The still, warm summers evening was broken with the sound of the fabric of time and space being ripped open. Slowly a blue box materialised.
Upside down.
Inside the box - the space/time machine known as the TARDIS - the Doctor, Caroline Parker and Danny Lennon were stood around the mushroom shaped TARDIS console. The Doctor flicked a switch and then smiled.
“Did we make it?” asked Danny.
“We made it,” said the Doctor, relieved.
“Where did Jayne go?” asked Caroline, looking around her.
“The hologram must have shorted out. Not that it matters anymore. We can go and meet the real Jayne.”
“Fun!” said Caroline, folding her arms and walking to get her coat.
“You won’t need your coat,” said the Doctor. “It’s a lovely warm evening out there. Middle of the summer in fact.”
“Brilliant,” said Danny. He watched Caroline as she made her way towards the exit doors. “Are you alright?” he said, catching up to her.
“I’ll be fine,” she said, sighing. “It’s just a lot to take in.”
“I’m sorry,” he said, putting a hand on her shoulder.
She smiled at him. “Just…stick with me, yeah?”
“Always,” he smiled.
The Doctor watched his companions quietly and then opened the door. The two of them stepped outside…
…and fell upwards!
“Oh no!” said the Doctor, racing after them.
When he had finally gotten the right way up and outside the TARDIS he found Caroline and Danny in a heap on the ground.
“What happened?” asked Danny, getting up. “We fell upwards.”
“I’m afraid I landed the ship upside down,” said the Doctor apologetically. “The anti-gravity stopped working as you stepped outside and actually…well, fell to the floor.”
“Great,” said Caroline, getting to her feet and brushing the dried grass from her jeans. “We’re in the back garden of my flat.”
“Yes,” smiled the Doctor. “Welcome home.”
Underneath St. James’s church was a hive of activity once again. The map above the consoles was showing a red dot flashing in the vicinity of People’s Park.
Jayne emerged from the ante-chamber. “What’s up people?”
“You finished in there?” asked Margot.
“Yes, the Doctor’s up to speed on the situation. He should be here now if he followed the signal down correctly.” She put her hands on her hips. “Now, what’s going on?”
“We’ve had a materialisation. Not just a split second fade either. This one’s fully formed and on our side.”
“What?” said Jayne, frowning. “How did it manage that? Usually they need a full on crack to come through.”
“God knows,” said Margot. “Do we investigate?”
“Do I like cheesecake? Of course we should.”
It only took a few moments, but soon they had all piled into Margot’s car and were driving through the sunny-evening streets of Thornsby, heading towards the park.
When they eventually got there they found the park deserted, apart from a young man wandering, a little disorientated across the road.
Jayne, Margot and Ben got out of the car and walked over to the young man.
“Is everything okay?” asked Margot.
The young man blinked slowly and tried to focus on the three people. “I’m sorry? Do I know you?”
“You look a little lost,” said Jayne. “Where have you just come from?”
The young man suddenly recomposed himself and straightened himself up. “You’re Jayne Robson, aren’t you? And Margot Dunlop and Ben Featherstone?”
“Yes,” said Jayne. “How do you know our names?”
“What year is this?”
“It’s 2012.”
“Jesus,” said the young man, rubbing his forehead. “Have I really been gone that long?”
“Who are you?” asked Ben, getting impatient.
“I want to see my brother, Danny.”
“Danny?”
“My name’s Adrian. Adrian Lennon. It’s been a bloody long time since I saw him.”
Caroline unlocked the back door at the top of the fire escape and the three of them stepped into the kitchen.
“Fancy a cuppa?” said Danny.
“Go on then,” said Caroline. “I’m off for a shower.”
“Ah,” said the Doctor, peering his head around the doorway into the front room. “I see the coffee table’s still not been swept away.”
“Who did you think would do it?” asked Caroline, glancing at the broken glass, “the house fairy?”
“You mean you don’t have your own house fairy?” asked the Doctor as Caroline strode off towards the bathroom and shut the door.
“No jokes, Doc, please,” said Danny, filling up the kettle and getting out three mugs.
“I’m just trying to cheer her up.”
“Doctor, she’s just found out she’s adopted and is descended from a bunch of time travellers from the future. It’s going to take a while for her to cheer up.”
“I suppose,” said the Doctor, grabbing a dust pan and brush from underneath the sink and sweeping up the broken pieces of glass in the living room. “I just find these situations very difficult.”
“So others you’ve travelled with have had similar problems?” said Danny, pouring the hot water into the mugs, drowning the teabags.
“Some have. Some haven’t. Each react differently to different situations.”
“I’d have thought you’d be a seasoned pro by now.”
“Not yet,” said the Doctor.
Danny smiled as he squeezed each of the teabags with the teaspoon and then added the milk. “At least I know what happened to Adrian now. Not that it’s any comfort to know that he was taken by them. But at least I know something more.”
“I’m sorry about that,” said the Doctor.
There came a knock on the door. The Doctor made his way down the stairs to the front door and opened it. Standing there was the blonde, curly-haired Margot.
“Ah, the liar!” smiled the Doctor.
“You know why we had to lie,” said Margot. “We couldn’t tell you the truth back then.”
“But what a lie,” said the Doctor. “Hiding in tunnels from ghosts, indeed!”
“Anyway,” said Margot, pushing her way inside, “that’s not why I’m here.”
“Do tell,” he said, letting her up the stairs to the kitchen and Danny.
“It’s Mr. Lennon I’m here to see.”
“Oh?” said Danny, taking a sip of his tea and purposely not making a fourth mug for Margot.
“Yes. It’s pretty urgent actually.”
“Go on then,” said Danny, leaning on the counter.
“It’s your brother: Adrian,” said Margot, half-smiling, half worried.
“What about him?”
Margot looked at the Doctor and then back to Danny. “He’s back.”
Next chapter: Danny goes on a trip, and Caroline receives some shocking news. Coming Monday 4th November.
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