The Other Tyler - rewrite

Got The Date Wrong

Five hours of blissful sleep was great, but not enough to prepare Mei for a violently shaking Tardis. She and Rose clung to the console with all their might, while the Doctor bounced around, flipping switches, moving levers and pressing buttons.

"Hold that down!" he told Rose, pushing her hands onto a rather large button, "And you push this up!" 

He placed Mei's hands on a lever and pushed upward, cause and effect nearly throwing them all to the floor. A hum in the back of Mei's mind suggested the Tardis was trying to apologise, for the shaking or the Doctor's horrible driving, the auburn haired girl couldn't tell.

"Oops!" 

The Doctor ran back to the other side of the console and started winding something, pressing more buttons. With a huff he pointed to a button in between both sisters but far out of either's reach and said, "Hold that one down!"

"I'm holding this one down!" Rose complained.

"And I'm pushing this up!" Mei reminded him, "How are we supposed to reach that, stupid face?!"

"Just hold them BOTH down!" he ordered, flipping a switch.

"Sorry girl," Mei murmured, then lifted her leg and slammed her heel down on the button. "This better work!"

"Oi!" The Doctor seemed offended by her doubt, "I promised you a time machine and that's what you're getting. Now, you've seen the future, let's have a look at the past. 1860. How does 1860 sound?"

"What happened in 1860?" Rose asked, a look of confusion on her face.

With a grin, the Doctor replied, "I don't know, let's find out. Hold on, here we go!"

He moved to stand beside Mei and pulled a lever causing the Tardis to shake much more violently, the controls steaming. Unable to hold on, Rose gave a squeal and landed on the grating, followed a few seconds later by the Doctor and Mei. Eventually the Tardis came to shuddering stop, and the three of them were unable to hold off their laughter any longer.

"Blimey!" the sisters chimed, helping each other to their feet as the Doctor bounced up to look at the scanner.

"You're telling me! Are you both alright?" he asked.

"Oh yeah," Mei beamed, moving to his side to get a look, but she couldn't understand a thing, "Uh . . . do those squiggles mean we made it? Or have you got us lost?"

"Nothing broken," Rose mumbled, feeling herself over, before looking at the other two, "Well?

"I did it! Give the man a medal," The Doctor announced, as if it was something new, "Earth, Naples, December 24th, 1860."

"Christmas eve?" Mei asked, her eyes lighting up, "Oh my god, I love Christmas, is there snow?"

Giving her an amused look, the Doctor gestured to the door, "All yours."

But before Mei could take a step, Rose spoke up, "But it's like . . .think about it, though. Christmas. 1860. Happens once. Just once, and it's gone. It's finished. It'll never happen again. Except for you. " She studied him intently, and the Doctor raised an eyebrow, "You can go back and see days that are dead and gone and a hundred thousand sunsets ago . . . no wonder you never stay still . . ."

Agreeing, the Doctor said, "Not a bad life."

"It sounds like a wonderful life," Mei told him, sounding slightly dreamy, then her lips turned downward, "Wonderful, but very lonely."

Rose frowned slightly, knowing just how well Mei understood loneliness. On seeing the blonde's look, the Doctor turned to fully face Mei, wondering where she was going with her words. After a few seconds her face lit up again.