Careful What You Wish For
Small and blue and designed to blend in the Tardis failed completely. Sandwiched between a big shiny red Chevrolet and a blue BMW it was probably the least blended in it had ever been. After a moment the door opened and he came out, dressed in a pin stripe suit and overcoat, tie loosened, dark hair tousled.
"Merlotte's" the stranger read the sign out loud, although no-one was listening. Near the trash cans a small collie dog watched intently as the stranger crossed the car park to the main door of the bar.
Pausing by the front door the newcomer took a deep breath before going inside. He had been on the hunt for Rose for years, despite the knowledge that he could perhaps never find a way to get her. When she had been torn from him he had known he couldn't abandon her, not ever. Should it take the rest of his immortal life he would hunt until he was reunited with her.
As men reckon time it had been years since he had lost her. It had been his fault. If only...
How many times in the years that had passed had he lingered on that last moment with her, before cruel fate had dealt a new hand of cards? Immortality came with a price. Earth could look after itself for a while, he had failed her, he had lost her. It had to be put right.
Besides he was a time traveler, no-one would even notice he was gone.
Inside the bar smelled of food and fresh beer, which almost masked the sweat and cheap perfume of the occupants. The newcomer took in the scene with a glance, the booths all filled with hungry and thirsty rednecks, the larger than life cook, the beautiful blonde waitress with the retro blonde hair and otherworldly quality. Had he not been here looking for Rose, his Rose, then perhaps he would have stopped to tell this one about the face on the back of the moon.
That one never failed to impress the girls when he took them up there to see it.
Smiling that sad smile he approached the bar. There was a short dark haired man already there holding it up. The newcomer knew that this was the kind of Southern gentleman that the ladies swooned for, only perhaps a little taller worked better. Familiar smiles and knowing winks were exchanged between this man and the pretty blonde waitress every time she passed him.
Once she approached the newcomer to take his order, then backed away with a puzzled look on her face. Eventually another waitress, a more motherly type, came to see what he wanted. He looked to the hand of the Southern gent, perhaps to order whatever that man was having.
Perhaps not. O Neg. He hoped it wasn't what it claimed to be.
"I've done it now," he said to himself, before asking for coffee, and a banana if they could get him one. Grinning at him in a way that said "I could break you stranger, and would love to try" the waitress bobbed away to fetch his order.
Leaning back against the bar, there were no seats, the newcomer decided to study the locals for a while. The tardis was set to take him to random places and times, and this one was very random.
The logic was simple. If after an infinite time of jumping to infinite places he hadn't found Rose, then he'd have to try something else. Infinity was quite long, and immortality quite a good way to explore it.
The newcomer was quite enchanted by this place. Merlotte's had a real homely atmosphere about it, and the people seemed genuine enough. With the help of beer the customers were gradually relaxing, although a few of them seemed to feel the need to be very relaxed. Only the dark haired stranger beside him at the bar seemed tense and on edge. He wondered what they sold here as O Neg, and what kind of person was buying it. Whatever it's content, the newcomer wondered if it was contributing to the stranger's deathly pallor.
Bill, he heard the enchanting waitress with the retro hair call him by his name as she explained that her shift was almost over. Whatever he had whispered back to her made her cheeks glow red. Probably love play the newcomer thought dismissively. Of course he regretted at once so under valuing the love between a man and a woman. After all, wasn't that why he was here too?
The thought returned his focus to the task at hand. Would this be just another blind lead, or would he finally have found a lead, a gate, a hint even, of how he could be reunited with Rose. His Rose?
Instinct told him that these two, the waitress and the dark haired man, were the main characters here. After a moment the newcomer followed them out.
From the door he watched as the BMW drove away. Beside him in the doorway stood a huge blonde haired man, all muscles and good looks and smoldering eyes and animal strength. When he spoke there was a trace to his accent that told the newcomer that this blonde giant wasn't local either.
"Sookie," the man said.
"You know her?" the newcomer asked. His accent was very proper, and he spoke the words rather than just saying them. No chance he was from these parts either. Wanting for an answer from the giant, but expecting none, the newcomer loosened his tie some more, then pressed his hair back with his hand. "Interesting girl."
Animosity oozed from the blonde giants every pore, a suddenly it felt like this man could be very dangerous. The newcomer regretted not reading this scene better before he spoke.
"She is," the blonde said.
"Something odd about her, isn't there?" the newcomer pressed on, instinct told him she was tied in some way to his quest for Rose. He would have to get closer to her. It was the low growling noise from the blonde giant that made him turn slowly to face the stranger standing beside him. For a moment he imagined extended teeth in the mouth of the man who growled like something wild and dangerous.
"Who are you?" the blonde asked. The accent was faintly Norse, not from around here either.
"The Doctor," the newcomer offered his hand, and his favorite winning smile.
"Stay away from her Doctor, or I'll show you how we do blood transfusions in Louisiana!"
A/N What do you think? I'm way out of my comfort zone here! Should I go on?