I don't own either Doctor Who or Mog's version of the Magnificent Seven, ATF 'verse. Just playing with them a little.

JD was arriving at the Saloon last, having been detained by one more computer problem to deal with for Charlotte. It was starting to become a habit of hers, he realized and he wondered just which of the team had caught her eye, knowing only that it wasn't him and he was glad of that fact.

Turning off the engine of his motorcycle and removing his helmet, his head whipped around at a sound he hadn't heard in a long time. Dropping the helmet, JD nearly knocked over his bike as he hastily jumped off it to run across the street where a blue police box had just materialized in the alley.

He was just in time to jump into the arms of the man exiting the unusual transport, "Doctor!"

With a loud laugh, the tall man in the leather jacket caught the younger man into a tight hug and noogied his hair. "John Daniel, it's so good to see you, my lad. How've you been? Tell me all about it now!"

Looking up without letting go, JD grinned from ear to ear as he replied, "I'm good, sir. Really good, as a matter of fact! I've got a job with the ATF and get to work with the best team in the whole agency. They've become like brothers to me and I know I have you to thank for it all, Doctor."

Waving an arm in dismissal and pulling the young man around to start walking toward the Saloon while keeping one arm around the Agent's shoulders, the Doctor denied that. "No, John Daniel, you did it all on your own. As I knew you would. Shall we go and have a pint and perhaps you can introduce me to your new family?"

Chuckling, JD agreed to that suggestion.

By the time they entered the Saloon, the young man was so eager to introduce the Doctor to his friends that he'd picked up his pace and practically dragged the man by the hand over to the team's usual table.

Buck grinned at the sight and asked, "When you hightailed it across the street like that I nearly went after you, kid. Who's your friend?"

Gesturing to the stranger with a flourish, "Everybody, this is Doctor John Smith. Doctor, this is Buck," JD started with his roommate and went around the table, "Chris, Nathan, Ezra, Vin and Josiah."

At that moment, Inez came up to give JD his usual with a wink and asked, "Hello, JD. What can I get for your friend?" She eyed the man up and down and licked her lips appreciatively.

Buck didn't like that, his face falling into a pout immediately.

The Doctor didn't miss the fact the woman had also noticed the big man's reaction and looked pleased by it. He stifled a chuckle and asked if she had Guinness, leaving her flirting alone as he didn't want to upset JD.

With a nod, Inez answered, "Coming right up."

Room was made at the table as the two sat down.

The Doctor smiled at everyone, "Nice to meet you all. He then looked back to JD before he enthused, "All grown up and working on the side of law for your government, now. That's fantastic!"

Nathan brightened and asked, "So you're a doctor? Doctor of what?"

The Time Lord shrugged, "Of this and that, nothing special."

Nathan frowned at that answer.

Josiah looked intrigued and was about to ask a question when the subject was changed.

Vin had leaned his chair back against the wall and with an odd smile on his face, he asked, "So how'd ya meet JD?"

Chris had a suspicious look in his eye as he said, "Yes, do tell."

JD piped up at the slight tightening of the Doctor's mouth that he hoped only he could see, "He was a friend of my mom's, okay? After she passed away, he put me through school and let me travel with him over the summers. He was there for me when I needed him." He wanted to protect the next best thing he'd had to a dad from painful questions and get it across to his team that the Doctor was a good guy.

The Doctor looked surprised. "What makes you think I put you through school, lad? That was your inheritance from your grandmother."

"Yeah, sure, that's what the man at the bank said, but don't think I didn't trace where my 'inheritance' actually came from." Playfully punching the taller man on the arm, JD smiled to take any sting out of the comment.

Laughing out loud again, the Doctor told him, "You're too clever by half, you are. I should have known you'd figure it out. Yes, it was me. I'd promised your mum, fine woman that she was, to look after you and so I did. Let's talk no more about it now."

Knowing the Doctor missed her as much as he did, JD let it drop and his glare around the table made sure his friends knew to as well.

Ezra supplied another topic change, "So JD traveled with you in the summers? Wherever did you go and why haven't you told us about these adventures?" He had a decidedly wicked gleam in his eye as he asked that question.

Frozen momentarily, caught out without a ready story, JD didn't know what to say.

Coming to the young man's rescue, the Doctor answered that one, "Yes, he did travel with me several summers in a row and it's because of that I have a rule about no ichildren/i on my ship." He mock glared and took a sip of his Guinness that a waitress had just set down in front of him, Inez having caught on that the man didn't want to be used in her games with Buck.

The glint of amusement in The Doctor's eye as he said that let JD know he was at least half joking. Knowing it for the distraction it was, he wondered how long or short it had been for the Doctor since Celaylyn Dunn's death as he rose to the bait. "Hey, you're the one who let me at the console. Nothing went wrong until YOU panicked and knocked me into the wrong control when you tried to take over!"

"A likely story," the Doctor mock snapped back before the two of them lost it and laughed at the memory.

JD smirked, "I think she likes me better than you, too."

Quickly scoffing at that, the Doctor then relented, "She does miss you, though. Care to come for a quick visit, then?" He looked to the men at the table, "Got the weekend off, right?"

Jumping to his feet, the younger man practically pulled the Doctor to his feet, "Sure do, let's go. See you on Monday, guys!"

He waved behind him, chattering a mile a minute to the chuckling man with him and they were out the door before anyone at the table could say anything to the contrary.

Josiah mused aloud, "JD thinks the ship likes him better than its owner?"

Chris shook his head as if coming out of fugue, "What the hell just happened here?"

Buck groused, "JD just ditched us to run off with some mysterious stranger."

Ezra's voice was droll, "Mr. Wilmington, just because you don't know the man doesn't make him a stranger to JD. I saw nothing but affection and caring in what we were allowed to glimpse of the relationship. Do try not to push young Mr. Dunne away with your occasionally inurbane behavior?"

Buck huffed, obviously he wanted to take offense, but he wasn't sure what Ezra meant by that.

Surprisingly, Vin just laughed and got up, "I'm goin' to get another beer," and went to the bar.

Holding up a hand, Ezra called after him, "Mr. Tanner, please allow me to accompany you as I, too, am in need of further libation."

That left the rest of the men at the table to wonder what was up with them.

Josiah in particular was very curious.

They ambled from the bar with their new drinks to the jukebox and pretended to make selections. Ezra and Vin looked questioningly at each other before one finally broke the silence.

"He obviously didn't know me, so I figured this one is an earlier regeneration. From yer reaction, Ez, I'd say ya got the same problem."

Grimacing at the shortening of his name once again, Ezra let it slide as he nodded, "It makes one wonder if it was this meeting, or the stories JD will be telling him while traveling with the Doctor now that will be, or were, the cause of him eventually looking in on our younger selves." He shook his head at his own sentence.

Vin chuckled, "Hell, time travel sure does screw with the tenses, don't it, Ez?"

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Ezra replied, "Indeed!"