Mystery White Boy - an Eleventh Doctor fic
Jan. 8th, 2009 08:54 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
trillianastraTitle: Mystery White Boy
Fandom: Doctor Who
Rating: PG-13 for now.
Characters: the Eleventh Doctor, Sally Sparrow, various Companions.
A/N #1: “Mystery White Boy” is the name of a Jeff Buckley album that I was listening to while thinking about Eleven.
A/N #2: This is highly, highly, speculative. My Eleven is likely to be entirely different from whatever actual!Eleven turns out to be like. That’s why this is speculative.
A/N #3: Here’s how this will work.The first chapter sets the scene. Each subsequent chapter will involve a visit to a companion. Other than that, anything could happen.
A/N #4: Regarding Spoilers... well, if you're up to date with New!Who, you're fine. Classic!Who will also be referenced shamelessly. If anything particularly big/momentous/important from Classic!Who gets mentioned, I'll warn for that separately.
Chapter One
Sally didn’t really notice him at first. He just came into the shop one day, then spent some time browsing before sitting in one of the armchairs and reading. He’d come in quite late – four in the afternoon, when it was quiet – and she’d had to politely show him out at 5:30 when it was time to close. She’d thought he was a student or something – he looked the right age, and had the right look, a jacket over a thin sweater and jeans, all in black. A philosophy student, maybe… or literature. Something like that.
Larry took one look at him and expressed the opinion that he was a poser, and probably thought looking like that and hanging out in their shop would get him a girlfriend. Sally just rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to the till. Then 5:30 came and she gently ushered him out, thinking that it didn’t matter who he was, because she’d probably never see him again.
When he showed up again the next day, she started to get curious. He hadn’t even bought anything the first time… and now, he had a notebook with him, and seemed to be sketching something.
Sally tried to get close enough to steal a glance at what he was drawing, but other customers kept showing up.
The third day, he was there again. This time, Sally resolved that she’d actually ask him why he kept coming back to the shop just to read and sketch. She took advantage of a lull to go over.
“Excuse me, sir, is there anything I can help you with?”
He didn’t look up straight away, keeping his gaze fixed on the book he was reading. She tried again.
“Sir?”
Then he did look up, and grinned at her. “Oh. Nah, I’m all right, thanks.” He must have seen her expression change, because he added. “It’s all right, I just like coming here, that’s all. It’s more peaceful than most places I end up.”
“… oh.”
He looked at her quizzically. “Do I know you from somewhere? You look very familiar….”
“You’ve been here three days in a row, but before then, no, I’ve never met you before.”
“Oh… you might’ve done. I didn’t always look like this, you know.” He grinned at her. “I’m John, by the way. John Smith.”
“Er… Sally Sparrow. Nice to meet you, I suppose.”
“You too, Sally Sparrow.” There was something odd, something knowing about the way he said her name. As of he’d realised where he’d met her before.
“Sorry… but what aren’t you telling me? You do know me somehow, don’t you? But if you do, why don’t I remember you?”
“You do. At least, you ought to. It is 2009, right?”
“Yes, and what kind of question is that?”
He paused thoughtfully for a second. “A very important one. Look, how soon can you get out of here?”
“Why?”
“Got something to show you. Something to help you remember.”
“Larry will be OK on his own. Give me five minutes.”
“I’ll be waiting.”
She turned slowly, and walked back towards the doorway that led into the tiny office, where Larry was. “Uh… I have to go out, can you manage the shop on your own?”
“What?” Larry looked up. “Oh, yeah, OK. Where are you going?”
He didn’t get an answer, as Sally was already pulling on her coat and walking to the door. As he moved to the till, Larry saw her go over the poser who kept hanging around the shop, who stood up as she approached. She said something to him, quietly, and they left together. The poser held the door open for her on the way out.
~~~
She was walking down the street with John, wondering where he was taking her. “So, what’s this thing you want to show me?”
“It’s a surprise.”
“Well, where is it?”
“Uh… just over there.” He pointed. She could see a… no, it couldn’t be. Not that, not after all this time. It seemed he’d noticed the look of shock on her face, and she was slightly annoyed when he laughed suddenly. “So, you remember now?” He walked over to the blue phone box, and leant against the side casually.
She followed. “It can’t be… this is the Doctor’s phone box, what are you doing with it? Did you steal it?”
His face fell. “Sally. I didn’t steal it… it’s mine.”
“No… I met the Doctor, you’re not him. Did you… do something to him, how did you get it?”
“Sally. Look at me. It’s mine. I’m the Doctor. I… well, it’s complicated. I changed. I can… do that, when I’m badly hurt or my life is in danger. I’ve been… a lot of different people.”
She shook her head. “That’s impossible.”
“Nothing’s really impossible. Lots of things are really, really, really, really improbable, but nothing’s really impossible.” He noticed that she was staring at him. “Sally? Are you all right?”
She looked at him, and spoke slowly. “Why did you come here? Why did you come to my shop?”
“I wanted to rest?”
“Seriously?”
“….actually, no. Seriously… because I’ve been on my own for a bit too long. I get lonely, Sally Sparrow.”
“You wanted company?”
“Yeah. And yeah, I could have gone anywhere, any old planet. But I like Earth. I like humans. You’re an interesting species, you know.”
“Er…” She didn’t know how to respond to that. “Thanks?”
“You’re welcome.”
“Was this it? The surprise… is that it?”
“Er, no. Uh… I was going to ask you… if you wanted to come with me for a while. Sort of a road trip… if you want. I won’t mind if you don’t want to.”
“I… don’t know what to say… um, I have a boyfriend… Larry, who I run the shop with....”
“Oh, it’s not like that! I just want some company. Someone to talk to…”
“Someone to keep you out of trouble?”
“Yeah, if you like. Someone to keep me out of trouble.”
“Why’d you pick me? You must know lots of people.”
“Do you need a reason?”
She looks up at him, and eventually she shakes her head softly. “No, I don’t.”
“Good answer. So… are you coming?”
“I’ll need to pack. And talk to Larry. Make sure he’ll be all right on his own and everything.”
He smiles. “Thanks, Sally. Really… thank you.”
“You’re welcome… and I need to get back…”
“I’ll walk you back.”
“OK.” They set off, walking side by side. “So… what are we doing first?”
“Well, there are some friends I haven’t seen for a while. I think we’ll go and meet them….”
“Where are they? Some alien planet?”
“Oh, they’re all over the place. One of them’s in Cardiff…”
Fandom: Doctor Who
Rating: PG-13 for now.
Characters: the Eleventh Doctor, Sally Sparrow, various Companions.
A/N #1: “Mystery White Boy” is the name of a Jeff Buckley album that I was listening to while thinking about Eleven.
A/N #2: This is highly, highly, speculative. My Eleven is likely to be entirely different from whatever actual!Eleven turns out to be like. That’s why this is speculative.
A/N #3: Here’s how this will work.The first chapter sets the scene. Each subsequent chapter will involve a visit to a companion. Other than that, anything could happen.
A/N #4: Regarding Spoilers... well, if you're up to date with New!Who, you're fine. Classic!Who will also be referenced shamelessly. If anything particularly big/momentous/important from Classic!Who gets mentioned, I'll warn for that separately.
Chapter One
Sally didn’t really notice him at first. He just came into the shop one day, then spent some time browsing before sitting in one of the armchairs and reading. He’d come in quite late – four in the afternoon, when it was quiet – and she’d had to politely show him out at 5:30 when it was time to close. She’d thought he was a student or something – he looked the right age, and had the right look, a jacket over a thin sweater and jeans, all in black. A philosophy student, maybe… or literature. Something like that.
Larry took one look at him and expressed the opinion that he was a poser, and probably thought looking like that and hanging out in their shop would get him a girlfriend. Sally just rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to the till. Then 5:30 came and she gently ushered him out, thinking that it didn’t matter who he was, because she’d probably never see him again.
When he showed up again the next day, she started to get curious. He hadn’t even bought anything the first time… and now, he had a notebook with him, and seemed to be sketching something.
Sally tried to get close enough to steal a glance at what he was drawing, but other customers kept showing up.
The third day, he was there again. This time, Sally resolved that she’d actually ask him why he kept coming back to the shop just to read and sketch. She took advantage of a lull to go over.
“Excuse me, sir, is there anything I can help you with?”
He didn’t look up straight away, keeping his gaze fixed on the book he was reading. She tried again.
“Sir?”
Then he did look up, and grinned at her. “Oh. Nah, I’m all right, thanks.” He must have seen her expression change, because he added. “It’s all right, I just like coming here, that’s all. It’s more peaceful than most places I end up.”
“… oh.”
He looked at her quizzically. “Do I know you from somewhere? You look very familiar….”
“You’ve been here three days in a row, but before then, no, I’ve never met you before.”
“Oh… you might’ve done. I didn’t always look like this, you know.” He grinned at her. “I’m John, by the way. John Smith.”
“Er… Sally Sparrow. Nice to meet you, I suppose.”
“You too, Sally Sparrow.” There was something odd, something knowing about the way he said her name. As of he’d realised where he’d met her before.
“Sorry… but what aren’t you telling me? You do know me somehow, don’t you? But if you do, why don’t I remember you?”
“You do. At least, you ought to. It is 2009, right?”
“Yes, and what kind of question is that?”
He paused thoughtfully for a second. “A very important one. Look, how soon can you get out of here?”
“Why?”
“Got something to show you. Something to help you remember.”
“Larry will be OK on his own. Give me five minutes.”
“I’ll be waiting.”
She turned slowly, and walked back towards the doorway that led into the tiny office, where Larry was. “Uh… I have to go out, can you manage the shop on your own?”
“What?” Larry looked up. “Oh, yeah, OK. Where are you going?”
He didn’t get an answer, as Sally was already pulling on her coat and walking to the door. As he moved to the till, Larry saw her go over the poser who kept hanging around the shop, who stood up as she approached. She said something to him, quietly, and they left together. The poser held the door open for her on the way out.
~~~
She was walking down the street with John, wondering where he was taking her. “So, what’s this thing you want to show me?”
“It’s a surprise.”
“Well, where is it?”
“Uh… just over there.” He pointed. She could see a… no, it couldn’t be. Not that, not after all this time. It seemed he’d noticed the look of shock on her face, and she was slightly annoyed when he laughed suddenly. “So, you remember now?” He walked over to the blue phone box, and leant against the side casually.
She followed. “It can’t be… this is the Doctor’s phone box, what are you doing with it? Did you steal it?”
His face fell. “Sally. I didn’t steal it… it’s mine.”
“No… I met the Doctor, you’re not him. Did you… do something to him, how did you get it?”
“Sally. Look at me. It’s mine. I’m the Doctor. I… well, it’s complicated. I changed. I can… do that, when I’m badly hurt or my life is in danger. I’ve been… a lot of different people.”
She shook her head. “That’s impossible.”
“Nothing’s really impossible. Lots of things are really, really, really, really improbable, but nothing’s really impossible.” He noticed that she was staring at him. “Sally? Are you all right?”
She looked at him, and spoke slowly. “Why did you come here? Why did you come to my shop?”
“I wanted to rest?”
“Seriously?”
“….actually, no. Seriously… because I’ve been on my own for a bit too long. I get lonely, Sally Sparrow.”
“You wanted company?”
“Yeah. And yeah, I could have gone anywhere, any old planet. But I like Earth. I like humans. You’re an interesting species, you know.”
“Er…” She didn’t know how to respond to that. “Thanks?”
“You’re welcome.”
“Was this it? The surprise… is that it?”
“Er, no. Uh… I was going to ask you… if you wanted to come with me for a while. Sort of a road trip… if you want. I won’t mind if you don’t want to.”
“I… don’t know what to say… um, I have a boyfriend… Larry, who I run the shop with....”
“Oh, it’s not like that! I just want some company. Someone to talk to…”
“Someone to keep you out of trouble?”
“Yeah, if you like. Someone to keep me out of trouble.”
“Why’d you pick me? You must know lots of people.”
“Do you need a reason?”
She looks up at him, and eventually she shakes her head softly. “No, I don’t.”
“Good answer. So… are you coming?”
“I’ll need to pack. And talk to Larry. Make sure he’ll be all right on his own and everything.”
He smiles. “Thanks, Sally. Really… thank you.”
“You’re welcome… and I need to get back…”
“I’ll walk you back.”
“OK.” They set off, walking side by side. “So… what are we doing first?”
“Well, there are some friends I haven’t seen for a while. I think we’ll go and meet them….”
“Where are they? Some alien planet?”
“Oh, they’re all over the place. One of them’s in Cardiff…”
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no subject
Date: 2009-01-08 09:25 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-01-08 09:58 pm (UTC)Because they're both so awesome, they deserve way more than just one episode each.
no subject
Date: 2009-01-09 07:22 am (UTC)And YAY! Sally!
no subject
Date: 2009-01-09 06:02 pm (UTC)Well... what would be the point of a regeneration if the new Doctor was almost identical to the previous one?
(Really, just look at the past Doctors... Six couldn't be more different from Five and Seven if he tried... it's clear that when he regenerates, his personality changes too. If you don't bother to write him like that... well... you're limiting yourself needlessly.
Besides. My way is more fun.)
no subject
Date: 2009-01-09 02:21 pm (UTC)