Sometimes all you need is a good listener.

Clare sat in the park on dull green bench; it had been two weeks since homecoming. Twelve days since she was asked if she could keep a secret, one that she couldn't stand knowing having to pretend that she didn't.

She was in the park far away from everything she couldn't deal with right now school , home, her friends, not that she really had any anymore. She didn't know where to turn or where to go to get away. A man in a long coat sat down next to her. Under his arm was a book Claire recognized as "Activating Evolution". The same book Zach had given her about genetics. From a pocket somewhere he produced a pair of brown glasses. The thick rimed ones that were classified as geek chic.

She couldn't understand why this guy had chosen to read advanced genetic theory right next to her in an otherwise empty park. Whatever reason that was, it was annoying that he seemed to find the passage he was reading funny.

"You ever heard of this?" His accent reveling him to be British as he flashed her the book cover. "It's a pretty interesting take on human potential."

"This friend I had mentioned it" she replied quietly.

"It hasn't been out long pretty recent ex-friend", He contemplated while he flipped the pages at a speed reader's pace.

"I've sort of lost a lot of friends lately." Claire hoped she was being vague enough but there was a change on the man's face as he made a connection.

"You're from Union Wells right? I'm so sorry about what happened. Did you knot ht cheerleader?" The words of apology sounding like something he said often.

"You're not a reporter are you?" Claire asked.

"No, just overly curious; you sort of look like one of the rara jock set. You looked at me like I was a nerd when I sat down." He was very astute in his observations. Claire flinched a little.

"Well." She stammered, "What do you mean I look like one of the type."

He closed the book and leaned back a bit. "Well blonde, sophisticatedly dressed, pretty. You're a lot nicer then the steroidal cheerleader. You didn't give me to much of a look when you sized me up. I am going for geek chic. You're lucky you could have met me in one of my loud outfit phases."

"What was so funny about the book?" she asked not really wanting to hear about horrible fashion from the 80s.

"The writer was talking about having the ability to two bend the fabric of space and time by concentration. I believe the regeneration concept but self time travel that's". He passed a bit gathering his thoughts. "Impossible and dangerous." He added at last.

"You mean like in back to the future?" Claire asked remembering people fading out of pictures.

"Yeah only more that Michael J. Fox would be disappearing." He said mater of factly

"What are you some kind of expert?" Claire remarked.

"I dabble in loads of thing science history you name it I'm interested. For instance I'm a bit curious as to why you're here in the middle of a the day alone. Don't you have classes?"

"I just needed some space to think. It's been ruff since homecoming. I just don't know who to talk to. There was one person but he doesn't remember us being friends. Literally." She added.

"Have you thought about totally starting over? If something happens once you can usually get it to happen again."

"Sounds like science."

"It's fate. If you had something once you can rekindle it. You just have to sort of recreate the spark."

"I guess it's possible. I could get him back. Not to keen to due it again. But I'll live.

"That's the attitude due you feel any better?"

"A little" she said getting up. "So you really believe what Dr. Suresh is saying regeneration and such."

He was silent for a moment then he said, " I believe that nothing is impossible, just very improbable. Time travel is something that may be possible. Shakespeare had a point when he wrote there are more things in heaven and earth Horatio then are dreamt of in your philosophy." He opened up the book again.

"So if you could travel in time would you." Claire asked him before going.

He smiled and laughed, "In a heart beat it be brilliant."

An: Wanted to write a run in with a curtain character. The Doctor wound up in a park in Texas instead. I'm open to ideas for other encounters.