"The Mistaken M. Jones"

19. Catching Up

Earth, in the year 4524

They'd let time get away from them, in the shock of Lenton's message and then in the search for the asteroid. Mercedes had only just managed to notice that the seconds were ticking down to zero before she'd seen the Doctor had finally located it, and then she'd felt herself get pulled away again. There was hardly ever time for her to think much further than what was happening at that one time, but as she opened her eyes after her fourth jump, a gut twisting little thought came to her: How long would this keep going on? Would she just keep jumping and jumping, spending twelve hours of the same day over and over only five years apart each time?

She had very little time to think on it. She was getting that much better at remembering where she would appear and what she should do next. They might as well have put an X on the ground where she stood, because this was always where she ended up. It didn't matter whether she was on a ship, be it the one that was asteroid-bound, or the Doctor's TARDIS, or in Merit's house, or in Lima more than two thousand years ago. She always appeared in the same place, but with each jump it only felt like it was the worst place to be in. Her surroundings looked bleaker than ever, and she immediately made to hide, but only for a minute, to catch her breath and get her bearings, and then she knew where to go.

She walked the near familiar path up to Merit's house, pulling her arms together to try and shake off the chills she kept getting. If she couldn't see the occasional face in a window she might have thought the city was deserted for good. It was one thing for her to live those twelve hours the way she did, but these people had become five years older since she'd been there just a few minutes ago. They knew more than anyone what had left their city so sad and dead looking.

She'd never felt so exposed as when she made it up to the door, rang, and waited. What if someone saw her and called it in? She heard the door open and breathed with relief…

"Sorry," she blinked. "I think I have the wrong address," she looked around. No, this was the right house, but… "Is Merit here?" she asked the woman.

"Merit… Reeslin?" she asked, like it was the last thing she'd thought to hear, on this day or any other. "He hasn't lived here in… what, nearly five years, that's when I bought the house," she nodded confidently.

"Where'd he go?" Mercedes felt her assurances fail her. The woman stared at her for a moment, then stepped aside.

"Better come inside," she told Mercedes, and with nothing else to do, Mercedes walked in. "I probably shouldn't be getting involved. I don't want to get in trouble."

"I won't get you in trouble," Mercedes swore.

"If only it were that easy," the woman guided her into the living room. It looked so different, she might not have known it was the same place. In the times she'd been there before, even with the years, there was barely any change at all. "They got him locked up," the woman revealed. "Honestly, the whole thing is bogus, but there's nothing to be done for it. He should have known…"

"His friend got stuck over on that asteroid!" Mercedes felt suddenly protective for the violet haired man.

"Lenton, I know," the woman frowned back at her. "Most of us have people over there, too. Day I came back after my years was the same day my sister left here. I was one of the last twenty-ones to come back, she was one of the first sixteen to never return. Last time I saw her she was eleven, and I probably won't ever see her again."

"I'm sorry, I didn't think…" Mercedes was quick to apologize. They stood in silence for a moment. "I need to find a way to contact someone, a friend, but I don't know how. Merit should have been here, he might have known…"

"Do you mean the Doctor?" the woman asked, and Mercedes stared at her. "I was wondering when you'd show up. You should see this," she grabbed Mercedes' hand and guided her up the stairs, to the attic. In a corner cupboard, Mercedes watched as the woman pulled back the bottom panel and retrieved a metal box. She handed it over. "The note said you'd know what to do…" the woman explained as Mercedes opened the box, reached inside finding a small round thing… which pinched her palm.

"Ow!"

"Or it might have been that it would know," the woman frowned.

X

Earth, in the year 1893

Clara may yet have been new to TARDIS life, but even as she slipped back on board, smirking to herself and attempting to undo the mess of curls atop of her head, she knew what would happen next. Their failed trip to London had landed them in Yorkshire, and now they were leaving again, the blue police box covered in muck… Wherever they did land, cleaning 'her' would be priority one.

"Yes, brilliant," she frowned when the carefully crafted hairdo collapsed over her face. She wondered if priority number two might involve a hair salon…

She'd only just heard the door open and shut when, out of nowhere, the ship was in motion. Clara yelped, holding to the wall, just as she heard the Doctor shouting… No, cheering?

"Doctor?" she called, heading back toward out the way she'd come from and finding him bouncing about from one side of the console to the other. "Doctor!" she rose her voice, hoping to get his attention.

"The Lady Jones is calling, Clara!" he hooted.

"Jones… You told me about her, your old companion… Martha?"

"No, not that one, although, now that you mention it, I do keep a fair amount of those… Jones… Jones… Many Smiths as well…" And Oswalds… he thought. They're always you. They always die.

"Sense, making any? Soon?" Clara frowned, moving to his side. He startled.

"Blimey, your hair…"

"Jones!" she tapped his arm. He pointed at her.

"Right, short version. Mercedes Jones, mistaken for Martha, bam! Forty-sixth century! Twelve hours, bam! Five years later, meets me… Not this me, old me. Twelve hours, bam!"

"Stop that," Clara begged.

"Meets older me. Twelve hours, and b… Poof… Gone again, never saw her again, left a beacon, far as she knows, she just saw me, now I know where she is, so…" The TARDIS landed. "Now we go and find her. Come along, you'll catch on… And do something with that hair…"

TO BE CONTINUED (TOMORROW)