WHAT IF!
Disclaimer
These stories are my thoughts of what might happen if a certain Time Lord had companions other than their established ones. For example what would happen if:
The First Doctor had Xena and Gabrielle as companions as well as Ian Chesterton, Barbara Wright and Susan
The Second Doctor had Karen Mackenzie (Michelle Lee) and Val Ewing (Joan Van Ark) (from Knots Landing) as well as Jamie and Zoe
The Third Doctor had Claire McCarron (Margaret Colin, Independence Day) and Willie Pipal (Frances McDormand, Fargo, then known as Fran) (from a short lived detective show called Legwork) as well as Sarah Jane Smith.
The Fourth Doctor had Fox Mulder, Dana Scully, John Doggett, Monica Reyes and Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) (Silence of the Lambs/Hannibal) as well as Romana (Lalla Ward) (and K9)
The Fifth Doctor had Lee Stetson (Bruce Boxleitner), Amanda King (Kate Jackson), Remington Steele (Pierce Brosnan) and Laura Holt (Stephanie Zimbalist) as well as Nyssa and Tegan Jovanka.
The Sixth Doctor had Peter Boyd (Trevor Eve), Grace Foley (Sue Johnston), Frankie Wharton (Holly Aird), Mel Silver (Claire Goose) and Spencer Jordan (Wil Johnson) (Waking The Dead) as well as Melanie Bush
The Seventh Doctor had Jarod, Miss Parker, Athena (Paris Jefferson) and Aphrodite (Alexandra Tydings) (Xena's version, with a touch from yours truly) as well as Ace and Professor Bernice Summerfield.
The Eighth Doctor had Buffy Summers, Willow Rosenberg, Prue, Piper and Phoebe Halliwell and Paige Matthews (I have a fixation about Prue still being alive!)
Well think no more, the next series of stories will provide at least my answer to what might have happened. The characters(and some of the stories) do not belong to me, they belong to other people. I am borrowing them for my, and, hopefully others, entertainment and I will not be making any profit from their usage. I apologise if I offend anyone in anyway.
Footnote
This may seem a strange set of stories. However there is a sort of a link which involves the Doctor enduring a third, and possible more devastating, trial (The War Games, Trial Of A Time Lord being the first two). At stake - his very life. However, that's for later. There is also some Slash involved (Female/Female - I can't stomach Male/Male)
but it wont be graphic, just a bit slushy. Sorry!!
1. Knots Landing was an American Soap which lasted for about fourteen years. It was a spin off of Dallas. Gary Ewing (Val's off and on Husband) was a member of the Ewing clan, JR, Bobby, who were oil tycoons. Mack Mackenzie (Karen's husband) was a crusading lawyer who entered the series after the third season. She was known as Karen Fairgate. Val and Karen are very close friends (which is why I chose them for this). However there is a slight role reversal here, Val tended to be the more 'romantic' (she was a best selling author) whereas, Karen was more practical. I will balance things out as time goes on.
2. Legwork was a very short lived American Television show of the 1980's which involved Claire McCarron, a Private Investigator who was always looking for the 'big job'. She drove a Porsche that she couldn't afford and got involved in the more serious natured cases (AIDS popped up in an episode). Willie Pipal, that was her name, was a DA who helped Claire now and then. Claire also had a brother called Fred.
3. Waking The Dead is probably my biggest gamble. It's a British Television Show which deals with the investigation of 'Cold Cases', cases that have gone unsolved after a certain amount of time. The main characters are a Superintendent, Peter Boyd, a Sergeant, Spencer Jordan who is coloured, but that is not relevant, an energetic Female Detective Constable (recently promoted to Sergeant) called Amelia Silver (Mel for short), A Pathologist, Frankie Wharton, who tends the mainstay of the investigation team. Without her Boyd would not have solved half his cases and a Psycho-Analyst for want of a better term called Grace Foley. Most of the stories I'm planning is going to be dealing with the investigation of murders.
I hoped that helped
DOCTOR WHO/LEGWORK
Featuring The Third Doctor, Sarah Jane Smith, Claire McCarron, Willie Pipal
1:01 - Shadow
Willie Pipal had just quit her job. She had to. Fifteen years of trying to both prosecute and then defend scumbags was starting to get to her. What triggered this decision was the Salazar case. Kevin Salazar was a Neo-Nazi thug who terrorised the non-American faction of Chicago for five years. He had been charged with killing a black charity worker and his family, and Willie, as a public defender, had caught the case. She managed to get him off by convincing the jury that Salazar had an alibi. He claimed, and could prove, that he was with his girlfriend and her mother. Not long after the case, Claire McCarron, Willie's best friend and a private investigator, found out that Salazar's girlfriend was a habitual liar with very strong Neo-Nazi leanings. She had lied for Salazar and others like him before. Willie wanted to be sick, when she heard that, and that feeling became worse when Salazar was shot dead by police after attempting to fire bomb the home of a Jewish Industrialist. The next morning, Willie Pipal quit her job after a blazing row with her boss. She drove around for a bit, trying to figure out what she was going to do. For the last ten minutes she was parked outside Claire's office block trying to get the nerve to go and see her and ask her for a job.
"Willie?"
Claire McCarron poked her head through the window. She then moved to the other side of the car and climbed into the Passenger seat.
"What are you doing here?"
"I've quit, Claire," Willow said.
"You're kidding," Claire said.
"I've had enough," Willie said "I want out."
"Come on," Claire said "Let's get you a drink."
Willie looked at her friend and nodded. They got out of the car and headed towards the building. Claire produced a pass and showed it to the Security Guard.
"I need a pass for Miss Pipal," Claire said.
"Sure," The Guard said "But, surely she doesn't need one. Not a Public Defender."
"Trust me," Claire said "She'll need one. She's quit the PD office."
"The Salazar case," The Guard said, knowingly "Don't worry, Miss Pipal, I probably would have quit as well, knowing that I was responsible for getting that little shit off."
Willie closed her eyes to hold back the tears.
"Thanks Bob," Claire said, sarcastically
Claire held Willie whilst the Security guard made up the pass. Once he was finished, the two women headed for the lift.
Claire's Office
Willie watched Claire unlock her office door and pick up her mail. She was even day-dreaming when Claire handed her a coffee five minutes later and sat her down.
"What happened?"
"I couldn't take any more," Willie said "There are too many scum-bags like Salazar around."
"So you got him off, so what," Claire said "You were doing your job. You didn't know he was scum. But, you didn't have to know, that wasn't your job. Your job was to get him off."
"Two more people died because I was too damned good at my job," Willie said "Those people needn't have died. Nobody else will die because of me."
"What about all good people you've saved?"
"What good people?" Willie returned "All I've done is find more elaborate ways to get guilty people off. Get somebody guilty off, send for Willie Pipal, she'll get the job done. That's not what I went into law for."
Claire put her arms around Willie's shoulders and watched her sip her coffee.
"Okay, what now?" She asked.
"Remember that we joked about me quitting the PD's office and us going into partnership together."
Claire nodded. She knew what was coming.
"Well I've done joking, I want to set up that partnership with you."
"I'm not sure that I can," Claire said.
Claire held her best friend closer so as to soften the blow.
"Business is slow," Claire continued "The Clients are not coming in as I would like."
Willie broke free.
"What about the Petrie case?" Willie protested "You were thinking of setting up a private task-force for that one."
"Petrie's daughter came back last night," Claire said "I was going to call and tell you that this morning. She had gone to Vegas on a bender."
Willie chuckled despite herself. She had suggested that as a possibility. Claire took Willie's hands.
"Why don't you set up your own law practice?" Claire suggested.
Willie snatched her hands away.
"If you're saying no, then say no."
Claire firmly retook Willie's hands.
"I'm not saying no," Claire said "I'm just warning you that things could be tough and I may be too busy trying to secure work to teach you the basics of PI work.
"I could shadow you and pick it up by observation," Willie suggested.
Claire smiled. She grasped Willie's hands tighter.
"Tell you what," Claire said "I have a couple of clients I have to do work for. Cheating husbands, repossession jobs, that type of thing. Shadow me for today, watch how I do it. If you feel that you can do it, then we'll begin proper training next week."
Willie nodded her agreement. It seemed to be a fair compromise.
"Then finish your coffee and let's get started," Claire said.
Willie lifted the cup to her lips and began drinking.
Three Hours Later
Willie began to wish that she hadn't asked for a job. She sat in Claire's car watching Claire taking photographs of a man in his mid forties. They had followed him from his home on the east side of Chicago to a Health Club in the affluent area of the city. Both Claire and Willie went into the club and Willie watched Claire sweet talk the male receptionist into giving her the targets interests in the club.
"How can you do that?" Willie asked.
"Fifteen years on the job," Claire said "And the ability to charm the pants off any man."
Willie smiled at the thought. They went into a bar and bought a fruit juice. They went through the man's interests, whilst watching the man himself, with a certain amount of interest. He used the club for not only romantic trysts, with all sorts of girls, that his wife suspected he was having, but for very interesting meetings as well. They watched the man get up to greet two Arab looking gentlemen.
"I wonder what that's all about?" Willie asked.
Claire shrugged.
"Not my concern."
Willie looked at Claire in astonishment.
"I'm not being paid to investigate the business dealings of Robert Hunt," Claire said "His wife only wants to know if he's having an affair."
"Come on, Claire, you must be curious."
"Curious, yes," Claire admitted "But, I'm running a business. The wife is paying my wages."
"That's cynical."
Claire shrugged.
"That's what you want to join," She said.
Two hours and five fruit juices later, Claire and Willie saw the three men joined by three
women wearing next to nothing. The six of them got up and left the bar. Claire and Willie got up and followed. Now, an hour later, Claire and Willie sat in Claire's car watching a building where it was obvious Mr Hunt, his friends and the three women were having an orgy. Claire had taken several photographs of the group entering the building as more evidence for the wife to present in the divorce hearings, which both Claire and Willie were convinced would soon follow. Now they were waiting for further developments and expecting to be waiting for some time. Claire opened a flask, poured out some coffee into a mug and handed the mug to Willie. Willie gratefully accepted it and warmed her hands on the mug before beginning to drink.
"Well," Claire finally asked "What do you think of PI work?"
"I have a new insight of how you guys work," Willie admitted "But, have you put me off? Not yet."
Claire smiled. At least Willie had passed the first test. At that moment Hunt came out of the building and rushed to his car.
"That was quick," Willie said.
"Too quick," Claire said.
Hunt started his car up, at the same time Claire started her car up and threw what was left of her mug of coffee out the window. Hunt's car moved off.
"Here we go."
Claire started up the car and followed.
"I wonder where's he's going in such a hurry?" Willie asked.
"I don't know," Claire said.
She quickly had to swerve down another road to keep Hunt in sight.
"But, wherever he's going, he's certainly in a race to get there."
Willie held on mentally. This was going to be a long day.
Thirty Minutes Later
They had stopped outside a warehouse within the port of Chicago. They watched Hunt get out of the car and head inside the warehouse.
"Okay," Willie said "What do we do?"
Claire looked at the warehouse thoughtfully. There was definitely something going on there and despite everything she told Willie, her curiosity was piqued.
"I'm going to have a look," Claire finally decided.
"What happened to 'it's none of my concern'?"
"So I'm too curious, sue me."
Willie smiled.
"So am I, so we're both going to have a look," She said.
Claire looked at Willie.
"How am I supposed to shadow you if you leave me out when the going gets tough?"
Claire nodded.
"You do everything I say," Claire said "If I tell you to leave me, you run like hell."
Willie nodded her agreement. The two of them got out of the car and making sure that the armed guards patrolling outside the warehouse didn't see them, Claire and Willie entered the Warehouse. They found a hiding place and witnessed Hunt in conversation with a man wearing a military uniform. It looked like a General's uniform but neither Willie nor Claire could be sure. The uniform was definitely foreign. They saw a Rocket launcher being produced and given to a Sergeant. The Sergeant loaded the Rocket Launcher and aimed at a metallic target which had been wheeled out. Both Willie and Claire felt their ear drums almost shatter as the Sergeant blew up the target.
"What the hell is going on here?" Willie asked.
"An illegal arms deal," Claire said "It has to be."
Willie held her breath. She and Claire had walked into a political hornets nest. They watched a team put out the resultant fire and saw Hunt receive a suitcase which he opened. They saw him take out a wad of money and flick through it. It was definitely an arms deal.
"What do we do?" Willie whispered.
"Get out of here and get the Feds," Claire said.
"Yeah!" Willie agreed.
Both women started to back out of their hiding place, only to find themselves facing soldiers brandishing weapons.
"Hands on your heads," The lead Soldier, a Corporal, said.
Willie and Claire looked at each other, then at the weapons. They saw the Corporal threaten them again and then placed their hands on their heads. The two soldiers with the Corporal searched them. The men produced wallets and handed them to the Corporal, who looked at them.
"They're clean," One of the Soldiers said.
The Corporal looked at their identification.
"Claire McCarron, Private Investigator and," The Corporal looked at Willie's ID "Willie Pipal, a Public Defender. I wonder what you're doing here."
"Sight Seeing," Claire said.
"Really."
The Corporal slapped Claire.
"What about you Miss Pipal?" The Corporal said "You Sight Seeing as well?"
Willie looked at Claire who now had a bleeding lip, which she was not being allowed to attend to.
"Mr Hunt's wife hired us to follow him," She said "She thought he was having an affair."
The Corporal thought about that for a moment and then slapped Willie around the face, causing her to fall into Claire's arms.
"It's the truth," Claire protested.
"Maybe," The Corporal said "I still think you're CIA."
Both Willie and Claire had their arms forced behind them. They felt themselves being tied up with wire.
"Maybe we should have a word with Mr Hunt."
Both Willie and Claire were nudged forward into the clearing where the General and Hunt were still conducting business. They stopped to look at the two women being forced forward.
" I found these two snooping around," The Corporal said "They claimed to be following our Mr Hunt here."
The General looked at Hunt, who shrugged.
"It's possible," Hunt said "My wife has a suspicious nature. Maybe she did hire a Private Investigator."
The General shook his head and glared at Hunt. He gestured for Claire and Willie to be forced to their knees. They were both forced down with weapons in their back. They looked at each other and realised that they were in serious trouble. The General took their ID from the Corporal and looked at them.
"Who sent you, Miss McCarron?"
"His wife hired me to find out if he was cheating on her," Claire said.
"And you Miss Pipal, what interest does the Public Defenders office have in tracking down cheating husbands?"
"None."
"So why are you here?"
"Willie is my partner," Claire said "Or soon will be. She was shadowing me to see how I do things."
"Is this true?" The General asked Willie.
"Yes."
"So you no longer work for the Public Defenders Office."
"That's true."
The General took out a mobile and opened it up. He tapped out a number.
"Can I speak to a Miss Pipal?" The General said.
He listened carefully.
"When did she quit?" He asked.
The General looked at Willie as he heard the answer.
"Thank you for your help."
He shut the phone and regarded Willie for a moment.
"It seems that you are a woman of principles, Miss Pipal," The General said "Bad news for both you and your new partner and for Mr Hunt here."
"Why?" Hunt said.
"Your nocturnal habits have made you a liability," the General said.
He took out a gun and shot him twice, once in the heart and once in the head. Willie and Claire saw the shocked look on Hunt's face as he crashed to the ground.
"Lose that piece of trash," The General said.
Hunt's body was dragged out by two soldiers.
"Take these two to the boat."
Claire and Willie were forced to their feet.
"What are you going to do with us?" Claire asked.
"You've seen too much," The General said "I can't let you live to tell the CIA or the FBI. However, my men haven't had much fun in some time...."
A commotion forced them all to turn around. The two soldiers trying to deal with Hunt's body were flat on their backs. A tall man with a shock of white hair and a long Edwardian coat strode forward majestically. Behind him was a smaller woman wearing a trouser suit.
"And I cannot let you kill or have fun with Miss McCarron and Miss Pipal," The Third Doctor said "The danger to the time-line would be too great."
"Who the hell are you?"
"I'm known as The Doctor or Doctor John Smith if you like."
"Kill them," The General said.
"Sarah, get Miss McCarron and Miss Pipal and get them to the Tardis," The Doctor said.
Sarah Jane Smith was about to protest when she saw the Doctor deal with the first attacker with excellent judo technique. She ran towards Claire and Willie but came face to face with the General's gun. Claire kicked the gun out of the General's hand. Sarah followed up with a right cross.
"Run!" Sarah said.
Before the General and his stunned staff could recover, Sarah, Claire and Willie and finally the Doctor were running out of the Warehouse.
"Get them," The General said.
Outside the Warehouse
"Head for the Tardis," The Doctor shouted.
Sarah pushed Claire and Willie towards the blue police box standing on the jetty. Two shots whizzed past them causing them to zig-zag to avoid them. The Doctor in the meantime dealt with two more attackers, throwing one of them in the river. Then he came face to face with the General.
"You, sir, are a disgrace to that uniform," The Doctor said.
"You know the uniform," The General asked.
"I have met many people who have worn that uniform, I've even had the privilege of fighting alongside your noble army."
The General launched himself at the Doctor and was easily brushed aside.
"Your predecessor would have done a better job than that," The Doctor said
"Doctor!" Sarah shouted "Come on."
The Doctor could see that Sarah, Claire and Willie had reached the Tardis and was about to go in. He saw the General's attack just in time and knocked him cold with a Venusian Karate blow. He started running towards the Tardis, dodging bullets as they rained in on him. The Doctor reached the Tardis and managed to get in before anybody could reach him.
He shut the door hurriedly and activated the time machine.
"Doctor, we can't take Claire and Willie with us," Sarah said.
The Doctor smiled at Claire and Willie, who were looking at his ship with wide, shocked eyes.
"Don't worry, Sarah," The Doctor said "I only plan to take Miss McCarron and Miss Pipal home."
"Excuse me," Claire said "Who are you? What the hell is going on here?"
"I'm the Doctor, this is Sarah Jane Smith."
The Doctor noticed that Willie's and Claire's hands were still tied.
"Come on Sarah, we can be a little more hospitable than this."
Sarah saw The Doctor untie Willie and went about untying Claire. Claire and Willie rubbed their hands and wrists.
"Are you okay?" Sarah asked.
"Just about," Willie said.
"I still want to know what's going on?" Claire said "Where are we?"
"You are on board my Tardis and I'm taking you home," The Doctor answered.
"Have you informed the authorities about the General and his friends?" Willie asked.
"Already done," Sarah said "They should be rounding them up as we speak."
"Then if it's all the same to you, we'd better leave to go and make our statements." Claire said
"Of course," The Doctor said "That's why I'm taking you home."
"In this?"
"Of course, it's a space/time craft," The Doctor said "We can be there a minute ago."
Both Willie and Claire looked at the Doctor with suspicion. The Doctor smiled and went to the console to re-set the coordinates.
"Your office, Miss McCarron, or your home."
"Office," Claire said.
"Your wish is my...."
"Doctor?" Sarah asked.
The Doctor scratched his head in bewilderment.
"Doctor Smith," Willie said "What's wrong?"
"I think you'd better call me Doctor," The Doctor smiled sheepishly "It seems that we're going to be together for a little longer."
"Doctor," Claire said "What do you mean?"
"We've been hijacked," The Doctor said "We're no longer on Earth."
"You're joking," Sarah said.
"I wish I was," The Doctor said "However, according to the databank we're heading for the Hyperion Cluster."
"Where?" Claire asked, incredulously.
Claire and Willie looked at Sarah who shrugged. Her face told them everything. She was as surprised as the Doctor. The Doctor tried to reset the coordinates but found that they were fixed.
"It has to be the Celestial Intervention Agency," The Doctor said "Damn them! Why can't they leave me alone?"
Willie smiled sheepishly at Claire.
"It seems," Willie said "That I'll be shadowing you for a lot longer than a day."
Claire was lost for words. She shook her head. The Doctor noticed their anguish and took Sarah aside.
"Sarah, take Miss McCarron and Miss Pipal and find them a room. I think you should find one yourself," The Doctor said "We could be together for a long time."
Sarah guided Willie and Claire out leaving the Doctor scratching his head wondering what the CIA wanted of him now.
The End of Shadow