# One
The window was open and Anji Kapoor was uncertain as to how she felt about it. On one hand, it was a sweltering day and all of the air conditioning in the building had contrived to break at the exact same time, sending everyone scuttling towards the windows in a vain attempt to tease in a bit of breeze. On the other hand, the sounds of the city were making it very hard to concentrate on her work. Anji was in the middle of a very important investment and was of half a mind to shut it, protestations of her coworkers be damned.
She stabbed at the keyboard idly, filtering out the traffic noises from below. Anji was feeling less productive than usual today, whether due to the heat or the fight she'd had with Greg last night or perhaps the fact that she'd been thinking about the Doctor lately, which was not something you did if you wanted to stay grounded in reality. Almost if as on cue, a familiar elephantine grating started up, just on the edge of her hearing. Anji sat bolt upright, stopping mid-calculation. "It can't be," she muttered to herself. "He's shown up in London before, yeah, but never anywhere remotely close to me."
"Anji?" One of her co-workers cast her curious glance. "What're you talking about?"
"Nothing!" Anji flashed him a smile. "Just thinking aloud." About how I refuse to let the Doctor drag me into whatever mess he's gotten himself into this time, she added mentally. The grating noise grew louder. Anji tried to ignore it, she really did, but what if the Doctor needed help -from someone practical, she might add- or what if the silly git had gone and landed the TARDIS in front of the parking lot entrance; she couldn't afford to wait 'till he moved, she had to pick Chloe up from school…
Anji stood up abruptly, crossing over to the window. It was the TARDIS, all right. Anji arrived just in time to see a tall, skinny man in a pinstriped suit step out, a young woman following. Anji couldn't believe it; he'd gone and changed his face again! She'd just gotten used to seeing that big-eared bloke on the news and how here was some fluffy-haired toothpick. Anji rolled her eyes and sighed, grinning slightly. Typical Doctor. She squinted down at his companion. Not the blonde girl she'd seen with him before.
The two of them were looking about, oblivious to their spy several floors above. The Doctor pointed at something and they set off down the street, laughing. Anji watched them go, feeling slightly off. Not nostalgic, no, but a little emptier than she'd been before. Maybe she'd hang about the TARDIS, wait for this new Doctor to come back, invite him over for a cup of tea.
"What are you looking at?" The same coworker had wandered over, peering out the window with interest.
"Oh, nothing," Anji lied. "I just thought I saw somebody I knew."
# Two
"-still, though, you on a scavenger hunt? I can't believe it!" Martha laughed, taking a lick of her ice cream cone. They'd stopped at a sweet shoppe after the Doctor had picked up his list and where now heading back to the TARDIS.
"What do you think I'm doing right now?" The Doctor sniffed, affronted. "And for your information, Martha Jones, I've done it in the past. I've come in first place loads of times. Well," he paused, scratched his cheek, "once or twice at least. Once. Maybe."
"Okay, okay! It just seems a little low-key for you, is all I'm saying." Martha teased. The Doctor shrugged.
"It's nice to take a break once in a while, isn't it?"
"Yeah." Martha sobered up. "No running around, no imminent destruction. Just you, me, London, alien artifacts…"
"Exactly." The Doctor agreed. "Anyway, I've got the first two locations figured out, still not sure about the third, but we'll-" He stopped dead, mouth open. Martha followed his gaze and felt her own eyes widen.
The TARDIS was gone.
"No no no no no!" The Doctor muttered as he jaywalked across the street, Martha jogging to keep up. "Once, just for once, I'd like to still have the TARDIS where I left it!"
"It generally is, Doctor," Martha pointed out. The Doctor glared at her. They'd reached the corner where the TARDIS had been and the Doctor was starting to look mildly upset. Martha noticed a piece of paper taped to a lamp-post and snagged his sleeve, pointing. The Doctor snatched it down. It was a note, printed with neat handwriting.
'Doctor, this is a no-parking zone! Honestly, you'd think you'd know by know you can't just land the TARDIS wherever you want in London. Anyways, I've had it towed to my house. Have your friend get you a cab; I'm not sure I'd trust you to do it.
-Anji'
There was an address beneath the signature. Martha looked up at the Doctor and raised an eyebrow. "Friend of yours?"
"Yes." The Doctor was in a much better mood now, having decided that the TARDIS was in safe hands. "Although…" He trailed off, pouting. "I can hail a taxi just as well as anybody."
Martha laughed, rolling her eyes. "Sure you can, Doctor."
# Three
There was a knock on the door. Anji looked up, putting her book aside. If it was the Doctor, he was hours later than she'd expected. Chloe and Greg had taken Jamais for a walk and she'd started a novel. Not one of her economic journals, mind, but an actual work of fiction. The knock came again. Anji uncurled her legs and stood up, crossing over to the front entrance and opening it.
"And what sort of time do you call this?" She quipped, grinning up at the slightly sheepish Doctor.
"It's called we're late because he got us kicked out of two taxis." His companion glared at him. "How do you even do that?"
"I was just pointing out shortcuts and offering to make improvements to their cars!" The Doctor protested. Anji stifled a laugh.
"I take it they didn't appreciate it very much. Come on in." She pulled the door open wider, letting the two inside. The Doctor looked around admiringly.
"Nice house. Where're Chloe and Greg?"
"Out walking the dog."
"Doctor, are you going to introduce us?" His companion cut in, looking slightly awkward.
"Oh! Yes, right. Sorry. Martha, this is Anji Kapoor, and old companion of mine. Anji, this is Martha Jones." He made expansive gestures towards each woman in turn. Anji leaned forward to shake Martha's hand.
"Nice to meet you. How'd you meet him, then?"
"Hospital on the moon. You?"
"Aliens abducted my boyfriend."
"Wow." Martha raised her eyebrows. Anji nodded.
"Yeah. You guys want some tea?"
"That'd be lovely, thank you." Martha smiled. Anji grinned back, motioning towards the kitchen.
"Follow me, then."
# Four
"So." Anji leaned forward, fingers wrapped around her mug of tea. They were sitting at the kitchen table, chatting comfortably. The Doctor had informed Anji of the scavenger hunt they were on, Anji had laid into him for all the recent alien invasions, Martha had told embarrassing stories about the Doctor that Anji had found tremendously entertaining. "How long has it been for you?"
"What do you mean?" The Doctor looked up from his cup. Anji met his brown eyes -brown, not blue, that was weird - unflinchingly.
"You know what I mean. How long has it been since you've seen me last?"
"Couple hundred years." The Doctor rubbed his neck awkwardly. Anji wanted to ask what he'd been doing for all that time, but something stopped her. There was hardness about him, she noticed, that her Doctor hadn't had.
"Mmm." She took a sip of tea. "I'm surprised you still remember me."
"Of course I do! I remember all of my companions."
"Don't I know it," Martha muttered softly. Anji looked at her curiously and she flushed, looking away. She turned back to the Doctor.
"Speaking of, you remember Trix, right?"
"How could I not?" The Doctor said wearily.
"Well, she showed up on my doorstep about two years ago and has been hanging out here ever since. She works for UNIT, y'know."
"Does she now? That's a rather more honest occupation than I expected."
"Doctor, that's mean." Anji narrowed her eyes at him and he looked suitably shamefaced.
"Sorry. I didn't really mean that."
"Good." Anji sniffed, raising the mug to her lips. "She's my best friend and I won't have you bad-mouthing her."
"Sorry," the Doctor repeated, looking awkwardly into his tea as if it would bless him with better manners.
"Moving on. Hey, whatever happened to Fitz? Trix said they broke up, that he'd decided to stay with you."
The Doctor looked up sharply at the mention of Fitz's name, causing a bit of tea to splash on the table. Anji blinked at the sudden tension in the air and looked at Martha, who shrugged, looking as puzzled as she felt. She watched him visibly force himself to relax. "Fitz is fine. I dropped him off in 2013, so you still have a bit until you catch up to him." The Doctor smiled- rather unconvincingly, in Anji's opinion. Then, having just noticed the spill, he started apologizing profusely. "Ah, I'm sorry, I'm so, so sorry."
Anji held her hands up. "It's okay, Doctor, it's just a spill. I'll go get a towel." She pushed her chair back and stood up, frowning. Her question had obviously upset the Doctor and that made her worry for Fitz, but she didn't want to push the matter. Anji grabbed a dishcloth off the rack and tossed it at the Doctor, who mopped up the spill.
"Thanks. Sorry again." The Doctor pushed the towel aside and picked up his mug, taking a long drink.
"It's fine. So," she said wickedly, "did you two ever get together?"
The Doctor choked and started coughing madly, prompting Martha to hit his back. Anji watched, mildly alarmed. She hadn't been expected that big of a reaction. Maybe this version of the Doctor was shier than the others. "Wh-what're you talking about, Anji?" The Doctor gasped out after recovering from his fit.
"Oh, come on." Anji rolled her eyes. "It was pretty obvious that you were madly in love with each other."
"It was not!" The Doctor exclaimed, turning pink. Anji noticed Martha casting him an odd look.
"You're blushing!" Anji said delightedly.
"I am not!"
"You are, Doctor," Martha interjected, one eyebrow raised. The Doctor stared down at his tea, pointedly refusing to meet either one of their gazes.
"It's not fair, ganging up on me like that…" He complained softly. His face was still bright red. Anji reached over and patted his hand consolingly.
"It's all right, Doctor." She couldn't resist tormenting him just a little bit more. "Were you dating? Did you get married? Start a family?"
The Doctor raised his head and glared at her. "I don't like you anymore."
# Five
"Here's my new phone number," Anji said, scribbling it down on a scrap of paper and handing it to the Doctor. "Give me a call sometime." The Doctor looked at the number before folding the paper in half and tucking it into his pocket.
"I will. It was nice to see you again, Anji."
"Yeah, you too." Anji smiled and surprised him with a hug. She turned to Martha. "Keep him out of trouble, will you?"
"Hey!" The Doctor protested. Martha grinned.
"I'll try. Thanks for the tea."
"You're welcome. Now get that blue box off my lawn." Anji shooed them out the door. "Good luck on your scavenger hunt!" The Doctor turned and waved, smiling broadly. Ah, he loved catching up with old friends. The door clicked shut and the two walked over to the TARDIS, parked neatly under a sprawling sycamore.
"So," Martha said, leaning against the ship as the Doctor fumbled in his pocket for the key. "Who's this Fitz bloke then?"
The Doctor very purposely did not blush or stammer or do any of any other one hundred embarrassing things. No, he was a Time Lord and much more dignified than that. He settled for mumbling something under his breath, still looking for the key.
"I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch that."
The Doctor cleared his throat. "I said, he was a friend."
"Really?" The Doctor chanced a look at Martha and saw her quirk an eyebrow. "The way Anji was going on, it sounded like you were more than that."
The Doctor gave up on the right pocket and started turning out the left. "Maybe a boyfriend."
"Hmm." Martha crossed her arms. "So how come you've never mentioned him before? I mean, you're always going on about Rose." She sounded almost jealous. "Why not-"
"Because it's my past and I don't want to talk about it!" The Doctor jerked his head up and glared at her. Martha blinked, looking slightly abashed. "Ah-ha, found it!" He pulled the key out and flourished it, glossing over his previous outburst. "Shall we go? I think I've figured out the last location."
"Yeah, sure." Martha gave him a smile that might've wavered a bit, if he'd been looking.
"Fantastic!" He unlocked the TARDIS and pulled her in.
# Six
When Anji had given the Doctor her phone number, she had half expected him not to call, and if he did, that it would be a couple weeks or even months in the future.
So when the phone rang less than twenty-four hours after his visit, she was understandably surprised. She picked the phone up, frowning at the hellacious background noise. "Doctor?"
"Anji!" The Doctor sounded slightly panicked. "I need your help!"
"What? What have you gotten yourself into this time? Honestly, Doctor, I leave alone for less than a day…"
"It's not my fault!" The Doctor complained plaintively. She could hear Martha in the background, yelling about how it totally was. "How was I to know that the scavenger hunt items were actually a beacon?"
"Doctor…" Anji said warningly, feeling a headache build up around her eyes.
"Okay, look, we got the artifacts and then some alien lizard showed up and made off with the TARDIS." Martha now; Anji suspected she'd grabbed the phone from the Doctor. "Then a whole swarm came through. Have you got any idea where to find a longbow?"
Anji decided not to ask. "I'll call up Trix," she sighed. "Where are you? I'll meet you there." Martha gave her the location and she wrote it down, more than a bit exasperated. "Okay. See you in a bit." She hung up, mentally collecting herself. Stupid Doctor.
Anji punched in a new set of numbers and held it up to her ear again. "Hey, Trix? Listen, the Doctor's in town…"
# Seven
"I'm too old for this." Anji glared at the Doctor, giving him her best dagger-vision look. She'd perfected it during her travels with him and Fitz. This incarnation actually had the decency to be affected by it.
"Nonsense, Anji! You're still quite young!" He protested.
"Yeah, and I'm also soaked and sore and covered in whatever the hell kind of alien goo this is." She flicked a bit off her sleeve, wrinkling her nose in disgust as it fell to the ground. "You," she pointed sternly at the Doctor, "are going to let me in there this instant," now to the TARDIS, "and I am going to take a long, well-deserved bath."
"But-"
"Just let her in, Doctor," Martha said tiredly. "I want a bath myself."
"Oh, all right." The Doctor unlocked the door and Anji crossed the threshold, staring about in surprise.
"You've redecorated. I like it." Bit grungy, but not bad.
"Thank you."
"Now. Where are the bathrooms?"
Martha took her arm. "C'mon, I'll show you."
Anji allowed herself to be led away, twisting back to look at the Doctor standing forlornly in the doorway. "Hey, Doctor," she called, and he looked up. "Aliens and all aside, you know I still love you, right?"
The Doctor grinned suddenly. "Yeah."
"Good."
"I love you too, Anji Kapoor."
"You'd better." She smiled to herself and turned back around, hoping the new TARDIS' bathtubs were as nice as the old ones.