Summary: It seems that interfering is a genetic trait, as the Doctor is soon to learn.
Disclaimer: Doctor Who © BBC
Warnings: cursing: "shit", "bullocks", and "arse" :D
N'joy.
Not for the first time, he wondered why he even tried to explain the concept of time to his companions. The delicate nature of the Web of Time couldn't be appreciated by such a primitive brain. To that point, Donna was currently staring at him like he was an odd species of fish.
Come to think of it, Sarah Jane had often done that as well. It was that 'you aren't really going to try and explain this again' look. And yet, he always wanted them to understand, to appreciate how delicate time travel was, and how horribly things could go with just a bit too much interference in history. Paradoxes, Reapers, irreparable damage… they were all possibilities when one travelled in time.
And he could see that Donna had no interest whatsoever. Her eyes were glazed slightly, and she was looking around, as if they hadn't seen Cardiff in such a long time. He thought that Donna fancied Jack a bit. And why not? She would be the only woman in the universe that could shut him up. Or was that the other way around?
The Doctor stared at Donna a moment, wondering when it was going to occur to her that he'd stopped talking. It wasn't that he didn't know his companions blocked his rambling out, but it was interesting when they got caught at it. Donna was never apologetic like Martha, and Jack just turned everything he said into some twisted sexual innuendo. Then again, Rose had always listened, tongue poked between her teeth, as if she wanted to laugh at him, but didn't.
He just so happened to turn his head at exactly the right moment. Or the wrong moment, depends on how you look at it. He only had a moment to appreciate the flame decorated Chucks that were carrying a roughly 17 year old male body before it slammed into him at top speed. Not accustomed to being the one bowled over, he went down with an "oof!"
Really, from the ground, one got the most distinct impression of the world. Donna looked like a giant! And really, why did she always wear purple? Was that like her color? Purple and ginger… eh, it could be worse.
"Oh, crap. Sorry. Here let me help… well bullocks."
The kid grabbed his hand and hauled him upright. This time, the Doctor got a good look at the boy. He was wearing brown pinstriped trousers and a blue Sex Pistols tee shirt. The boy was tall, almost eye-to-eye with the Doctor. In the boy's hand was a sleek metal tool.
"Oh, no. No, no no no. Please tell me you aren't. D'you know who I am?"
The Doctor searched his mind for some sort of spark of recognition. There was a tickle at the base of his skull. Something was telling him that this boy was special, though he couldn't really put a finger on why.
"Nope."
"Shit."
Donna spoke up for the first time since the crash
"Language, young man."
"Sorry Aunt Donna."
The teen slapped his hand over his mouth and rolled his eyes. Aunt Donna?
"Who're you then? I don't have any siblings."
"I'm sorry. I should have kept my gob shut. This is my fault. No, this is your fault."
He pointed at the Doctor.
"My fault? How is this my fault?"
"This is paradox city, this is. You had better remember this and warn me later. Rassilon, millennia of life, and you're finally slipping, old man."
The tool in his hand bleeped. The boy pressed a button, and a bright orange light lit at the end of it. He held it up to his ear and walked in a circle around them. He cocked his head and looked at the Doctor, who was feeling self-conscious with this kid staring at him.
"What are you staring at?"
"You."
"Why?"
"You're just… you. You're so you."
The Doctor rolled his eyes.
"That was below even your pitiable human coherence."
"Oi! Human? You wound me."
Donna stepped between them.
"Not human, then?"
The kid grinned and poked his tongue between his teeth. That little tickle in the back of the Doctor's head flared up again. Something was familiar about that grin. Something was very familiar.
"Definitely not human, no. Sorry."
Donna shrugged.
"Eh, no big thing. I've been around Martian Man here for long enough, I get it now. Earth is tiny, and the universe is unfathomably big."
"Actually, it's not so hard to fathom. You humans have this concept of infinity, which in reality is not so big. Funny, that. The universe, however humble it may make you feel, isn't infinitely stretching. I would know. I've been to the end of it. Great little restaurant."
Donna laughed.
"You're a right Arthur Dent, you are."
The kid clicked his tongue and grinned.
"I try."
"Whot's your name then, sunshine?"
The boy looked at the Doctor.
"I'm… John."
And then, it clicked. And oh boy, did it click. That little voice, that one he wasn't used to hearing, that tickle of awareness at the base of his skull… it all made sense. And then it didn't. Because it wasn't possible.
That tickle, that sensation, it was the presence of another Time Lord. And now that he could feel this one, there were more. Not many, maybe three total, but they were there, oh… they were there. After so long without a whisper, save for the Master, the sheer possibility of it made him lightheaded. He looked at the boy, really looked this time.
Brown eyes sought hazel ones, and time stopped. Literally, it stopped. They were affecting local time, and everything halted in its place.
"Oh."
The boy looked nervous.
"Yeah, oh."
The tool bleeped again, more insistently.
"Is that your—"
"Built it myself."
"Orange?"
"Better than pink."
Pink?
"Sorry, that was too much. By Rassilon this is frustrating."
The orange light flashed again, on and off, on and off. The boy looked down at it. Around them, a wonderfully familiar breeze kicked up and the whirring of ancient engines could be heard close by. Donna was pointing to a blue police box that hadn't been on the street corner when they'd walked down it before. John grinned at him, tongue poking out again, and winked.
"That's my ride. Oh, I'm in—"
"Jonathan! Mum says to get your meddling arse in here right now or she's gonna jettison your entire record collection!"
The Doctor whirled around to see a girl leaning out of the door to the new TARDIS. She was beautiful, about fifteen with long blonde hair. From what he could see, she was wearing a bomber jacket like Ace used to, patches and all. She was a tiny fury standing there with her hand on her hip, pink converse tapping on the edge of the frame.
"Wonderful. Oh, this is just—"
"Mel! You're not helping any! John, get in here now."
Well, it wasn't every day you heard yourself yelling at your future children, now was it? John turned back around and smiled at them.
"I'll just be going now. See you soon! Bye Aunt Donna!"
The kid was a blur of legs and trainers as he sped towards the door, shoving his sister back in and slamming it shut. The whirring started again and soon, the second TARDIS disappeared. The Doctor stuck his hands in his pockets and grinned.
"What was that?"
He turned to Donna, who was staring at the vacated space with her mouth open.
"That, Donna Noble, was the future."
The Cyberleader had told him that emotions would destroy him, and yet, he still had one favorite.
Hope.
Although, hope only got so far, so he stared trying to explain the concept of a paradox to Donna again.
End Chapter 1! How exciting. Now go, review, yes, that's right.