With Love from Long Ago
"Come on Wilf you're alright," The Doctor waved a vial in front of the older man's face, stepping back to give him some room as he came to.
"Doctor?" Wilf shook his head focusing on the man before him as he pulled himself further up in the recliner.
"Yup," The Doctor beamed, "That's me."
"But-" Wilf began, "You haven't aged a day."
"What?" He screwed up his face in confusion.
"I was just a boy but I remember it like it was yesterday." Wilf muttered, "You're the same-"
"Oh right," The Doctor rocked back on his heels in realization, "You met the other me, brown suit, big blue box?"
"I'm finally losing it." He shook his head astounded.
"Nah you're fine," The Doctor waved him off settling himself in the chair opposite while Rose entered from the kitchen with a tray of tea.
"What the Doctor means to say," She glared before setting the tray down beside Wilf, "Is that you're not goin' mad, things with us are just a little bit…..complicated-"
"Complicated?" Wilf laughed, "Impossible more like-"
"We're time travelers," The Doctor supplied casually, "Well we used to be anyways."
"You're balmy that's what." Wilf corrected taking the tea Rose offered him.
"I've been called worse." The Doctor nodded thoughfully.
"Now that I'd believe." Wilf agreed looking between the two other occupants of his lounge.
"You met a version of me Wilf," The Doctor sat forward resting his forearms on his knees, "My Brother for all intents and purposes I suppose, but you saw the blue box yes?"
"Strangest thing I'd ever witnessed," He replied sipping his tea tentatively, "It just disappeared in a wind storm and the sound oh I'll never forget that-"
"The sound of the universe." The Doctor smiled. "But it's not just a box, it's a TARDIS, she's a ship Wilf."
"The most beautiful ship in all time and space." Rose added fondly.
"A space ship?" Wilf's breath hitched and his eyes widened, "If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes I would've thought you were tryna play me for a fool but- so you're a-a-"
"Oh yes." He replied softly.
"Both of you?" Wilf looked to Rose.
"No I'm human," She chuckled nodding to the man beside her, "But the Doctor, he's from one of the oldest civilizations in all the universes."
"That so then?" Wilf replied glancing at the man in the blue suit snatching a handful of cookies from the table.
"Yup," She popped, "You, Wilfred Mott, ave' got one of the last Lord's of Time sittin' right here in your lounge, drinkin' tea and scoffin' down your last Jammie Dodgers."
"Hmmm sowy," The Doctor apologized around his mouthful.
"Leave ya manners in the TARDIS?" She chastised quietly.
"I-" He swallowed a mouthful of tea to wash down the blockage of cookie.
"So anyway," Rose ignored the Doctor turning back to Wilf, "Rude Aliens and vanishing blue time ships, what do ya think?"
"I think we should probably all be committed," The old man spoke after a time, scratching his head in thought. "But that being said, that blue box was something special alright," He looked to the man in blue, "Should it bother me that I believe you?"
"I've met a version of you in a parallel world you know, even travelled the stars with your grand-daughter?" The Doctor raised an eyebrow.
"You-you met my Donna?" Wilf smiled wistfully. "My girl in the stars?"
"Not your Donna specifically, but yes, a Donna is out there in another universe, millions of years into the past and future," The Doctor smiled sadly, "And she was brilliant."
"I always said she could do anything," Wilf sighed, "I try my best but I know she's unhappy bein' where she is, her mother drives her spare-"
"Some things never change," The Doctor chuckled knowingly.
"Dear Sylvia," Wilf laughed, "Gotta love her."
A loud yawn broke the moment and the two men looked to Rose who blushed, giving a muttered apology.
"Well then," Wilf hoisted himself out of his chair, "I guess since you're here now, to stay I presume according to what I know from your last visit, I should show you both to the main house? You are here to take residence like you said?"
"Yup," The Doctor grinned, standing to follow the other man out into the small hallway, watching as he pulled a medium sized storage box from a closest and blew the dust from the top.
"Kept this here all these years," He murmured passing it to the Doctor as he turned to pull a set of old keys from a hook by the door.
"We'll have to go in the back way," Wilf told them as he slipped a heavy jacket on and opened the door. "Go get that boiler goin' to warm the place up before it gets dark."
They trailed across the gravel and lawn behind Wilf taking in a little more of the surrounding grounds not yet covered in thick mist. The grass was dull and almost lifeless, the gardens unkempt with thorns and brambles, the remnants of what once must have been a plethora of flora wilted and abandoned. Wilf noticed Rose's expression as she took in their surroundings.
"Nothin' has grown here for a long time, I tried but-"
"It's not that," Rose hastened to assure him glancing behind her, the hairs on the back of her neck prickling. "I-"
"What is it?" The Doctor murmured stepping closer to her side, following her gaze into the dense woods that lined the back of the house yard.
"Dunno it jus' feels sorta-"
"Hmmmm, like we're being watched." He finished narrowing his eyes at a section of foliage near the edge of what was possibly once a glorious water feature of the garden. His hand trailed down her arm and took her hand firmly. "Come on."
He pulled her towards the back door, holding it open for her as she stepped through. He took a final glance at the woods before he pulled the door closed and slid the bolt firmly into its housing.
"The boiler and the power box are down here," Wilf's voice came from an open doorway, "Just give us a second and I'll-"
The lights of the old kitchen flickered on and Rose glanced around at the wood and stone, almost exactly as she remembered it really save for the electrical sockets and small lights that lined the walls.
"God it's almost like we're-"
"I know." The Doctor agreed with a small smile as he placed the old box Wilf had given him on the table and slipped his hands in his pockets as he strolled to the fireplace that took pride of place at one end. He tossed a few blocks of wood onto the hearth and with a quick sonic had them burning away happily, the flickering of the flame casting soft shadows and warmth throughout the room.
"Ah good," Wilf popped his head out of the doorway he disappeared down, "Now that boiler runs off gas, should warm the place up in no time at all. The wiring in the place is a little temperamental at times but there's no need to worry."
"Thank you." Rose smiled, warming herself by the fire.
"My pleasure love," He nodded returning her smile, "Right, I'll just pop back home and grab a few things, no time to get anything in now so the kitchen's gonna have to stay bare until tomorrow, but I have got a nice pot of Irish stew on, it's warm and filling, plenty for the three of us and a nice fresh stick from the bakers and a bottle of red."
"You don't have to-"
"No really it's my pleasure," Wilf stopped her, "I owe a lot to the Doctor, lookin' after this place has its benefits let me assure you, this is the least I can do."
He disappeared through another archway and moments later they heard the front door open and close as he stepped out into the twilight. Rose pulled out the chair closest to the fire and sat down wearily, her eyes falling on the old box in the centre of the table.
"Wha' do ya suppose is in it?" She murmured as the Doctor sat down across from her.
"No idea." He pulled the box closer and after running his fingers over the surface of the lid, slipped them down the sides and depressed two hidden latches, grinning as the box hissed and popped as it opened.
"Dachtarian puzzle box." He offered by means of an explanation, "The contents remain untouched by time."
"It's from you?" She frowned, watching as he reached his arm in almost to the elbow.
"Yup." He gently lifted out two small duffel bags, one leather bound journal and two envelopes with the Doctor's swirling script across the front.
"These are for you." He handed her one of the bags and an envelope as he slowly cracked the seal on his letter and unfolded the parchment.
Dearest Brother,
As you already know I've taken the liberty of providing for both yourself and Rose for what will be, hopefully, quite a long and illustrious forever together. The TARDIS took it upon herself to pack for the both of you, everything you'll ever need is in that bag along with a few little extras. Well what else can I say really, you are me and I am you, I couldn't possibly tell you anything more that you don't already know. I apologise for what I said but she had to choose you. Look after her. Love her.
Theta.
P.S. Check the library.
The Doctor refolded the letter and slipped it into his breast pocket with a sigh, he knew his other self was devastated once more to have lost her. He hoped that he would find someone soon to help soften the blow. He toyed with the clasp of the duffel bag, chancing a glance up at his companion.
She laughed slightly as she read it aloud.
Rose,
Be fantastic.
Yours Always,
The Doctor.
"Ah, the short and sweet approach," The Doctor mused, "I am getting soft in my old age."
"Well considerin' your gob never stops-"
"Oi-"
"Here we go," Wilf announced as he pushed through the kitchen door backwards, a bag on his shoulder and a larger pot wrapped in a tea cloth in his hands. "Brought a few little extra's with me just in case."
He set the pot down and pulled out a loaf of bread, a block of aged cheddar, a bottle of Guidalberto - care of the wine rack in the basement – and a ladle. He directed the Doctor towards a cupboard while Rose turned to a cabinet for utensils.
"Mmm delicious," Wilf breathed in the warm scent of stew as a tendril of steam escaped from the bowl he handed to the Doctor and before long all three were tucking heartily into their meals.
Half an hour later Wilf excused himself and retired back to his cottage with an offering of breakfast for tomorrow and a promise to order in some necessary items from town. The Doctor rinsed their plates and placed them in the washing tray to dry as Rose collected her duffel from the table and wandered out through a set of double doors leading to a small den which appeared to flow through into a study come library, larger than the room they had once hidden from a werewolf in.
Rose flopped down onto a plush sofa sighing at the softness of the fabric and cushions. She watched as the Doctor once again soniced the logs in the hearth to emit a warm amber glow throughout the room.
"That's lovely thanks." Rose grinned at him as he slumped down into the couch beside her.
"Voice activation component identified, Tyler, Rose Marion. Confirm secondary signature."
"Wha' the 'ell is that?" Rose rolled off the couch and onto her feet, the Doctor at her back as they glanced warily around the room.
"Who's there?" The Doctor demanded wielding his sonic menacingly around the room.
"Secondary Voice Activation Signature Confirmed, The Doctor." The Doctor and Rose turned as the panelling above the mantel slid open to reveal a large screen with the swirling glyphs of the Doctor's language marking its surface around the image of a woman's face.
"Synchronising chronon particle loop stabilisers and temporal dampeners, engaging satellite networking capabilities and deep space analysers. Ionic Matrix rebooting. Idris Systems now, Online."