Strange Fruit
9:00 P.M.
Millie and Karen, the two little criminals, were rampaging about the store with a paper tube liberated from the trash can, their mother smiling indulgently as she rummaged for change. The Raincoat lurked in Adult, engrossed in whatever literary perversion he'd discovered. Goldfinger tossed aside his final magazine of the night and stretched his lanky frame in the soft chair, yawning. And the muttering stranger continued to scour the shelves, reading and touching each spine.
Kayley and Michelle exchanged a glance. In the dozen years since inheriting the shop the sisters had become adept at silent communication. Goldfinger still hasn't spent a dime. The Blunder Twin's mother is looking very tired. It's your turn to ring the Raincoat. I'll do the closing yell.
Kayley tensed her small frame and bellowed, "Attention in the store! Book Boulevard is closing for the evening!" She took a breath. "Please make your final selection and bring it to the cash register! Thank you!"
The raincoat, ten feet away in the small shop, turned and smiled mildly. Kayley smiled sweetly and went to walk through the store. Goldfinger grinned, pointed and with a practiced, "Tomorrow, ladies" was out the door. Michelle mentally computed the inventory loss: one or two magazines. One day she'd figure out how he did it. Mildly cursing her younger sister, she distastefully took the Raincoat's money and bagged his purchase. He slunk out.
"All clear" called Kayley from the back, as the rows of lights clicked off. Michelle locked the door, flipped the open sign, and briefly surveyed the wet street outside. There was nothing new to be seen. Early evening traffic, mist from the sidewalk and the crushing familiarity of the old street. She sighed, lost in reverie.
Kayley watched her sister from the stock room door. Sometimes that was all she'd do, peer out at the world. She sympathized with her sister's mood but did not share it. The bookstore was a joy to her, but seemed to be a burden, a responsibility, to Michelle. Shrugging her shoulders, she entered the stockroom and sat at the safe.
"'Chell? Want to knock off early tonight? I can handle it", she called. Michelle seemed to not hear her. "Hey! Get out of jail free card! Going once! Going twice!" She waited for the traditional "Sold!" but the outer store was silent.
Moody tonight, that's for sure. She left the safe, peered out the door and felt her heart kick.
The muttering stranger was poised at the cash register. He held a glittering sword inches from Michelle's face. Neither made a sound. It was a moment suspended in time for Kayley; she would never have again been so captivated but for what happened next.
Behind her, in the stock room, a noise began to rise. It was the sound of a tired engine, or an orchestra tuning up, or the creak of an ancient loom, or all three. A spinning light and a blue bulk beneath began to appear. For a moment her mind disbelieved, then the object, like a developing photograph, somehow became an objective reality.
Years later, she would laugh. When the TARDIS (this is the boxes name) appeared so impossibly, all she could wonder was at how efficient law enforcement had become. For there, above the white-framed windows, were the words, Police Public Call Box.
The windows were set in a pair of doors, and these crashed open and bagpipe music blared. A pair of figures emerged. One, a youngish man dressed like a math teacher, supported a red haired girl who seemed on the point of collapse. The music stopped.
"That's it, Amy! Walk it off, walk it off!" he said in a British accent. He glanced about the room and Kayley had the impression he'd absorbed every detail. He turned to her and smiled, a bit shyly. "Hello, Kayley! I wonder if I could trouble you for some information?" Without pausing for breath he continued. "I'm terribly glad that music has stopped. That's something to be grateful for, at least. Oh! There's something you don't see every day!"
He led the girl - Amy, was it? – out onto the sales floor. Kayley, long past attempting to understand what was going on, followed. "Hello! I'm the Doctor and this is my friend Amy. Pardon the frogs! She really can't help it, poor thing!" Yes, there were now frogs hopping about the floor. "And look at you! Pointing that sharp and, if I'm correct, extremely rare Mixtomortian Grief Blade at Michelle, there. Hello, Michelle! Kayley, if you could, please?"
The Doctor deftly transferred Amy to Kayley's arms and, searching his pockets, advanced on the stranger. "Here we are!" He produced a magnifying glass and bent over the blade. He murmured to himself, moving closer to the point.
"Yes, quite magnificent! But look at this!" Impossibly, he angled the glass just as a car turned the corner outside. Its headlights, concentrated by the glass into an intense beam, struck the stranger's eyes. Without a whisper he collapsed into a puff of smoke. In a split second the Doctor pocketed the glass and caught the sword. Frowning slightly, he weighed it, released it, and it vanished like its owner.
He grinned with delight, then noticed the three girls staring at him: Amy with familiar affection, tinged with a mild, exhausted dementia (and, at the moment, a bright yellow parrot on her head); Kayley with something approaching, but not quite utter, disbelief; and Michelle with absolutely riveted wonder.
"Ah." He clasped his hands behind his back, turned his left boot on its heel and shyly examined it. The frog on his other toe eyed him solemnly. It blinked its eyes and vanished as he clapped his hands and rubbed them briskly.
"Michelle! Amy and I are wondering where we are and when we are. Could you please supply this information? I was going to ask your associate in this fine –" he glanced around "—book shop, but I'm afraid she's already burdened."
Michelle blinked. "Um, you're in Baltimore. It's August 2nd."
"And the year?"
"What! Wait a minute! Who are you? Who was that guy with the sword? Where did he go? What's a Mixtomortion Grief Blade? Why is there a blue monkey in my Science section? And who is sleeping beauty, there?"
The Doctor quailed slightly at the barrage. "Oh, oh. I'm the Doctor, as I'm sure I said. I don't know who the man was, though I have my suspicions. A Mixtomortion grief blade is a ceremonial sword from the inner court of the Great Regretted Dynasty of the Lesser Green continent of planet Mixtomortus in the constellation of Ursa Middling - you can't see that one from here, I'm afraid, the Blue monkey, unless I'm very much mistaken and such a species is indeed indigenous to this area, is the result of a careless menu selection by my friend Amy, and did you just say, 'Sleeping?'"
"Did you just say, 'menu selection?'"
But the Doctor had already turned, alarmed. He took three long strides and raised a hand to slap the dozing girl. Kayley turned her away. "Hey! What are you doing! She's exhausted! And getting heavy!"
"You don't understand! She ate a Bilholly Strange Fruit!"
"Explain."
"After we wake her up! And then we need to keep her awake! Trust me, it's vitally important!"
"All right. Do it."
Amy gasped at the slap and suddenly, with a cartoonish 'boing', a suction cup-tipped arrow quivered on the doctor's forehead. He sighed. Michelle touched his shoulder and pulled off the arrow after he turned.
"It's real." she said.
"For the moment, yes, but it's merely a manifestation of my friend's imagination. She's rather terrifically intoxicated, I'm afraid."
"Well, then, let's sober her up. What do you say, Kayley? Cold water, coffee and a bacon scramble?"
"Right this way. One sober redhead coming up!"
9:45 P.M.
A splash of cold water, a bacon and egg fry and several cups of coffee later, they sat around the receiving table in (for Amy's sake) appropriately uncomfortable chairs. The girl, who proved to be Scottish, was surprised that it was 1977, but the small loch monster swimming in her coffee cup seemed unbothered. Kayley frowned at the creature. "Doctor? What's a strange fruit, anyway?"
Amy giggled as the monster grew wings and fluttered up to bother the light fixture. "He's in the TARDIS with your sister. Look out, he'll take her away. Whoosh."
Kayley stood and looked through the doors of the blue box. Yep, it was still too wrong, too big inside. She'd stay here, thank you. The Doctor and Michelle stood at a mushroom shaped console at the room's center, heads close together. He seemed to be showing off the controls. She was engrossed. Kayley felt a strange stirring of fear. She cleared her throat and the two looked up, mildly startled and, possibly, a little resentful at the intrusion.
The Doctor clapped his hands. "Ah! Kayley. Your sister and I were just talking, and we don't believe your cure is going to work. More extensive measures are called for, I'm afraid."
"Well, come out here and tell me what I need to do."
"Oh, that's easy. Just keep Amy awake and the tactile hallucinations will be quite harmless and only slightly whimsical. We'll trot out to Bilholly, find out what the antidote is, and be back right away."
Michelle said, "It's a time machine." She walked to the doors and smiled at Kayley. "We can be back at the exact second we left. You'll never know we were gone. Neat, huh?"
"But what if the sword guy comes back?"
"Exact second, Kay. Relax. It'll be fine." She leaned close. "I'm going traveling, honey. Be right back!"
The last thing Kayley saw before the doors closed was the Doctor flipping switches on the console. The creaking, grinding sound filled the small room and the TARDIS faded away as if it had never been there. Kayley fought the temptation to test the empty air; she didn't want to know what would happen if, on its return, the TARDIS materialized around her hand.
She waited. One second, five, twenty.
"Amy, you awake?"
"Umm."
"So, what happens if you fall asleep?"
"Ohh… Yeah, he explained that. Me awake, nice dreams. Sleeping…"
"Amy?" Kayley turned. Amy was snoring softly. The muttering man sat across the table. He grinned at her with startling blue teeth. His eyes were pitch black, like a doll's or a shark's. He muttered something.
"What?"
He spoke slowly. "I said… awake… nice dreams… asleep… nightmares…Now… thirsty…" He stood and the sword appeared in his hand.
Kayley stared at the sword, the sleeping girl and the empty space where the TARDIS had been. Muttering with hungry glee, the stranger crawled across the table toward her.
To her vast relief Kayley heard the TARDIS arrive behind her. Amy stirred and blinked owlishly. The stranger snarled as a bright lance of light shot across Kayley's shoulder and into his eyes. Kayley turned to berate her sister but was struck speechless.
Michelle stood there, coolly blowing a wisp of smoke off the barrel end of a small weapon. She twirled it on her finger and holstered it in one smooth motion.
"Hey, Doc," she called, "You got it right! Finally!" She looked down at Kayley and winked. Her eyes shone. She jerked a thumb toward the unseen Doctor. "Late for his own funeral, that one."
"Actually, remind me to tell the story, sometime," said the Doctor from inside.
Kayley stared at her sister. Why did she look different? More importantly, what had happened to her? Her slightly morose, occasionally merry sibling who lived on coffee and snacks and whose only exercise was turning pages, had been replaced by a vibrant imposter. One who even now was looking around the stock room as if she hadn't seen it for years. Oh. Now she was staring at her.
"Aw, will you look at you! C'mere!" she said, catching her unresisting sister in a tight embrace. Kayley allowed it for a moment before indulging her indignity and shrugging her off.
"Oh, no you don't! I'm mad at you! Where have you been? It's been fifteen minutes and you said you'd be right back! Amy fell asleep and that creepy guy came back! And why are you dressed like Han Solo?"
The Doctor leaned out of the TARDIS and passed a yellow slip of paper to Michelle, who smirked and tucked it in her pocket. "I told you it was 'Amy'. Hah!"
The Doctor snorted. "Try to remember everyone's name when you're my age. Perhaps I should insist they should be like 'Kayley' here and wear name tags?"
"Oh, there you go with the age thing, again. At least you remembered we'd want the laser lance. Anyway, Kayley, what's up?"
"Huh? What do you mean? I just told you!"
Michelle and the Doctor exchanged an uncomfortable look. He cleared his throat and pointed at Amy. "I'll be right over here…"
Kayley, arms crossed, waited. Her sister nodded to the door leading to the bookstore and Kayley followed. Michelle sighed, touching the cases and displays as she made her way to the front door. Peering out, she chuckled. "You can't blame the Doctor. We really intended to be right back, you know. But it turns out that Bilholly…" She snapped her fingers. "Ah! Doctor! Bilholly!"
"Strange fruit! Of course!"
"Anyway, it turns out that there was also a thriving slave trade on Bilholly, and an alien female who can cook fetches a big price."
"But you can't cook."
"They assumed I could. After getting out of that we had to fit a randomizer because it turned out the slavers were working for some kind of super alien guardian something - he had a stuffed bird on his head, can you believe it? – and well, time flies. Anyway, bird head is all sorted out and we came back as soon as we could. It's just that a lot has happened."
She turned from the window and looked at Kayley. In a low voice she said, "Did you say it was fifteen minutes for you? Take a look at me. I've been away for nine years."
Kayley's stunned realization that this was true was interrupted when the Doctor called from the stock room, "Time to go! Off to Bilholly and the cure! ugitfey empustay!"
Kayley followed Michelle back to the TARDIS. She gestured at Amy, who sat stock still with a small blinking device on her forehead. "Are you leaving her here again? Why not take her with you? Why can't the doctor just take her?"
Michelle paused. "Can't. It's not safe. Psychic circuits and hallucinogens don't mix. Just stay here – the Doctor's put a delta wave suppressor on her so it should be safe here for now. Be right back!"
With that, she stepped into the blue box and shut the door. Wheezing, groaning, it faded from view for a brief moment and then reappeared. It was battered, scrapes and pock holes marring the faded finish. The door opened and a young man (correct that, Kayley thought, a gorgeous young man) stepped out, winked, and scanned the room with a handheld device. He wore a tight black suit of flexible armor.
"Hey, it's Earth! Early days, too! Come on out!"
After a mild jam at the door two children trooped out, gazing around with curiosity. The oldest tapped a button on her watch. "Uncle! It's 20th Century! Can we visit the Brigadier?"
The Doctor, unchanged, emerged. "No, I expect he's rather busy right now. But here's why we came here." He smiled and pointed at Amy. "There she is, children! Amelia Pond, my sleeping princess. And this is Kayley."
An amused voice came from the TARDIS. "Correction, Doctor. Kids, meet your aunt Kayley."
Michelle, smiling, emerged. "And these little rascals are Elise and Ethan. Say 'hi', kids."
Kayley gazed at the two curious little faces and saw the resemblance. An odd joy bubbled up within her.
"I suppose that makes me your brother-in-law, then." the young man said, "I'm Bill. Pleased to finally meet you."
Still entranced by the grinning kids, Kayley gave her new brother a perfunctory hug. A thought struck her.
"How long were you away this time? And don't try to blame it on the bird guy again!"
The Doctor and Michelle exchange a dark glance.
"No, I'm sorry, sweetie," said Michelle, "it was something else. In about twenty years or so you'll understand. Just.. Listen, when the sky changes go to this address. The people there will hide you."
Elise and Ethan murmured, "Daleks", in hushed awe.
"Anyhoo," the Doctor clapped his hands, "We have news about the Bilholly strange fruit."
"You found the cure, Doctor?"
"We certainly did. It's.." He paused.
"It's eight hours of rest, I'm afraid." said Michelle.
"Oh. Phooey!"
"The good news is that the DWI will prevent all manifestations, so you'll be alright until we return."
"What? Not again! I want to talk to your family! I want to show them the town! I want to see your wedding pictures! Wait! Return from where?"
"Forgot something, didn't you?" The Doctor tapped his temple. "Creepy guy? Big sword? We're off to the Great Regretted Dynasty of the Lesser Green continent of planet Mixtomortus to get to the bottom of this."
"Oh, that's good, I guess. Wait! Isn't he a hallucination?"
"No, he was here all day, remember?" said the boy, Ethan. "Uncle Doctor thinks there's no connection to the fruit; he was actually waiting for the TARDIS to arrive."
"Oh. Can the kids stay?" The two brightened at the suggestion and looked imploringly at their parents.
"Ehh," said Michelle, "Our schedule tends to be unreliable. Bill and I would miss them terribly if there was a detour, you know. Sorry! Come on, troops! Kiss your aunt goodbye and get inside!"
The children obeyed and reluctantly shuffled inside. Bill kissed Kayley on the cheek and gazed at her, grinning. "I may have married the wrong sister."
Michelle laughed. "That's enough of that, sir. Get your ever-wider butt home, now!"
Bill chuckled, kissed Kayley again and followed orders. Michelle hugged her sister and beamed. Kayley was filled with warmth. "They're beautiful, 'Chell. See you all soon?"
"I hope so." She entered the machine and paused. "Oh, by the way, 'The Complete Illustrated Book of American Dance', check it out. Bye!"
9:56 P.M.
Kayley knew the book, a recent arrival she hadn't opened. She went to the section, still preoccupied by thoughts of her new family, and touched another hand as she reached for the book. She jumped backwards instinctively and tripped over an ottoman. The muttering man looked down at her, sword drawn.
"Thirsty… Thirsty…"
Kayley rolled aside as the sword pierced the spot she'd just vacated. She grabbed a chair, held it like a shield.
"Get back, creep! The Doctor and my sister will be right back, and you'll be in trouble then!"
She went on the offensive, forcing the small man back. Throwing the chair, she grabbed the book and raced for the stock room. With seconds to spare she slid the bolt home. She chuckled at the creep's muffled howl of frustration.
"That's a metal fire door, chum. Bang on it all you want. You aren't getting in."
10:14 P.M.
Kayley sat at the table, opened book in front of her, as the DWI beeped quietly on Amy's forehead and the creep thumped the door. Chapter five was Depression Era dance. And there was the Doctor, onstage with a violin, beaming like a proud father as Michelle and Bill danced in the foreground. A large, white, tiered cake rested on a table to the side. The photo was dated 1936.
Kayley had to laugh. "It's your wedding picture. You jerks."
Wheezing, the TARDIS materialized. Kayley waited for the door to open. Would the kids be grown? Oh! Maybe she was a great aunt now. Smiling, she steeled herself for anything. Even the creep seemed to catch the mood, for he stopped pounding on the door. But the TARDIS just sat there, looking older than ever.
Frowning, she knocked on the blue door. A distant thump came from inside. She tried the latch and the door swung in.
The Doctor stood there, a small bundle draped in his arms.
"Help me, please. Grab the locket from the console, now."
He gingerly stepped into the room, carefully avoiding the door frame. The bundle groaned softly.
"Oh my God! That's Michelle! What happened to her?"
"Nothing happened to her. She led a long, full life. Which, if you do not go get the locket, is ending very, very soon! Go!"
Stung into action, Kayley raced to the console. A silver locket inlaid with oddly familiar blue stones was slung between two knobs. She snatched it up and raced outside in time to see the Doctor stepping away from the open stockroom door. Michelle, impossibly old, lay on the table in front of the unseeing Amy.
The muttering stranger stood in the doorway, sword at hand. He looked around as if confused. The Doctor scowled. "You got here early, you lamentably unreliable construct."
He turned to Kayley. "Quickly, put the Necklace on 'Chell and stand back!" Softly he added, "It will be all right. You'll like this, I promise."
Kayley did as she was told. The stranger snapped to attention the moment she slid the necklace around her sister's wrinkled, impossibly feeble neck. Kayley retreated as he strode purposely toward the supine figure.
"Thirsty… Drink your death…" he intoned, as blue light erupted from Michelle's body and streamed into the sword. Michelle convulsed. The blue light became green-tinged and then yellow. With a flash the stranger disappeared. The Doctor clapped his hands. "Well, that's that!"
Without another word he winked at Kayley, gathered Amy in his arms and entered the TARDIS. It groaned and faded.
Kayley turned to the still body on the table. Slowly she folded the hood away from her sister's face. In death she was young and beautiful. "Oh, Michelle…"
The corpse sat up. "What, ya jerk?"
LATER
Explanations were made, questions were answered, and the years wore on. Sometimes the sisters would sit on a certain hill and visitors would come. Sometimes it would be a man with two children, sometimes an old man, alone but with messages from grandchildren. But the blue box did not return. Of the sisters, who sometimes detected his presence as the century turned and events in the world became stranger, only Kayley saw the Doctor again.
Kayley never regretted her missed opportunity, and Michelle still stared out the window, but the world was no longer a bleak place of regret. And Kayley, on that distant day, as the young girl Amy and the unchanged Doctor supported her aged frame at the grave site, knew that all her sister's dreams had been fulfilled.