just-just that isn't possible. You're pulling my leg, right?"
"Really, Daniel," I said, wiping myself with the napkin, "I don't really understand either."
I left out the part about the possibility of Daniel being a few short fries of a happy meal. There something Daniel that I felt like I could trust. Maybe it was the fact he looked like he stepped right out of the Wild West or that he seemed so old fashion in his ways and speech. Whether it was, there an innate sense in me that felt like could trust what he was saying was true. I could help him get back home to his time, I had no idea.
The cowboy fiddled with his hat in his hands. He looked like he wasn't sure what to say, and neither did I. It certainly isn't every day you meet a cowboy from the late 1800s. Then again, there was another, absurd possibility of mine that a time traveler that was notorious with messing with history had something to do with this. Perhaps…
"Daniel," I began, "Do you know, perchance, a man that goes by name of 'the Doctor?'"
The man moved his lips to respond but before he could answer the second strangest thing that happened that morning occurred.
BANG!
Several things happened at once. I let out a very lady-like scream, Minnie growled and Daniel jumped in front of me, pulling out his revolvers as my front door fell down into pieces with a very loud –thud-!
"There's nothing to fear, the hero has arrived!" A loud, booming voice proclaimed. I slowly peered from behind Daniel to see a boyish-looking young man, striking some comic-book superhero pose. He was around the same height as Daniel, maybe even taller. His hair was like tousled golden wheat and his eyes were blue as the sky. He wore a light brown jacket with a Captain America shirt underneath and a pair of ripped jeans and black converse. How he knocked down a solid oak door is beyond me.
"Ame—Alfred?" Daniel questioned, his six-shooters still pointed at the man. "What type of Yankee outfit are you wearing?!"
"You know him?!" I whispered. Daniel shot me a blank look like he was saying "Yes. Unfortunately I know this idiot."
"Dude!" Alfred nervously chuckled, "We gotta get outta here before Tony finds out that I messed with his stuff!"
Daniel tensed, his fingers tightening around the triggers of the revolvers. "Did you just call me a 'dude?'" He asked, edgily. (5)
I ignored Daniel's weird hatred for the word "dude" (at this point crazier things have happened this morning) as I shouted at Alfred, "Hey! Did you have to break down my door?!"
"Yeah, what's wrong with dude?" Alfred ignored my exclamation and answered Daniel, oblivious to the other's anger. He seemed to quickly realize why the cowboy was mad after he said that because he quickly added, "Wait, no! I didn't mean it thatway, man!"
"Then which way did you mean it by?" Daniel didn't seem to take Alfred's answer well. "That I'm some rich easterner that's out to have "fun" playing dress up?" He almost seemed like he felt rejected that Alfred called him a dude. Alfred seemed to realize this as he rushed towards the cowboy, ignorant of the two revolvers pointed at him. Daniel miraculously allowed Alfred to enclose him into a hug; his arms went limp to his sides, still holding the two guns in his hands.
"Shh…hey, I didn't mean to upset you, you're a really great Texan cowboy, ya know that?" Alfred consoled, and it was at the point I realized that Daniel was crying, "I'm sorry for letting my little bro down and causing so much trouble."
"I just want to go home, Alfred." Daniel muttered. "I don't want to be in 2014 where's there's no cattle drives."
"You and your cattle drives!" He chuckled, and that's when he finally noticed me and gave me an "oh, crud" face.
"Hello," I quietly said, not wanting to ruin the moment, "You better be paying for my door you damaged."
"Ah, look at the time!" He checked his hand, barren of any watch. "We gotta dash, you know? Things to do, people to see, stuff like that!"
Daniel hastily wiped the remaining tears from his eyes. "I'm sorry you had to see a man like me cry, Miss Bridget."
"It's okay, really," I replied, amusedly, "I understand what's it like is to be homesick."
I emphasized the last word, glancing at Alfred who paled. He knew that I knew that something strange was going on and I wasn't letting it go.
"Ya know, me and Daniel gotta really go, alright?" Alfred anxiously said, he obviously did not want to explain how or why a 19th century cowboy knew him. "Hey it's cool," I told Alfred, smirking, "Nobody's gonna believe me anyway. I'll just look like a lunatic."
"What ya mean?" Alfred, denial to the end, asked, "You don't actually believe my crazy brother who thinks he's a cowboy from the old wild west?"
"Did you just call me crazy?!" Daniel pointed a revolver at him.
"Aw, don't pick on Danny-boy," I said, "Besides; I don't think there are many people that annihilate a solid oak door into pieces in one slam.
Daniel raised an eyebrow, "She's got you on that."
He sent a pleading glance towards Alfred but the other man looked back with a stern glare back. I tried following the silent conversation that took place with facial expressions, but I couldn't. Finally Alfred blurted out, "NO, we can't tell her that's final! I gotta get you back where you belong before your conceited self finds you and starts a time paradox or something!"
"A what paradox?" Daniel questioned.
"Never mind that, Tex-! Let's just get outta here!" Alfred tugged at Daniel's shirt-sleeve, almost like a little child impatiently trying to get their parents attention.
"Just wait a dang minute, Alfred!" Daniel growled, putting his revolvers back into his holsters. "Please excuse Alfred's manners, Miss Bridget, he's been hanging out with Yankees too much."
"It's fine Daniel," I smiled, "I'm used it."
"No it's not fine, Miss Bridget," Daniel said, with a serious look, "Ladies like yourself shouldn't be treated rudely."
"T-t-thank you," I stumbled over my words, stunned by the cowboy's compliment. I stretched my hand out for a handshake but Daniel surprised me.
"Thank you kindly for your hospitality, Miss Bridget." He said, as he lifted my hand lightly and kissed it, "I'm sorry about your front door, I'll make sure you won't have to replace it yourself."
Alfred laughed, "Yeah, thank you, lady, for putting up with Danny-boy."
Daniel looked like he was going to strangle the man for his blunt, almost laid-back type of attitude.
"It was no problem," I hastily cut in to the impending argument, "But aren't you guys in a hurry?"
"Yes!" Alfred exclaimed, "Please excuse us, miss, we must be on our way now."
Alfred scurried towards the door, Daniel tipping his hat to me as he followed after him; I trailed behind with Minnie faithfully at my heels. The neighborhood outside my house was still asleep. No one was roaming around the street, I was surprised that none of my neighbors heard the racket Alfred made by knocking down my front door.
"To the invisible jet!" Alfred declared as Daniel untied his stallion from my mail box post and jumped into its saddle. I watched the scene play out from the safety of my doorframe, Minnie sitting near me, her ears cocked forward as she looked curiously at the two strangers.
"You can use your doo-hickey thing, I'm riding." Daniel muttered, rolling his eyes as Alfred tried looking for this "invisible jet" of his to no avail. Frankly, at this point I wouldn't be surprised if the man truly owned an invisible jet like Wonder Woman's.
"I know I parked it somewhere…" He murmured anxiously. Just then, the Star-Spangled Banner blared loudly from Alfred's pocket.
"What in the name of Sam Hill is that?" Daniel suspiciously glared at Alfred who had pulled his phone out of his pocket.
"Oh, crap." Alfred paled at the sight of the caller's id, "Hello?" He answered timidly.
A spew of foul and colorful language could be heard from coming noisily from the phone. I couldn't even make out anything intelligent enough to convey a message but Alfred seemed to understand the caller. He cringed from weight of the caller's words. Daniel gave a wide-eyed stare towards the phone.
"Hey, how I was supposed to know that button would send her to the middle ages? I thought I was sending her back home!" Alfred sheepishly explained, "And I thought you were still supposed to be in that inter-galactic space meeting of yours!"
The caller erupted into angrier insults, was starting to say more gibberish than cusses. Daniel looked disturbed as he watched his time-traveling brother seemingly go insane talking to a piece of metal.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know!" Alfred groaned, "Where's the invisible jet by the way?"
The caller, sounding less and less human as the call went on, seemed to complete few jumbled sentences before he was finished. After the call ended and Alfred, with a worried frown on his face, put the phone back into his pocket.
There was a familiar sound rung throughout the neighborhood, causing my dog Minnie to bark aggressively at the odd noise. Could I believe my ears? If so, I heard the noise of the TARDIS. I looked over to Alfred and Daniel and to my surprise, they were fading in and out like the TARDIS does before it teleported somewhere across space and time.
"I so don't appreciate the irony!" Alfred moaned, crossing his arms.
"Alfred, you owe me an explanation so much, right now!" Daniel griped as he tried keeping his steed calm.
Then, just like that, they vanished without a trace. That is, if you count a broken down front door as evidence that a cowboy from the 19th century and the said latter's time-traveling brother fully existed.
Omake:
An hour later after I cleaned up the remains of my former front door, I was met with another unexpected visitor. A Texas edition Ford truck drove down the street, with a solid oak door in the back of the truck. It stopped by my house and a man hopped out of the truck and grabbed the door from the back. My heart nearly leapt in my throat when I recognized the man.
As he carried the door towards me, he flashed me a bright smile. "Hey there, I'd told ya I would replace your front door myself."
Notes:
Never mess with Tony's "stuff." You can be sure Alfred was punished for messing up with his inventions and the taking the "Invisible jet" for a spin. Anyways, if anyone's wondering, Bridget is mid-twenty something transplant from California who bought a small home in an older run-down neighborhood near the Fort Worth-Dallas city border and is avid anime/DW fan. In Texas it's not uncommon to see someone dressed in a cowboy hat and boots, but in the suburbs fully dressed like that is unusual, that's why she was surprised to find him on her front doorstep, especially with a horse because contrary to popular belief, Texans don't ride horses everywhere xD
Daniel is actually, my Texas OC, which is why Alfred refers to him as his little brother. So in case you didn't get the subtle hints, now you know. Three important qualities of him is: he's arrogant (Think of him being what America is to other countries), he has a short fuse but is pretty friendly most of the time. Also, my personal headcannon of my OC, is that he'd be pretty big on southern chivalry back in the day like the rest of the Southern US states, which still effects the culture there today just as much as the Northern code of honor still effects the present Northeastern states. Which, surprisingly you do not hear as much about as Southern chivalry.
Onto the numbered notes! (1)- Chaps (pronounced shaps) is what Cowboys wore over their jeans to try to make it more comfortable on longer rides
(2)- The Fort Worth stockyards was an important aspect of the cattle industry up until the 1950s. Daniel would be very familiar with escorting cattle down to the stockades to be shipped off by train to various parts of the other country.
(3)- Haha, Australian Shepherd is pretty misleading name. The breed didn't originate in Australia, but in the US. It was called other names before the one we know today seemed to stick.
(4) Two notes, Abilene, MI, was another important Cowtown. Cowboys used the famous Chisholm Trail to get there. Second, dogie is the name of a motherless cow. This is what the song "Get along little dogies" is referring to.
(5) I was curious if "dude" existed back in the late 1800s and found it had an entire different meaning back then xD people used "dude" back in the US west to refer to rich easterners or city people who came to try out west's hard lifestyle. Or, to put it another way, a tourist trying to act/dress like a native. Basically Alfred unintentionally insulted Daniel.