Who: Tardis and Tenth Doctor When: Right after she disappears from an ice cream shop and has a chat with McCoy. A few days after her disappearance. Where: John (And Gwen’s) flat What: Reappearing Rating: Lower than limbo Status: Complete
Tara had just been through quite possibly the weirdest experience of her life. Of course, she’d realized what had happened after she’d spoken to John on the phone. He’d hinted that that was coming, though she hadn’t expected that. McCoy had been particularly understanding through the entire ordeal. It was weird enough for her, she couldn’t imagine a stranger seeing that happen.
Engulfed in a bright golden light, Tara reappeared in John’s room. It was a few days after she’d disappeared from this timeline, though it had only been an hour or two in her linear one. Very confusing. Having disappeared in a seated position, the girl had appeared (luckily) right on John’s couch.
And shouted: “John!” into the apartment, turning about looking for her best friend.
“Study!” John called back, and sounded amazingly unsurprised at the fact that his recently disappeared best friend had just as suddenly reappeared. Then again that woosh woosh noise was really telling, wasn’t it?
But even though he’d called from the study he was in the doorway of it nearly as quickly -- quickly enough where he hadn’t bothered to take off his thick plastic framed glasses before getting up.
Tara had hopped up from her seat on the couch at his reply. Hurrying to the study, she saw him in the doorway and made a face at him. It was neither happy nor sad -- just, confused? Worried? Weird? Perhaps.
The face didn’t last long though, because she hurried down the rest of the hallway and launched herself into John’s arms. She secured hers around him and held on tight. After a moment, she mumbled “That was the worst” into his chest.
“Aww,” said John, sounding empathetic, and that was something, anyway. He was a good friend, he wasn’t just going to laugh at her for her misadventures -- even if that was exactly what they were. He nuzzled close (he’d missed her!), nose in her hair. “Where’d you end up?”
“In a man’s apartment,” she replied quickly, still not letting go. She’d been scared and he’d been kind of mean on the phone. “I called you, and you thought I was pulling a prank.” Which meant it had been quite a while ago. “It wasn’t any fun at all. And I forgot my ice cream.” Pout.
He petted her hair sort of reassuringly. “Did you?” He asked, but he didn’t know if she’d gone forward or backward or even sideways, and so couldn’t really recall one way or the other if he’d ever gotten a call like that. “I’m sorry.” Blanket apology for being a jerk and a lack of ice cream.
Tara leaned back, though she didn’t let go of him. She was afraid she’d disappear again if she did. Smiling as she met his eyes, the girl shrugged and looked quite human for a moment. Scared, confused, unsure. She didn’t really know how to feel. “It’s okay,” she assured him. “I don’t think you knew yet. I called you Doctor and you didn’t know what it meant.”
“Oh,” said John, squinting a little behind tortoise shell frames and clearly trying to piece together the time lines. Oh. Oh. “I still was at the hotel then,” he blurted, realizing exactly what she was on about. Well, didn’t he feel a bit silly now.
Tara made a face. “That was awhile ago, then,” she mumbled. It was still winter. John had been in his apartment for a few months now.
Time was confusing.
Giving him a squeeze, Tara leaned up on her toes and pressed a kiss to John’s cheek. “I’m really happy to see you.” Because she’d been freaking out just a little bit.
“You too,” John said, and couldn’t stop himself from dropping a kiss onto the top of her head. She was clearly a bit frazzled by it all. He knew, of course, that she’d get over that eventually -- but maybe not for a while yet. She’d get more used to it though, and that had to count for something.
He paused then, pursing his lips in a thoughtful manner. “So. It’s -- uh. Tuesday. I called your job for you.”
“What?!” Tara exclaimed when she heard what day it was. She looked shocked. How could that have happened? She had just been getting ice cream with John. “But it’s only been a few hours!”
Shrinking back a bit, she was frowning now. “Were they mad?” Because she didn’t want to lose her job over all of this. Also she’d thank John for covering for her later, have to get over the shock first, man.
“Nah,” said John. “Apparently you’re a reputable sort generally,” he told her, trying to keep the mood light so that she wouldn’t flip out more. Really, he was a good and generous sort of best friend, man.
“They just said to call once you could manage not vomiting from all that food poisoning anymore.” A pause. “You regret eating at the Sizzler, so that our stories are straight.”
A smile spread across Tara’s face -- not an unusual sight, though usually always an appreciated one. She gave John another squeeze and mumbled a “Thank you,” for covering her time traveling butt. Raising up to her tip-toes, the Tardis planted a quick kiss on her Doctor’s lips. It was just her way, and she really was very glad to see him again. That experience (and phone call) hadn’t been easy. She hoped that her Doctor would travel with her next time. Or that she could at least control it.
Somehow, she knew that wouldn’t be the case.
Probably not -- but really there was no way of knowing, was there? Everything was pretty time-y wime-y after all. They both knew that. John only smiled, half obliging.”Anything for you,” he said, and they both probably knew he quite meant it.
“So?” he asked, patting her head again. “Wanna make up for the ice cream you lost?”
He did mean it. He always meant what he said. Tara knew him probably better than he knew himself. It was just how they were.
Letting go of her best friend, the brunette stepped back and took John’s hand. She was nodding enthusiastically up at him. Because, ice cream. Wonderful. “Yes please!” she said, pulling him toward the door. “My treat this time!” Because she’d disappeared on their last date encounter, and she owed him an ice cream at least.