In the month that past, Caroline had finally gotten herself a job. She had decided that, although she was still waiting for the Doctor to rescue her, she might as well try and ‘fit in’ with the 1901 lifestyle. There was no point in her staying up in the Fieldgate’s spare bedroom for the rest of eternity.
And people would start talking.
So, she had started venturing out around the town, constantly being surprised at how things would change by 2012. It was the same town, but different. So much prettier and nicer with it’s quaint little houses, cobbled streets and large, spired buildings. And the churches as well. She’d never seen so many churches.
One morning she’d accompanied William and his parents to St. Daniel’s in Flottergate and noted, with some amusement, but mostly disgust, that in 2012 the site of the church was now a Greggs sandwich shop and was situated in an indoor shopping centre.
And William’s parents had been very understanding. She had lied to them to some extent. She couldn’t have told them the truth, despite the fact that she always wanted to tell William the truth. She had become known around the town as ‘the girl who had had an accident’ or ‘the girl from nowhere‘. No one knew what the accident was or where she had come from, but Caroline liked it that way. It meant that people were willing to help her and give her some leeway in the things she didn’t understand.
And now she was working as well. She had been offered a job at one of the factories owned by William’s father, but she had declined and had gotten herself a job at the Black Swan Inn on the corner of Flottergate (flattened with a Thomas Cook’s built on top by 2012). William had been concerned at her choice, but Caroline had told him she wanted to remain grounded.
One particular night she was working there, William had ventured inside. She had been surprised by his appearance as he hadn’t been the sort of person to visit pubs in the town centre, opting for the men’s clubs instead.
“Evening, sir,” said Caroline, wiping down the bar and giving him a little grin.
William sat on the stool opposite the bar and smiled. “Evening, miss.”
“What can I get for you, Will?” she asked.
“A pint of Big Flats ale please,” he smiled. “Let’s see your pulling power.”
Caroline chuckled to herself. “I’m a dab hand now. I did do a bit of bar work back in 2006, you know?”
“Eh?” William looked confused, as he unfolded his paper from his blazer pocket.
“I mean…1906.”
William looked even more confused.
“1896,” Caroline attempted for the third time.
“You’re a strange, lass, aren’t you?” he said, opening the paper.
Caroline tilted her head and popped the glass on the side. “That’s me,” she said with a smile. “Anything exciting in the paper?”
William frowned. “Not really. Some man think’s he’s invented a device that can suck up dirt from the floor. Powered by electric as well,” said William, raising his eyebrows.
“It’ll never catch on,” said Caroline, shaking her head and wrinkling her nose.
William took a sip from his pint and then put the paper down. He leaned on the bar and looked at Caroline. “Father is still miffed about you turning down his offer of a job.”
Caroline nodded as she arranged a few clean glasses behind the bar. “I know, but you know my reasoning. I like to be with the people. I like to keep my ear to the ground.”
“In case you hear of your friends coming back?”
“Exactly,” said Caroline. “It’s been two months now, but I’m not giving up. Not yet. Anything from the landlord at the Red Lion?”
“No, I’m afraid not,” said William, taking another sip. “Maybe one day you’ll tell me why you’re waiting for them and who they are. But I know not to pressure you.”
Caroline looked a little sad. “Maybe.” She trusted William. He was a kind and understanding man, but time machines and aliens would be too much for him. She didn’t want to blow his world apart, so for now she’d just have to continue to be vague.
August, 1987
Danny leaned on the bar and looked sleepily at Lisa. She looked back at him and smiled.
“You’re drunk, Danny boy,” she said, with a grin.
“I’m not drunk. I don’t get drunk. Always ready for action,” he said, slurring his words.
“You are definitely drunk,” said the Doctor, coming over to the two of them. “An orange juice, please.”
Lisa winked at Danny and then poured an orange juice for the Doctor.
“Still don’t fancy the karaoke, Doc?” asked Danny, nodding towards the man with the mullet who had just finished a particularly bad rendition of ‘Please Release Me’.
“Young man, if I want to sing, I’ll make sure I do it in style.”
“Get out of it,” laughed Danny. “You can’t sing!”
“I’ll have you know I did backing vocals on ‘Hey Jude’.”
“By the Beatles?” asked Lisa, her ears pricking up.
“No. ‘Hey Jude’ by the Backstreet Boys. Of course I mean The Beatles!”
“Who’s the Backstreet Boys?” asked Lisa.
“Then get up there and sing,” said Danny, ignoring Lisa’s question.
“I’ve got work to do,” said the Doctor, taking his glass and returning to a table in the far corner.
Danny sighed. In the time he had been here he had started to settle down. He didn’t want to give up hope of finding Caroline. He didn’t want to leave her lost in time, but he was starting to worry less and less. If they were trapped in 1987 then he should try and make the most of it. He considered heading over to his parents house and pre-warning his brother about his disappearance in sixteen years, but the time-bending ramifications of that were too difficult for him to get his head around. And he was sure the Doctor wouldn’t approve. So he had steered well clear and stuck to the town centre and the pub.
The other day he had ventured into the shopping precinct and marvelled at the differences. He was old enough to remember the old open-air precinct. In 1993 it had been converted into an all-indoor affair, but right now, in 1987, it was all open to the elements.
Danny blew out a stream of cool air from his mouth, causing his fringe to ruffled slightly. He had let his hair grow slightly and had started wearing more 1980’s-style clothes. Not because he liked the fashion or even the look, but because he actually needed more clothes.
He was pulled out of his thoughts when Lisa tapped on his shoulder.
“What?” asked Danny, drunkenly.
“I need you to pop down to the cellar and change the barrel.”
“I’m not working tonight,” said Danny.
“Tough,” said Lisa, with a smile. “Go change that barrel, boy.”
Danny groaned. “What’s it worth?”
“Maybe one on the house if you’re lucky,” she said.
“Okay, okay,” he said, making his way down into the cellar.
He had been down here before, but today Harry had been tidying a few things away and a number of cardboard boxes had been left out. He changed the barrel and was about to leave when something caught his eye. It was an old photograph in a frame, jutting out of one of the boxes.
He crossed over to it and took it out of the box. It was an old photograph of a pub. Not the White Hart, however. There were two people on it. A man on a stool and a woman, pulling a pint behind the bar. And the woman was familiar. In fact the woman was someone he knew very well.
The picture was dated August 1901, The Black Swan Inn.
The woman was Caroline.
Danny put a hand to his mouth in shock and surprise and then sprinted up the steps and into the bar area.
“Steady!” said Lisa as he skidded around the bar and made his way towards the Doctor’s table.
The Doctor was busy working on yet another circuit and Danny sat down in front of him.
“Don’t freak out,” said Danny.
“What?” asked the Doctor, slightly irritated.
“Just, don’t panic,” said Danny.
“You haven’t put my name down for karaoke have you?” asked the Doctor.
“No, no. It’s this.” Danny placed the picture on the table and the Doctor leaned in for a closer look. “Do you see who it is?”
The Doctor looked intently at the photograph and then back at Danny. It was definitely her. She’d styled her hair differently and it was piled high into a bun, but it was certainly Caroline. And then he broke out into a huge, huge grin.
“What’s there to smile about?”
“We know where she is, Danny. We know where she is. We can get her back!”
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