The Second Homecoming

Prologue

 For this story I wanted to set myself the challenge of placing the Doctor and Anna in a modern day, 21st century city, I also wanted to explore the impact that Anna’s travels with the Doctor has on her parents, other family members, friends and also a certain ex-boyfriend. One of my favourite things about writing is coming up with the storyline and for I really wanted to use something which was in the media a lot at the time, local to the midlands area and something from history which is soaked in mystery, so the Anglo-Saxon hoard was the perfect plot device for my story. I was very much inspired by my visit to see the hoard and I simply love museum’s and art galleries and wanted to set a DW story in one. (I’m a big fan of The City of Death and Vincent and the Doctor) The Second Homecoming is also unique as it’s my first DW story to end on a cliffhanger which leads directly into the third part of the trilogy. But if you ever get the chance to see the Staffordshire hoard, I heartily recommend those stunning and intricate pieces of craftsmanship and maybe you might spot the artefact I was talking about, that’s if it hasn’t disappeared…

Prologue

 “Well Anna, this is turning out to be an eventful homecoming isn’t it? Might explain why I never liked trips to the museum… I must have known, it was a premonition…”

 My mum, Caroline Bailey was interrupted by an earth shattering crack as though there was a terrible thunder storm raging above our heads, except it was coming from down below, within the vaults of Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery. We all began to run faster, I had never seen my mum run so fast in all the years of my life. Though to be fair there was a good incentive as the bone shaking sound belonged to the merciless creature that was trying to break out. We had reached the round room gallery; I gazed up at the unnatural night sky through the glass dome ceiling. We were just a staircase away from the outside world but there was nowhere to run to. And the creature was the least of our worries when the shadow armies were on their way.

 This time more than ever, I really hoped the Doctor knew what he was doing. We gathered together in a little group, my parents, my old friend Jasmine Kaur, Paul, the security guard, Kyle, the runaway boy and to complete the set my ex-boyfriend Mike Hilton. We were the last and most unlikely outpost of Earth defenders, battling against two opposing forces from another Universe. Who would have thought that from an exciting and brilliant archaeological find it would come to this? I wanted to grab my parents and everyone else in the room and make a run for the TARDIS. But we couldn’t leave the creatures to fight for the “artefact” and destroy every living thing in its path. There was no escape as our planet was destined to become a battlefield of ultimate destruction, the war to end all wars. And to think it all began here in the second city.        

 “So what happens now Doctor?” My mum, Caroline Bailey still breathless from her running exertions turned sharply towards the Doctor, no doubt blaming him entirely for the perilous situation we were all in.

 “We fight back of course Caroline Bailey! Just need some more time!” The Doctor looked up from the device he was tinkering with and beamed with that steadfast manic look in his eyes, as if to say “Bring It On!”

 But the Doctor had taken his eyes off the ball for a second.

 “Doctor look out!” I shouted, pointing to a distortion in the atmosphere directly above our heads. Everyone gasped and shuddered with terror as a glittering gateway to another world began to open.

 “This is it, they’re breaking through. We’re all going to die!” Mike wailed as he threw himself beside me and clung on like a child.

 The Doctor glared at Mike and sighed disappointedly. The grotesque, skeleton like creatures were waiting for the portal to fully manifest itself.

 “Oh no you don’t! Well not yet…” The Doctor calmly flicked a switch on the device he was holding and the gateway collapsed, folding in on itself. The screaming hordes disappeared back into their own reality. “I was really hoping no one was going to say that…” The Doctor deadpanned and then winked at me and despite the pressing urgency and seriousness of our situation I smiled back. My mum was not amused. “Right everyone! To the little shop!” The Doctor leapt dramatically over a bench to the art gallery gift shop and we all followed in his wake.

 My dad, David Bailey cleared his throat and tapped me softly on the shoulder. The sweat was pouring down his face.  

 “Anna sweetheart… Is it always this hectic with the Doctor?”    

**********

 When you travel with the Doctor it’s easy to get caught up in the whole euphoria of adventure as you explore time and space. Though the Doctor said I could go back home any time I wanted and of course everyone knows if you have a time machine you have all the time in the world…Right? But the greatest irony as you travelled through time was that you tended to lose track of time. But then one day, after an almost fatal encounter with a megalomaniac computer that used to be a toaster (welcome to my world) I suddenly thought of my mum and dad. I had a great desire to pop home and visit my parents because I missed them and I also wanted to make sure they were okay. I also wanted to return to the flat that I used to share with my ex Mike and collect my belongings. If I happened to bump into him…Well after everything I had been through I think I could just about cope with that. Don’t get me wrong the TARDIS wardrobe has a wonderful eclectic collection of outfits and if I was ever asked to compete on Strictly Come Dancing I would be spoilt for choice but I was beginning to run out of “everyday practical.” The clothes within the “walk in wardrobe of infinity” (take a wrong turn and you might actually end up in Narnia) were mainly Earth origin and it seemed to contain the entire history of fashion, from kilts to garish coloured 80s boiler suits, through to vintage 1920s, with the shortest “swinging sixties” skirts I have ever seen. Was everyone really so much more petite and skinnier in those days or was it just the Doctor’s former female companions?…Hmm.

 So even though I was having the time of my life travelling with the Doctor I had to admit I was feeling a bit guilty that I had left my parents behind and disappeared without saying a word. Well to be fair in my defence it had been a spur of the moment thing when the Doctor invited me to travel with him. And the one time I tried to phone home, well that didn’t exactly go according to plan as I came very close to speaking to myself and causing the entire Universe to implode! So now seemed like a good opportunity to return home except I hadn’t reckoned upon the Doctor’s wounded reaction…

 “Oh…Was it something I said or did Anna?” The Doctor uttered with disappointment as he lowered his glasses and peered up plaintively from the TARDIS console.

 I smiled to myself and thought how strange that a Time Lord of over nine hundred years could look so much like a little boy.

 “Don’t be daft. Of course not Doctor!” I laughed running round to his side of the console. “I’m not leaving you, not yet. I’d be mad to give all this up!” I exclaimed passionately as my gaze swept around the brilliant control room.

 Though as I recall the adrenalin rush as we raced to stop the computerized toaster that almost caused a nuclear war between the planets Trion and Galoria and how we averted disaster with only seconds to spare, maybe I am going slightly mad.

 “I just want to visit my parents… And I’m running out of clothes.”

 The Doctor gazed back dubiously as he pondered his immense collection of clothes.

 “Well there’s no sign of the washing machine turning up any time soon… And have you actually seen how short those skirts are?!”

 I shook my head and then laughed at the surreal realm of domesticity that we had suddenly descended into as the nine hundred year old Time Lord gazed back with typical Earth man incomprehension. Then a new thought suddenly struck me, which despite the Doctor’s brilliance it had always been on my mind from day one.

 “You can get me back home…To my own time Doctor?”

 “Of course Anna Bailey!” The Doctor retorted a little put out that his ability to get me back to my own time was being questioned. “Right then, a trip home it is!” The Doctor clapped his hands jovially as he began to set the coordinates for Earth Birmingham, April, Sunday 6th, 2008.  

 The date was imprinted upon my heart. What could possibly go wrong?