The mood aboard the Tardis was cheerful and light hearted. The Doctor was happily piloting the ship as he listened to Rose and Peter chat and joke. There was soon a bit of a judder indicating that the Tardis had landed, though where and when was yet unknown.
"So where are we?" Rose asked, enjoying the moment she could step out onto a new world or time.
"Oh, an old place, Peter can you just go outside and check we've parked aright?" The Doctor asked. Peter gave a confused and suspicious look at being asked about the Tardis's parking as he left through the door. What he saw on the other side, however, took his breath away. The Tardis had landed in a large open marble temple, much like those seen in Greece, but unlike Greece the sky was burnt orange in the evening light with two suns at either side of the horizon, lighting up the old but elegant and cultured buildings below. In the far distance he could just make out a large mansion on a hill that lay at the beginnings of lush green countryside. Trying to savour and take in the new but strangely familiar landscape, Peter found himself leaning against a carved pillar just besides the steps leading down to the city. The air was warm and calm as he found himself closing his eyes and taking in the scents and noises of the planet.
"Vegeta, home world of the Saiyans, cultured, ancient and a nice climate too" The Doctor said as he and Rose stepped out of the Tardis behind him.
"It's beautiful, hot though" Rose added, taking off her jacket, as they walked up to Peter.
"It's so familiar, like I've dreamt of it or, know it" He managed to say, not taking his gaze off the sight.
"Well, you probably do, might all start coming back" The Doctor said.
"Yeah, I hope they do" Peter replied with a small smile. He then looked as if he'd realised something. "My parents, they'll be down there" He said rapidly, turning to face the Doctor and Rose for a moment before he started down the stairs.
"Hold on, you have no idea where to look, let us help" The Doctor told him as Rose smiled in agreement. Peter stopped and turned back to face them before smiling as they all headed down together.
Within the mansion on the hill visible from the temple the Tardis had landed in, a middle aged couple were sitting in one of lavishly decorated drawing rooms. Both peacefully reading the women, who had deep brown eyes and hazelnut hair, suddenly shuddered, gasped and tensed.
"What is it? Catherine?" The man, who was well build with greying black hair and grey eyes, asked in concern. The woman set down her book and stood up placing a hand on her stomach as if she was feeling something.
"Don't you feel that, there's a shift in the air, something new has arrived" She said deeply. The man seemed to pick up on what she was feeling to.
"Something familiar too" He whispered. Catherine turned to him hopefully.
"What if it's him? Alexander?" She asked. Alexander didn't reply, though she could tell he was thinking the same thing as she was. Alexander stood and left the room to organise his men.
Peter had never felt so familiar and such a stranger at the same time as he, Rose and the Doctor walked through a cobbled square. The Saiyans, all different in appearance but with the same tanned skin and healthy completion, were all stealing glances and whispering as they saw the three of them walk past.
"I take it they're not use to strangers" Rose whispered as they walked. She guessed it was due to their clothing as most of the Sayain man were wearing light but tailored shirts and buckled jackets and vest with practical trousers and boots whilst the women were in knee length dresses suited to the climate.
"Where do you think we can ask for addresses?" Peter asked, his mind focusing on finding his parents than worrying about the attention they were receiving. The Doctor shared this behaviour and seemed more interested in exploring the new world than worried about the stares and whispers.
"Why don't you ask? Your a Sayain after all, try them" He told Peter indicating a group of men all carrying small handguns and wearing identical silver chest plates with a line of blue running around the edge walking towards them.
"Who are they? Police?" Peter replied, nervous at approaching them.
"I don't know, never been here before, but you've got the right to ask" He encouraged. As the men approached, like all the others staring at the three strangers, Peter cleared his throat.
"You couldn't tell us, were the Argent family live could you?" He asked nervously. The men seemed to look at them as if the answer was obvious.
"Your not asking seriously are you?" One of the men, a tall middle aged and senior looking man with grey hair, asked walking forward of the group.
"I've been off planet for a while and, er, need to see them" Peter replied more confidently as he saw the men glance over their more human clothing.
"For what purpose?" The man asked again. Peter, paused confused at the serious tone and was about to reply when one of the other men, this one Peter's age with brown hair and golden eyes, whispered something into the lead man's ears.
"Sir look at him, you heard what the General said and he looks just like him" Peter heard him whisper.
"Yes, I see it now" The lead man whispered back after a moment, whilst studying Peter's face. "What's your name, sir?" The man then asked Peter more politely.
"Peter Argent" Peter replied, unsure of the significance. At once he saw a shift in the men's mood. They had gone from the blank, slightly bored faces of most people's at work to interested, respecting and alert.
"If you and your, companions would like to follow us sir, we will escort you to the Argent's home" The man stated with a slight bow of the neck as he indicated the direction he and the other men had been walking from. Nervously Peter, Rose and the Doctor, feeling they didn't have much choice , were led through the street by the men.
As if they wished to avoid public view the men lead them through the winding streets and paths, heading further away from the city.
"What's going on?" Rose managed to gain enough confidence to ask the lead man. He didn't answer her which strangely made Peter feel angry. It was as if he and the rest of the men were ignorant of the Rose and the Doctor.
"She asked you a question" He told the man, surprised at how much authority came out in his tone. The man turned to face him.
"We are under orders, sir, to escort anyone with your name, and apologies to the lady" He said, with a glance at Rose. Coming out of a street they came to a much quieter and greener square that seemed to be the beginnings of Vegeta's countryside. "There is our destination sir" The man said indicating the huge mansion that sat on a tall hill, facing the city. "Ascroft" The man added to the younger man with the sharp golden eyes, who nodded. In the blink of an eye he'd changed into a large brown hawk and taken flight in the direction of the mansion.
Reaching the curved and elegant looking gates the lead man turned to his men. "Carry on as you were" He ordered them. The other men bowed and left back towards the town as an elderly groundsman on the other side opened the gates for them. "Thank you Colin" The man thanked the groundsman, who gave a wrinkled smile as he locked the gates after them before walking back towards the extensive gardens.
"I still don't understand, this is...?" Peter asked as they walked up the sloping path towards the mansion.
"The Argent residence sir" The man said.
"This must be a mistake, it can't..." Peter tried to say.
"There is no other Argent family, sir" The man said proudly as he knocked on the large wooden doors. The doors were opened by a chubby and grey hair but serious looking middle aged man, dressed in butlers livery, who, with a nod, led them in. They found themselves in a large and tall entrance hall with open lounges and dining rooms to the sides and a large marble staircase in the centre leading to a set of large twin doors.
"Oh, looks almost Georgian style, funny how things are copied across the universe, well look as us three I suppose all different but look the same" The Doctor said as he happily looked around, beaming with interest.
"The General and Generaless wishes to see you alone in the study before they come and see them" The butler told the man quietly. Nodding the man turned to face the Doctor, Rose and Peter.
"If you would wait here?" He asked them before he followed the butler up the stairs and out of sight.
"What do your parent's do?" Rose whispered to Peter, who could only shrug as he observed the rich surroundings. It was then that he spotted a number of framed photographs on a nearby table. Going over to them he picked one up. It was of a woman with hazel hair holding a baby. Then Peter noticed that there was a small dent in the top corner of the frame. Subconsciously he ran his fingers of the side of his forehead which had a small grove.
"Peter?" Rose asked, bringing him out his thoughts slightly.
"This frame use to be on a narrower table," He said, not quite knowing where he was getting the information from. "I ran straight into it once and the frame fell right on my head" He added with a small smile before realising what he'd remembered and stood still for a moment.
"Your remembering things?" The Doctor asked softly.
"Yeah, guess I am" Peter replied.
"There are very few people who remember that incident" A gruff unfamiliar voice made them all jump and turn back to the staircase where a well built man with greying black hair was stood halfway up. He was looking right at Peter with a contained expression of mixed emotions. "I didn't dare believe it, not when I felt it, not even when Ascroft came in and told us" He added as he came down to them and approached Peter who'd frozen at the realisation of who this man might be. "But it is you, isn't it?" He said quietly. "Do you remember me?" He asked him as the Doctor and Rose watched from a distance.
"Dad?" Peter asked after a moment of straining his memory. "Course I do, dad!" He realised before his father pulled him into a hug.
"Oh my boy!" He said as he held onto him. It was then that Peter spotted the woman that had appeared at the top of the staircase. It was the same one from the photograph and someone he also remembered. His father also took note of the arrival.
"Catherine, this..." He began to say.
"You don't need to introduce him Alexander" She said as she hurried down the stairs as fast as she could in the high heels she was wearing. "Oh my darling boy!" She said as she took hold of her son.
Alexander then noticed the Doctor and Rose.
"Oh, this is the Doctor and Rose, friends of mine" Peter quickly introduced.
"They helped you get here?" Alexander asked before Peter nodded. "Then they are most welcome here and have our undying gratitude" Alexander told them both as he shook their hands.
"There is one more person you need to meet," Catherine then said to Peter. "Then we can explain everything" She added a little more solemnly.