The blue police box slowly materialized in the crowded parking lot, stopping, by a miracle, exactly in one of the few empty spaces. The mix of music and loud laughter didn't let anyone notice the Tardis' characteristic noise. It didn't matter, as there was no living soul outside other than vehicles.
The police box door opened and Clara put her face outside, frowning her eyebrows. She left the Tardis, putting her hands on her hips.
"We're not in Vegas again." She complained to the Doctor, who had just walked outside the Tardis and locked the door.
He took a deep breath, wrinkling his nose at the smell of air pollution.
"Sacramento Suburb, California." He licked the tip of his index finger, lifting it into the wind. "1955. I got the year right this time!" He celebrated with a wide smile and Clara kept her arms crossed.
Hoping to go into the '50s, she ended up opting for a period look, wearing a combination of a black blouse and waist-length tweed skirt, a few inches above her ankles. Her hair was in a typical coiffure, high in the back with hairspray and adorned with a tiara the same color as the blouse. The Doctor kept the same usual clothes, with the gray coat and the bow tie, which he could never miss.
"I missed the distance by a few kilometers." The Doctor justified himself. It wasn't bad, given his historic. They were in the right state, after all!
"I hope we don't have any problems this time." Clara softened her posture, uncrossing her arms. Despite the statement, she knew it was almost impossible, after all, 'the Doctor' and 'problem' were almost a redundancy in the same sentence.
"Oh, come on." The timelord put his arm around his companion's shoulders and they began to walk between the vehicles. "How about enjoying the night a little? Dancing, how about? Don't you young people like to dance?" He referred to the upbeat music that grew louder as they approached the cafe.
Clara shook her head and allowed herself to laugh. The Doctor pushed open the glass door, letting her enter first.
The inside was a mixture of rockabilly churning, cigarette smells, cheap hairspray, and bodies moving restlessly on the small square-floored dance floor of the establishment. For those who preferred just a conversation, the tables were all occupied by couples and groups of friends, leaving few empty seats at the counter. Poor waitresses, running to and fro to take care of everyone.
"Looks like I'm in one of those Grease-type movies. My dad loves this movie." Clara commented, smiling delightedly as she looked around the room as they walked toward one of the vacant seats on the balcony.
"I never got to see this movie until the end, my past regenerations always slept halfway through." The two sat down and the Doctor immediately took the menu. "They have milkshakes!" He exclaimed excitedly and began to skim the menu.
Clara rested her face in her outstretched hand, facing the dance floor from the back. Her feet swayed to the rhythm of the keyboard that played for a few moments.
"Pineapple, pineapple with mint, pineapple with plum, açaí, plum, blackberry…"
"What is açaí?" Clara interrupted the Doctor's reading of the menu, turning her eyes to the timelord.
"It's a fruit from Brazil. It's weird that they have this around here…" He frowned, speed-reading the nearly a hundred different options. It was extremely diverse, to say the least, with exotic flavors for a 1950s american cafe.
"Is that good?" Clara questioned, still swinging her foot.
"Very! The first time I tried it was in my ninth regeneration, when I ended up in the middle of a village in Pará…" He took his eyes off the menu, passing them to Clara, who was staring at him with a small smile on her face. "You want one, don't you?" He questioned and got a nod in response. "Don't get away from here, I'll be back in a minute." He rose from the stool and looked back, seeing the waitresses still work nonstop. "Or in five…"
Slumping his shoulders, he opted to face the throng of people at the end of the long counter. Clara continued to smile as she scanned the room. Curious about the milkshake flavors, she pulled out the menu the Doctor had been reading moments before.
"I'm asking you, Gary, take me home, please."
Still keeping her attention on the paper, Clara glanced out of the corner of her eye at the couple beside the empty bench where the Doctor had been earlier. The girl looked distressed, by the tone used in her voice.
"Come on, Phoebe, it's not even nine o'clock yet." Gary argued, unwilling to give in to his girlfriend's pleas. "We've been out until much later sometimes." He wrapped his arms around Phoebe's waist, but she pushed him away, preferring to get up.
"But now it's dangerous, you know that!" Crossing her arms, she started to walk away, followed by Gary. "That beast was spotted around here…"
"You can't believe in this shiny beast story, Phoebe!" The boy let out exasperated and the couple moved too far to be heard by Clara in the midst of so much mess.
Looking to her side, she was able to spot the couple, still arguing, leaving the establishment. Resentful, she glanced around the inside of the cafe, where everyone acted naturally in their own fun worlds. Or not so natural at all, she thought when she felt the steady gaze of a stranger leaning his back against the counter, a few feet away from her. It wasn't the old movie bad boy outfit, leather jacket and topknot, that bothered her about this man.
"They gave me jelly baby as a gift." Her field of vision of the stranger was obscured by the tall figure of the Doctor, who was returning to his old place, holding a glass of milkshake in each hand and a packet of jelly baby between his fingers.
"You're back quickly." Clara said, and took the glass with the cool, dark purple liquid offered to her. She took the first sip, savoring the taste of açaí. "Hmmm, this is very good."
Faster than she was, the Doctor had taken a few sips of his own milkshake and abandoned his glass on the counter, with a grimace.
"That's not mint, no way ." He continued with the same expression of someone who ate and didn't like it. Bad choice of flavor. "Jelly baby?" He offered and Clara declined, taking her own milkshake. "What? What happened?"
Realizing that her gaze was fixed on a spot over his shoulder, he glanced back, seeing only the people and their orders at the counter in the back.
"Nothing." Shrugging, she tried to pretend the strange guy's gaze hadn't bothered her minutes before. At least he wasn't there anymore.
However, not only Clara would be bothered by strangers. Everything seemed to stop when a female scream cut through the night of fun. The musicians stopped the song instantly and the presents looked at each other in confusion and amazement. With no time for anything like that, the Doctor and Clara dropped the milkshake and their seats and rushed outside. Some people began to leave the cafe little by little, forming a crowd at the doors.
Two girls isolated themselves in the side window of the wall, one of the girls being the most frightened, shivering incessantly and hiding her face in her friend's shoulder. Knowing exactly where he should go, the Doctor went to them, being followed closely by his companion.
"Hello." He greeted subtly and with an encouraging smile for both of them. "What happened here?"
The blonde girl continued with her face on her friend's shoulder, who looked up at the person speaking to her. Seeing the welcoming look that Clara and the Doctor directed at her, she sighed a little relieved. Soon the crowd would reach them.
"Lola, my friend." She nodded to the other one. "She says she saw the glowing beast here in the parking lot."
"But I saw it, Bonnie, I saw it?" For the first time, Lola spoke in words, lifting her face from her friend's shoulder. "That beast was going to come at me, to attack me. So I screamed and ran." With that, the young woman managed to clear up what had happened outside the cafe.
"And how would you describe this… Beast, Lola?" The Doctor proceeded with a questionnaire. The two girls eyed him suspiciously. "We are here to help." Pointing to himself and to Clara beside him, he held up a blue wallet at the girls' eye level, quickly tucking the object back into his pocket.
"Are you from zoonosis?" Bonnie inquired, easing a little when she learned of their intentions.
"Yeah, we're from zoonosis." Taking his wallet out of his pocket again, the Doctor checked the writing. Well, it wasn't that bad.
"So… This beast you saw in the parking lot, Lola, is that the same one the people have been talking about?" Clara butted in the questionnaire, recalling the couple's discussion minutes before.
The last question earned the Doctor an inquisitive look at the english teacher, knowing he wasn't aware of some important information. However, the question session was over, with the crowd finally reaching the quartet.
"Excuse me, excuse me." Someone was pushing his way through the people, who were distributing issues left and right, further cornering Lola. "Could you accompany me, ladies? I will escort you to a quieter place inside the cafe." He offered helpfully and the friends looked at each other, with a brief dialogue made in silence by their eyes.
With a little attention, Clara recognized the boy as the keyboard player of the band that animated the cafe. It might add some credibility to his offer, she thought. With Bonnie supporting her friend, the two began following the musician.
"It was the same beast they were talking about, I saw it!" Lola looked back, remembering Clara's question and answering it. "It was phosphorescent."
Some of those present laughed at the girl's statement, believing she was just someone wanting to draw attention or that she should be out of her mind. While everyone was leaving the cluster little by little, returning to the establishment or opting to leave, the timelord and his companion faced each other.
"Nothing can be that simple with you, can it?" she commented, seeing a smile that could have seemed almost manic on her friend's face.
"Come on, Clara, you're not going to turn down an adventure like this, are you?" He still kept his spirits up, with the two starting to walk side by side across the parking lot, slowly moving away from the cluster of cars at the time.
"So... Phosphorescent?" The english teacher began, the heels of her shoes hitting the concrete. The agglomeration was all dispersed by then, leaving practically only the pair standing around. "Isn't that something from those bad syfy movies?"
"Clara, it's not because something is different that you need to call it bad!" The Doctor took the lead, the green light of the sonic screwdriver pointed toward the floor. "There are bright beings, with balls, gradients…"
The Doctor did not continue his explanatory monologue, as a cry for help cut through the night, for the second time in a few minutes. Not even having to face each other to know what to do, they ran across the sports field in front of the cafe, empty at that time of the night.
The pair didn't need to get closer to see the neon-yellow fur glowing a few feet away. The beast looked twice the size of a lion and was ready to pounce on the same man in the leather jacket that Clara had suspected.
"Oi!" The Doctor let out a high-pitched whistle, making the being turn to them.
The sharp teeth must have been the size of two human fingers—with two fangs more prominent than the rest—barren in a huge mouth and pitch-black eyes. In a split second, the Doctor squeezed the sonic screwdriver he was already holding, making an irritating noise that seemed more amplified than usual. The being grunted, quickly running away from them.
"Are you okay?" Clara approached the stranger, while the timelord watched where the beast disappeared. It was out of their sight.
"Thanks." The man said gruffly, rising from the ground and grabbing a strange pistol a few feet away.
"You're not from Earth, are you?" the Doctor questioned, pointing to the object in the other's hand.
"Neither do you." He replied, seeing a crooked smile form on the timelord's face. The Doctor suspected what kind of people he was dealing with.
"So…a pistol from Kranyen, huh? Sorry to tell you, but it's not enough for a Wahasha." He glared at the man above, challenging him with his gaze.
"Wait." Clara interrupted, stepping between them. "You were going to kill that Wahaha?"
"Wahasha." The Doctor corrected her.
"Wahasha." She continued, hands placed on her hips and waiting for answers. The timelord placed a hand on her shoulder, intending to protect her. He didn't like that stranger man.
The man laughed without humor.
"What would I want with a dead Wahasha?"
"A bounty hunter..." The Doctor whispered, seeing a mocking smile spread across the other's face.
"Exactly." He confirmed. "More than an adult Wahasha, puppies are worth much more in the Illegal Market..."
The Doctor opened his mouth, pointing a finger at the stranger in the jacket.
"Don't you dare…" He tried to sound menacing, lowering his voice, his brow furrowed. "These Wahashas may be the last of their kind!"
"And that's exactly why they're worth so much more than normal." The smirk continued on the hunter's face, who just turned his back on the pair. "Try to stop me." He sneered, going away from them.
A roar cut through the night again, causing the stranger to pick up his pace for a run.
"Why is he running away? Doesn't he want to capture the Wahasha?" Clara questioned, ready to go after the hunter.
The Doctor held her wrist, causing her to remain where she was.
"He knows he doesn't stand a chance against the mother. Not without heavier weaponry." The timelord lowered his voice as the roar increased in volume, indicating that the being was rapidly approaching. "Stay still, Clara. If we run, she runs after us." He warned in a whisper.
The companion held her breath, the phosphorescent being coming closer and closer, frightening with its huge mouth open toward them. The Doctor wasn't even a little shaken, keeping a discreet movement with one hand in his pocket, while the other held the teacher's hand.
"Shh..." He asked Clara, slowly approaching the Wahasha. "Stay where you are."
Even though she was ready to question, the companion just opened her mouth and didn't make a sound, seeing the timelord approach the beast with something outstretched in one hand. Just the same package of jelly baby he got at the cafe.
The Doctor let out a brief grunt, making the being close its mouth and sniff the air, as if analyzing it. With another grunt, the Wahasha tipped its head to the side, sitting on the floor. The timelord reached out, watching the alien capture the package at once and swallow it, plastic and all.
"Good girl." The Doctor broke the distance, moving closer to pat the animal's shiny fur. Glancing back briefly, he signaled to the teacher that it was safe.
"But how…" She stopped beside him, still a little wary of the huge being.
"A little sugar calms anyone's nerves, regardless of species, doesn't it?" He headed for the Wahasha, starting a series of grunts afterward.
It seemed to respond, having finished chewing the packet of jelly baby. Clara felt the warm breath of the being next to her, holding back the urge to sneeze as she watched the strange conversation unfold in front of her.
"So... do you speak its language?" Te teacher questioned uncertainly, still afraid of the beast.
Unlike the Doctor, who kept stroking the Wahasha's fur.
"Our friend here was scared, all she needed was someone who spoke her own language." He explained calmly, encouraging his companion to come closer. Still unsure, Clara moved her hand closer to the Wahasha. "Besides being a very angry mother looking for her children."
"Which explains why she attacked those people." The english teacher was a little more confident as she reached for the glowing yellow fur. Her fingers sank in, seeing how soft and fuzzy it was. "She's a bit like a saber-toothed tiger, but shiny."
The timelord glared at her, frowning and putting his hands on his hips.
"Don't insult the poor thing like that, Clara." He complained, gesturing to the Wahasha. "You're very lucky she can't understand your language."
The companion raised her hands, as if to say 'the speaker is no longer here'. As soon as the affection ended, the beast sniffed the air again, starting to run away.
"Come on!" The Doctor encouraged, starting a run after the Wahasha.
"What is going on?" Clara questioned, holding up part of her skirt and trying not to trip over the partially dark pavement with her heels.
"She was all that time following the trail of the puppies around here." The timelord explained while they were still trying to follow the alien a good few meters ahead of them. "Let's follow her, to stop her from attacking more people."
Both continued to try to keep pace, crossing some streets with few cars at that hour. Clara wondered how no one ran and screamed this time, but maybe they were too busy to pay attention to the strange group.
The short journey continued to a corner, when the Wahasha seemed to disappear. The Doctor and Clara followed the path it took, hearing the mother's roar even before they saw the bounty hunter in possession of one of the puppies, holding it by the scruff. The other three were at his feet, pulling his jeans by the hem and not having much effect, even with their sharp teeth.
The Wahasha mother roared and braced herself for the boat, but neither it and the pair behind it had to move, for what looked like a shadow leapt at the hunter, knocking him and the puppy to the ground, who yelped away.
"It's the keyboard player of the band!" Clara exclaimed, pointing to the two men grappling on the floor.
Deftly, the Doctor approached the two dark-clothed figures and picked up the hunter's weapon, which lay abandoned on the concrete a few feet away. The hunter lost, being surrendered face first on the concrete.
"You're not from around here too, right?" The timelord questioned, twirling the pistol through his fingers, unconcerned that it might fire.
The guy who had been disguised as a musician took a pair of handcuffs from his pocket, while he held the hunter to the ground.
"I've been looking for that bastard since Brazil." He explained, breathing heavily from the previous fight.
The Doctor and Clara looked at each other, with the timelord speaking again:
"Intergalactic Police?"
The guy nodded, rising from the ground and lifting the hunter with one hand, forcing him to stay still.
"I was transporting this family of Wahashas when this one," He gripped the hunter's arm tightly "caught me off guard and stole them from me. But it looks like he wasn't the only one having problems and had to stop here…"
The man in the black coat grunted through his teeth, but none of the three cared about them. Much less the Wahashas, who were more occupied with enjoying their own mother at their side.
"And you just decided to join a band?" Clara questioned uncertainly, her finger massaging her chin as she thought.
"They were in need of a keyboard player…and it's a great place to find out about things."
The teacher shook her head and the Doctor let out a 'ha!', his mind working through all that dialogue.
"So you were the one who brought the açaí to the cafe, wasn't it? I was surprised with all those milkshake flavors…"
"I ended up stopping to drink açaí in a village in Pará, it wasn't the first time I've come to Earth…"
"And that was when the Wahashas were captured!" The Time Lord deduced, snapping his fingers as his mind finished completing the whole story. "This village in Pará is really very welcoming. We should go there some wednesday of these, Clara." He turned his face to address his companion, seeing her a few feet away.
"And what are we going to do with them?" She questioned, bending down to pet one of the puppies. The little ones seemed to glow even more intensely than their mother, who was still patting one of them with its head.
"We can take care of it." The timelord assured the man, earning a suspicious look from the policeman. "I'm the Doctor." He introduced himself, extending a hand in greeting, practically forgetting that the other was more occupied with holding the criminal, who, by now, might have resigned himself to his fate.
"I... I really didn't expect to find you around here, Doctor." The policeman let out along with a gasp, still surprised. "The stories about you are very famous across the galaxy."
The timelord straightened his bow tie, exhaling the modesty he lacked. Clara just laughed, still petting the puppies.
Thus, it was agreed between the three that the policeman would take the hunter to his department, where appropriate arrangements would be made, while the pair would take the Wahasha family in the Tardis to an endangered species sanctuary on a planet a little farther away.
"Is this sanctuary similar to the ones we have here on Earth?" Clara questioned, both walking towards the Tardis in the cafe parking lot.
The two were followed by a line of puppies and mother, leaving a bright trail in their wake. Luckily for them, it was late at night, which allowed them to use the early morning as a disguise. The teacher was still carrying one of the puppies in her arms, having the impression that that one clung to her.
"There are several out there!" Exclaimed the Doctor, starting an explanation of shrines and Wahashas.
The pair entered the cafe parking lot, seeing it completely empty and silent, hardly remembering the excitement and noise of when they arrived there.
"You know they look like bright saber-toothed tigers, right?" Clara teased after the timelord's endless soliloquy about the species.
"I told you they don't, Clara!" He exclaimed in annoyance, opening the Tardis' door.
The teacher laughed, eyeing the happy, glowing family right behind her.
"You do look like saber-tooth tigers." She told them, even though they couldn't understand the language she spoke.
"They don't!" The Doctor complained from inside the Tardis, as everyone entered the police box.
Closing the door, the Tardis dematerialized with its characteristic thud, leaving behind just the only space that was still occupied in the parking lot.