Chapter One
(One year later…)
"Right, Love, I'll see you later then. You take care of yourself."
Bill Huxley smiled at his girlfriend, Emma. He leaned into the front door of her flat and gave her a kiss on the cheek.
"I'll come round tomorrow, okay?" he said
"I'll be waiting." she said with a smile.
Bill gave her one more kiss on the cheek before he reluctantly stepped back and headed down the hallway. Emma blew him a kiss and smiled as he waved goodbye and stepped into the lift. She waited until the lift doors closed before she shut her door and got ready for bed.
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Bill whistled to himself as he walked down the footpath towards his house. He felt like everything in his life was going great. He had finally found the perfect woman. Emma was everything he had ever wanted in a lover and more. He had considered more than once popping the question, but each time he had been plagued by doubt whether he should go through with it or not. But the more he got to know Emma, the more he was sure she was the one. He had put aside some money for a ring and he decided that he would stop off at the jewelry store in the morning and get it. He smiled when he imagined the life he would have with her. He couldn't wait to ask for her hand in marriage.
He stopped short as he passed by an alleyway. For a moment, he could have sworn he saw some movement in the shadows. Balling up his fist, he backed up a few steps and looked down the alley. He stared into the semi-darkness but he couldn't see anything out of the ordinary.
"Just my imagination." He muttered to himself.
Chiding himself for being so jumpy, he started off again towards home. He took a few more steps and then he heard a scratching sound coming from the wall beside him. He looked over and his eyes widened in shock when he saw the monstrosity staring back at him. He started to scream, but a thick white substance shot out and coated his mouth. Terrified, he turned to run, but the creature snagged his legs with more of the white substance. He tried desperately to grip the footpath as he was dragged backwards, but it was no use. Bill let out a muffled scream as the creature pulled him up into its arms. He flailed around trying to escape, but the creature sank its fangs into his neck and Bill felt a warm liquid coursing through his veins. His eyes widened in horror when he felt his body go numb and the last thing he saw was more of the white substance as the monster coated him from head to toe.
As he felt himself being carried away, his thoughts were of Emma. He prayed he would be able to escape and get back to her, but as he heard the creature chuckle to herself somehow he knew this was the end.
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(Several hours later…)
The Doctor smiled at Rose as the TARDIS landed with a thump.
"We're here!" he announced. "Babylon and the hanging gardens await us."
"This is so cool! I've only seen drawings before. You know, what people thought they might have looked like." Rose replied.
The Doctor grinned.
"Well, now you get to see if the drawings were correct."
He smiled at her and put his arm around her waist. He loved seeing her excitement. He had seen the hanging gardens before, several times in fact. But, seeing it through Rose's eyes made it seem as if he was seeing them for the first time with her.
"Come on," he said as they walked towards the front doors. "After we see the gardens, we'll go and meet Nebuchadnezzar II afters. I've met him before, of course. Lovely chap."
He paused at the door and turned to Rose. He grinned at her as he reached back and grabbed the door handles.
"Ready for the splendor of Babylon?" he asked her.
"Ready if you are." Rose replied.
"Then, behold, Rose Tyler! I give you Ancient Babylon!"
The Doctor threw the doors open and stepped aside while Rose ran outside.
He paused a moment as he waited for the squeal of joy. The smile fell off his face when instead of a squeal of joy he heard Rose say…
"Oh Hell no!"
"Rose? What's wrong? Ancient Babylon not to your liking?"
He stepped outside and paused when he noticed they weren't in Ancient Babylon. In fact, they were nowhere near Babylon. They were in….
"London." Rose said sighing. "I shoulda known you'd get it wrong again."
"I did not get it wrong." The Doctor said incensed.
Rose spun around and glared at him.
"Yeah, well, what's this then?" she said waving her arms around.
The Doctor stared at her.
"Ancient Babylon." He said.
Rose crossed her arms over her chest and snorted.
"It is." He insisted.
Rose pointed up.
"Ancient Babylonians have Big Ben, did they?" she said.
"Well…"
"And cars, and skyscrapers, and aeroplanes?" she said, pointing up to a jet flying overhead.
"Yes, the Babylonians invented all of those things. They were very clever." The Doctor said.
"Puh-lease." Rose muttered.
The Doctor sighed.
"Okay, so it's not ancient Babylon then. But, hey, I've bet there's tons of things in London we haven't seen yet. Let's just go explore and see if we can find something amazing!"
"You know what? I think I finally figured ya out!" Rose said.
The Doctor frowned.
"Figured me out?"
"Yeah, I think I know the reason why you keep landing off course."
"You do?"
"Yeah, this is the Time Lord's idea of a practical joke!"
"It is?"
Rose sighed.
"Yes, it is. You do this on purpose."
"I do?"
"Yeah, you say something like "Hey Rose, I have an idea, let's go visit Atlantis! Would you like to see what Atlantis looked like?" and I get all excited thinking that I'm going to be visiting Atlantis and I just can't wait to go and while we're traveling there I keep wondering what it's going to be like to meet Atlantians and what their cities look like and how I'll be the first person in thousands of years to see Atlantis and then we land and I go running out the door and I'm in Sheffield. And then while I'm looking around wondering where Atlantis got to, you're standing behind me having a private giggle because you got me again and made me look like the stupid ape you claim I am."
"Hold on, let's get a few things crystal clear. One, I have never called you a stupid ape in this incarnation. That was my previous incarnation and my previous incarnation had issues. You are not a stupid ape and I'm sorry my previous self called you that. Two, you don't want to go to Atlantis, trust me. I've been there myself and it's not a fun place to visit. Sure, the cities are beautiful and the technology is breathtaking, but while you're standing there admiring all that, here comes the massive earthquake and the next thing you know, you are wet and soggy and the ocean is coming up over your head. Not a good time I assure you. Three, I admit I do tease you from time to time, but I have never gone off course on purpose just so I could have a laugh at your expense. My TARDIS is very old and wasn't functioning all that great to begin with, hence the constant repair work I have to do on her. Her getting off course is just a fact of life that we have to deal with. Believe me, London, 2007 is the last place I wanted to visit today. I wanted to see the hanging gardens just as much as you did, Rose. My TARDIS gets it wrong sometimes and we just have to accept that. Now, before we go back in and try again, why don't we just go get some chips and rest ourselves and enjoy the bright, sunny day? Sound okay?"
"And then we're off to ancient Babylon?"
"Yes."
"A Dalek won't attack the chip shop? We'll be able to eat our chips in peace?"
The Doctor paused.
"Um, well, I hope not. I can't guarantee it, of course. But seeing as how all the Daleks were sucked into the void along with the Cybermen, I would have to say the chances of a Dalek attacking the chip shop are pretty nil.
Rose nodded.
"Okay, chips sound good to me. Let's go."
The Doctor smiled.
"Great!"
"But if a Slitheen pops up and goes on a rampage while we're eating, it's your problem, got it?"
The Doctor shrugged.
"Sure." He said.
"Okay, since that's settled. Let's go for some chips then." Rose said.
The Doctor locked the door. Taking Rose's hand, they headed off to find the nearest chip shop.