Twists and Turns in Time
Part One
by
Sabrina Lonewalker

It started like any other adventure in the Doctor's long existence, with an urgent call from UNIT. This was the Doctor's fourth incarnation and he was between companions. He had left Sarah jane Smith back on Earth before going home to Gallifrey to answer a summons. That had turned out to involve his old enemy, the Master. Now that he was defeated, again, the Doctor was travelling alone in the vortex. He had been standing staring at the control console as the time rotor moved up and down when the recall light fome UNIT flashed on the third panel. He heaved a deep sigh and set the coordinates to return. Truth be told, he missed Earth. True, the Time Lords had stranded him there after his trial when they forced him to regenerate into his third self but, he had discovered he liked these humans. They had great potential, he could see that. He looked at the flight tracker and smiled, he was almost there.

In the Doctor's lab at UNIT HQ, Brigadier Alastair Gorgon Lethbridge-Stewart was pacing. This had never happened before and he knew that UNIT could not solve this alone. He just hoped the Doctor would come. He shook his head, "Fool," he thought to himself, "He's never failed to come before." Just then, a familiar wheezing and groaning sound was heard mfaintly but then grew louder and louder until a battered blue police call box materialized in the corner with a loud "Thump!" The Brigadier was holding his breath until the door opened and the Doctor stepped out. He still wore the bohemian clothing he had worn after regeneration and that impossibly long scarf and battered felt hat.

The Doctor tunred to the Brigadier and started to say hello when he saw the look on his friends face. "Alastair?" He asked, his voice filled with concern, "What is it, why have you recalled me?" The Brigadier leaned back against a table. "Doctor, something has happened that we cannot explain or understand and it directly concerns you." The Doctor's blue eyes opened very wide, "Me? How does it concern me?" Alastair looked at him. "In the past 72 hours, three of your previous companions have literally vanished. I, myself, witnessed one of the disappearances. The other two disappearances have also been witnessed and the press is all over it."

The Doctor sat on the edge of the lab bench in there and simply nodded, waiting for more. The Brigadier took a deep breath and let it out slowly, "The first disappearance happened just about 72 hours ago. She was holding a press conference in West Angolia about a new enviromental initiative when she simply vanished into thin air." The Doctor came to his feet, his mouth suddenly dry, "Jo?" he hasked in a hoarse whisper?" The Brigadier nodded, "Yes, Doctor, Miss Grant was the first." The Doctor wandered over to the window and looked out into the serene woods nearby. Then, he spoke, "Who was next and when, Alastair?" The Brigadier swallowed, "24 hours later, Miss Smith disappeared while in the middle of an interview with a Cabinet Minister, on live television." The Doctor's hearts twisted in pain then. "My Sarah Jane," he mummured to himself. He then looked at the Brigadier, "Who was next?" Alastair was ashen, "It happened 10 hours ago right in front of my eyes, Doctor, Dr Sullivan has vanished as well."

The Doctor turned back to the window, his blue eyes bright. It was the closest he had come to shedding tears since the death of his wife back on Gallifrey. Just then, there was a knock on the door and Sgt Benton's voice spoke, "Sir? There's been another report." The Doctor whirled on one foot and nodded to the Brigadier who opened the door. Sgt Benton came in and saw the Doctor. He nodded and then looked at his commanding officer, holding out a sheet of paper. "This just came in about five minutes ago, Sir, It's from the university." The Doctor's voice was unexpectedly harsh, "Who this time?" The Brigadier looked at the paper. His voice was almost mechanical as he read aloud. "Approximately 20 minutes ago, Professor Ian Chesterton and his wife Barbara vanished from the middle of a University cocktail party. According to eyewitnesses, "One minute they were laughing and talking and the next, they were simply gone."

Before the Doctor could say anything, a wheezing, groaning sound was heard and all three men looked at the other side of the lab in shock as a battered blue police call box materialized with a loud whomp. The man that stepped out was unfamiliar to all three. He was of average height with a slender, wiry build and chestnut curls that touched his shoulders. he was dressed in what the Brigadier would call "Victorian London" but what others would call a river boat gambler. He looked around and his blue eyes widened when he saw Number Four. "Oh dear, this is not good." Number Four replied, "No it isn't but I assume you have a reason for crossing into our past. By the way, which one are you?" The dandy looked at him and smiled, "Number Eight. As to why I'm here, you know why. My former companion, Dr. Grace Holloway has disappeared while in the middle of surgery at San Francisco University Hospital."

The Fourth Doctor smiled sadly, "So, there are eight of me. You know what has happened here?" Eight nodded, "That's why I'm here. When I discovered that Grace had been taken, TARDIS told me about what happened here. This was done with clear intent and I do not believe that whoever is behind this is done yet. I am very much afraid that we will be working with other of our, your future selves before this is over." The Fourth Doctor nodded, "I sadly have to agree with you. Which TARDIS shall we leave in?" Eight smiled, "Yours will be safer here at UNIT HQ, the Brigadier will see to that, won't you, Alastair?" The Brigadier nodded, "Of course, Doctor, I shall see to it myself." The Fourth Doctor nodded and the two stepped into Eight's TARDIS and with a wheezing, groaning sound, it faded from view. The Brigadier sttod there looking at the empty corner. "Good luck, gentlemen." was all he said.

TBC