Epilogue

"Guys! Guys, look at the sunrise!" Simon slumped around Kim and Robin's shoulders, almost dragging them to the ground as they slouched their way back to the station.

"Yes, Simon, it's beautiful," Robin grunted through gritted teeth as he struggled to stay upright, "how many of those free drinks did you have?"

"I may have indulged in one too many," Simon hiccupped.

"One too many?" Kim finally untangled Simon's arm from around her shoulders, "Come on, let's get inside before you create a rainbow yawn all over the side of the tardis."

"Speaking of which," Robin froze in his tracks, "where is the pee-riddled box?"

"Oh shit," Kim covered her mouth with her hands, "it's gone, it's bloody vanished!"

"It can't have gone far," Robin began while Simon cackled with laughter.

"It serves him right, the cocky chin-riddled idiot," he said.

"Yeah, you say that now, you won't say that if the Doctor's stuck here for eternity, helping you file all your documents under 'P' for 'Police work'."

Simon froze.

"Bugger," he cursed.

Just as the three of them began to get increasingly concerned about the disappearance of the large blue box, a sound that subtitles could only have described as metallic thrumming began and to their immense surprise the Tardis materialised right where they'd left it the day before. Two very angry, exhausted and frustrated figured stumbled out.

"That is the last time I have sex in a spaceship."

That wasn't a sentence any of them expected to hear. Simon covered his ears and started humming loudly while Kim and Robin clung to each other in fear of what they were going to hear next.

"You got a free trip to the Tower of London, didn't you, Bols?" Gene accused.

"Yes, on the inside!" Alex cried.

"You were the one with sticky fingers."

"I was not trying to steal the crown jewels!"

"You have yer hands on mine enough…"

"Ahem?" Kim folded her arms and stared at them both, tapping her foot as Alex and Gene stopped arguing and turned to find themselves being observed. Gene swallowed, attempting to cover the ruff and period costume he pretended he wasn't wearing before wagging his finger threateningly in their direction.

"You saw nothing," he told them.

"I wish I'd seen nothing, I'll need therapy for years," Simon wept, covering his eyes.

"Let's just get changed before the Doctor comes back and discovers our unexpected joyride," Alex said crossly, smoothing out the skirt with seventeen layers of petticoats beneath it, "and before he discovers the stains."

"What stains?" Simon asked before the truth dawned on him and he clapped his hands over his ears again. "Forget it! I don't want to know

Gene stared at Kim who had a piece of fried dalek stuck in her hair.

"Where have you rainbow-minded minions been?" he demanded, "down the scrapheap?"

"No, Guv," Kim said quietly, "we visited your local, actually." She gave a distant smile. "Long story."

"Nelson into robotics now is he?" Gene scowled.

"Like I said, long story."

"Come on, let's get inside before we get slung in the cells for being drunk and disorderly," Robin sighed.

~xXx~

Gene, Alex, Simon, Robin and Kim sat in silence in the office as they watched the clock and waited for the doctor to return. No one was really sure what to say to n another and Simon had been sneaking disgusted looks at Gene for the last half an hour after discovering that he and Alex had been up to things they had no right to do in another man's Tardis, despite the fact that he hated the doctor with a passion.

"Don't you say a word, Shoebury," Gene warned, pointing a stapler threateningly in his direction.

"Couldn't if I wanted to," Simon folded his arms, "my modesty prevents me from describing the act."

"You're not so innocent," Gene narrowed his eyes and Simon gulped.

"At least I've never bonked in another man's Tardis," he said.

"Not a word about the Dalek either," Kim warned, "one word and he'll have that bloody screwdriver shoved up my nostril, checking for immunity again."

"Excuse me?" Alex frowned, "what dalek is this? The one in your office?"

"It… migrated," Robin said awkwardly.

"And not a word about the pub either," Kim warned.

Gene scowled.

"What's this about me pub?" he demanded and Kim bit her lip.

"Erm," she cleared her throat, not sure how pleased that Gene would be about a mechanical menace taking over his local temporarily, "nothing, Guv."

"Took the dalek for a pint," Robin lied.

"Bloody thing was already legless," Gene mumbled, folding his arms.

"At least now I know the way to deal with a dalek is by offering soufflé tips," Robin commented, despite Kim's frantic shushing.

"That's right is it, batman?" Gene turned a sarcastic glance to Kim. "Now I know what to do when Metal Mickey's giving me lip."

"What's that, guv?" Kim began crossly, "you want me to tell the Doctor your crown jewels have been all over his control panel?"

"Can we please stop mentioning crown jewels?" Alex groaned, her head in her hands.

They all heard the Doctor approaching long before he arrived. His unexpected nap had left him revitalised and full of beans and unfortunately Gene was about to catch the brunt of them. He steeled himself, leaned back and fixed a glare on the doorway to wait for his arrival but the Doctor was dipping into every doorway along the route and by the time he got to the office Gene had been waiting in that stance for around two minutes.

"What a fine morning, ladies and gentlemen," he beamed as he finally swept into the doorway like some sort of cruise liner entertainment official.

"So you off then?" were the first words out of Gene's mouth.

"Almost," the Doctor seemed oblivious to Gene's bad will, "I just need to see if the old thing is back in full functioning order."

"It is," Gene huffed, "Believe me."

"She's a she," the doctor told him, receiving a mocking laugh from Gene.

"Can't get a real bird so you have to make yer cardboard box into one?" he challenged.

"You call your car a 'she'," Simon blurted without thinking ad found Gene's angry stare on him.

"So you don't value your limbs any more, Shoebury?" he barked.

Simon gulped.

"So about that tardis…" he began, scrambling quickly to his feet.

"Just need to get a few checks out of the way and we will leave you in peace," the doctor told them, "thank you for your hospitality and also the free colander from the canteen."

"It wasn't a gift, she just threw that at you for using your sonic screwdriver to affect the size of her arse," Kim explained.

The doctor pulled a slight face as he thought about it.

"Still free," he said diplomatically and spun on his heels.

~xXx~

"All in good, fine working order," the Doctor confirmed, peering out of the Tardis at the gathered crowd.

Gene leaned against the side of the box, arms folded, refusing to look at him.

"Could have told you that, bowtie boy," he mumbled.

"Something sticky on some of the controls though," the doctor frowned, rubbing his hands against his trousers as Alex spluttered and turned a vibrant shade of red.

"Well, don't you have a Wimbledon final to get to?" she asked, trying desperately to compose herself.

"Yes, yes, we do," the doctor agreed as he held out a hand toward Clara. "Clara!"

Clara smiled warmly at the group of friends she'd made, a little reluctant to say goodbye. That was the difficulty with always moving on, she realised. You had to say goodbye to all the people who made you smile. It was something Gene and the others saw from the other side with those who dropped in and out of their lives.

"Clara," Marci caught her arm as she stepped toward the Tardis. She seemed a little nervous as she gave her a quick smile. "If things don't work out between you and the Doctor," she began, clearing her throat, "there's, erm," she tried not to smirk as she looked Clara in the eye, "you're always welcome in nineteen ninety eight."

Clara's smile put Marci at ease.

"Well, thank you," she said, "I'll remember that –"

"Clara!"

Clara pulled a face and laughed.

"Duty calls."

She nipped inside the Tardis as the Doctor leaned out of the door.

"And what about you?" he looked at Jake who seemed hesitant and anxious,

"What about me?" he asked quietly.

"Are you ready to join us?" the Doctor asked, "see the stars? Travel through time? Introduce sprout sorbet to the far reaches of the galaxy?"

Jake swallowed, glancing at Marci and Robin, both of whom looked sad and resigned to a goodbye. He looked back at the Doctor who was beckoning him encouragingly. He took a deep breath and knew what he had to do.

"Nah," he said quietly. He was aware of Marci's head snapping up in shock. "I think I'll give it a miss." He paused, "this time."

"Are you certain?" the Doctor couldn't quite believe Rory Two was turning him down, "this is a once in a lifetime opportunity!"

"It is, it is," Jake hesitated, "but," he looked at the crowd around him, "But my life is here." He could see a look of genuine surprise on Marci's face and a happy smile spreading across Robin's. "But thank you," he said was a happy nod, "because these last twenty four hours are something I won't forget."

"Well, if you're sure I can't change your mind," the Doctor sighed and smiled, "enjoy your life, Jake."

Jake felt himself tearing up as the Doctor finally used his name.

"You too," he whispered, "Doctor."

The doctor gave a wave to the coppers around him.

"Goodbye and thank you," he said, before glancing at Kim, "try not to turn into a machine."

The doctor seemed oblivious to the murderous look Kim threw his way as Robin boasted,

"It's alright, I know how to deal with that."

"You are not overpowering me with a bloody soufflé," Kim threatened.

"Soufflés?" Clara peered out if the door and looked at them curiously.

"Long story," Robin muttered as Kim added, "Don't ask."

"Alright, we won't" the Doctor clapped his hands, "we must go. Pete Sampras is waiting!"

"Goodbye, farewell, don't accidentally burn yer arse on a passing sun or anything, will you?" Gene grumbled as he kicked the Tardis and began to march back towards the station.

The doctor gave a final wave and closed the door as the others waved back. There were a few moments of intense metallic thrumming and the Tardis faded in and out of view until it disappeared completely, leaving nothing but a little scorched square on the ground. For a few moments no one could quite believe the strange times were over. They stared at the empty space. The only word uttered was from Jake.

"Wow," he whispered. Before he could say another word a flying Marci launched herself in his direction and hugged him frantically.

"You stayed," she whispered.

"Won't be worth my while if you strangle me," Jake choked as Marci hugged him a little too tightly. He found Robin joining the hug and himself even less able to breathe. "Oh come on, guys, you didn't think I was really going to leave you, did you?"

"You were dead set on it yesterday," Robin reminded him as they finally stopped half-strangling Jake with their hug and he caught his breath.

"Yeah, well," he took a deep breath, "I suppose sometimes you don't know when you're onto a good thing," he smiled at the people he couldn't quite bear to leave behind. "At least I know now." He thought Marci looked strangely awkward and a little coy but didn't know why and didn't have a lot of time to wonder as Alex began to walk back towards the station.

"Well," she said, "the fun is over, ladies and gentlemen. It's time to start clearing the scum from the street instead of clearing the dog wee from the tardis,"

One by one they turned and began to follow Alex. They knew that she was right, The strangest 24 hours in the history of Fenchurch East had passed by – and that was truly saying something.

Yet bizarrely things felt a little unfinished. They couldn't put their finger on what it was but none could shake the feeling that they'd be seeing the Doctor and his companion again one day.

"Until the next time," Jake whispered under his breath.

As they walked into the station and left their adventure behind Marci turned to him, chewed on her lip and creased her brow with confusion as she said quietly,

"Jake?"

"Yeah?"

Marci hesitated.

"This… this is nineteen ninety eight," she whispered, "isn't it?"

Jake frowned.

"Anyone would think you were the one heading on adventures through time," he joked but she looked so stressed that he knew this wasn't a joke, "yeah, 'course it is."

Marci swallowed.

"Doctor Who," she began, "when was it last on?"

"What?"

"Answer me, Jake!"

Jake took a step back.

"Well the TV movie was on two years ago," he said.

"The TV movie?"

"Yeah."

"Doctor number Eight."

"What's his name McGann, yeah." He paused as the thought Marci had yet to speak finally occurred to him and they stopped walking to look at one another, "The eighth doctor," he whispered, "was the last Doctor."

"If this is nineteen ninety eight," Marci whispered, "then why do we remember another three doctors that don't exist?"

Jake froze. He stopped moving, stopped talking, almost damn well stopped breathing. He had been so excited that he hadn't even thought… neither of them had. They hadn't questioned it. But it was true.

"Doctor Who was cancelled," he whispered, "there was no such… no new… then how…?"

Both stared at one another, neither knowing what to say. There was nothing to say. Their minds were in possession of impossible memories of days as yet unlived. They reached for one another's hand and held on for dear life, a touch of safety in a world of confusion and didn't dare speak another word.

But as the starlight glistened overhead momentarily their realisation wasn't one that could be ignored forever.

The End

~xXx~

A/N: This really is one of the most fun things I've done since I started writing again and I enjoyed every minute of it! I wasn't sure about going for it but I'm so glad I did! There were so many other things I wanted to put in that I didn't have time to explore so there may well be another crossover at some point in the future.

Thank you so much for following this oddity, with massive thanks to Jess and Charlotte for all your support and encouragement, especially to jess for hyping me up about the idea until I absolutely had to write it!

Maybe now I can stop crying about Oswin's fate!