Beating the Universe at it's own Game

[fifthdoctor]

The Doctor pushed through the doors of the police precinct and walked off in the direction where he'd parked the TARDIS, hands jammed in his pockets. He was still kicking himself for getting involved as he heard his strange new companion trotting along behind him. Couldn't just stay incognito, could you, he told himself. Now he was stuck with returning this Sam Tyler character (ovr_teh_rainbow) back to the very dull year of 2009.

He did dislike using the Tardis as a taxi service. Maybe he was getting soft in his old age...

The Tardis was where he'd left it in an alley, standing ready and waiting for him. The Doctor smiled, she always looked like home to him no matter where he was.
He fumbled with the keys, looking around to make sure they weren't being watched as he worked on unlocking the door.

Comments

[ovr-teh-rainbow.livejournal.com]

Taking a clearer look around, he choose a bench that was well and far away from the controls. Curious as ever, he nodded and pulled away from the instinct to poke and prod at anything nearby. Every time he did something like that in the past, his reality changed and he was not about to muck this up.

Sam gave the date, address, and time and coughed before adding in a mumbled tone, "At my old precinct the day before my accident."

[fifthdoctor.livejournal.com]

The Doctor fed in the coordinates, his hands flicking and turning things here and there. But suddenly his hand hovered over the control panel, not sure if he had heard Sam right.

"Just a tic...did you say the day before this all started?" hoping that was not what he had just said. The implications of going back to before an event were...well they weren't good. Quite bad in fact.

[ovr-teh-rainbow.livejournal.com]

"Oh well, yeah. Why, is that wrong?" The minute he said it, he realized what the Doctor had meant in asking. Still sitting, he placed his head in his hands and mumbled the exact date and time of his accident.

"Feel free to tell me I'm being an idiot." He just knew it, a sinking feeling in his gut telling him that this was going to turn into an endless loop.

[fifthdoctor.livejournal.com]

"Ohoho...so much wrong with going back prior to leaving one's time stream. The catastrophic implications alone..." the Doctor gestured like he really didn't need to say what could happen.

"Especially if you're trying to undo what was undone already," he said pointedly. "Two of oneself in the same time. Not good, not good at all."

[ovr-teh-rainbow.livejournal.com]

Looking straight at the Doctor, Sam contemplated what was said. He already knew this in his own way, but he still had to try. The Doctor had left an opening for rebuttal and in his usual manner, he blurted out his reply.

"Well, you know if we do go back to just prior of my accident, you can see what really happened. How about five minutes before and I swear I won't do anything unless you say its ok. Don't you want to know what happened and make sure it doesn't happen again?"

[fifthdoctor.livejournal.com]

The Doctor opened his mouth to protest, knowing full well what his so called "duties" as a timelord were...but he stopped...

This could happen again, and if someone was grabbing people and sticking them into other times...

He eyed Sam, not wanting to trust him...couldn't trust him...

Reminded him of Turlough in a lot of ways. He sighed inwardly but outwardly he fixed Sam with a look. "...ok, but you break that promise and...I'll be very upset. Very."

Let his hand down on the controls again and the Tardis started it's shaky noisy dematerialization pattern. "Hang on, be there in a tick..."

[ovr-teh-rainbow.livejournal.com]

Blinking, eyes went wide, and a happier more estranged looking grin there never was, when Sam got the go ahead. He clapped once, palms staying together for a short second or two before parting. Pointer fingers blazing, one thumb cocked and he winked.

"Great! Thanks, oh man, you won't regret it! Ok, so how does this thing ...?" Before he could finish the sentence, Sam heard before he felt the slight movements. He knew for sure that if he tried to figure out how it all worked, this machine, his head just might explode. Literally.

Making sure he stayed seated, Sam tried to envision his past, the exact spot in front of the apartment building. It would be logical that they would end up right there, just waiting for the accident to happen.

[fifthdoctor.livejournal.com]

http://fifthdoctor.livejournal.com/4049.html