Since We're Here

by Lumendea

Chapter One: A Little Bump

Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who, nor do I get paid for writing this.

…

"It's lovely here," Tegan Jovanka told the blond Doctor next to her as they walked through a calm marketplace. Her short brown hair was covered with a traditional purple wrap of the planet and matched her purple flight attendant uniform very nicely. "Peaceful for a change."

Nodding, the Doctor adjusted his cream-colored hat against the light of the two orange suns. He had a small pleased smile on his face and could feel the tension draining out of his shoulders. Things had been a bit rough for them all lately, they were overdue a nice calm trip to see something new.

"Not much happens here on Casimax. It is a trading world with ties to every nearby planet and it a vital part of the region economy," the Doctor explained, slipping into guid mode.

Turlough, who was following behind them sighed and looked at the Doctor. "It seems awfully dull here Doctor," he observed in a bored tone.

Glancing at the red head behind him, the Doctor gave him a warning look and said, "Things have been rather difficult lately and you know what happened the last time we went to the Eye of Orion."

Tegan shuddered at the memory of the strange events and glanced at the Doctor. "Are you sure there isn't going to be any trouble Doctor?" she questioned him with a worrying look.

"I doubt that there will be any trouble Tegan," the Doctor replied with a small reassuring smile. "Relax, enjoy being on a world that the rest of your people won't see for three-hundred and forty-two years."

Chuckling, Tegan shook her head and glanced at the various stores and shops along the metallic street. Everything was in a rich purple color that shined in the sunlight. She smiled and almost completely relaxed, but then heard a crash from down the street. Turning her head, she realized the Doctor was already moving towards the source of the noise. Sighing, she looked at Turlough and they raced after him.

A cloud of purple dust was pouring into the streets from a tall narrow building. Motioning the crowds back, the blond Doctor walked toward the door with a determined frown on his face. A moment later two small forms rushed out of the building and nearly collided with the Doctor. Jumping aside, he tried to grab the arms of the brown-haired boy who looked to be about nine years old. He missed the arm, but his fingers brushed the boy's skin and the Doctor felt for just a moment the mind of another Time Lord. The boy didn't stop and notice this contact. He and the brunette girl rushed past the crowds, ducking under arms and past Tegan and Turlough.

Blinking, the Doctor shook the encounter from his mind despite the rarity of meeting another Time Lord other than the Master or the Rani away from Gallifrey and such a young one. Another form appeared as the dust began to clear, this one large enough to be a humanoid adult. The Doctor reached over to help as a thin brown-haired man stepped into the street holding a sleeping toddler clutching a stuffed bear in his arms.

"Are you alright?" The blond Doctor questioned the man, reaching out his hand to offer support.

The brown haired man who was wearing a brown pinstripe suit with a long trench coat that looked familiar turned to him sharply. Surprised brown eyes met him that carried a hint of amusement and no small amount of worry.

"Did you see two children?" the man questioned the Doctor after a beat, "Brown hair, probably running?"

The Doctor nodded and pointed toward the East Market, unable to shake an odd feeling of dread at what was happening here. Time Lord children certainly did not belong off of Gallifrey. Such a thing was unheard of save for his own granddaughter Susan, but even she hadn't been nearly that young.

"They ran that way," the Doctor answered as he inspected the building for any clues. It had returned to normal, leaving him to wonder what had caused all the dust. "Seemed to be in a panic."

The brown haired man looked past the crowd and then down at the blond toddler in his arms. Just as the Doctor was about to demand some answers and go after the strange Time Lord children the man in front of him sighed.

"Tifegerian dust bomb," the brown haired man told the Doctor. "I need to find Alex and Abby before the effects where off."

"The children were hit?" the Doctor asked in alarm, disregarding the very human names for the time being.

"Just those two," the man said quickly with a touch of impatience and worry colouring his tone. "Sammy is fine. Once I get Alex and Abby back to the TARDIS med bay they'll be fine."

Knowing the children were Gallifreians meant that the word shouldn't surprise him so much, but it did. The Doctor studied the strange man, but couldn't feel his mind.

"What?" he asked with slight alarm and suspicion.

The brown-haired man turned back to him with a grin and gently shook the boy in his arms awake.

"Sammy," the man said gently with a wide grin, "I have to find Alex and Abby so behave yourself."

"What?" the Doctor asked again, this time more loudly.

Grinning wider, the brown-haired tenth Doctor set Sammy into the arms of his younger Fifth form.

"Since you're here or rather we're here you can help," he pulled out his sonic screwdriver and beamed widely. "Did I mention that I'm you?"

Before the Fifth Doctor could get a word out, the Tenth Doctor began to rush down the street. "We'll pick Sammy up later!" he shouted before vanishing around a corner.

Gaping, the Fifth Doctor looked down at the small boy that had been dropped in his arms. The blond child smiled up at him and blinked a pair of soft brown eyes. Swallowing nervously, the Doctor tried to shake off what he had just been told so rapidly and avoided thoughts of the problems of crossing his own time line. Instead he gave the boy a small smile.

"So your name is Sammy?" the Doctor questioned, wondering how things must have changed to give a child such a human name.

The child nodded and added, "I'm Samatmaha Tyler. I'm four." The boy grinned and proudly held up the bear for the Doctor to see. "This is Teddy of TARDIS."

Nodding, the Doctor moved away from the crowd and set the boy down. Kneeling in front of him, the Doctor kept smiling as he asked, "And who was that man you were with?"

The boy gave him an odd look and giggled in amusement. "That was my Daddy, the Doctor. You in the future, I've seen the pictures. He says he liked cricket in this body."

Despite the small suspicion that had been growing at the back of his mind the Doctor was stunned by the child's frank verification. Fortunately Tegan and Turlough had finished maneuvering through the crowd and joined him.

The Doctor was saved from having to think on the words too much or reply to the child's comment by Tegan and Turlough coming up to him.

"Doctor?" Turlough questioned as he studied the small child, "What happened?"

"I'm not entirely sure,: the Doctor muttered without looking at them. "It happened so fast."

Sammy giggled and Tegan knelt down next to him while giving the Doctor a concerned look. His face was slightly slack with shock as he stared at the child.

"Who is this Doctor?" she asked as her eyes darted between the Doctor and the small boy that had so stunned him.

The Doctor searched for words for a moment while Sammy blinked up at him with an adoring smile.

Finally, the Doctor replied with a small smile, "Tegan, how do you feel about babysitting?"