Times Will Change [6] (The Parallel Series) ✓

Closing Time

The Doctor and the Stone shifted awkwardly as they waited at the door of the house they located Craig Owens at. It was the Stones idea to visit the man and currently she was regretting her choice after the years they had spent alone. "I'm coping on my own!" The owner of the house shouted most likely expecting someone else to stand at the front door instead of the Time Lords.

The Doctor smiled faintly remembering this was a lot like how they first met all those years ago. "Hello, Craig." The Doctor greeted now grinning at the man who looked shocked and very stressed with his shirt untucked. "We're back."

"She didn't." He groaned leaning his head back and rubbing his face. "How could she phone you two?"

"How could who phone us?" The Stone curiously asked knowing what they have both been up too in their hundreds of years without the ponds was definitely not near a phone. "Nobody phoned us, truthfully we're just here."

The Doctors smile dropped to a scold, "Oh, you've redecorated." He looked at as much of the inside of the house as possible. "I don't like it." He shook his head.

"Of course you don't." The Stone rolled her eyes at him. A small smile tugging at her lips in fondness.

"It's a different house." Craig blinked at them as if it was obvious. "We moved."

"Yes, that's it." The Doctor blinked slightly having missed the rather large detail. It had been a long time since they last visited so it wasn't something he should have definitely noticed straight off the bat.

"I think it is a lovely house." The Stone warmly smiled. "Good choice."

Craig looked between them and frowned before asking: "Doctor, Stone, what are you two doing here?"

"Social call." The Doctor stated. "Thought it was about time we tried one out. How are you?"

"I'm fine."

"This is the bit where I say I'm fine too, isn't it?" The Doctor looked at the Stone unsure. The Time Lady gave a small shrug in reply not actually knowing. The Doctor turned back to Craig and made a guess. "I'm fine, too. So is the Stone." He smiled slightly and linked his arm with hers. "Good. Love to Sophie. Bye." They turned to leave only getting halfway down the drive towards the road's path before they stopped. "Something's wrong." The Doctor murmured slipping his arm out of the Stones and rushing into the house. He quickly scanned his sonic before heading up the stairs. "On your own, you said. But you're not." He shook his head. "You're not on your own."

"Just shush." Craig tried to stop him.

"Increased sulphur emissions. And look at the state of this place." He frowned at the floor. The Stone followed and sighed seeing what was happening. "What are you not telling us?" The Doctor asked.

"Doctor, please-"

"Shush." The Time Lord cut him off.

"No, you shush."

"Shush!" The Doctor protested.

"Shush!" Craig tried to stop him from continuing up the stairs. He, however, was not having it and continued to storm up.

"No, you shush!"

The Stone groaned and squeezed past Craig standing in front of the Doctor and the room that she knew was a child's room. It had to be with the number of nappies she spotted on the stairs.

How the Doctor was this blind she did not know. "Both of you hush!" She said in a loud whisper glaring at them both. Giving her husband more of a stern look than the human.

A quiet whimper and then small cries were then heard from the room behind the Stone. She winced slightly and slowly opened the door to see toys scattered around the room and a cot in the corner where the sound was located at.