Twists in Time
Chapter Six: The Shakespeare Code: Love Labor's Lost
By Lumendea
Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or any spinoff material, and I gain no income from this story, just the satisfaction of playing with the characters.
….
Rose wasn't sure who to watch as they flew through the Time Vortex. Awe, and a touch of fear was creeping over Martha's face. It was likely starting to sink in that she'd just boarded a strange alien ship and was theoretically going back in time. After seeing her family in action, Rose could understand why Martha might be willing to get on the TARDIS.
The Doctor's face was gleaming with excitement. New body and a new companion to show off for and see the joy of the universe through. Rose smiled softly at him when he glanced her way. Somehow his grin widened and Rose took a moment to just enjoy his joy. Then he twisted around the consoled and started giving instructions. Jumping forward, Rose pressed the buttons he said in a rush of technobabble. She heard Jack laugh and glanced at him with a smile as he helped.
They landed with a heavy thump and Rose fell sideways into the Doctor. Laughing, he wrapped an arm around her and kissed her head. But his eagerness for the past quickly took over. Letting go of Rose, he sept up his coat from the railing and pulled it on. Martha was glancing around at their faces nervously.
"Is it always that bumpy?" Martha asked.
"Oh, that was nothing," Jack laughed. "Only a couple of centuries." He snapped his fingers. "That's easy."
"Only a couple of centuries," Martha repeated. Her eyes went to the door. "Did we really…"
"Travel in time?" the Doctor asked. "Yes, yes, we did." He grinned at Martha and nodded toward the door. "Take a look."
Everyone stayed back as Martha headed for the doorway. Her stride was a bit more hesitant than it had been in the hospital. Rose smiled softly and thought back to her first trips in the TARDIS. Though… she still felt that magic every time they went someplace new. Reaching over, she took the Doctor's hand and squeezed it.
"I love travelling with you," Rose whispered softly.
"Me too, darling."
Martha opened the door and poked her head outside. A choked gasp escaped her, and Jack chuckled as he walked forward to join her. He sniffed at the air and made a face before looking over at the Doctor. In response, the Doctor just shrugged. Rose tugged him forward, and they stepped out after Martha. Rose wasn't an expert in history, but she was able to get a pretty good idea of the era by glancing around at the buildings. Martha was looking around with wide and bright eyes.
"Oh, you are kidding me. You are so kidding me." Martha's tone was light and awed. "Oh, my God, we did it. We travelled in time. Where are we? No, sorry. I got to get used to this whole new language. When are we?"
Rose grinned at the question and looked at the Doctor. "London. Round about 1599," he answered. "Queen Elizabeth the First is on the throne."
"1599," Martha repeated. She shook her head in disbelief.
"Well, now that you know we travelled in time," Rose said. She reached out and touched Martha's arm carefully. "How about a wardrobe change?"
"Rose," the Doctor whined.
"You know I like the dress-up part," Rose teased. "Besides, it'll be a better experience for Martha."
"Wardrobe change," Martha repeated. Then her features cleared with understanding. "Ah, yes, that makes sense."
"Come with me." Rose beamed at Martha. "We won't take long."
"You say that," the Doctor grumbled. Then he shrugged. "Alright, but do hurry. We have plans."
Rose gave him a questioning look, but he just grinned. Deciding to let him have his surprise, Rose quickly led Martha through the TARDIS to the wardrobe room. Martha made a few surprised noises here and there, but her excitement for 1599 distracted her from questions about the TARDIS. The ship had shifted the wardrobe closer, and Rose was able to enjoy Martha's soft squeak when they stepped into the cavernous room.
"Wow!" Martha stepped inside a little further and looked around. "How? I mean!" She laughed.
Rose grinned in response. "Come on, Tudor period is over this way. Let's go with… upper middle class, maybe. Nothing so flashy that we'll attract dangerous attention, but nice enough to navigate comfortably." Martha nodded vaguely at the words, and Rose reminded herself that the TARDIS could be overwhelming.
It only took Rose a couple of minutes to find two dresses that matched her ideal. They were made of good fabric and had a built-in structure which marked them as future reproductions. While not perfectly historical, it made them easier to get on quickly. Both chosen kirtle dresses had flowers and fern leaves embroidered on them. They were very nice and looked expensive without being too elaborate for anywhere but court, as Rose doubted that was what the Doctor had in mind. Martha accepted a kirtle made of rich blue patterned fabric with a yellow underdress and shirt that would compliment her skin. She slipped behind a row of clothing to change as Jack swaggered in and plucked an outfit for himself off a hanger. Rose quickly changed into a red and gold kirtle over white that reminded her a bit of the gown she'd worn when meeting Robin Hood.
As a finishing touch, Rose helped Martha tuck her hair under a matching French hood and gave her a belt with a sort of pocket attached to complete the look. While quickly braiding her hair for her own French hood, Rose caught Martha give Jack an appreciative look when he walked over to join him in a jerkin set that showed off his figure. He winked at Martha, and Rose briefly wondered what might happen there before dismissing it.
"You ladies look lovely," Jack complimented. He offered his arm to Martha. "Are you ready for this?"
"I think so." Martha slowly took the offered arm and exhaled. She did look lovely in the rich tones, but her nervousness was obvious. "Changing makes it feel more real…."
"Yes, it does," Jack agreed. "You're in the position of being a proper visitor." He shook his head. "Come on, let's get back to the Doctor. He's sure to be impatient."
"Why didn't he come to change?" Martha asked as they headed for the console room. "Does he have his own clothing stash in his room or something?"
"No. He doesn't change," Rose replied. "Doesn't enjoy this part of things like I do. He uses what is called a perception filter to keep people from noticing. It usually works."
"There you are!" The Doctor called. "Honestly! That took forever…." The Doctor trailed off as Rose stepped into the console room ahead of Jack and Martha. "You look beautiful."
"Considering?" Rose teased as she walked over to him.
"Never living that down, am I?"
"Maybe someday. Centuries from now."
The Doctor's eyes brightened at her casual reference to how much time they had together. It quickly flickered away as his usual uncertainty returned, but Rose tucked the memory away. Someday, he would believe her. She kissed him quickly and took his arm.
"We're ready when you are, Time Lord."
They stepped outside again, Martha and Jack taking the lead. Despite having seen it before, Martha gasped softly again and gripped Jack's arm in barely contained excitement. It made Rose smile and feel warm. Suddenly, she wondered if that was what it was like for the Doctor. Glancing at him made her smile widen further. He was watching Martha with a slight glow in his eyes and made her think that it very much was.
The street they'd landed in was a bit of a mess by Rose's standards, with sewage and mud in the streets. Her nose wrinkled at the smell, but she pushed past it. Tudor-style buildings that loomed over the street were all around them. The upper floor was built further out than the lower floor, creating a strange awning effect. People glanced their way and shifted out of their paths slightly, likely marking the higher quality clothing.
"This is London?" Martha asked.
"Yeah, double-checked while you lot were changing. London, 1599. Right where I was aiming."
Martha suddenly stopped walking. "Hold on. Am I safe?"
"Safe?" Jack repeated with a hint of a frown.
"I'm black," Martha reminded him, glancing at the nearby people. "I'm not going to get carted off as a slave, am I?"
"Nah," the Doctor replied. "Just walk about like you own the place. Works for me."
"Doctor," Rose chided gently. "You walk around as a white male. That puts you in a protected position in this era. History in Martha and I's time doesn't paint a very good picture for her safety during this era. Will she be safe?"
The Doctor blinked in surprise, thought about it for a moment, and then nodded in agreement. "Fair point." He focused his gaze on Martha. "The reality is, Martha, that while most people in your era assume that the immigration of blacks to England occurred in the post-war years or during the expansion of the Empire, London already has a small but strong black community in this era. Blacks first came to England during the copper and tin trade era during the Bronze Age, and then, even more came with Roman legions. They have always had a presence in the British Isles to some extent. Currently, there are at least a few hundred in London alone, living their lives and working in a variety of industries. None of them are slaves. Many of those who recently arrived here were freed from Spanish ships."
"So, slavery is illegal here?" Martha didn't sound convinced.
Frustration flickered over the Doctor's face. "Yes and no. It isn't legal, but it isn't expressly illegal either." The Doctor stopped and took a deep breath. "But no, they aren't going to grab you and take you away. At worst, they'll assume you're a servant. They don't mind slavery in their colonies but don't want it at home. Blacks in this era can marry, even interracially, hold jobs, receive pay, own property, and testify in court. So, you're doing nothing wrong being out with us in the eyes of the law." A small smile was creeping over the Doctor's face. "In fact, that lack of official government authorization of slavery would influence how John Adams wrote the Massachusetts Constitution. The lack of official recognition of slaves as property would lead to slavery dying out in the state by-"
Rose put her hand on the Doctor's arm, understanding that he could easily keep going for hours now that she'd gotten him on a topic. "Still, be careful," Rose told Martha. "But that's more as a woman than anything else."
"True, and I can't promise no one will say something they shouldn't," the Doctor said before rubbing his neck and grimacing. "Sorry about that."
Martha smiled, looking a bit more relieved. "Well, you can't promise me that at home."
"No," Rose agreed with a sigh. "We do eventually, mostly, grow out of that. There's always a few fossils, but it will get better."
"I'll stay close to Martha," Jack promised. He gave Martha a wink and held his arm out to her. She smiled in return and accepted it, raising her chin slightly with renewed confidence.
"Anyway," the Doctor said with a hint of impatience. "We do have someplace to be."
Rose squeezed his arm in a silent thanks. It didn't exactly put Martha at ease, but it gave her some reassurance that she had some standing. A bit of anger simmered in Rose at the reminder of the era they were in and some of its attitudes. Her own time wasn't perfect. She's witnessed her non-white friends and classmates face racist harassment far more times than she wanted to think about. Not to mention the classist remarks she'd dealt with herself. And the anti-LGBTQ slurs that got hurled around casually on the estate when she was a kid. A soft sigh escaped her, and Rose focused her attention on their surroundings. It was better to enjoy the positives of the era they were in. After all, they didn't have to live in them.
"So where are we going?" Rose asked as the Doctor pulled her forward and took the lead.
They swung around a corner, and the Doctor grinned as Rose peered up a hill. "The Globe Theatre! Brand new. Just opened. Though, strictly speaking, it's not a globe; it's a tetradecagon. Fourteen sides. Containing the man himself."
Rose's jaw dropped as a dozen memories belonging to someone else rattled their way off the shelf. Behind her, Jack cheered in excitement while Martha gasped.
"Whoa, you don't mean. Is Shakespeare in there?" Martha asked.
"Yes, he is." The Doctor looked at Rose and grinned. "What do you say to a night at the theatre, Darling?"
"I think," Rose regained control over herself and smiled. "That is a fantastic idea."
"Time travel, Martha," the Doctor said as they started walking again. "When you get home, you can tell everyone you've seen Shakespeare."
"Then I could get sectioned," she retorted, making Jack and Rose laugh.
…..
Somehow, the Doctor had gotten them a box. They hadn't been in the wardrobe that long so Rose wasn't sure how he had managed it, but was happy to chalk it up to one of his little miracles. It was pleasant to have the total view of the stage and be seated rather than in the press of bodies on the main floor, though Rose did lament briefly not being in the middle of the pulsing energy of the live show.
Rose's stomach tightened with nerves. It was silly. She didn't mind William Shakespeare's works, though Rose was more interested in Jane Austen's and Charles Dicken's works. Part of it was the medium, and Rose knew that. Her childhood hadn't exactly included trips to play performances, while you could always find an Austen or Dickens book in the library for free. Though, she did know at least half of Shakespeare's plays by heart. Or at least one of her had known them, and their knowledge had been passed on. It was strange to feel an echo of pure glee from her counterpart.
She found her lips moving softly with the actors despite herself. She knew this play. Memories of standing on a similar stage in a modern version of London echoed through Rose. Part of her was annoyed to see a teenage boy in heavy makeup, a wig, and a dress, playing the princess, but Rose still enjoyed herself.
"That's amazing! Just amazing. It's worth putting up with the smell. And those are men dressed as women, yeah?" Martha asked as she applauded the curtain call.
"London never changes," the Doctor answered.
"Thank the Guardians for that," Jack replied with a wide grin.
"Where's Shakespeare?" Martha asked. "I want to see Shakespeare. Author! Author!" Martha began to chant, and a few people glanced up at their box. Martha shrank back and looked at the Doctor. "Do people shout that? Do they shout Author?"
"Author!" a man below shouted. "Author!" The crowd around him took up the chant.
"Well, they do now," the Doctor answered.
A man with brown hair, dressed in a dark jerkin, swanned onto the stage to rapturous applause. He bowed, and the crowd cheered louder.
"He's a bit different from his portraits," Martha observed.
"I like the differences," Jack murmured next to Rose.
"Genius. He's a genius. The genius," the Doctor gushed, leaning forward in his seat. "The most human human there's ever been. Now we're going to hear him speak. He always chooses the best words. New, beautiful, brilliant words."
"Ah, shut your big fat mouths!" Shakespeare called to the crowd.
The Doctor sighed. "Oh, well."
"You should never meet your heroes."
"Half of Shakespeare is dick jokes, love," Rose reminded the Doctor with a giggle. "Hamlet literally has a character who appears to deliver a dirty joke and then is never seen again." She nudged his shoulder with hers. "Popular entertainment for the masses."
"I know what you're all saying. Love's Labour's Lost, that's a funny ending, isn't it?" Shakespeare said, still talking to the crowd. "It just stops. Will the boys get the girls? Well, don't get your hose in a tangle, you'll find out soon. Yeah, yeah. All in good time. You don't rush a genius." Suddenly Shakespeare went rigid, and his expression turned shockingly neutral. "When? Tomorrow night. The premiere of my brand new play. A sequel, no less, and I call it Love's Labour's Won." The Author shook himself, bowed and hurried off the stage, officially ending the night's entertainment. Beside Rose, the Doctor was oddly quiet until they were back out on the street.
"I'm not an expert, but I've never heard of Love's Labour's Won," Martha said.
"Oh, that's too bad. Love Labors Won," Rose said slowly, tasting it on her tongue. Some verses and lines sprang forth in her mind. "That's a fun one."
"What?" The Doctor stopped and looked at her. "No, Rose. It doesn't exist."
"Yes, it does." Rose frowned at him. She could remember it. Her actress self had adored that play even if her favourite was Much Ado About Nothing. Given that she'd had the chance to play Beatrice, Rose understood her love for that play. "It opens with the gathering of the men who failed in upholding their vows and flirted with other women during the year and day which sets up the trials…." She trailed off as the Doctor stared at her. "Or at least it does in another timeline."
"That- that's amazing," the Doctor's eyes were wide and giddy. "Oh, we should have talked about things like this before." He shook his head and straightened up. "But in this reality, Love Labor's Won is a lost play. It appears on contemporary lists, but no copy has ever been found."
"What do you mean this reality?" Martha asked. Her eyes were jumping between Rose and the Doctor. "And another timeline?"
"It's complicated, Martha," Rose sighed. She really didn't want to try and explain her messy history to Martha, who was, in theory, just a very temporary passenger. "But long story short, the multiverse is real, and I have memories of other versions of me. Including a rather successful stage and film actress who is a big fan of the plays of William Shakespeare. She played Juliet, Beatrice, Lady Macbeth, Queen Eleanor-"
"Queen Eleanor?" the Doctor asked.
"Oh, the princess of France gets a name in the sequel," Rose said. "The sequel is a lot more popular than the first one, actually, though Eleanor's role as Queen of France is not at all accurate, obviously." She shook her head and pushed the memories away. "But anyway, so I have memories of a play that apparently only exists in another timeline."
"Do you remember when it was written?" the Doctor asked. "Was it right after or…"
"No idea," Rose answered honestly. "She couldn't have told you that."
Rose glanced at Martha, who was gawking at her. Martha looked at Jack as if checking to see if this was a joke. But Jack only shook his head and smiled a little at Martha's confusion. Rose felt a hint of sympathy for Martha. In her shoes, Rose knew that she'd be in shock and confused if someone casually claimed to have memories of lives in other realities. This wasn't the time, but if it looked like Martha would be staying, Rose would need to explain.
"Well, that does tell us that something connected to the play here is either going to keep it from being written or destroy all copies of it," the Doctor murmured thoughtfully. Then he focused on Rose again. "And we need to talk about any other great lost works that may be rattling around in your mind later."
"I don't have an eidetic memory like some people," Rose reminded him with a laugh. "I'm more likely to taunt you with something you want to read that I can't reproduce." She paused and frowned a little. "But… the version I know and what he's writing now might not be the same thing. Especially not if there's something weird going on around him in this universe that will impact the play like that."
Rose was uneasy at that thought. So was the Doctor. Her Guardian senses were… sluggish. She didn't know what to make of it all, but Rose was sure that something which caused that kind of divergence was powerful. Sadly, that often meant danger in her experience. The Doctor took her hand and glanced at Martha.
"Well, I know we were only planning a quick trip in the TARDIS, but I think this is something to check on."
"No arguments from me," Martha replied. She was smiling nervously while Jack and the Doctor exchanged concerned looks with Rose.