Through Thick and Thin
Shareen's Homecoming
The Doctor and Shareen stepped out of the TARDIS to find themselves on a suburban street. "Where are we, then?" Shareen asked.
"Richmond, London, England, Earth, the Solar System." the Doctor listed off.
"Ah, the posh part." Shareen nodded. "What's the emergency, then? Is there some ugly bog monster hell-bent on armageddon lurkin' about somewhere?"
"No." the Doctor snorted. "Well, none that I know of, anyway. See that house there?" He pointed to a rather posh townhouse with a 'sold' sign outside.
"What about it?" Shareen asked.
"It's yours." the Doctor replied, tossing her a set of house keys.
"What?" Shareen stared.
"That's your new home." the Doctor told her. "C'mon then, let's get ya stuff inside."
"Wait, let get this straight: you're kickin' me out?" Shareen frowned.
"I'm giving you a new life." the Doctor said earnestly. "A fresh start. It's for the best. The truth is, I'm dangerous to be around. I've nearly gotten you killed hundreds of times." He nodded to the spot on Shareen's chest where she'd had been accidentally shot by Lucy Saxon on the Valiant. "And then there's what happened to Donna."
"That wasn't your fault, Peacock." Shareen told him. "That was the b**tard Daleks' fault."
"It was my regeneration energy which triggered the metacrisis." the Doctor sighed. "I must bear the responsibility for what happened. Too many people have suffered because of me. You were very lucky to survive being shot. Next time you might not be so lucky." he said seriously. "So it's for the best that I travel alone."
"Are you gonna be alright?" Shareen asked him. "I mean, if Donna hadn't have been there during that time with the spider lady under the Thames..."
"Yes, I know. I've changed since then." the Doctor said. "I'll be alright. I'm always alright. Anyway, so enough chinwaggin', let's get you moved in." And he went back inside the TARDIS to fetch the Magna-clamps to transfer Shareen's possessions to her new home.
~8~
Moving Shareen's things into the house didn't take too long thanks the Magna-clamps and the house was soon suitably furnished. The house was quite large; with a cavernous living room, a spacious kitchen, downstairs and upstairs bathrooms, three bedrooms and a decent-sized back garden. "How did ya pay for this place, Peacock?" Shareen asked as they finished moving the boxes into the house. "You didn't rob a bank, did ya?"
"No." the Doctor snorted. "I've got a decent nest egg from workin' at U.N.I.T. I could buy the Shard with what I've saved up." he said flippantly.
"What's the Shard?" Shareen frowned.
"Oh, sorry, bit early yet." the Doctor waved her off. "But this house is all paid for. No need to worry about rent an' all that."
"But what am I s'posed to do with myself now?" Shareen asked. "I mean I can't live off crumbs. I'm gonna have to get a job to make ends meat, but how am I gonna find one with the world in a recession?"
"The recession will pass," the Doctor replied, "but tell ya what..." he reached into his suit jacket pocket for something, "this should tide you over for a bit." He handed Shareen a lottery ticket with several numbers circled. "I have a feeling these'll be your lucky numbers for this week's triple rollover." he grinned.
"Um, thanks." Shareen blinked, slipping the ticket into her jean pocket. "So... I guess this is goodbye, then."
"Nah, more like au revoir." the Doctor replied flippantly. "Ya don't get rid of me easily!"
Shareen snorted. "Don't I know it?" she laughed, then became serious, "Take care of yourself, Peacock."
"I always do." the Doctor replied, puffing his chest out. "And you take care. Have a good life. You deserve it."
"Thanks. Bye, then, Peacock."
"Goodbye, Shareen Costello." the Doctor reciprocated. They shook hands and the Doctor left the house to return to the TARDIS.
Shareen watched him from the living room window as he entered the box and it dematerialised into thin air then she took out her mobile phone and dialled Martha's number. "Shareen? Is that you? What's up?" the voice of Martha Jones asked.
"Nothing's up, Martha." Shareen replied. "I was callin' to see if you're up to anything."
"No, can't say I am. Why?"
"I was just wanderin' if you'd to come see my new house." Shareen said.
"Your new what?"
"My new house." Shareen replied. "Peacock's given me my own gaff. Wanna come an' see it?"
"Ok. What's the address?"
"Hang on..." Shareen went outside and checked the number on the front door, then she went onto the street and checked a street sign. "It's 41, Blackmoor Road, Richmond."
"Ok, I'll be right over. See ya in a bit." Martha acknowledged.
"Lookin' forward to it." Shareen nodded, then she dialled Mickey's number. "Hey-ya, Micks. Whacha doin'?"
"Chillin' out, 'Reen." the voice of Mickey Smith replied. "Why? What's up?"
"Just wanderin' if you'd like to come round to my new house an' have a match, just like the old days." Shareen replied.
~8~
Martha and Mickey were soon at Shareen's new house and Mickey and Shareen were having a small football match in the back garden while Martha watched them. "It's a nice house, Shareen." Martha commented, eyeing Shareen's new home. "The Doctor's spoiling ya."
"Yeah, it's a world away from the old estate." Mickey agreed as he attempted unsuccessfully to get the ball past Shareen. "Ya movin' up in the world, 'Reen. I bet you'll wearin' posh dressed an' talkin' like Lady Penelope before long!" he teased.
"You wish." Shareen snorted, kicking the ball past Mickey and into the goalpost she'd procured from the TARDIS. "You can take me out the Powell Estate, but ya can't take the Powell Estate outta me!"
"What're ya gonna do with yourself now, Shareen?" Martha asked.
"I don't know." Shareen replied. "Peacock's given me a lottery ticket to tide me over for a bit, but I dunno how I'm gonna get a job after being away for two years. I mean, what am I gonna tell the interviewers when they ask where I've been for the last two years?"
"You could always join U.N.I.T." Martha offered. "I could put in a word for ya. You'd fit right in. You're clever, tough and a good person to have around."
"Huh, I don't think Zara would wanna have me workin' with her." Shareen snorted.
"What, Zara's workin' for U.N.I.T?" Mickey asked.
"She's a junior technician." Martha told him. "To be honest, having worked with her several times, I can see why you haven't spoken to her for five years, Shareen." she commented.
"What about you, Micks?" Shareen asked. "What're you doin' now ya back with us?"
"I'm gonna go freelance." Mickey replied. "I reckon there's always gonna be aliens buggin' Earth and we can't always rely on the Doctor to save us, so someone's gotta do the dirty work."
"Hmm, good idea, Micks." Shareen nodded, picking up the football. "Hey, you guys wanna watch a film?"
"Which film did ya have in mind?" Martha asked her as the trio went back inside the house.
"This." Shareen said, reaching into one of the boxes and producing a DVD of Rogue One. "Got it from the TARDIS. It's not s'posed to come out for another seven years, but I couldn't be bothered to wait that long."
"What's it about?" Mickey asked.
"It's a prequel to the original Star Wars." Shareen told him. "It tells of how they nicked the Death Star plans. You remember when we used to play Battlefront 2 on the PS2? Well, this film's like a film of that game."
"I'm in." Mickey said immediately.
"Alright, I'll give it a watch." Martha concurred. "I remember when Episode III came out. I went down the pictures to see it with Julia and Oliver. Cinema was packed. Never seen anything like it."
"It's a great film, I promise." Shareen told them as she set up the DVD player and telly she'd taken with her. Once they were set up, Shareen hit the play button and the trio settled down to watch the film.
True to Shareen's word, Mickey found watching Rogue One to be an experience. By the time they reached the film's climax, with Darth Vader going on a rampage in the hallway, he was practically staring open-mouthed in awe at the screen, much to the two women's amusement. "That was brilliant." Mickey said as the end credits rolled.
"Told ya you'd like it." Shareen smiled.
"Ya know, you're quite the tom boy, Shareen." Martha commented. "You play football and video games, you like Star Wars and Red Dwarf... definitely a tom boy."
"Hey, I like girl things too." Shareen shrugged. "I like boys, I dress up when I have to and I watched Disney when I was a kid."
"Hey remember when we used to go trick or treating?" Mickey asked. "We always used to have a theme each year."
"Oh, yeah, I remember Jack once said you all went as Hocus Pocus characters one year." Martha commented.
"That was Halloween '93." Shareen recalled. "I was Mary Sanderson, Micks here was Billy Butcherson an' Rose was Sarah Sanderson."
"You even had the vacuum cleaner broom." Mickey laughed, remembering that night vividly.
"Yeah, an' mum grounded me 'till Christmas 'cos of it." Shareen grunted. "Hey, remember Halloween '92 when we dressed up as Thunderbirds characters?"
"Oh, yeah. I was Parker, you were Scott an' Rose was Lady Penelope." Mickey recalled. "Mind you, half the estate were dressin' up as Thunderbirds that year."
"Sounds like you two had some pretty funny Halloweens." Martha laughed.
"What about you, Martha? You an' your family ever dressed up in funny costumes?" Shareen asked her.
"Well, there was that fancy dress party where we all went in costume." Martha recalled. "It was when I was 18. Dad went as a Caribbean DJ, mum was an 18th century aristocrat, Tish went as Plumette from Beauty and the Beast, Leo was a pirate and I dressed up as Cat from Red Dwarf."
"And I bet you looked fantastic." Shareen winked, and the the trio ended up spending several hours swapping stories until nearly 22:00 in the evening, when Mickey and Martha left for their respective homes, leaving Shareen to turn in for her first night on Earth for a long time.
~8~
Next day, Shareen was unpacking more of the things she'd brought with her from the TARDIS. The pike she'd obtained from the adventure with Shakespeare was now hanging proudly on the living room wall and she was just unpacking a box full of miscellaneous items when she heard a knock on the front door. She answered it to find her estranged mother, Hayden Whitland, standing there. "Mum?" she stared in disbelief.
"Hello, Shareen." Hayden said briskly. "Can I come in?"
"If you must." Shareen answered in the same brisk tone, and led Hayden into the house. "How did ya find me here?" Shareen asked.
"That Doctor came to see me last night and told me where I could find you." Hayden answered. "So, this is your new home." she commented, looking around the living room.
"And why did you want to find me?" Shareen pressed, somewhat concerned about her estranged mother seeking her out. She remembered Shireen telling her about how in her universe, she and her mother had made up, but Shareen was doubtful that her own mother would be interested in reconciling.
"To see you of course." Hayden replied.
"Why?" Shareen asked suspiciously.
"Does a mother need a reason to see her daughter?" Hayden countered.
"Huh, forgive my memory for being good, but I recall that for 18 years, I was nothing but an unwanted burden to you." Shareen said bitterly.
"No! Of course you weren't!" Hayden protested. "How could you ever think that?"
"After the way you all used to treat me, how could I not?" Shareen countered. "All the time it was 'Zara this, Zara that. Oh, you'll never amout to anything, you stupid girl.' And what was it dad called me that night? Oh, yeah, 'you ungrateful waste of sperm'!"
Hayden bowed her head in shame. "I'm sorry." she said quietly. "We... we shouldn't have treated you like that. It-it was cruel, and wrong, I realise that now. I know you'll probably never forgive us, Shareen, but please, just know that your dad and I, we're both truly sorry for everything we did to you. We weren't there for you when you needed us, and we're sorry. We want to be here for you now, if you'll let us."
Shareen considered her for a moment. "Alright, just s'pose I let you. What's it gonna be like now? What will you and dad do for me?"
"Anything you like. We could go to New York, like you wanted to for your 18th." Hayden offered.
"Went with Peacock." Shareen dismissed.
"But I heard you spent that trip wading through sewers and shanty towns." Hayden persisted. "If we go together, we could up Broadway, or to the top of the Empire State... or to Liberty Island. We didn't get to do that last time. Or we could see about setting you up with a music coach. You still sing, don't you? I remember your teachers at school used to say you could become a great singer. Or football? I know you love ya football. "
"They're hobbies, not things that I could realistically make a career out of." Shareen said. "And how did ya know about New York? I never even told Nan and Gramps about that."
"That Doctor bloke told me all about it." Hayden replied. "He said that you've had quite a few adventures with him. Is it true that you got shot?" she asked anxiously.
"It doesn't matter." Shareen tried to wave her off.
"Of course it matters!" Hayden persisted. "The Doctor said that you were lucky to survive!"
Shareen lifted up her shirt to show her mother the residual scar from her bullet wound.
"Oh, my God!" Hayden gasped in horror. "Oh, Shareen, why didn't you tell any of us about that?!"
"Didn't think you'd care." Shareen shrugged. "Heck, I thought you'd all be disappointed I didn't die!"
"You really think that we'd want you dead?!" Hayden breathed, horrified at the thought. "There hasn't been a day that's gone by since you left that I haven't wished you were still at home with us. With your family. Every time an alien attacks Earth, I think of you and hope you're alright. I even went to your flat after Canary Wharf to see if you were alright, but you weren't there."
"I was travellin' with Peacock by then." Shareen shrugged. "Didn't have anything left for me there so I didn't see the point in stayin' there."
"You could've come home." Hayden offered. "Please, just let me make it all up to you. Please."
"What about dad? Does he want me back?"
"More than ever. Shareen, please, just give us a chance."
Shareen pondered. "Alright, well, if you wanna be there for me, you can help me unpack." she said. "I've still got all this to get out." She gestured to the box she'd been working on.
"Alright, let's get started." Hayden said, shrugging her coat off and getting stuck in. The first thing she found in the box was a VHS of The Wrong Trousers, the very video tape Shareen had had since she'd been eight. "You've still got this?" Hayden asked, holding up the tape.
"Well, it was a present from Nan an' Gramp. Didn't feel right throwin' it away." Shareen replied, taking the tape and putting it up on a shelf. "Besides, it saved mine and Martha's lives once."
The next thing Hayden found in the box was a school certificate, congratulating Shareen for getting high marks in her IT exams. "You never told any of us you had this." Hayden said.
"None of you cared to ask." Shareen replied. "I told Nan an' Gramp; that's why they bought me my PS2. They've got my old football certificate."
"Yeah, I've seen it." Hayden nodded. "We should've been there to see it. You did good, Shareen. Your gramps says you should join a team."
"Hmm, I dunno." Shareen said. "I don't think I'd enjoy it as much if it was full-time and not for fun." She looked out of the window just in time to see a car pull up outside and her estranged father, Alfie Whitland, get out of it. "Oh, no." she groaned to herself.
Moments later, Alfie knocked on the door and Hayden let him in. "Right, where is she then?" he asked as he entered the house.
"I'm right here." Shareen said coolly. "And that's far enough, thank you."
"Shareen, it's me." Alfie said, indicating himself.
"Yes, I can see that." was Shareen's dry answer. "Nice teeth."
"Your handiwork." Alfie answered. "Nice house."
"You're not moving in!" Shareen said immediately. "I live alone."
"You don't have to." Hayden tried to coax her. "Like I said, we want to be here for you now."
"You're still not moving in." Shareen said, crossing her arms in a firm gesture.
"We don't want to move in." Alfie said. "We've got our own house. I was just sayin', nice house." He then noticed that unpacking was in progress. "You need help with anything?"
"No, I can manage." Shareen said, putting the last of the box's contents away.
While Shareen was preoccupied, Hayden pulled her husband aside. "You should've left this to me." she told him quietly. "I was starting to build bridges. I don't think Shareen wants to see both of us just yet."
"What, so I'm not allowed to see my own daughter?" Alfie huffed. "A daughter we haven't seen for five years!"
"And who's fault was that?" Hayden asked briskly.
"I know." Alfie sighed. They then turned back to Shareen. "Alright, Shareen, I'm sorry for what I said to you that night." Alfie said, swallowing his pride. "And I'm sorry for the way we all treated you. It's good to see you again. You look good, Shareen. Just like ya mother did when she was your age."
"Right." Shareen said tightly. "Now, I won't be able to forgive you both overnight, and if Zara starts her nonsense, then I can't be held responsible for my actions, but I'm gonna give ya both a chance."
"That's all we ask for." Hayden said.
"Yeah, let us be there." Alfie added.
"Ok, It's good to see ya both again... Mum and dad." Shareen said.
"My little girl." Hayden sniffled, rushing forward and hugging her long-estranged daughter. "Oh, I've missed you, Shareen. Oh, I'm so sorry." she sobbed into Shareen's hair.
Alfie then took over. "My beautiful daughter." he sighed, hugging Shareen tightly. "Welcome home, darling."
Author's notes. Ok, straight of the bat, this is not my best work and is mostly filler. Regarding Shareen's departure from the TARDIS, this is because the Doctor needs to be his own for the Fall of Ten arc to really work and also because I've decided to have Shareen return to being a part-time companion, like she was in series 1 and 2. I made that choice so that I could cherry-pick which episodes she appears in for the Moffat-era. There's a lot of episodes from that era which I don't particularly like, so having Shareen be part-time means that I can only adapt the episodes which I do like. She will still have the occasional adventure with the Doctor, so it's not the end by any means. Also note that Shareen's estranged parents have finally made their debut, with the door open for reconciliation between parents and daughter. It's not an immediate reconciliation, as I felt it was more realistic for there to still be some tension, but the door's open for the burned bridges to be rebuilt. Next time will see Zara have an adventure with the Doctor. See ya then!
