The Doctor meets everyone! This one is longer than usual because I wanted to add the last bit into it. I'm going to try and make each chapter more than 2400 words. I've been posting 2000 to 2300 word chapters, but wince I am around 7000 words ahead in writing, i figure it's okay to make it longer! Thanks for the lovely reviews and follows and favorites!
Sorry I haven't updated in a while. I'm working basically EVERY DAY OF THE WEEK in the afternoon and I'm burnt out. I'm working on this story today, though!
Oh, does anyone know Anderson's first name? If it's not mentioned AT ALL then I'll just make one up. Anyone have suggestions?
CHAPTER 11 - the TARDIS, the Queen, and Jack Harkness
He took Sherlock's hand in a fast shake, and Sherlock gave an annoyed look at the man. John watched silently, most likely trying his best get rid of the cobwebs of sleep in his head. Tabitha yawned, watching the scene with interest. She had slept in her jeans and t-shirt last night, but she ignored it as she watched the scene unfold.
"Who are you?" Sherlock asked, pulling away and taking a seat in his chair. "Client? What do you need?"
"What? Oh, no, I'm not – Oh, Dr. John Watson!" the man spun immediately to the man he was speaking about, shaking his hand quickly and putting his hands on his shoulders. "You're quite shorter than I imagine"
"What?" John asked, finally getting a voice. Before he could go on, though, the man spun around to Tabitha. She raised an eyebrow as he come up to her, holding her shoulders and looking her up and down.
"Leave her alone, she's not available," Sherlock suddenly growled, stepping in between Tabitha and the man. Sherlock looked threateningly down at the man, whose eyes had grown wide.
"No no no no!" he cried, shaking his hands in denial. "I was making sure she was alright. Are you alright?" he peaked around Sherlock's shoulders at Tabitha. She was busy staring at the back of Sherlock's head. What was that all about? John was doing the same, confusion and worry on his face. "You are Tabitha, aren't you? Hello, I'm the Doctor!"
Sherlock and Tabitha's eyes registered recognition at the name, but John looked more confused than ever.
"You're the Doctor? Doctor of what? Who is TARDIS? Why is Tabitha here?" It was his turn to grab the Doctor's shoulders, staring straight into his eyes, searching his face for any clues.
"Just the Doctor!" the man said lightly, pulling away.
"What is going on?!" John yelled out, making everyone turn to him. He was still in his t-shirt and pajama pants, his hair wild from tossing and turning in his sleep, and he looked rather irritated. "Is this the man who brought Tabitha here? Arrest him for kidnapping!"
"Oh, no, I didn't kidnap her! My TARDIS did! Well, kind of, see, she decided to play a joke and send her here and – "
"TARDIS is a woman?" Tabitha asked curiously.
"This man sent Tabitha a letter, which was actually written on paper from 100 years ago, saying that he and his people, TARDIS, were responsible for her ending up here. Where is the paper from? Tell me the name of this TARDIS organization." Sherlock stalked toward the Doctor, set on his prey.
"Whoa, Sherlock, John, you –" Tabitha pointed at the Doctor – "Knock it off! I went through my television. It's not something simple as kidnapping me on an airplane!" Everyone shut their mouths as Tabitha moved to the middle of the triangle of men. She put her hands on her hips and turned slowly, facing each man for a second. "Get a seat. Let him tell us what is going on."
John did as she said, rubbing his forehead. The Doctor plopped down on the couch, patting his hands on his knees and looking around the room with curiosity and elation. Sherlock made a comment about getting dressed, and went to change out of his pajamas. Tabitha took a seat next to the Doctor, sitting at an angle to be able to see the man.
"First off, what do we call you? Doctor…?" She asked softly. Inside, she was screaming with excitement. She was finally getting answers! On the other hand, panic had popped into her consciousness – this man was the cause for her being here. He would be the one who would take her back home. The thought made her depressed, in all honesty.
She loved her life in her own universe, but there was nothing for her there. She didn't have close family, her husband was gone, and she was on her own. Here, though, she had her favorite characters, her favorite people.
"Just the Doctor," he answered with a smile. He looked young.
"How old are you?" she asked out of the blue.
"1200 years old," he grinned. "Now, the story –"
"You are deranged. We should call Lestrade," John commented, making a move to stand up.
"You have a roommate that came from another universe. Shut up and sit down," Tabitha demanded. She was tired of everyone talking or interrupting. John sent her a look of disapproval as he moved back to get comfortable. Sherlock came out in black pants and a purple button up shirt. Tabitha took a moment to appreciate how well it fit him.
"Now, talk," Sherlock demanded, standing in front of the window with his hands in pockets. His eyes were focused, and everyone knew he was deducing even now.
"Right! Well," the Doctor started, using his hands animatedly as he began to tell his story. "Myself, I'll make the story short. I'm a Time Lord, an alien with two hearts, who travels through time and space, and every now and then, parallel universes. Although, that is not recommended because that could tear time and space apart, obviously from all the stuff that has happened in the past –"
"Doctor." Sherlock spoke with an inpatient voice.
"Oh! Yes, back on track. That's the easy story of me. With Tabitha –" He gestured to her. "My TARDIS decided to play a little trick and send her here. To this universe. Of Sherlock. Oh, I love the show! Sherlock, brilliant!" He started to ramble about the show while the three of them stared at him. He blushed when he realized he was off track again, and moved back to the topic.
000000000000000000000000000
Sherlock wanted to throw the man out if he didn't shut up. The man looked young, but his eyes and attitude made it obvious that he had seen a lot of horrors and marvels. His accent sounded like he was from London, but a slight twinge in his voice was from a place he couldn't identify. The Doctor seemed open and honest, but the claim of being a 1200 year old alien made him think there may be some mental illness contributing to his thoughts. He clinched his teeth as the man slowly wound back to the topic.
"TARDIS – Time And Relative Dimensions In Space – my space ship and time travel box, as it were. I had just dropped off my last companion, and was on my own, trying to figure out what adventure to take next. I thought about visiting Queen Elizabeth, but then I remembered that whatever made her so upset with me hadn't happen yet, so that was out of the question. I thought about going to find Jack Harkness and having a boys day out, except with clothing, because we all know how Jack is, always spouting out some sexual innuendo… well, you don't, anyway –"
"You know the Queen?" John almost shouted, his eyes as wide as saucers. Tabitha raised her eyebrows with an entertained smile, while Sherlock kept staring. This man was telling the completely truth – or what he perceived as the truth. If he didn't believe Tabitha's story, he would never believe this story. As it happens, with Tabitha's unbelievable story, he couldn't discount the Doctor's story, as mad as it was.
"Ah, a few hundred years ago. Let me tell you, the virginal queen is a misnomer –" John gasped and Tabitha burst out laughing. Sherlock rolled his eyes.
"Oh, please, just tell us how Tabitha got here!" He growled, patience running out.
"Right! Sorry, right!" The Doctor shook his head, seeming to get his thoughts straight. "The TARDIS decided to take matters into her own hand. You see, she has her own mind. Honestly, I don't know why she picked you, Tabitha, and you Sherlock, but apparently she did. We crash landed in Tabitha's back yard – it might have contributed to the power outage – and a wave of energy knocked me down just after I knocked on your door."
"That was you!" Tabitha realized, using a hand to point at him. The Doctor grinned and nodded.
"Yes! Yes, yes. Well, I was knocked into the bushes, and when Tabitha looked out the door, another wave went through, and it brought you here!" The Doctor's bright eyes were looking at the other people in the room, and his mouth was open in a wide grin. His hands were thrown out in amazement. "There you go! That's what happened!"
"You expect me to believe that," John said, his voice deadpan.
"Doctor, I am a man of deduction and logic. Ordinarily, I'd throw you out, but after Tabitha convinced me of her story, I am inclined to take a second look at yours," Sherlock admitted, taking a seat regally in his own chair. His hands moved under his chin, together, and he looked at the man across the room. Tabitha smiled, and Sherlock knew that she had accepted the story immediately. John, on the other hand, looked like he wanted to send this man to the nearest mental hospital.
"Sherlock, are you serious?" John exclaimed, waving his arm around. "Her story is mad, his story is impossibly outrageous!"
"What other explanations do you have, John?" Sherlock cried, turning his head sharply to his friend. The Doctor and Tabitha watched wide-eyed as the two men stared at each other heatedly. "Think about all the facts, all the evidence!"
"But – but – this is not possible!" John sputtered.
"But not impossible," the Doctor quipped.
"Precisely," Sherlock agreed smugly.
"Fine. Fine! Let's just pretend this is all true. What now? How does Tabitha get back?"
Sherlock's mind suddenly went fuzzy. He glanced over at the women who had been an annoying distraction for two weeks, and felt nauseated. His eyes narrowed, quickly going through the reasons why he'd be feeling sick. He felt fine in a general sense. He didn't have a temperature, he had been eating regularly thanks to the female in their flat, and he'd been particularly clever with the last few cases.
"Oh, it will be a few days. The old girl has to repair the damage caused from crossing dimensions," the Doctor popped up, with three pairs of eyes watching him, and started to roam around the room, excitedly touching and prodding the different things on the shelves and tables. He looked like a child in a toy store.
"Stop touching my stuff," Sherlock said gruffly, popping up and taking his skull from the Doctor's hands. The Doctor chuckled and apologized as he turned toward the kitchen and fluttered around the equipment on the table. He was murmuring about science experiments in the 51st century. "Stop doing that!" he cried, moving to stand between the Doctor and the table.
"So sorry!" the Doctor exclaimed. "I'm just so excited. It's not every day that you get to meet one of the famous fictional detectives in the flesh!"
"You know what? I need a break from this. I'm going to be with Mary. For the next three days. That's until Sunday, so you'll have to deal with this mad case on your own," John rambled, quickly pulling himself up. He looked like he wanted to get away immediately, but took the time to pack some things from his room.
Tabitha raised an eyebrow as the men shuffled around the flat, one packing and muttering angrily, and the other two playing a game of keep away, with Sherlock pulling things out of the Doctor's hand every time he picked something up.
"Doctor, why don't you show Sherlock and me this TARDIS?" she suggested, standing up herself. Sherlock immediately turned to watch Tabitha head toward the bedroom. "I'll just change."
"No," he commanded. The Doctor and Tabitha were confused and looked at the man. He was standing tall and intense.
"No what?" Tabitha asked.
"No, you are not going to see this TARDIS. You can't leave," Sherlock said.
"Why not?" the Doctor asked, sounding actually curious. Tabitha's face turned into an angry scowl.
"What do you mean I can't leave?" Tabitha put her hands on her hips as John came out with a suitcase. He was talking on the phone with Mary, and only took a moment to glance back at the three people left in the flat. He huffed and left. Sherlock and Tabitha faced off angrily. The Doctor looked back and forth between them, his mouth flapping open.
"Oh!" he said, his bring finally clicking. "Oh. I see, I see."
"You see what?" Tabitha cried, turning her angry eyes onto the Doctor. He stepped back a moment before continuing.
"Oh, this is not good," he murmured softly, clasping his hands together. Sherlock narrowed his eyes suspiciously. The Doctor jumped a bit and started talking again. "These… these feelings won't work, both of you. Sherlock, you aren't real, Tabitha, you don't belong here –"
"There are no feelings between us!" Sherlock growled, stomping toward the bedroom. He slammed the door behind him and moved to the window, his teeth grinding against one another. He had realized exactly why he was feeling like this as soon as the Doctor mentioned feelings.
He had feelings for Tabitha. He thought about her leaving, and it made him want to grab her and lock her in his room. That particular thought made him growl and want to start smoking. He ransacked his room, looking for a pack, but instead slapped on four nicotine patches. That woman was annoying, beautiful, loud, intelligent, mad, clever, and she always believed him. Even John had his doubts at times, but Tabitha? Never.
Knocking at his door made his mind come back from infuriated thoughts.
"What?" he shouted, pulling the door open. Tabitha's mouth opened slightly, worry on his face. He narrowed his eyes at her, his body responding to his attraction to her. He swallowed, and wasn't sure what to do now.
"Sherlock… why can't I go?" Her voice was soft, a bit hesitant, and he knew that she was nervous about the answer. He pressed his lips together, and didn't say anything. She visibly swallowed and took a slow step toward him. His pulse raced, and his breathing became a bit erratic. His hand stayed on the door, while the other pressed against the door frame. Her hands came up to grip the color of his purple shirt, and she stood on her tiptoes, bring her mouth softly to his.
This was the softest kiss they had ever shared. His body was stiff. He didn't want to admit that he liked it. Her lips moved over his, a passionate kiss, no invading tongue, no fighting each other. Just brushing of lips. Sherlock's stomach quivered, and he squeezed the door and door frame with his hands. She pulled away, looking into his eyes. "Sherlock?"
"You may be pregnant. You can't leave until we know."
It was a valid reason, but not the whole reason. He shoved that thought deep into his palace and forced his body to ignore his reaction to her tender kiss. Her breath caught, her face flushed, and she pulled away, clearing her throat. The Doctor watched them from the end of the hall.
"Okay. That is a turn of events," he said, wringing his hands. Tabitha turned toward the Doctor and Sherlock stepped out of the room.