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Rating: Teen
DISCLAIMER: Other people have actually read this one before the internet. Yes, I know. It's weird.
Summary: This is a rewrite of the Human Nature/Family of Blood two-parter, because I really liked Latimer. It's long. I liked it pretty well at the time, as did the other readers, so let's see how well it held up. ...so far, so good. also I actually bothered to tab for once on this one.
It's not finished, but it's fairly close.
After she was done with cleaning duties, Mr. Smith had her in his room cleaning the laundry and the curtains. He was rambling on about something, but unlike the Doctor he wasn’t half boring. She’d just sort of zoned out with a slight smile on her face, when she saw something out the window that made her stop and stare.
Although the stranger, whoever he was, wasn’t in his normal brown coat and suit, it still looked like the Doctor. He was wandering up towards the school slowly, looking at everything, with his hands lost in his pockets. He appeared to be whistling. Something about the manner just screamed, “I am the Doctor!” And the hair…Martha noticed the hair, as spiky as she remembered it.
She ran downstairs, ignoring Mr. Smith’s flustered questions. She pushed past a few students and threw open the doors, running outside and stopping short upon seeing…well, she didn’t even know.
He had the same smile that lit up when he saw her-but he was really seeing her, not like the Doctor. It was a bit embarrassing-she felt as if she weren’t wearing any clothes. At the same time, though, it felt brilliant! He was younger-he could fit in with the rest of the students here, with his apparent age and the dress. But the sheer enthusiasm and geekiness shone out of him like an aura, and it was a relief, just like the dream had been.
“Oh, hello…sorry. Lord Brixton sent you a letter-I’m Daniel Winters, by the way, and you must be the headmaster…” He went on in that vein for ages, pumping the headmaster’s arm heartily and babbling as only the Doctor could.
Eventually, the Headmaster was able to get a word in. “You’re who?”
‘Daniel’s’ innocent eyes turned surprised, dismayed even. “Lord Brixton’s letter got mislaid? That’s a problem. Especially considering it had my tuition in it. I’ve got my allowance…” he handed the man what seemed to be quite a lot of money, “…and I’m sure Lord Brixton can get you the rest….”
The Headmaster shook his head, as if trying to clear out the confusion and chaos that had arrived with this…potential student. “You are…some relation, I suppose?”
Winters’ eyes got wider, as if astonished that no one knew this. “Oh, yes…he’s an uncle. As I’m sure you know, he traveled the world-restlessness is a family problem-and my parents sent me to him-but I’m not sure that it was helping like they thought it would-and he knew there was some relation-cousin or something, though I’m not exactly sure what the relationship is-teaching, so he sent me here…”
The arrival of Mr. John Smith cut short the stream of words, as ‘Daniel’ turned to look at his ‘cousin’. For his part, Smith looked completely confused and more than a little freaked out that someone who looked pretty much exactly like him had showed up, asking to be taught. Martha had to hide a smile. It was like every other arrival of the Doctor before-only this wasn’t the Doctor. But he was close…so close.
“Hi!” A smile grew wider, and ‘Daniel’ waved at his confused ‘relation.’
The Headmaster told one of the older boys to get Daniel settled, but before he went up the stairs something appeared to occur to him. “I had this letter, telling Lord Brixton that I’d arrived safe…It should be posted in the village.”
“I’ll do it!” Martha volunteered. She practically jumped up from where she’d been sitting, out of the way, and to her surprise the Headmaster acquiesced almost right away. He probably wasn’t willing to spare anyone else, and the chance to get her out from under his feet was probably more than he could bear to let go.
Daniel’s expression grew proud, the kind the Doctor used for the times she got something really right. He handed her the letter with a nod before disappearing after his guide.
Martha ran out to get her bicycle. She was going to make a short stop before delivering the letter, though. She rode to the barn in which the TARDIS stood, big and blue and reassuring. Once inside, she carefully picked up the sonic and used it to open the letter. She’d be flogged if anyone caught her, but some things just had to be done, and she doubted anyone else would be making afternoon trips to an ancient space/time machine.
The letter read:
August 1, 1913
My dear Lord Brixton,
How are you? This is me, Daniel Winters-you remember, the chap from Torchwood. You’ll need to send tuition to the school run by your good friend, Headmaster Montebank. Well…when I say friend, I would bet it’s a lot more like acquaintance. I doubt I’ll be here long, but don’t want to seem suspicious, so tuition for about a year would be good.
Watch yourself next year. It’s going to be a…well, you’ve been to Torchwood. You know the sort of thing. Problem is, this is an all-human problem. Let’s just say the situation in the Balkans is about to explode, and you know how much Parliament doesn’t want to get involved. I’d stick behind John Maynard Keynes if I were you-although, knowing you, you’ve taken a shine to the chap already.
I know I can rely on your discretion. One more thing. If you get involved in the fighting, you die. Stay in the diplomacy department-it’s what you’re good at anyway. I hope to see you soon (although, knowing me, it’ll be soon for you and not really me).
Your own Daniel Winters
Well…it hadn’t been exactly what she’d been expecting, but it at least confirmed that Daniel Winters, whoever he was, wasn’t exactly what he was saying-and the whole story about the letter getting misplaced was just that-a story. Besides, the reference to Torchwood-and next year…well, it seemed a lot like the Doctor. The Time Lord had mentioned something about Torchwood hunting him for a while yet, but that didn’t necessarily mean anything.
Then something occurred to her. He couldn’t be the Doctor-the essence of that Time Lord was contained within the pocketwatch. But what if it was another of the same species-perhaps even some relation to the Doctor? That would make part of what he said true, and he acted so similarly-never mind the closeness in appearance.
Carefully, Martha reinserted the letter and sealed it using the sonic. It would explain quite a lot.
She thought about it all the way to the village, where she delivered the letter at the postbox-but afterwards, she thought about her chores. It wouldn’t do for her actions to get too suspicious at this point.
