Hello, Darclings. It's been a while, hasn't it? Like most of you, life was one dumpster fire after another for a minute. I'm also working two jobs now, and I've been working to get my own original works agented! So not all bad, but my head was in a different space entirely. Still, I've missed you all and writing just for fun, without goals to meet, and trying to improve and be eye-catching constantly. This one, I wrote this for fun during a writer's event. I hope you enjoy it. Do leave me a comment if you like it!

CHAPTER ONE:

"Doctor? Is this light meant to be goin' off?"

"What light?"

"That purple one there." Since taking TARDIS flying lessons, Yaz had made it her mission to recognize every bell and whistle of the time machine. She had a notebook already full of reminders and drawings so that she could take the TARDIS and find the doctor if they were ever separated.

But her notes didn't mention anything about the purple strobe light blinking on and off. Three blinks, a pause, and then three blinks again. She reached for it; perhaps she'd written a meaning down and forgotten-

The notebook was gone.

Again.

"Doctor? Where's my notebook got to?" She looked over at the young woman, or her legs, since she was under one of the control panels making an ungodly racket and calling out places they could go occasionally. It was why Yaz was trying to take notes in the first place; it was meant to be just another casual day bopping around in the TARDIS.

"Notebook?" The doctor crawled out, squinting behind a massive pair of goggles, leather gloves on, and some kind of spanner in her hand. "What notebook?" And now that purple alarm wasn't the only one going off, not in Yaz's mind. She narrowed her eyes.

"My leather one. I always leave it here on the console."

"Oh! Right. Leather one." Her tone was entirely too casual when she shrugged. "Haven't seen it." She tapped her face. "The specs."

Yaz folded her arms. "The goggles you're using to fix the TARDIS, you can't see in them?"

"Well..." The doctor tugged on an earlobe, a quirk she had an on-and-off habit of doing when she was about to stretch the truth. "They're TARDIS ones. The whole point is for them to see the TARDIS."

"Uh-huh."

"Oh!" She scooted past Yaz, careful to ignore her companion's glare. "Look at that purple light flashing; wonder what that's about?"

"I just said- Whoa!" She toppled into the Doctor as the TARDIS lurched forward, whirring and shaking like a child had picked it up. "Doctor?! What's it doing?!"

"Dunno. But that's half the fun, right?" They were thrown again, this time in separate directions.

"Yaz!" The doctor's delight sharpened to concern.

"I'm alright!" Actually, she could feel a new bruise forming just below her shoulder, but there were bigger things to worry about. "Where's the TARDIS taking us?"

The Doctor hauled herself up, trying to take over the controls. "I don't know... the past?" She looked up at the screen as the time machine shook and shuddered. "Definitely the past, but it's all gone wrong. It's like the past, past times, and the past from just a while ago. Purple light, purple light... gah! It's on the tip of my tongue, like when you can't remember where you put down your mate's notebook"-

"She's picked up speed. We're headed for Earth! I think-" Yaz blinked, mouth dropping. "I knew you had my notebook!"

The doctor sighed. "Don't give me that look. I needed it for a good reason, I promise. I did it for you lot! I needed to sketch my drawings before leaving them in that cave." She yanked on a lever and smashed a button. "You can't just set up a three-thousand-year-old mystery on a whim! Actually, you can, but it's not advisable unless you have a- duck!"

Yaz frowned. "A duck? What do you need a duck- oh my god, it's a duck!" She grabbed onto the console, and the Doctor grabbed them both as the Tardis hurtled toward a playground and a set of stone ducks waddled in a row.

There was a bang, a groan from their ship, and enough smoke to fill a barbecue joint. Then all was still.

"In one piece?" The doctor asked, offering a hand. Yaz nodded, slowly rising with her help.

"Think so... where are we?"

"I think you mean when." The doctor pulled out her Sonic and grinned. "Always wanted to say that. Come on then!"

Yaz had been expecting a brandishing of the sonic, some running commentary. The need to hide from an oncoming unit of soldiers or the Doctor taking off in a random direction.

What she did not expect was her friend frozen in place, staring down a street of flats.

"Doctor?" She moved forward to her side. "What is it? Where are we?"

"Somewhere I never thought I could be." She muttered and headed towards one of the homes. Yaz trailed behind, keeping an eye out for Sontaran squads or angry mobs. Yaz saw neither, but that didn't soften the grim line The Doctor's mouth was set in.

A short ways from the TARDIS, they came upon a door with a "6" on it. The Doctor eyed the flat coolly, sonic hanging at her side and quiet.

"Doctor?" Yaz put a hand on her shoulder, the other woman starting at the contact.

"I think we should go. This shouldn't be possible"- The Doctor was cut off by a shout from inside and little feet running. The door was flung open, and a floppy-haired little boy in a brown tweed suit and bowtie came hurtling out. His button-down was stained with plops of custard, and his pointy little chin was covered in crumbs.

"No baths! I'm the oncoming storm!" He shouted, not looking where he was going.

"The only thing oncoming is a swat to the bottom young man!" A tall redhead replied, running after him. "You're gonna take a bath, and you're going to tell us who you called"-

"Oof!" The little body collided with the Doctor, the redhead pulling up short.

"Doctor! C'mere." She pulled him back into her arms and forced a smile at the woman. "Sorry, kids, right?"

The Doctor was still staring. Yaz frowned and nudged in front of her.

"Yeah, of course. Um, my name's Yaz, and this is The-"

"Hello, Pond." Finally, she had found her voice. The redhead went as still as The doctor was. The little boy was equally quiet, and it was beginning to give Yaz the creeps.

"No... no, wait, you can't be because he's-", The redhead looked between the child and the woman. "I saw him change. This is him."

"Right, that's me. I mean, not me, old me. My face, I mean." Her head tilted. "Except it's gone all small and pointy. Was I always that short?"

"Doctor, what is going on?" Yaz asked. Little boy and woman looked up at that. The redhead cautiously stepped back into the doorway, eyes never leaving the trio.

"Rory! We've got company, sort of!"

"Oi, I'm only sort of company?" Yaz's doctor asked.

"I called on the phone box!" The three-year-old crowed. Yaz squatted down, eye level with him and openly confused.

"Wait, you sent the purple light?"

"This is who you called?" Pond demanded. The little boy flung his arms open wide, beaming ear to ear.

"Who da Man?!"