Rose wouldn't stop smirking at Danielle. The red-head was sure that she was doing it just to get under her skin, but every time they were all together, Rose would shoot her this little smirk, nodding at the Doctor when he wasn't paying attention to her.
Each time Danielle could feel herself blushing and wondering if she was wise to let Rose know that little secret about herself. Sure, the Doctor had caught her attention, but at the same time she wasn't sure what she felt for the alien man. And, even if she did feel something, it wasn't as if it mattered anyway. In human terms he would have been twice her age, and he was actually like nine hundred. Both she and Rose were like children to him. It would be weird, wouldn't it?
"Anywhere you want," the Doctor was tempting Danielle. "All of time and space. What time period would you like to go see?"
Danielle shrugged. "I dunno," she replied and he deflated slightly. "How do you expect me to choose when you give me such a wide selection? It's like… It's like offering me a giant selection box and going 'only have one, mind'. I can't decide!"
"There's so many fantastic sights," he exclaimed. "Famous times, famous places! There must be a famous figure that you would like to visit!"
Danielle looked at him with a quizzical face. That caught her attention, and there was only one name that popped to mind. "Anyone?"
"Within reason," he replied, giving her a condition now that he knew she had an idea. "Who are you thinking of?"
"Shakespeare," she replied. Both the Doctor and Rose looked surprised by her suggestion and she looked down at her feet, flushing in embarrassment. "What? I'm doing English Lit at university. Did you expect a footballer or sommat?"
"No, of course not," the Doctor replied before his face lit up. He turned to Rose. "It's a shame she wasn't here for Charles."
Rose nodded, completely amused by the entire conversation. She could see it now. Danielle always stood at his side, always sat on the railing nearest wherever he was working. Even if she didn't know what she was feeling, she was definitely in awe of the Time Lord and it was just too adorable.
"You two could have nerded out together," Rose agreed.
"Charles?" Danielle asked, confused.
"We met Charles Dickens," Rose explained, looking around the Doctor. Danielle's mouth immediately dropped open, like she couldn't believe that she missed such a fantastic experience.
"You met Charles Dickens?" she exclaimed. "I-I read 'A Christmas Carol' every Christmas Eve!"
"Have you ever read 'The Signal Man'?" the Doctor asked almost as eagerly as he had gushed about it to the author himself.
Danielle nodded eagerly. "It was the first thing I ever read of his," she replied just as happily. "I was looking for old-fashioned horror stories for English in primary school."
"Wasn't it terrifying?" he pressed and again she nodded.
"Absolutely. I don't read it often…"
"Alright, alright, you're both nerds, we get it," Rose interrupted before the conversation started to go too far over her head. "Are we going to see Shakespeare or not?"
Danielle looked at the Doctor with a hopeful, pleading look on her face. "Can we, though?" she asked. "Please, I absolutely adore him."
The Doctor sighed, as if it was a big inconvenience for him, although he was very pleased indeed with the suggestion. "Oh, alright then."
Danielle squealed in delight, rushing over and giving him a quick hug that he returned heartily. It was nice to see someone so enthused with the joy of time travel. Rose definitely enjoyed it, and it was wonderful to see her reaction to the new places he took her, but Danielle seemed to wear her excitement for everyone to see. And now, knowing she was just grateful for seeing more than her ordinary life regardless of what it was rather than looking for the next greatest thing in the universe, it seemed so much more wonderfully addictive.
He let her go and turned to the console. "Shakespeare, here we come," he cried and the whole room shuddered as he set them off into flight. The two girls held onto the console, and they shared a grin at the prospect of going somewhere new. Of course, Danielle was much more excited than Rose, her mind racing over what she would say, what they would do. Would they really see the man in the flesh? They'd been forward in time before, but not back, and it was just all so exciting!
When the TARDIS landed on the other side of their trip, Danielle bounced on the spot with pure delight. "Oh, I can't take this, this is too awesome," she gushed. "Can I go out first? Please?"
She looked ready to bolt for the door, and she still didn't know what was outside. The Doctor hadn't told her the year, the city, the time of day or season. She was just so excited at the prospect of meeting someone she really loved and it was incredibly contagious.
"I don't see why not," he told her. "You might want to get changed first, though."
She frowned slightly before looking down at her outfit. She'd actually put a bit of effort into her clothes that morning, something Rose had seen immediately and shot her an amused look at that Danielle had not appreciated. It was the skirt, wasn't it? He didn't like the skirt…
"Oh!" she exclaimed, flushing at her own slowness. "Because- Because of the century, yeah?"
Rose grabbed her hand. "This is my territory," she told the red-head, dragging her towards the hallway. "He can take you to all corners of the universe, but I can make you look fantastic for when we're there."
The Doctor watched them walk off together. He was so happy they were getting along, and since they had gone back to see Pete Tyler they seemed to be closer than ever. He was glad. He knew that travelling the universe could be overwhelming when your life outlook wasn't much past your garden fence until, one day, a man in a blue phone box appeared and told you to open the gate.
"Don't take too long," he called after them. "I'm not waiting around forever."
~0~0~0~
They didn't take too long, thankfully, although the Doctor was starting to get a little impatient. He understood the need to get changed but not the deliberation that went behind it. Most places would just accept you if you pretended you owned the place. They would, at worst, comment on your strange clothing but most wouldn't go much past that at all. As long as they didn't wear anything too 'out there' they should have been fine.
He heard the clicking of their boots on the metal floor before he saw them, and although he didn't see the point, he was curious to see what they'd chosen for themselves. If they were going to fit in, he hoped they did it right.
Rose was wearing a light green dress that wasn't dissimilar from the one she'd worn when they'd met Charles Dickens. A bit more velvet, and bit less formfitting, but the style was the same. She looked great, and he grinned at her. "You look…"
He trailed off as Danielle stepped into the room behind her, looking rather shy about herself. Unlike Rose, her outfit was much more of a daytime number. She had an off-white skirt with a brown top, and the women had given her a half up, half down hairdo that suited her wonderfully.
He blinked at her for a moment as she stood by Rose. The two women held themselves so differently. Rose seemed confident, Danielle seemed almost uncomfortable. That was a shame, she had no reason to be. She looked just as lovely as Rose did, even more so in fact. Her understated look actually let her shine.
He looked away, checking the outside one last time. "You both look lovely," he corrected himself like that was what he was always going to say. Rose knew different. She'd seen enough movies to know the cliché and overused 'she stunned him into silence' trope, but she still found it very lovely indeed when pointed at her friend.
Danielle just flushed slightly, swirling her skirt around her legs. She was glad that he liked it, because she was fond of the outfit as well. She could really get used to getting dressed up for each trip they went on together. Maybe they'd find some rather interesting outfits in the future as well.
"Danni wouldn't play," Rose replied as they walked towards the Time Lord. "She wouldn't wear the dress I picked out for her."
"Danielle," the Doctor corrected in a little bit of a mumble and Rose frowned.
"Sorry?"
He glanced up between the two women. Danielle's eyes were wide, like she was horrified that he'd corrected Rose at all. Maybe he shouldn't have said anything at all. "Danielle probably wants to experience the trip without being squashed by a corset," he said, pulling the reason out of thin air. He quickly moved on from the conversation, nudging Danielle towards the door. "Go on, then."
She grabbed her skirt, pulling it up as she ran to the doors. She appreciated the Doctor correcting Rose, it showed that he listened to her and that made her happier than it probably should. However, her attention was quickly pulled to the two doors that lead out into the world outside.
She didn't need to take a deep breath, or steel herself up against the reveal. She quickly opened the door, pulling it in and revealing Elizabethan London on the other side. The stone floor clicked underneath her boots much like the metal floor had done in the TARDIS, but she didn't really hear it over the hustle and bustle outside. Although the sky was dark and cloudy, with barely any light coming from the moon at all, the street was lit by lamplight. People were going about their evening business, walking between the Tudor style houses. Some people hanging up washing, some people were just walking and talking with each other. Children played in the street.
It was strange how much it felt like present day London. If she imagined all the time specific items out of the way, replaced them with their modern alternatives, it could have just been like any of the estates that populated the capital.
"Oh wow," she whispered as Rose and the Doctor joined her outside. Rose was also taking in the area, although her nose was wrinkled up, a look of disgust on her face.
"It doesn't half stink," she commented and Danielle nodded, her look of wonder never fading.
"I know," she agreed. "Isn't it marvellous?"
The Doctor chuckled, pleased that the lack of plumbing wasn't going to ruin her mood. He stepped in between the two women, holding out his arm to the woman who had chosen the trip.
"Shall we?" he asked and she looked up at him. She couldn't contain her happiness, she could feel herself becoming positively giddy as she nodded, threading her arm through his. The trio starting walking down the cobbled streets, the people around them paying them no mind at all. Another thing modern London held in common with the place.
"So, when are we?" Rose asked, watching the two and wondering if this was what her mates felt like around her and Mickey. Probably not, because Mickey had rarely paid her any attention, especially around over people.
"1599," he replied. "Late summer. We're should be in Southwark if my parking skills are up to scratch," he looked down at Danielle, the picture of smugness. "Which I know they are."
"Yeah, it's your driving that needs looking into," Rose teased back and Danielle giggled.
"Oi, my driving is just fine," he protested.
"Wait, if we're in Southwark, does that mean we're near the Globe?" Danielle asked.
"That's the theatre where he performed, isn't it?" Rose asked.
"Well, he didn't really perform," Danielle replied. "His performance troupe did. He owned a share in it. It was built in 1599, so it can't be very old at all. Scholars dispute the opening, though. It burnt down in 1613, then was rebuilt, then eventually torn down in the mid-1600s."
"And here was me thinking I was going to have to play tour guide," the Doctor teased and she flushed, her head ducking forward.
"I told you, I love Shakespeare," she replied softly. She always embarrassed herself reciting off titbits when they weren't wanted.
"No, please, continue," the Doctor encouraged. "Takes a little responsibility off my shoulders."
So she did. As they walked down the river towards where the theatre stood, she told them a little about the history. How it was built from the wood used on theatre that stood before it, and how it burnt down during a performance of Henry VII. Rose was rather amused by the way she could spew out the facts, reminding her a little of the Doctor in that regard, while the Doctor was impressed by her knowledge. He could tell how much she treasured the information she knew. The passion she felt for it was on her face as she rambled.
She trailed off, though, as the theatre came into view. It took he breathe away as she came to a stop just up the road from it. It stood out magnificently amongst the buildings that surrounded it, one large wall circling it with pointed roofs inside. People were making their way towards it in small crowds, obviously about to go see a performance.
"Oh my god, it's the Globe," she whispered in her awe.
"Actually, it's more of a tetradecagon," the Doctor replied offhandedly. "It's got fourteen sides, you see?"
"Show off," Danielle replied, her amazement taking away her nervousness at teasing him. She'd already seen a quite a lot with the Doctor. She'd been into the future, and to the moon. She'd met killing machines, and seen time almost be ripped to shreds. However, nothing seemed to compare to the idea of seeing William Shakespeare himself. Something she had longed to do when researching him or reading one of his many, wonderful plays. Now it was really happening, and it was all down to the man who's arm she now held tightly.
"Well, let's not stand around gawking," the Doctor declared. If this was how she reacted to just seeing the building, she'll be beside herself during the performance. "If we wanted to see the Globe, I could have shown you a picture. Let's go have a looksie at how the plays are supposed to be done."
Her face lit up and she practically started dragging him towards the building. "Do you know what they're performing?" she asked him.
"Not a clue," he replied, his voice just as happy as hers was. "I find it more fun that way."
She nodded enthusiastically. "Well, 1599, that could mean so many! Henry V was supposedly written this year, but we may not be in time for it. Or there's Henry VI and Much Ado about Nothing. They're around this time as well."
"What about Romeo and Juliet?" Rose asked. "Remember when we did that in English?"
Danielle nodded. "Yeah. They wanted us to perform it, didn't they?"
"But we all mucked about so they called it off," Rose recalled, laughing along with her memory. "Me and Shareen spent two lessons inside the costume cupboard. We must have tried on every single thing in there."
Danielle smiled softly to herself. "I think I spent them reading the play," she replied. "I didn't want to perform, I just wanted to read it."
She shrugged. "Romeo and Juliet is a few years old by now, so there is definitely a chance. There's Love's Labour's Lost, Comedy of Errors. I'm quite partial to Taming of the Shrew, that was done roughly the same time as Romeo and Juliet."
"No point in speculating," the Doctor told them both. "The theatre awaits."
~0~0~0~
Danielle couldn't even describe the feeling of being in front of the Lord Chamberlain's Men, in the original Globe theatre, in 1599. It was too much to experience to be able to put into words. As she watched the performance of Love Labour's Won - which was one of the plays she'd guessed which she was rather smug about - she couldn't stop thinking about how lucky she was. She should have grabbed a camera or something, but then again it wasn't like she could show anyone. And even if she did, who would believe that she had actually seen the Lord Chamberlain's Men in person? She'd get locked up.
Still, it was simply marvellous. They were wonderful, just wonderful. Everyone was at the edge of their seat, or the tips of their toes depending on where they were in the audience.
"Does the TARDIS not translate this?" Rose whispered as she struggled to understand the ye olde English that the actors were speaking in. "We've been into the past before and I've had no trouble."
"This is the translation," the Doctor explained as Danielle nodded in agreement.
"Shakespeare should always be enjoyed in the language it was written in," she said. She was still holding onto the Doctor's arm, and she kept clenching her hand on it whenever something happened worthy of her attention. "Remember that Romeo and Juliet released in the 90's?"
"With Leo DiCaprio?" Rose asked in reply and Danielle nodded. "Oh, he was very yum in that, wasn't he?"
Danielle didn't agree, but she didn't acknowledge it. "Think about how much better it was because they were talking from the script, rather than translated into 'modern' English."
Rose did think about it, for a moment, before nodding. "Point taken."
Danielle grinned before leaning her head on the Doctor's arm, an overfamiliar action that neither of them noticed but Rose did. "Watch the play, Rose, you'll enjoy it."
So Rose tried to ignore the fact that she didn't quite understand what they were saying, and it turned out that Danielle was right. There was romance, pregnancies, and it had its moments where it was rather funny.
It was also rather fun to watch the Doctor and Danielle together. They kept sharing little facts about the play together, huddled up together so they wouldn't disturb everyone around them. Part of her was worried that she was being replaced as the Doctor's friend, granted, but another felt like she was watching some sort of romantic comedy playing out in front of her. The two friends who have found themselves at a random point in their lives, with more in common than they originally would have thought.
Rose frowned to herself; did this make her the girlfriend that would be jilted for them to be together? She hoped not, but maybe she should keep an eye on that anyway.
It was with more enthusiasm than normal that she clapped at the end of the play. The whole theatre troop came out to bow, soaking in the accolades they were receiving.
"That was amazing," Danielle gushed. "That was more than amazing. It was… I don't know the word to describe it, but it was totally that."
The Doctor nodded. "Nothing better than a bit of local entertainment," he agreed. "Authentic, just how it's supposed to be seen."
"Exactly how it's supposed to be seen," Danielle agreed with a nod and the two shared a smile.
Rose grumbled slightly. "Yeah, and how it's supposed to smell, as well."
"When do we get to see Shakespeare?" Danielle asked, missing Rose's little complaint. "Do we have to go around the side, like to the stage door or something?" she gasped, obviously in annoyance. "Oh, I should have brought something for him to sign!"
The Doctor chuckled. "Hopefully, if we're very lucky, then we should just have to wait here a little longer."
And just as he trailed off, the crowd's applause rose even higher and Danielle's eyes lit up. The man himself, William freaking Shakespeare, walked onto the stage. He had raggedy hair, with a matching beard, and he was obviously used to being in front of his fans. As they cheered him on, he raised his hand, blowing grateful kisses into the crowd.
"Oh my," Danielle breathed. "He's- He's so…"
"He's hot," Rose declared in a disbelieving tone and Danielle had to nod in agreement. She may not have truly fancied anyone before, but she could appreciate a good-looking man when she saw him. It wasn't just the looks, either. His reputation and his charm radiated out from him. "I thought he'd be, you know, bald and in something covered in ruffles."
"1599," Danielle started with a shrug. "He's only like, 34, 35? Portraits tend to depict him much older than that."
She couldn't help it. She jumped up and down, whooping along with everyone else. She briefly wondered if it was moments like this that had driven the more popular kids, like Rose, away from her at school. But she didn't care. Rose seemed to be joining in with the clapping next to her, anyway.
Shakespeare reached into the crowd, brushing his hand across the outstretched ones of the audience like he was a rock star, and Danielle felt an overwhelming feeling of jealousy. "Next time we need better seats!"
"What, front row?" Rose asked. "Get right up close to your favourite star?"
She nudged Danielle, teasing her, but the red-head just nodded as she strained her neck trying to see him better. "Something like that."
The Doctor, on the other hand, now had his arms crossed in front of his chest. Shakespeare was a legend, an author who defined time and lasted long after others would have been forgotten. But now, as he glanced down at the top of Danielle's head, he couldn't help but feel like he was somewhat overrated. "Just showing off, now," he grumbled to himself.
Rose shot him a knowing look. "Jealous, much?" she teased but he just shot her a confused look in return. "Not happy being in the back seat now there's someone better to see?"
"I don't know what you're talking about," he replied as Danielle stepped toward, as if she was going to push her way through the people in front of her. Of course she wouldn't have, she was nothing if not incredibly polite, but he still scowled.
"Of course not," Rose replied. "Alien or not, you men are all alike."
Before the Doctor could question what exactly she meant by that, William made his way to the centre of the stage, looking over the crowd of adoring fans. He then waved his hand over the crowd to signal them all to settle down.
"Ah, shut your big fat mouths!" he exclaimed cheekily and the whole crowd laughed at his crude words. The Doctor and Rose both were taken aback by the man, both expecting something rather grand from what was considered one of Earth's most loved writers. Danielle, on the other hand, laughed along with the crowd, clapping giddily.
"Shouldn't he be a bit more," Rose started. "You know? 'Thou hast bestowed much upon me'?"
The Doctor shrugged. "The great William Shakespeare was, I guess, just a lad from Warwickshire," he reasoned. "Ultimately just wants to be down the pub with his mates."
He glanced down at Danielle, who was still staring at him with wide eyes. "Maybe not as brilliant as we first thought," he declared, but she didn't seem to hear him. He pouted slightly, much to Rose's amusement.
"Or maybe more brilliant than you were hoping for, right?" she teased back.
"I know what you're all saying," Shakespeare called out to his audience, all of their attention focused on him. "Love's Labour's Lost, that's a funny ending, isn't it?" The crowd let out a cheer of agreement. "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," the crowd all nodded, amused by his showmanship, and he took his bow.
The Doctor frowned, straightening and paying a lot more attention as the playwright straightened suddenly from the teasing bow. The movement wasn't natural, and his gaze wasn't on his adoring public, but just straight ahead, almost unseeing.
"When? Tomorrow night," he declared, a contrast to his previous statement that the crowd cheered at, but had the Doctor concerned. It was one thing to build up suspense in the masses, this was a complete change of direction. Even the performers looked baffled.
He raised his hand up, holding it out like he was about to perform a soliloquy, but it was all wrong. The movement was of someone pretending to show, not of a man showing off himself. Why could he never have a nice trip. "The premiere of my brand new play. A sequel, no less, and I call it Love's Labour's Won."
Danielle gasped. Never in her wildest dreams would she have thought that she would be seeing the William Shakespeare. But to finally have undeniable proof that the missing play actually existed? Something scholars still didn't know to this day? She was on cloud nine, and she didn't care who knew it as they slowly filed out of the theatre.
"Love's Labour's Won!" she cried, grabbing onto Rose's hand and bouncing up and down. "I can't believe it! He said it! Straight from the horse's mouth, as it were."
Rose was thoroughly amused by her behaviour. It reminded her of being a young teenager, when the Spice Girls were at the top of their prime. She and her friends would gush about who was who, spending hours gossiping about them, and about the boybands that seemed to take a supporting role. Danielle was completely star stuck.
"Is that your favourite play, then?" she asked the red-head, who shook her head in response.
"It's the missing play," she explained, the words falling from her lips quickly in her excitement. "It's been on lists of plays but no one has ever been able to find it. No one knows what it's about, it was only assumed to be a sequel because of its name. But it's here, it's tomorrow. It's… it's…"
"It's wrong," the Doctor finished lowly. They couldn't stop, caught as they were in the mass of people exiting the theatre, but the two women slowed to fall either side of him. His face was pulled into a thoughtful frown, the same one that Danielle had seen on his face on Satellite 5 and she felt a chill of nervousness because of it.
"It's wrong?" she asked in reply.
"Love's Labour's Won is just a rumour, at best," he explained. "Most people end up agreeing that it was just a misprint of Love's Labour's Lost, and that there never was a lost play."
Rose frowned in her own confusion. "But he just announced it, in there," she pointed out. He nodded again.
"Exactly. But he shouldn't have. It doesn't exist. Or, it didn't exist."
They finally made their way to the outside of the theatre, and were able to pull to the side to allow the Doctor to think over the issue further. Danielle glanced back at the door, surprised at how quickly her excitement had dropped into a faint hint of dread. If the Doctor thought something was wrong, then it was wrong and she found it easier to believe him than hold onto her hopes about seeing the play.
"Maybe the masses are wrong, though?" she offered anyway, even though she didn't believe it herself. "Maybe there was a play, but maybe it's just not very good. It was bound to happen eventually."
He shot her a look. "Two Gentlemen of Verona," he shot at her and she looked visibly affronted.
"It was one of his first plays," she protested. "You've got to give him a little leeway with it!"
He obviously didn't believe her, but his scoff quickly turned back into concern as he thought about the matter at hand. "I don't think it's that. Something's going on."
Rose couldn't help the grin that spread on her face. She didn't know a lot about Shakespeare, but this she knew all about. "Trouble?" she asked, almost hopefully.
The Doctor nodded. "Trouble," he replied in a more serious tone. Then a giant grin grew on his face. "Let's go meet Shakespeare."
~0~0~0~
Danielle could barely breathe. They had just walked straight into the pub like they owned the place, and then up the stairs to where the boarding rooms were. The Doctor had pointed the name of the pub out – The Elephant - as they'd wandered around, trying to find where the playwright would have been housed, and Danielle had quickly agreed. The reference in Twelfth Night definitely couldn't have been a coincidence with that pub so close to the theatre.
She could feel the butterflies flapping in her stomach. Any moment now she was going to see the man himself, up close and personal. She still wasn't convinced that this plan was going to work, he was a busy and popular man and she could see him sending them all out with a wave of his hand and they would be unable to do anything about it. But for however long they were in the room with him, though, she would be with William Shakespeare!
The Doctor was happy to waltz into the largest room on the floor, however, which housed three men around a table, and a maid in the corner that Danielle felt a twinge of sympathy for. She knew how working staff could be treated in these times, and the way she was hunched over made her wonder if she was being treated right.
"Hello!" the Doctor greeted as he stepped into the room, grin as wide as it always would. "Shakespeare! William Shakespeare!"
William looked up from his conversation with his two friends to look at the strange, obviously Northern, tall man. He was wearing strange clothing, but that was no different to the rest of London. His blonde-haired friend was much more in keeping with what he was accustomed to; very stylish in a way that spoke of her riches. The same riches that would 'entitle' her to time with the man of the night. But as beautiful as she was, he really didn't have time for 'fans'.
He held his hand up to his face, pained at the sight of them. "No, no, no, no, no, no. Who let you in?" he demanded. "No autographs. No, you can't have yourself sketched with me. And please don't ask where I get my ideas from." He listed them off as if he heard them all the time, and Danielle couldn't help but feel a bit sorry for him. It was like no one really cared about the man behind the plays, just for the celebrity he was. Much like her time, really.
"Thanks for the interest. Now be a good boy, take your lady friend, and shove…"
Able to tell that this was her last chance to see him, Danielle dipped her head from behind the Doctor, where she had been hiding to gather the nerve to meet Shakespeare, and smiled at him as they made eye contact.
Immediately he trailed off, starting at the fiery-haired woman who appeared from nowhere. She was shy, as was obvious from the way she hid behind her two friends, and she wasn't adorned in the finery of her friend. It was rare that he saw red hair this far south, and her young face was also rather pretty as well.
He straightened and she ducked her head, averting her gaze. Oh, he'd seen her, he'd seen her.
He was quick off his seat, ignoring both the Doctor and Rose to hold his hand out to her. "My dearest lady," he greeted. "Come, sit with me."
She looked up at him in the same way all shy women did around him. Her eyes shone with awe at not only his presence, but at the fact that he was paying attention to them and no one else. She took his hand and he shot the tall man a triumphant smirk as he gently walked her to the table.
"You two get sewing on them costumes," he told his friends, his eyes trained on Danielle as he waved them off. "Off you go."
They, begrudgingly, left with the barmaid who had entered to clear their drinks away. Rose and the Doctor sat across from the two, but Rose could tell that Shakespeare didn't care that they were there at all. She felt a spike of protection over her newest friend; he was rather openly leering at her, and she knew that Danielle didn't have much experience with that. She remembered how easily taken in she was when she first started getting interested in boys. She didn't want Danielle taken advantage of.
The Doctor, on the other hand, couldn't understand why Danielle seemed so enamoured with him. Sure, he was Shakespeare, but he was obviously just another self-centred human.
Shakespeare kept a hold of Danielle's hand, running his thumb over the back of it. "Sweet lady," he started in a low purr. "Such deep red hair, you must have Scottish blood running through your veins. Tell me, what do I call such a fierce soul?"
In reply, Danielle just giggled. She couldn't find any words on her tied tongue, let alone her name, and so she just stared back, horrified and star stuck at the same time.
Rose leant forward. "It's Danielle," she told the immortal bard. "I'm Rose and he's the Doctor, if it matters."
"Names always matter," Shakespeare replied. "Words, names, they all have great power in this world. Like I can tell that you are annoyed at me for favouring your friend over you."
Had she been standing her hands would have flown to her hips as she channelled the anger her mother always seemed to have within her. "All I see is some posh bloke thinking he can take advantage of a girl who's obviously a giant fan of yours."
"Rose, calm down," the Doctor told her before turning to Shakespeare. As much as he would have loved to unleash Rose Tyler onto him - and thank her for placing that niggle in his head that made him rather displeased with the man in front of them - they needed to keep the man on side. Something rather troubling was happening, and he was definitely at the centre of it one way or another. "She's rather protective of her friends, but she doesn't mean any harm."
He pulled out the psychic paper from his pocket, a motion that Danielle, even in her distracted state, noticed. He held it out to the writer. "As you can see, we're all friends here, nothing to worry about."
Shakespeare took a look at the small leather wallet and suddenly found himself rather suspicious of the trio. "Interesting, that bit of paper," he declared. "It's blank."
The Doctor frowned, turning the paper towards himself so he could try and see what was supposed to be broadcast on it. "Are you sure?"
"He can see past the psychic paper," Danielle breathed, absolutely amazed as she stared up at him. "Wow. I knew you were a genius, but wow."
Shakespeare smirked slightly, shifting on the spot so he was looking at her again. "I am," he agreed. "But the paper is blank, dear temptress."
Rose turned to the Doctor, who was slowly bringing the paper back to himself, a scowl on his face that he didn't even try to hide. "How can he not see the psychic paper?" she asked.
"Psychic?" William asked, looking over at the pair once again. "Never heard that before and words are my trade. Who are you exactly?"
"We're just travelling, passing through," the Doctor dismissed. "We heard you announce your new play and we couldn't resist."
"Just travelling through?" William repeated, suspicious of why he would be travelling with two women. He looked over the blonde he was sat next to, in her finery and his eyes lit up in recognition. "Ah, I see. You, your lovely wife and your delicious hand maid? Well, I do appreciate the company."
Rose saw it, even if no one else did. She wasn't sure if Danielle even recognised it in herself, especially in her star stuck state, but her shoulders fell and she deflated slightly at being designated the 'hand maid'.
"Oh, he's not my…" Rose started to scoff, only to be interrupted by a large man stepping into the room, announcing his presence with a call of 'excuse me'.
Even Danielle's attention was pulled from the wordsmith to the newcomer. He obviously was a wealthy man as he was adorned with a large gold necklace and a ruff around his neck that everyone associated with the era they were currently sat in.
"Hold hard a moment. This is abominable behaviour," he declared, ignoring the other three in the room and striding towards the table they were sat around. "A new play with no warning? I demand to see a script, Mister Shakespeare. As Master of the Revels, every new script must be registered at my office and examined by me before it can be performed."
William shrugged him off, like it wasn't the big deal the man in front of it found it to be. "Tomorrow morning, first thing, I'll send it round."
"I don't work to your schedule, you work to mine," the Master of the Revels declared. "The script, now!"
"I can't," William replied, just as forcefully.
"Then tomorrow's performance is cancelled," he declared.
Danielle turned to him, eyes wide with panic. "But you can't!"
The man paid her no mind, though, walking off towards the exit. "I'm returning to my office for a banning order," he continued. "If it's the last thing I do, Love's Labour's Won will never be played."
His heavy footsteps echoed outside, and a moment later the barmaid walked in with a fresh tray of drinks.
"I heard all that ruckus he was making," she told William as she placed the drinks in front of them. "Thought you might need another tipple."
"Dolly, you are a saint amongst us mere mortals," William replied with a dazzling smile. Dolly shot him her own cheeky smile before leaving.
The Doctor picked up his drink, pretending he was going to drink it but really just held it in his hand for the pretence. Rose and Danielle both raised it up, giving it a quick sniff. Danielle's nose wrinkled up, but Rose was more than happy to take a sip of the booze inside. Just a sip, though, because she wanted to be fully aware just in case something was going to happen. And she knew it was, because nothing was ever as simple as a play being cancelled. Not when the Doctor was around.
"Well, I guess that's that, then," the Doctor declared in his normal, cheerful manner. "You can't stop the Master of the Revels, can you, Billy boy?"
He felt entirely too cheerful at the fact that the play wouldn't be performed. Wasn't this what he travelled through time for? To experience things no one ever thought possible? New and exciting things, things that were secret in history? And something strange was going on with this particular moment in history, as well. He'd seen the way that Shakespeare had straightened on the stage and how his words and actions didn't quite seem his own.
And yet, there was always something quite satisfying about watching someone with an inflated ego get his plans foiled.
Danielle placed her drink down on the table. "He can't just stop your play, though, can he?" she asked William. "You promised all those people!"
William chuckled slightly. "Don't worry, my dear," he told her. "His ego is large, but my audience is larger. He knows the backlash he should receive if he takes it away from the public."
"So, we'll still be able to see it?" Danielle asked hopefully and he nodded.
"I guarantee it," he promised. "Perhaps, if you would permit me, you could come as my guest."
Danielle's mouth dropped open, and both Rose and the Doctor scowled at the man. It was obvious what angle he was trying to play with the naive girl, and it was one Rose wouldn't allow to happen. Not that she didn't think that Danielle didn't deserve the attention, but not this type of attention.
Fortunately, Danielle couldn't give a reply. A scream echoed from outside on the street, a deep male yell of pain followed by a high-pitched scream of terror.
The Doctor shot up off his chair, a grin on his face. "That's more like it," he cried. "Come on!"
Danielle and Rose were quick off their seats, running fast to keep up with his long strides. William, who had recognised the first scream, was also quick to follow them onto the streets below.
Lynley, the Master of the Revels, was stumbling up the street. His hands were around his throat, like he couldn't breathe, and with each step he spewed up water like it was being created in his throat.
"Oh my god," Rose stated lowly. Along with the crowd, she could plainly see something was not right with the man. "What's wrong with him?"
"Stay back," the Doctor told everyone, rushing over to the man and wrapping an arm around him. "I'm a doctor, don't panic. Come on, big man, get it up," he smacked a hand against his back, like he was trying to dislodge something from his throat. "That's it, get it up."
Another smack, and the man went ridged in his arms. With a final gurgle of water, he dropped to the ground with such a heavy weight that the Doctor couldn't keep him up. He quickly dropped to his knees, holding his ear to his chest. There was no heartbeat, and he looked up at his little group of followers.
William looked more than disturbed, which was understandable given how he knew the man. Rose had that look of confusion on her face that suited her racing mind perfectly, and Danielle… Danielle looked absolutely horrified as she realised she'd just witnessed a man die. It was like she had known him personally, and in the light of the lamps around them he could see she had visibly paled.
"He's dead," he declared, amazed. There were gasps of horror from around him as he took another look at the man whose life had just ended. He reached up and gently pulled his jaw down. Another gush of water rushed from his mouth and the Doctor quickly shut it again. This was the strangest death he'd ever see, or at least he'd seen in a long time.
He quickly jumped back off the floor, his eyes scanning the crowd. He first spotted Danielle with her hand resting on Shakespeare's arm - a sure sign that she needed comforting - but he moved past her until his gaze fell on someone of some authority. The barmaid, Dolly.
"Go get the constable," he commanded. "Get someone to move him off the street. It's a tragedy, but so is life, no need to worry anyone, yeah?"
She nodded, but it was her hand maid from the room upstairs who stepped forward. "I'll do it, ma'am."
The Doctor smiled at her. "Good lass." He rushed over to his little group, pushing between Danielle and Shakespeare. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, turning her around and leading her away. "Back upstairs, you lot. Let's not stand around gawking."
Rose and William had to jog to keep up with him. "What was wrong with him, though?" Rose pressed. "That wasn't a man who'd had too much to drink, was it?"
The Doctor shook his head, his face falling into that serious frown of his. "He drowned," he replied lowly.
"Drowned?" Danielle repeated in a whisper. She'd not expected to see someone die. She'd seen so much death already since she'd started travelling with the Doctor. She'd caused so much underneath America on her first trip, that was still her fault. But to see him drop to the floor had shaken her somewhat. "How could he have drowned?"
"Let's just get upstairs, yeah?" he replied, giving her a little squeeze. "Can't have the locals overhearing."
They all entered the room in a sombre fashion, Shakespeare making his way to a chair to sit down, his head heavy in his hand. The Doctor leant against one of the many shelves against the wall, Danielle on one side and Rose on the other.
"I can't believe he just died like that," Danielle whispered sadly. "He was mean, but he didn't deserve that."
Rose smiled kindly at her, reaching in front of the Doctor to rub her arm. "It'll be alright," she promised and Danielle nodded. The excitement, and then horror, of the evening had given way to emotional tiredness. She just wanted to go back to the TARDIS and climb into bed. But, the look on the Doctor's face, that thoughtfulness said that it wasn't going to happen anytime soon. And quite rightly too. They were probably the only people who might be able to help if something extraordinary was happening, which it was. How did a man drown in the middle of the street?
Dolly appeared in the doorway, her hard life showing as she didn't even seem fazed by the sight she'd just witnessed. "I got you a room, Doctor," she told the man. "There should be enough room for your handmaid as well, should she need it."
He barely gave her a nod in reply and she was off, unoffended by his lack of manners. "Why does everyone think I'm a maid?" Danielle asked quietly. "Is it the dress? I liked it."
"It's because you have the beauty of royalty, but the shyness of a woman who has been held back all your life," William told her. "It is a shame to see such beauty stunted because of circumstance, but that is the way."
Danielle looked at him with furrowed brows. "I'm not sure whether to be flattered or insulted," she admitted shyly.
"Flattered, of course," Shakespeare replied and she smiled happily. "Unlike your two friends, you hide in the shadows not to be noticed. You, Rose," he looked to the woman, who blinked in surprise at being brought into the conversation. "So incredibly loyal, like a wolf at the lead of it's a pack."
Rose frowned. "A wolf?" she asked. It was an odd choice of words to use to describe someone, made all the more jarring by the echo of a maid in Cardiff's voice.
But Shakespeare had turned his sights to the Doctor, who was still looking rather unnerved by the strange way the man outside had died. "And you, Doctor," he said. "You are barely older than myself, and yet your eyes are so old. I wonder how that could be?"
The Doctor looked at him with a levelled, controlled gaze. "I do a lot of reading."
"A trite reply," William replied before smiling once more. "Yeah, that's what I'd do."
The Doctor obviously didn't want to talk about it anymore. Instead, he clapped his hands together. "I think it's time for bed," he told his two companions.
Rose rolled her eyes, although she had to admit that William's assessment of them all had unnerved her slightly. She had learnt from travelling with the Doctor to trust her gut, and the uneasy feeling wasn't something she couldn't ignore, even as she pretended to. "You think you're the boss, don't ya?"
"I am the boss," he replied indignantly as Rose walked to the door. Danielle didn't stand up, though, and the Doctor hesitated to follow. "Danielle?"
She shot him a smile. "In a minute," she replied. He couldn't exactly drag her after him, so with one last look he left her behind.
"I'm not sure he trusts me," William remarked.
"I think he has a hard time trusting anyone," Danielle replied. "Especially people who decide to try and analyse him."
"Analyse?" he repeated, looking thoroughly amused. "That is quite an intellectual word for a hand maid."
"And you're being quite rude for a man whose trade has him talking to the public," she retorted before smiling again. "But I'll let it go, for now. You've just lost someone."
"Aye, poor Lynley," he replied, their brief moment of joviality gone. "I apologise. When my mind is grieving, I cannot stop the thoughts once they start."
"I know," she said and he looked at her, a little suspicious.
"Do you, now?"
She nodded before placing a hand on his arm. "I am sorry about your friend," she said honestly, giving him a little squeeze of comfort. "Try and get some sleep, if you can."
He barked a laugh. "I have a play to complete," he reminded her. "But I'll get my answer tomorrow, Danielle." At her confused look, he shot her a charming grin. "Be my guest of honour."
Her cheeks heated up as she stood. "We'll see," she replied vaguely. "Goodnight, William."
She was still smiling when she walked into the room that had been provided for them. It wasn't particularly luxurious. There was a double bed, a cabinet and a couple of chairs…
Her smile faltered slightly again as she spotted the small pile of material and padding that she guessed was the bed for the 'hand maid'. "Oh, that's nice of them," she murmured to herself. Maybe next time she should follow Rose's lead and wear something a bit fancier.
But she'd really liked this dress.
Rose, who was looking through the cabinet, looked over at the door at her voice. She followed her gaze to the 'bed', the turned back to her. "Oh, don't worry, that's for 'im," she replied, nodding at the Doctor. "Us girls are going to have the bed."
The Doctor didn't look too pleased. "That seems a bit unfair."
"Yeah, well, deal with it," Rose replied cheekily. He shot her a look in reply that said that he really wasn't that annoyed as Danielle walked over to the other chair.
"It's not like you sleep, anyway," she reminded him as she sat down. "What are you going to do all night while we sleep? S'not like you can just jump in the TARDIS and go for a quick jaunt, is it?"
He groaned, head falling back. "Oh, I didn't even think of that!" he exclaimed and the two women giggled at his childish behaviour.
"Maybe you will have to use the bed after all," Danielle said. "It might be a good way to make the time go faster."
She giggled at the withering look he sent her. He was just too cute sometimes.
"So," Rose started as she joined them, taking a seat on Danielle's chair arm. "What did you and Mr Shakespeare talk about?"
Danielle looked away, her heart speeding up slightly in her chest. "Oh, you know, this and that," she dismissed. She didn't want the Doctor to know that she'd stayed behind to give the playwright a little bit of a telling off for analysing the Time Lord. "I just wanted to offer my condolences over the man," she turned slightly in her seat. "Did you really mean it? He drowned?"
The Doctor nodded. "His throat was full of water," he replied. "He was choking on it. You saw him spitting it up."
"How, though?" Rose pressed. "We're on land. Even if he did drown, surely he would have had to be in the water?"
"The thing is," the Doctor continued, the serious look back on his face. Something was obviously bugging him more than he'd said up to that point. "I don't think that's what killed him. I think it was something else."
Danielle leant a bit closer. "Like what?" she asked.
He shrugged, relaxing again into the chair. The thoughtful frown didn't disappear, though. "I don't know," he replied. "It's a strange feeling for me, I'm not sure I like it. But, I couldn't say that at the time. If we scare the locals there is no way we'll find out the answer."
"Plus, we're in 1599," Danielle pointed out. "We don't need a witch hunt. Last thing we want is some innocent woman being punished for whatever this is."
"Witch hunt?" Rose scoffed. "People didn't actually do that, did they?"
Danielle nodded. "It was more prevalent in the US, granted, but yeah. Women being dunked, burnt, everything. Between that and childbirth, this period really isn't a great time for us."
"Jeez," Rose replied. "But it's not witchcraft, is it?" The two women looked to the alien, who didn't reply. "I mean, that's not real, is it?" Again, he didn't reply. "Doctor?"
"Of course not," he said. "But, whatever it is, it's trying to look like it. Perhaps they're hiding in the mythos of the century? We'll need to hang around and see the play. The play's the thing."
Danielle's face lit up. "Hamlet!" she exclaimed. "Oh, I love Hamlet."
Rose rolled her eyes as the two began rapidly gushing about yet another play. Maybe she wouldn't be replaced, after all. Maybe Danielle could soak up all this geekiness and she and the Doctor could still continue to have the friendship they'd always had. "I'm going to bed," she told them both. "If you keep me up all night nattering, I'm kicking you out."
Danielle waved at her, obviously telling her to be quiet. Rose would have been outraged if it didn't seem so out of character for her. Then again, she seemed a lot more comfortable now she was away from Shakespeare. "We won't," she promised.
~0~0~0~
So, a bit of a change, eh? I hope it works alright. I wanted Danielle to have a bit of an effect on the story, and this seemed to fit XD
Reviews -
blank435 - Thanks sweetie! I'm glad you ship them, that's the aim XD
thehelpinghand - Thanks, sweetie! I'm glad you think so! Feel free to read my other fics based on Danni if you haven't already, after all this is the AU of the others :)
Authora97 - Oh, River would have totally written that letter, wouldn't she? Jack and River are Danni's parents in this one, but they are not Danielle's. Danielle's mum is a woman called Melanie Song who we will see more of after the next episode.
serenitysaiyan - Yeah, she does it so well, doesn't she? Thanks sweetie, not as much as you though :P xxx
Jojo - Hehe no, I can't wait to write Danielle's death either. I'm having fun keeping it close to my chest XD
Counting Sinful Stars - Yeah, she should have! Her dad did say that, yes, but not Jack. Danielle's dad isn't Jack, in the same way that not all of Clara's scattered counterparts parents could possibly be hers.
bored411 - Thanks sweetie! She'll get there, it might just take her a little time XD
StarGazer - Thanks sweetie! Of course he'll fall in love with Danielle. Definitely a Doctor/OC story and I'm very proud of that fact :D
Seconds and Stars - Of course! It's almost as fun as them actually kissing :P