Touch The Sky: Doctor Who/Studio C [Book 3]

Turn Left and Change the World

Turn Left and Change the World

(Originally: 04x11, 'Turn Left'; aired June 21, 2008. Part 1)

A/N: Slight deviation on the usual chapter naming pattern here. Because this episode deviates so far from canon, they'll all be titled Turn Left and ___ instead of the usual Turn Left (Part X). Also, I have literally been laying the foundations for this episode since The Runaway Actress (the VERY FIRST episode in CTW) and I'm so dang excited you have no idea.

It was a Time Lord's outraged cry that drew the three humans out of their rooms that morning.

"Why did no one tell me we were out of Faloran biscuits?"

His words escaped the ajar TARDIS doors, out into the center room of their suite, and through the three bedroom doors. It wasn't long until three disgruntled humans came wandering out of those bedroom doors.

Oblivious to the sleep he'd disrupted, the Doctor continued muttering a stream of complaints, bearing a strong resemblance to a two-year-old, and it wasn't long before his three companions gave up on reasoning with him and allowed him to whisk them off to the planet of Shan Shen.

Matt thought for a moment it marked the beginning of the end of their vacation.

Twenty-four hours later, he realized it was the beginning of the end of an era.

For the moment, however, he had simply dropped his bag in his room and changed into clothes more appropriate for a quiet fall day than a beach vacation, since the Doctor had at least had the courtesy to warn them that Shan Shen had a climate cooler than where they had spent the past few days.

Attire changed, he slipped out of his room and found, to his surprise, Mallory's door ajar. It wasn't uncommon for her room to be closer to the console room than his or Donna's, especially now she was pregnant, but he couldn't remember the last time he'd found it open. Tentatively, he poked his head in and called her name, knowing the TARDIS would have shut the door automatically if she was indecent.

She spun around, the biggest smile on her face that he'd seen in along time. She wore a soft sweater that could only be described as TARDIS blue, layered over dark jeans and a lightweight black overcoat.

What he really noticed, though, was the fact she was as trim and lithe as she had been the day he met her at age eighteen.

"I can see my feet," Mallory said, a surprisingly giddy note in her tone. "I haven't been able to do that in months."

Matt only stared at her, blinking twice.

After a moment, she rolled her eyes and tugged on the edge of the sweater. "It's bigger on the inside, you dork."

"Oh," he said dumbly, thoughts spinning back to their very first adventure with the Doctor.

"Guess what I've got, Mallory? Pockets."

"How did that fit in there?"

"They're bigger on the inside."

"I need approximately two dozen of these," Mallory stated, drawing Matt from his introspection.

"You've only got like two months left," he pointed out, trying to convince his mind that she was still eight months pregnant, even if she didn't look it.

"Hence why I said only two dozen."

Matt only shook his head as Donna's voice reached them. "Oi, you two coming or not?" The ginger peered inside, gaze locking on Mallory. "Oh, how'd you do that, then?"