Author's Note: Christ, I'm already on four. Sorry about the info dump last time, it was necessary and hey it was longer! Yes, eventually all previous Doctors will be seen, if not necessarily heard (if you want to see more of them go to my other connecting series Random Jump). It will take me a while because I have to re-watch episodes to make sure I do their "voices" right. I watched all of season 5 just to do Eleven, Amy, and Rory. I hope I did them well.
Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue. Thanks a bunch (this is getting repetitive).
Two hours later the Doctor and Donna had dropped off Wilf at home after handling the anomaly in the coffee shop. That had involved the Doctor standing on the table and making a big scene while he fiddled with his sonic screwdriver trying to find the right setting. Donna was never going to be able to go back there, which was a shame because they made really great coffee.
Since then Donna was following the Doctor around her old neighborhood. He had some strange device in his hand that apparently was helping him track these anomalies. Of course, when he had explained what it actually did he had gone on a small rant. Donna had had a really hard time stopping herself from slapping him. She hated his techno-babble speeches.
As far as she could tell the thing wasn't even working. It wasn't leading them to any anomalies. Donna was getting really tired of walking in circles and decided that enough was enough.
"So this is your plan. You're just going to wander around in circles until you find something!" Donna's exasperation was edging towards anger.
"Oh, well, this little gizmo supposed to find anomalies or maybe its wormholes?" The Doctor response was absentminded as he stood there scratching the back of his head. He suddenly focused on her and pointedly said, "It's in development, besides my plans always work. You know that I have the history to back that up."
"You mean when your first, second, and third plan falls to pieces as you go along and you fly by the seat of your pants, those plans?"
"Yes if you must, no wait, no that's not what I mean at all. Donna Noble, you don't know what you're saying. My plans are complete… oh no, no, no, nonono, why that one!" The last bit was said to the world in general.
Donna caught what the Doctor was looking at and gapped at the sheer loudness of the coat that was walking in their direction. Under the caustic coat was a well built man of moderate height with curly blond hair and striking blue eyes. Despite, the man's bearlike build his face was surprisingly delicate looking. The intense expression on his face made him look a bit dangerous. Donna was put in mind of angels sent down to smite humanity for their sins.
"Wait, so that's you? Woof, not bad! Well except the clothes I mean what were you thinking that jacket is hideous by itself and you decided to add yellow and brown stripes. All the same the man underneath…"
"Donna!" The Doctor sounded completely scandalized and looked a bit green as he cut her off, "That's me you're talking about!" He finished with a squeak. He had also drawn away from her as if she had turned into something creepy and disgusting that scared him.
It took Donna a full minute to stop laughing at him out loud and another to stop trembling with suppressed mirth. By then the man with the radioactive jacket and his companion where within hearing distance.
"Peri, if something of this dubious nature is occurring I'm bound to be around here somewhere, and quite frankly I won't be able to manage without me." The Doctor's voice was incredibly conceited.
"Are you going to switch around pronouns again?" The young woman with him asked. "And what are you fiddling with now?"
"All have you know, I'm using the time distortion tracker to try and locate these nefarious ruffians who are causing these anomalies."
"How's that working out for you?" Peri's response was sarcastic. "I mean really, Doctor, don't you think we're wasting time wandering like this?"
"Wasting time! Wasting time! WASTING TIME! Of course I'm not wasting time! As soon as I discover who is behind this you'll see that I never waste… see I was right, another me. Not someone I've been yet, though I doubt it is an improvement." Six finished by interrupting himself when he noticed Ten coming closer. "As I was saying, I do not waste time and now that there is more than one of me about, just as I thought, things will go all the faster!"
"More like slow us down," Peri muttered.
"Nonsense, come along," the Doctor said dismissing her complaint.
"I changed my mind. You're not that attractive in that form. He's obnoxious," Donna said to Ten as they approached the other two people.
"Thank yo- OI!" Ten then proceeded to pout at her as she laughed at him. He then spun around and addressed himself.
"Right then, nice to bump into you we'll just be on our way," Ten said in a hurry abruptly changing moods. He didn't like dealing with himself in large doses, especially Six and One.
"Now wait just one minute, and where do you think I'm going?" Six asked in a patronizing manner.
"We're sort of in a rush and it seems that the old divide and concur method is in favor for this one, so off we go," Ten said brushing off what Six had asked and started to steer Donna forward.
"Doctor, how many times are you going to change?" Peri asked. "I mean it's getting kinda ridiculous."
"After me, seven more times, not that it will matter. I'm sure that things have only gone downhill once I'm gone." Six said arrogantly to his companion.
"I guess I'm just of being so confused all the time when it come to you. Why do you have to talk in riddles all the time?" Peri continued to complain.
"Not now, Peri. Can't you see that I need to talk to myself. He probably doesn't even realize that whatever is causing this is setting up a search grid with these odd portals," Six's imperious voice chastised his companion.
Ten flinched, he hadn't actually noticed that, but he was sure that he had been close to discovering that for himself. Well, metaphorically speaking, actually no it was literally this time. Both times actually, once as his sixth self and once as his self. It was always so irritating dealing with more than one of him. It was a good thing that he wasn't irritating towards other hims.
Donna smirked at her Doctor's expression realizing that as annoying as the other him was he had been right and her Doctor had been wandering randomly. Still, if her Doctor had talked to her the way his previous self had just talked to his companion he would have gotten a slap to knock the smug right out of him.
"Oi! Thanks for the info but if you talk like that to her again in front of me I'm gonna knock you on your arse." Donna was always one to tell people exactly how she felt.
"I beg your pardon," Six said incredulously with a slight pout on his face.
"Donna, no don't just don't," Ten said quietly to her.
"Don't shush me! You're a giant space jerk treating your companion like that," she yelled at Ten.
"Why are you yelling at me, he did it!" Ten yelled back.
Donna stared at him for a second then nodded at him, "You're right." She faced Six and continued, "Well, what do you have to say for yourself?"
"Listen, whoever you are, no don't say anything I cannot know who you are yet, how I speak to my companions is between them and me. And I will not be talked down to by some middle aged women who fancy's herself an explorer!" Six railroaded over Donna's building exclamation of anger.
Ten groaned and gave up holding Donna back. He supposed he deserved what was coming to him and was grateful that he wouldn't remember what was going to happen to him next. Yes, there was the distinct sound of flesh hitting flesh.
Ignoring the building fight Ten turned to Peri who was standing there awkwardly watching the ensuing carnage. "Ten quid on Donna," he said as he nudged Peri with his elbow. It caused her to snort and laugh.
"I must admit it's the first time that I've ever seen him look like he doesn't know what hit him." She seemed really impressed.
"Oh, no that's easy. Donna isn't very hard to miss when she slaps you. Plus, her shouting, and when I say shouting I mean screaming, well, when I say screaming I mean screeching is a dead giveaway that she's mad at you. It's knowing what to do to make her stop doing the screeching and the slapping that's confusing," he said sincerely.
"I like this you, Doctor," Peri said smiling and bumped him back with her elbow.
"What's not to like! Look at me; tall, lean, not skinny no matter what Donna says, and definitely foxy. And let's not forget how brilliant I am." He waggled his eyebrows at her, causing her to laugh out right.
"My god Doctor, you never really change do you," Peri said while laughing. After their amusement faded, he eyed her solemnly. He really felt guiltily for what happened to her. She was one of the few companions that he had out right abandoned, even if it was through no real fault of his own. He wondered if her family ever got over her disappearance.
"Peri, I'm so sorry," Ten said. It hadn't happened to her yet but he would always regret what had happened to her at the end. And it was coming soon he could tell from what she was wearing that they were either on their way to Ravolox or had just come from it. Considering the mud on her shoes the Doctor was certain they had just left.
"What's wrong Doctor?" Peri's question was filled with worry.
"I treated you very flippantly recently and I want you to know that you had every right to be upset about finding Earth burned to a crisp. I never considered, well, a lot of things, but I want you to know that I do truly understand how you felt in that moment and have regretted belittling your emotions. I'm sorry, I'm so so sorry," Ten spoke quietly hoping that his voice was covered up by Donna's irritated screeching.
"What? Doctor? What do you mean?" Peri frowned in confusion.
"Don't worry about it," he shrugged and pulled away to go rescue himself from Donna. He had one thing left to tell himself and he couldn't do that if Donna killed him.
"Right, completely unrelated, you need to go buy a rose. Stop, let me explain," he held up his hand to forestall Six's questions. "In my previous incarnation we pick up someone that's just brilliant and she deserves a rose from each of us. So if you see an us with big ears and a battered leather jacket you need to give the women he's traveling with a rose, trust me you'll understand when you see her."
"What on earth are you talking about, why that jacket?" Six's voice was incredulous and a bit distracted. "And really, getting a companion flowers, roses even. If you were going to pick something we should at least be a bit more original."
"I know, not the greatest of choices. All the same we seem to be able to pull of the black leather look. It gives us a sort of broo-" Ten started to babble ignoring the comment about the flowers and focusing on the coat comment. Six started to talk over him.
"Not him you idiot, what are you wearing! Why would you wear that jacket-"
"Janis Joplin gave us this co-"
"with pinstripes and are those trainers? Did I lose all sense when I became you? And really wha-," Six was starting to wind up to one of his rants and both of them were talking over the other.
"Oi! What are those on your feet then? That's right under those ridiculous spats, trainers. Their good for running, and if I'm any judge you might want to do a bit more. You're starting to look a bit pudgy there." Ten shot back at himself ignoring Donna's groan of frustration.
"And somehow I turn into a skinny idiot that babbles about everything that comes to mind! Not only are you inanely loquacious you are exceedingly boorish." Six said back vehemently. "Why even your base elocution lends to the belief that have turned rather insipid."
Unnoticed due to their arguing they both missed the two companions share a long suffering look.
"And I thought that Space-man was offal at times, but lady, yours certainly takes the cake. He's terrible. How do you put up with him? You must have the patience of a saint. I would have slapped him a few already. Actually I already have. I suppose that says something about my restraint." Donna said. Both companions were now ignoring their Doctors.
"He's not all bad. Okay, yeah he has his moments, a lot of moments, and he never explains what's going on. But really he's not all that bad," Peri said hopefully and smiled.
"Who are you trying to convince, me or you? Anyway, I think their bickering has gone on long enough. You grab yours and I'll grab mine." They shared a nod and hauled the two men in different directions as they both tried to continue yelling at each other.
When they got around the corner Donna shoved the Doctor a bit. "What the hell is wrong with you?"
"What's wrong with me? Donna you-" the Doctor cut himself off and began hopping on one leg holding his shin. Donna gave him an odd look, not understanding what had just happened.
"You know, it's rather rude to shove someone into another person, young lady. Now what do you have to say for yourself, hmmm?" An old man stood holding a cane in right hand. The cane that had just recently given the Doctor a very sound thump.
Author's Note: Sorry for the delay a lot of things have been happening. My dad had brain surgery, one of my grandmas died and my family is getting the house ready for the funeral, I had an accounting exam and a seven min. long song to memorize in Chinese. All in one week this does not include work or homework. So you can see right now my life is a bit of a mess which is why this chapter is so short. I tried to get all the info I needed to convey in the in the shortest amount of typing. Plus Six is a pain in the ass to write, let me tell you. His speech is so flower-y and I have never been good with that type of bullshit, I dread typing Three for any length of time. On a positive note I have a chapter already typed up, bad news it's not the next one, sorry. My muse goes out of order and my Beta wanted me to go into a certain order for this and the next chapter and I agree with her opinion on whose next.
So here's a question to all of my reviewers, the small lot of you that have reviewed I love you bunches. After this next chapter which Doctor do you want next? Let me know.