Doing a bit of tidying, updating and editing of old stories before I post anything new. This was originally a chapter in my Mary Poppins drabbles from about two/three years ago (Just before Journeys End I think?) but I decided it's a bit long and besides we've the cross-overs section it might as well be polished up and get it's own spot. We kind of got a Mary Poppins Doctor Who Sherlock crossover this Christmas anyway ;)
Enjoy.
"Merry Christmas, Mary Poppins!" came a cheery voice over the hullabaloo of London, its owner now blocking nanny's and her wards path. The nanny paused and looked him up and down.
"You're a little late aren't you?" she asked in her curt yet somehow polite tone, before carrying on walking. The man grinned and stepped out of the way, following alongside the trio.
"Ah, you know me," the stranger shrugged and pulled at his ear, "better late than never, wouldn't you agree, Mary Poppins?"
The nanny merely raised her eyebrows at him and strode on. It seemed apparent to anyone but the gentle man that she didn't know him. He seemed not to notice that he didn't have a hat on to cover his spiky brown hair despite being outside in a public place, that his coat was open and fluttering around him or that his brown suit didn't cover his ankles, his oddly woven red boots on show beneath his trousers yet it was his behaviour and sudden approach confused the Banks children the most. However, the nanny as usual kept her cool.
"Speak for yourself, I always arrive on time." she sniffed haughtily, hoping to get rid of him, despite his long relaxed strides that easily kept up with her quick pace.
"More like in the nick of." the man chuckled. The nanny's head whipped round at this. The man was extremely tall and skinny; nearly a head taller than Mary Poppins but the stern glare still had the same effect. The stranger realised he might of said the wrong thing. At least, he looked as though he was sorry, but, unlike any child when they received 'that look' he continued talking, if a little bashfully. "I was just a little…occupied when I saw you. So um, what day is it then? " he asked, looking from the nanny to Jane and Michael, scratching his neck.
"Saturday." the children chorused, a little puzzled.
"And Market day" Michael added swinging the empty basket, but the stranger didn't hear him.
"Tuesday, Saturday only a few days' maybe weeks out," he shrugged turning back the nanny and grinned. "You always complained I didn't have a head for dates."
"You can say that again, Mr…" Jane said expectantly. She knew it was rude to interrupt adults when they were talking but the stranger had technically spoken to the children. It was odd that the man hadn't introduced himself especially to a lady like Mary Poppins. The man tucked his chin in and frowned before breaking in to another broad grin. He didn't seem to hear Jane, but lightly skipped in front of the nanny and again stopped in front of her, hands raised in submission, bringing them to a halt just outside the park gate. The nanny's eyes narrowed but the man just laughed.
"Come on then, Miss clever-clogs, what's the date?"
"The twenty-sixth." Jane answered, assuming that the man was still talking to her. He looked surprised as though he'd forgotten she was there.
"The what?"
"It's the twenty-sixth of April, silly." Michael chimed in.
"Michael, don't be rude." the nanny warned but this seemed to excite the gentleman even more.
"Michael? Michael Banks!" the stranger laughed and crouched down so he was looking up to the children and shook the lad by the hand. "Hallo! Blimey you really are 'extremely stubborn and suspicious' aren't you!" Michael's jaw dropped and even Mary Poppins seemed surprised. Or at least, something about her wide eyed expression suddenly made Jane bust into giggles.
"Oh and this" the man turned to the sister, "this has got to be Jane Banks, right?"
"How did you know?" she asked as the man shook her hand and straightened up. The man shrugged and scratched the back of his neck.
"Oh well, the giggling...does give it away a bit. 'Often prone to giggle, doesn't put things away', am I right?" he grinned at the nanny. Mary Poppins nodded slowly. She rarely divulged information about her wards, even rarer their measurements, but she kept her questions to herself. One must never appear confused in front of strangers. Her silence however seemed to have triggered the man's interest. He seemed to study her for a moment then looked away sadly.
"You vanished without saying good bye…poor Bertie-boy was really confused."
"I beg your pardon. I never leave without saying goodbye to Berti- I mean Bert." she replied crossly, annoyed she'd almost slipped up in front of the children and the odd gentleman.
"Fibber." the stranger chuckled, thrusting his hands deep into his pockets and again flashed a grin. The children had never seen the nanny flustered, but the man's brassiness was obviously trying her patience and her throwing her off her composure. If the parrot on her umbrella where real it would have probably been throttled by her grip by now. The stranger however ploughed on regardless, again becoming quite seriously.
"You left your hat-stand in the Tardis. The old girl misses you, you know. The Tardis, not the hat stand I mean." This did sentence seemed to confuse the nanny, as once again she remained quiet. Jane wondered whether it was the nonsense words the gentleman had spoken, Michael on the other hand shook his head at the man's silliness, as last time, he'd looked the hat-stand was still in the nursery. The stranger however seemed to get agitated by the nanny's silence, perhaps mistaking it for coldness.
"Mary Poppins, I'm not blowing my own trumpet, well maybe slightly," he griped, "but you know I'm as brilliant as you are perfect, so your games and reverse psychology tricks aren't going to work on me…well not this time." He took a deep breath. "And yes I know I shouldn't talk to if you're working, but you can drop the stubborn 'I don't know you' act now alright! It's the same street, same houses and same odd whiff of fish." he pouted then grinned, his tantrum over in a snap. "So how are you, Mary? And how's Bertie? Did you ever…you know?" The nanny again stayed silent. If it were possible for her fine eyebrows go any higher, they managed. As did the strangers. "Riiiiight, that bad?"
The nanny frowned and placed herself more securely between him and the children. The man however slowly stepped a little closure to Mary Poppins, studying her face in perhaps more detail. "You really don't remember me, do you?" he asked looking puzzled and even a little hurt. The nanny merely stepped back towards the children.
"Sir, I can assure you, I never forget a face-"
"You've forgotten me." he interrupted her, quite put out.
"Sir I don-" the young woman started.
"Doctor…" he interrupted again.
"I do not believe we've met, Doctor..." she continued icily.
That did it.
"But we have!" the man exclaimed. "You came back to London; well, we both came back to London. You told me off for being impertinent or something. We flew over the River Thames, nearly crashed into that cloud of yours? Donna's face when she saw you!"
He seem to be getting excited again, though this time more out of frustration, tossing his head occasionally. "The dancing with the chimney sweeps, all over the rooftops! The gingerbread, I love ginger bread, the songs? We stopped the stars from falling out the sky! And Donna, she nearly snogged that mate of Bert's, for Pete's sa-"
"I will not have you using language like that in front of my charges" Mary Poppins interrupted crossly. The children exchanged looks. The nanny would often change the subject and seem insulted if they referred to any of their magical adventures, pretending they never happened but this seemed like the real thing. "I have no idea who you are or what you're talking about. A respectable person like me flying over Rivers and mixing ginger bread and songs indeed-" Suddenly something clicked with the stranger.
"Say that again…" he murmured.
"I said I have no idea who you are or what you're talking about, and I don't see why I should repeat myself when all you do is int-"
"No, no the other bit." the man interrupted.
"When she said the river and songs, you mean?" Michael asked. He didn't mean to intrude on the conversation but the events were getting too confusing for the boy to comprehend.
"Yes the bit with the river and song, and all the- oh hang on a minute. Song..." The something that had clicked suddenly sparked "That's it! Michael Banks, you're brilliant!" He beamed, and began retching around in his coat pockets. "Don't ever let her make you think otherwise."
"I beg your pa-" the nanny started but was cut short by an loud "AH-HA!" from the man as pulled out a small thick tube of metal with a black. He held it up to the nanny's face. Mary Poppins pulled back, alarmed.
"I'm not going to hurt you. It's just an ophthalmoscope," The man reassured. There was a small hole on the items black top, which the man put his face to and peered at her eyes though it. "No no no-no, too young. Far too young." the stranger seemed really worried, raking his hand though his hair.
"What date did you say it was?" he asked
"April, the twenty-sixth of April." Michael repeated. The man was mad, hopping from one foot to another.
"No no, the date, the year!" He looked so powerful and frustrated, the children slipped back behind their nanny.
"How can you not know the year?" The nanny retorted comforting the two. At this, the man fixed her with a glare that more than rivalled her own and Mary Poppins found herself blurting out, almost stammering, "Year of our lord nineteen-ten."
For a moment the stranger was still and calm, his glare softening.
"Mary Poppins, I'm sorry…" he murmured, "I'm so, so sorry." And in an instant, he pulled the young woman into a quite unexpected hug, his rough stubble scratching her cheek, his bony figure around hers. Mary Poppins stepped back from quick embrace in shock. The stranger's serious expression smashed in a grin and shook her hand. "Say Hello to Mrs Corry from me, then just forget this ever happened. Can you do that? Oh wait I know you will you never mentioned it the other time." he laughed, before turning to the children, crossing his hands so he could shake them both at the same time "Jane, Mikey-boy…Well, anything can happen. Au revoir Mary Poppins."
He straightened and started at a run into the park, towards a large a large blue and white box just inside that the children and nanny remarkably had not noticed. He opened a door, then stopped and turned back to the bemused trio. "Oh and Mary," he called "Don't leave it too late!" and with that he leapt inside shut the door. A beat passed before the nanny turned and ushered the children on.
"Come along please you two, best foot forward." the children took her hands as she led them down the street, Jane stared at her, her brother still gazing at the box.
"Mary Poppins what was that all about?" she asked.
"What was what? Michael don't dawdle." Suddenly the wind picked swirling around them, much to the nannies surprise. As it blasting around them with such a ferocity, full of old leaves and blossoms, the sounds of the city were drowned out, by a groaning, wheezing rumble as though all the engines and carts in the world were bearing down on the street. Then faded into nothingness.
"It's stopped." Jane said, pointing out the obvious.
"Indeed." The nanny sniffed and carried on as though nothing had happed but Michael, yanked on her arm, yelling.
"That wardrobe- The Cupboard thing! It disappeared! It was there and then- now- It's gone! "
"Michael, be quiet. Boxes don't just van-" Jane started the stopped. Despite how her brother usually exaggerated most things, the box, what ever it was, had indeed vanished. "How- wh- but but-"
"Goats butt, birds fly and children who want some gingerbread had better get their feet going quick march, spit-spot." the nanny stated, still striding along.
"Mary Poppins, you still haven't explained it…"
"I never explain anything."
"But what was that all about?" Jane repeated.
"I haven't the faintest idea what you're talking about. Hurry up please, before Mrs Corry's shuts."
"But Mary Poppins, I thought we were going to the market-" Michael started but the nanny silenced him with a look.
"There's been a change of plan." the nanny tutted "We'll go to the market afterwards. If we still have time…"
Thanks for reading! All advise on writing and spelling welcome :)