Welcome back, what is happening?
Watching a Dalek be reborn into what was once the body of a man is not exactly Zuri's idea of fun, so she was not too put out, although a bit surprised when she suddenly jumped across the time stream.
"Never jumped mid adventure before." She muttered to herself. Glancing around, she found herself in the TARDIS, and so set off to find food and clean clothes before she was dragged into whatever the Doctor had got them into this time.
Showered, in some clean gray joggers and a Supernatural shirt, she grabbed a protein bar and some water before heading for the console room.
"Doctor? Are you in here?"
Of course, the room was empty. Sighing, Zuri marched up to the doors and poked her head out. She immediately wished she hadn't.
The TARDIS appeared to be parked in the middle of some space bar or strip club, and just that one look was enough to scar her for life. But, the glance had also revealed the Doctor, lounging in a chair four times his size, feet propped up on the table, as a blue alien of some species she had never seen before loomed over him.
I mean really, the alien was at least nine feet tall, blue skin, beefy muscles, and a look that could curdle milk on his face, of course, aimed at the Doctor.
Zuri let out another sigh, before shaking her head and marching out into the throng of species surrounding the table where the Doctor sat smugly.
"Doctor."
The smirk drooped some. "Zuri? When did you get here?" He whipped his head around to face her.
Zuri didn't get a chance to answer, as the blue alien roared.
"You insult me and then turn your face? I demand payment! Until you give me what is owed, your little friend is mine!"
With that statement, spit flying from his lips, the alien grabbed Zuri in a death grip and began to drag her away.
"Um... Doctor?! What payment?" Zuri called back even as the Doctor was flying up out of his chair.
"He wants my home, he wants the TARDIS!" He called back, forced to watch as the other bar patrons held him back, allowing Zuri's captor to escape.
Zuri sat in the corner watching the blue alien, or as she now knew him, Sneep, as he spoke in hushed tones with two others of his species. He had identified himself to her when she asked but refused to give any answers to her other questions.
The group in the corner finally seemed to reach an agreement, as Sneep turned back to her.
"We are the Chicto. Your friend has insulted me greatly and must pay the price demanded by the gods. He must give up his home, the little blue box."
Zuri shifted on the spot. "Why must he give up his home? It is all he has. Surely there is some other way your gods can be satisfied."
"No. He has insulted my ancestors by refusing to acknowledge their guidance in our lives. He claimed that it was just gas, causing 'hallucinations.' The ancestors are angry now, and will stir the wrath of the gods."
Right. Why was it that every time the Doctor opened his mouth he put his foot in it?
The Chicto went back to whatever they were doing before, and Zuri settled in to think of an escape plan.
The Doctor, meanwhile, had made it into the TARDIS, and was in orbit around the planet, scanning for Zuri's unique biological signal. He ruffled his hair in frustration, they must have her underground, the TARDIS couldn't seem to get a lock on. She was somewhere in the main city though.
As happy as he always was to see Zuri, her arrival had been at a bit of a bad time. Another two minutes and he could have totally convinced the Chicto of the gas flooding their venting systems. Not toxic, but through a clever quirk in their biology, but it was causing mass hallucinations of the dead.
Instead, he has angry locals and their religion to deal with. Not that it was Zuri's fault, she had no control over her jumps.
Finally, he decided he would have to hunt on the ground. Pulling out his glasses, the Doctor scanned the town for a decent place to hide the TARDIS.
"Zuri, I'm coming to get you," he muttered to himself.
The Doctor had not counted on the fact that some of the locals would recognize him, and he ended up moving the TARDIS a second time after being spotted. He would need a disguise.
He headed for the wardrobe, humming the mission impossible theme as he went. There was a perception filter in there somewhere...
Zuri was spending her time observing the room, as well as the Chicto.
The level of technology seemed low, and she had not been placed in a cell, but it seemed they didn't expect her to try and escape. And really, it was obvious that any attempt to run would be futile, as the Chicto were built for speed as well as strength. She would have to talk her way out.
"I'm sorry my friend was so insensitive." she began.
Sneep barely glanced her way. "He must be taught to keep his mouth shut. That is why the gods demand a price."
"What if the gods did not agree with the price you have set?"
"You know nothing of the gods either, mind yourself."
Zuri held back an eye roll. "What if the gods spoke to me?"
"Nonsense." he scoffed. "They do not speak to outsiders."
"But this time, they have. They speak to me, they want me to tell you things."
Sneep seemed like he might consider the idea. "Why you?"
"I travel the Universe at their will," Zuri fought off a giggle at the truth hidden in that statement. "I have seen places no species has ever set foot and places no one will ever walk again. I have seen the end of stars and planets, wars with no end finally ceased, I have had many friends come and go."
Sneep nodded for her to continue.
"There is but one constant in my celestial travels, and that is the Doctor and his heart. He speaks without thought on occasion, but he always means for good. The gods send me to him when he has a need, and I am lucky to walk in his shadow."
At this point, Zuri almost felt as if someone else had taken control of her mouth. Did she believe those things?
Of course. But she never intended to verbalize them. Thank goodness the Doctor wasn't there to hear that though. She would never hear the end of it.
The Doctor was rather proud of his chosen disguise. He looked exactly like his previous body, complete with the leather jacket and jumper. The sonic was humming as it honed in on Zuri, and he found his pace quickening as the buzz grew louder.
It led him to a nondescript business looking building, and he ducked around the alley looking for a back door.
There was a fizzling sound as his perception filter flickered. He'd forgotten the width of his shoulders in his previous body and was too close to the wall for the filter to fit the old him in the alley. "Oopsie."
He headed into the building and down a long hall, and soon didn't need the sonic to tell him where Zuri was, he could hear her speaking with one of the Chicto.
"... I have seen places no species has ever set foot and places no one will ever walk again. I have seen the end of stars and planets, wars with no end finally ceased, I have had many friends come and go. There is but one constant in my celestial travels, and that is the Doctor and his heart. He speaks without thought on occasion, but he always means for good. The gods send me to him when he has a need, and I am lucky to walk in his shadow."
Shadow? What was this nonsense? Did she really feel like she was left behind him? This needed fixing. But first, a rescue was in order. Just have to work out how...
Zuri shifted on the spot. "The gods speak to me, Sneep. They want you to let us go."
Sneep seemed to almost consider it before he bellowed with laughter. "You think the gods would speak to me through you? And tell me to let you go?" Sneep snarled and leaned into Zuri's personal space, backing her against the wall. "Foolish girl, they would never speak to me through a female. You know nothing of the gods, and you blaspheme with your lies. If your friend dares show his face, then he will see the consequences rained down upon you. You will remain here until he delivers his box, and then you too will be punished."
Zuri's back was as flat against the wall as it could be, the Chicto's hot breath sour in her nose. It was at that moment, something happened.
The lights went out, and a familiar hand took hers as a voice she didn't expect whispered, "run."
Zuri and her rescuer sidestepped the blind alien as he roared in anger, tearing out the door and down a dark hall. They had almost made it to the exit when something latched onto their shoulders, and they were dragged back inside.
Facing her would-be rescuer, Zuri's eyes widened to see the ninth Doctor's face instead of the tenth. "Umm..."
"Perception filter," he muttered. "I'll explain later."
She merely nodded back as her attention was claimed by the group of very angry, very large Chicto glaring down at her.
"You tried to run." Sneep seemed almost surprised.
"Well," Zuri began, despite the Doctor's protesting squeak beside her. "I was hungry, and frankly the hospitality here isn't that good. I wasn't even offered coffee."
She directed the last sentence at the Doctor, her air unbothered by the intimidating men now gawking at her response.
"So, I decided to go looking for some food."
"And who is this?" Sneep thrust his finger at the Doctor.
"Oh him?" Zuri shrugged. "He said he had donuts. Can't turn down a good donut, you know."
The Chicto closest to her growled in annoyance. "She's right."
Sneep glared at him so hard Zuri thought he might actually disintegrate. Then he ordered the pair of them handcuffed together and locked to the desk, lest they "get any ideas about food."
Zuri waited exactly twelve seconds after the Chicto left them to continue whatever they had been doing before she turned to the Doctor exasperatedly.
"What exactly was the plan?"
"Well you see, I was coming to get you-"
Zuri smiled at his reference.
"-and kept being recognized by the locals, so I decided to wear a disguise. I found I missed this daft old face, so I borrowed it for a bit. Then, I got here and found you, so I soniced the lights. That was about as far as the plan got..." He rubbed the back of his neck with a grimace.
"Right." Zuri sighed. "Well then, now what? I assume you hid the old girl?"
"Yup. Hidden away. Safest she could be. Well, almost. Well..."
Zuri shook her head with a slight laugh. It was still Ten under Nine's face. Before she could get him hunkered down to properly plan an escape, there was a loud shout and a wheezing grind.
The pair glanced at each other in alarm. That was the TARDIS, but who was flying her?
The TARDIS faded into view, and there was a faint cloud of smoke as the door creaked open. A man tumbled out with a cough. It was Ten? Now Zuri was really confused.
"Here." The new arrival choked. "You can have the box, just give me Zuri and the donut man. Let us leave in peace, and your gods will be appeased."
Sneep was the first to get over his shock. He approached the TARDIS and knocked on it to confirm it was really there.
"Very well." he decided. "Take them and go, before I change my mind."
Zuri was just glad he forgot about her supposed insults to the gods, and the three of them moved quickly towards the exit.
"Okay," The real Ten began, "Who are you?"
The fake grinned. "I'm you. From your future. Be sure to add this date and place to your todo list, Riv- a friend would hate for you to get it wrong the first two goes..."
Zuri laughed. "Of course she would. I assume the form you chose for your perception filter was a ripoff of past you?"
"Maybe just a little." Future Doctor looked sheepish. "Also, add fixing the perception filter to the todos."
Right at that second, Ten's filter popped and the image of Nine flickered away.
"Nevermind that, now-" Ten ranted. "You just gave them the TARDIS!"
"Not exactly." Future Doctor shook his finger at them. "That is merely a device, that I cleverly designed, which projects a solid image of the TARDIS, at least until the battery runs down."
There were a shout and a rumble from behind them.
"Like it just did. Come along!"
Zuri found each of her hands occupied by a different Doctor as they sprinted down the halls towards freedom.
The Chicto chased them all the way back to the real TARDIS, and the future Doctor broke away from them at the last second, headed for his own TARDIS. "Good luck!" He shouted as he rounded the corner out of sight.
Ten fumbled with the key in his pocket.
"Doctor-" Zuri warned as the Chicto grew closer.
"I know! I know!" He jammed the key in the lock with a shout of triumph, and the pair practically fell into the console room. Zuri slammed the door as the Doctor flew around the controls, sending them off into the vortex.
Once they realized they had escaped, Zuri slumped to the floor in relief as the Doctor grinned at her like they hadn't just escaped another situation where he opened his mouth and inserted his foot. But really, that was just Tuesdays.
"You're a disaster." She pointed at him, fighting back laughter. "A right disaster."
"Ahhhh, you love me."
She shook her head at him again.
"I never really got to ask, where are you in your timeline?" Zuri finally climbed the steps and flopped on the jump seat, but was surprised when he nudged her over and sat beside her.
"Just met a woman called Donna, saw the formation of the earth, defeated the Racnoss empress."
"Oh." Was all Zuri could think to say. Rose was gone then.
"And what about you?" The Doctor interrupted her thoughts. "What jump number is this?"
Zuri blinked. She hadn't thought about the jump numbers in a while.
"Jump ten, I think? I'm losing track. I just jumped away in the middle of an adventure, and I'm still all mixed up. But that's in your future, so..."
He nodded. "And the last time you slept?"
"Uhhh..."
"Right. Food, shower, nap. Then we will decide what to do next if you are still here."
Zuri had to admit, that sounded wonderful. The pair headed for the kitchen and Zuri discovered that Ten makes amazing lasagna.