Unseen End of Time

Okay, after a drunken conversation with a friend regarding the 'reward' of visiting old companions, further elaborated on in that SJA episode to include all of them ever, we got to wondering what they would have been like.

Long & short of it is, I (foolishly) agreed to write a few short stories (despite never having written fiction before) about how some of those encounters may have taken place.

I sat down & wrote the first one this week. Starting, appropriately enough with the very first two - Ian & Barbara. Now I'm sure I read somewhere years ago that someone had written that Ian had ended up at Cambridge & they'd had a son called Christopher. Now if either of those two details are wrong, my bad - you can't expect me to remember something I only glanced over years ago with pinpoint accuracy.

Anyway, bearing in mind it's my first time writing like this, I'm fairly pleased with how it's turned out. I'll probably end up sticking it up on Gally at some point, but DS gets the world premiere (ha-ha), so here goes:



Ian & Barbara

It was a fine Spring afternoon that day in Cambridge. Birds could be heard over the gentle hubbub of the daily market. The elderly couple basked in the sun as they left the marketplace, heading for home, shopping bags bulging.

Ian smiled as he put his arm around his wife's shoulders.

"I think, once the shopping is put away, there is nothing more pressing than spending the day in the garden. Do a spot of weeding then sit back and relax with a glass or two of Pimm's."

Barbara looked at her husband with a smile; "I think it's a little too soon for Pimm's. It's a Summer drink, probably even a law against it," she said playfully.

Ian laughed; "well Summer is only a couple of weeks away. I won't tell the Pimm's Police if you won't."

Matching his laugh with one of his own, she looked at her husband of forty years. The hair had long turned white and the face was deeply lined, but she could still see the handsome schoolteacher she had fell in love with all those years ago. His eyes still shone with the intelligence and humour that he had always displayed, even during those dangerous times when they had both travelled through time and space with the white-haired old man they knew as The Doctor.
While the early years back in their regular lives had been difficult to adjust to, adjust they had and they had gone on to build a life together that, as far as she was concerned, outmatched any of the wonders they had seen in the universe.

From Coal Hill School to Cambridge, life had been good to them. A child, Christopher, all grown up now and Ian's retirement from the University meant they had more time to take things at a leisurely pace and enjoy each others company. Although perversely there seemed to be more to manage in life now than when they were working and raising Christopher.

Still, she wasn't complaining, just the opposite. And these days, her memories of The Doctor seemed to sleep in the back of her mind. She only thought about him once in a blue moon now.
Ian sensed a change in his wife and his smile faded slightly. "whats wrong?:

"Oh nothing dear," said Barbara, "It just occured to me that I haven't had a thought about The Doctor in some years."

Ian's smile became a little reflective; "I know what you mean. I can't remember the last time I thought about him. I wonder if he is still flying round the universe trying to get from A to B and ending up at D."

With a laugh Barbara said; "I know what you mean. God forbid he's actually managed to learn how to fly the Ship. I just think it's - Oh!"

To her annoyance, the bottom of one of the bags split open, spilling produce over the cobblestones.

"Why do they make plastic bags so thin these days," she huffed as they both bent down to gather the groceries and to stop the odd stray orange from escaping down the slope of the old square, "if the idea is to use less plastic in aid of the environment it defeats the purpose if you end up having to double up the bags so you don't lose your shopping."

"Hang on, I think this is yours" came a voice further away. Both looked up as a skinny man wearing a suit and an impossibly long brown coat hurried up to them carrying an apple.

"I think this was trying to make a break for it," the man said as he crouched and handed over the offending fruit. "Oh no, your bags split, try this one instead." Reaching in to an inner pocket the man produced a plastic bag decorated on both sides with the word 'Presto' and underneath a picture of the Queen surrounded by the words 'Silver Jubilee 1952 - 1977' "They made them a bit stronger in those days," he said with a cheesy grin.

Barbara thanked him and transferred the broken bags contents into the new one. As they all stood up, Barbara took a closer look at the young man who had come to their assistance. Tall and skinny. He could do with a good feed, thought Barbara. Brown hair teased into a confused, spiky mess. Barely a line on his face, but his eyes...his eyes suggested an age and wisdom far out of reach of someone of his age. There was also a suggestion of some sorrow to them, as if he was resigned to something.


"Thank you" said Ian as he held out his hand for the man to take.

"My pleasure" said the man, shaking Ian's hand firmly. "Lucky I was there at the right time. I only came to Cambridge to see some old friends. And now I have."

"Well thank you again, you're a lifesaver" Ian replied.

"My pleasure. Enjoy your day" he said with a soft smile, flicking his gaze at Barbara.

Barbara started. Those eyes! It was almost like they were familiar. Like... No, she thought as she shook her head. Just thinking about The Doctor before made her leap to a crazy notion.
Barbara smiled at the man as she took Ian's hand. With a gentle grin, the man stepped out of their path.

"Nice man," said Ian as they continued on their way. "familiar in a funny sort of way I thought."

Barbara glanced back over her shoulder briefly to see the man, hands dug into his trouser pockets looking back at her almost wistfully before lowering his head and walking into the adjoining alley.

"I know what you mean. But its probably nothing. Probably someone we've seen seen recently and it's just not registered. Or maybe it's one of your old students?"

Ian gave her a look before saying with mock severity, "I may not be able to immediately bring to mind all of my former students but on meeting one I would recall them. I may be old, but I'm not losing my marbles yet."

Barbara laughed as she linked an arm with his. "All right, never mind. Let's get this lot home and then brazenly defy the Pimm's Police!"

They both laughed with the ease of two people, comfortable with the passage of years spent together, and walked on.

Out of earshot of a wheezing and groaning sound fading to nothing from the alley.