"It this the right place?" asked Sophie.
"Of course!" said the Doctor.
"That's what you said last time."
"You can look at the scanner if you'd like, my child," said the Doctor, gesturing to the scanner. Sophie studied the scanner intently, then sighed.
"Yeah, I guess you're right," she said.
"Bye Sophie," said Susan.
"Bye," said Sophie, giving her friend a hug, then going to Barbara and Ian. "Bye," she said, hugging them.
"Goodbye Sophie," said Barbara, hugging her back. Sophie went over to the Doctor and hugged him, despite all the bluster he put up.
"I'll miss you too," sighed Sophie, smirking at the old man. The Doctor smiled at her and patted her on the head.
"Be safe, and don't do anything silly."
"When have I ever done anything like that?" asked Sophie. She paused, then narrowed her eyes and looked around the room. "Don't answer that." Susan grinned at her as Sophie stepped outside, waving as she went.
The Doctor switched the doors shut, and straightened his coat. There was a long silence.
"Well, no point in waiting around, hm?" he asked, turning his attention to the console. "We should-"
A frantic knocking was heard at the door. Susan switched it open and Sophie ran in, white-faced.
"Guys!" she said, her voice going up in pitch. "Something's wrong!"
"What is it, hm?" asked the Doctor.
"Oh, um, it's…" Sophie waved her hands around and finally grabbed the Doctor's hand, pulling him out. Barbara, Ian, and Susan exchanged glances and followed her out.
"What's the matter?" asked Susan.
"Look at the school," said Sophie.
"Yes?"
"See the statue in front?"
"What statue?" asked Ian.
"Exactly!" said Sophie. "Don't you see? There's supposed to be a memorial to Martin Luther King Jr. there, but it's gone!"
"Who?" asked Barbara.
"Oh, um, he was a civil rights leader," said Sophie. "It would have been going on during your time. Maybe you heard of the Montgomery Bus Boycott?"
"I remember reading about it in the newspaper," said Ian.
"Sophie?" asked Susan.
"Yeah?" asked Sophie.
"Maybe this is the wrong school," said Susan, pointing to the sign in front of the building. "You went to Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School correct?"
"So?"
"This is Ormond High School."
"What?" asked Sophie.
"Well, that explains it," said Ian.
"It can't be! See," said Sophie, pointing across the street, "there's the coffee shop, and there's the library. It even has the letters missing from the sign so it says 'Stinker Library' instead of 'Stein Keller Library'! This has to be my school!"
Just then, a small, African-American girl with huge, thick glasses ran by them, accidentally bumping into Sophie.
"Hey, watch it!" said Sophie. The girl turned and stared straight at Sophie, then paled.
"Oh!" she said, aghast. "I'm so sorry!" She pulled out a backpack, one battered and falling apart, and pulled out a ten dollar bill. "Here's my money, with a little extra for bumping into you," she said, cowering and trying to back away. "Please don't hurt me."
"Kelse?" asked Sophie, baffled. "What are you doing?"
"I'm sorry, I forgot!" she reached back into her backpack and pulled out a sheet of paper, holding it out. "Your math homework, your ladyship."
"Uh…" Sophie said. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine!" yelped the girl. "Perfectly fine! Please, the answers are all correct, don't hit me."
"Why would I do that?" asked Sophie, looking at her companions, who were about as confused as she was. "Kelsey, did you get hit on the head or something? I've never asked you to do anything like that for me!"
"Yes you have, your ladyship," said Kelsey. "You have me do it everyday, not that mind!" She said the last part frantically.
"Stop calling me 'your ladyship',' said Sophie. "It's weird. I'm your best friend, not your slave driver!" Kelsey stared at her like she'd grown a second head.
"Sophie!" said a voice. Everyone wheeled around to see two African-American boys running towards them.
"Mike!" said Sophie, waving at them. "Great to see you!"
"Hey," said one of the boys, "you're still you!"
"What?" asked Sophie.
"Well, Ayumu's a maid who can't speak a lick of English, and Carl, Neville, and Hannah are all racist!"
"Not to mention Kelsey," said Sophie. "She's acting like she's my servant, instead of my friend!" She gestured to Kelsey, who looked like she wished she could disappear.
"Who are you, young man?" asked the Doctor.
"Who're you?" asked Mike.
"Mike, this is the Doctor, Ian, Barbara, and Susan. Guys, this is Mike, and… who are you?"
"Sophie," said Mike, grinning as he put a hand on the new boy's shoulder, "this is Martin Luther King Junior!"
"Say what now?" asked Sophie. Susan covered her mouth with her hands and the Doctor stared at Mike and Martin, shock written in every line of his face. Ian and Barbara simply looked befuddled and Kelsey looked at Mike as if he was nuts.
"I went back in time, so I could bring him here and show him everything he did!" said Mike. "Am I a genius or what?"
"You what?" asked Susan, aghast.
"Great, isn't it?"
"Great?" scoffed the Doctor, throwing his hands into the air. "Oh no, it's positively wonderful! You only took the most influential civil rights leader of the 20th century out of his timeline, before he could do anything about the state of the country! Congratulations, my dear boy! You've managed to wreck your future, the future of your friends, and any chance Hispanics, Asians, African-Americans, and any other person of a race other than Caucasian may have at living in equality!"
"Oh…" said Mike, deflating at the Doctor's speech. "When you put it that way… but, do I have to? I mean, after all…" Mike jerked his head towards Martin and subtly made a gun with his hand. The Doctor sighed and placed a hand on Mike's shoulder
"I'm sorry, my dear child, but some things just have to happen."
Mike sullenly nodded.
"Come on Martin," he said. "You've got to go back now."
"Hey, if I can make this," said Martin, gesturing to everything, "a better place, I don't care what happens to me." Mike took Martin by the shoulders and steered him back the way they came.
"Quick," said the Doctor. "Back into the TARDIS. I'm not sure how the universe reverting will affect us!"
"Oop!" said Sophie as everyone ran off. "Bye Kelsey!" She gave the befuddled African-American a hug, then handed back the money and homework and ran after the others
"I'm in!" said Sophie. The doors closed and not five seconds later, a massive tremor shook the TARDIS.
"Well?" asked Ian once the TARDIS stablized.
"We're safe," said Susan. "And the timeline is restored! But…"
"What?" asked Barbara, fearing the worse.
"The collision with the temporal shockwave knocked us into the Time Vortex!
"Is that bad?"
"Bad for Sophie," said Susan. "We'll have to try and go back again!"
"Eh," said Sophie, shrugging, "I didn't like that reality anyway. I'd rather stay with you guys than live in a world full of racist jackwagons."
"Yes," said the Doctor, straightening his jacket. "Yes, that wasn't a particularly welcoming reality, now was it? Martin Luther King Jr. did a lot of things for your country, as you can see."
"Yeah," said Sophie. "I'll make sure to never forget Martin."
Bloody: In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Born Michael King Jr., January 15 1929, died April 4 1968. May he rest in peace.Happy MLKJ Day.
Unicorn Plushie: Bloody doesn't own Doctor Who. And don't forget him either folks. Peace.