Fixed in Time (Doctor Who Fanfiction)

Blood is thicker than water.... unless you're a Dalek

Silence followed, though only for a minute.

"Just place your hand in here." the Doctor seemed to sigh in resignation as he gestured towards the telepathic connector on the TARDIS console.

"What for?" I asked him, confused. Why wasn't he answering me properly? I placed my hand in the slot and felt a shock run through me. I glanced at the Doctor, wondering what to do next.

He threw down a lever near to my hand with a sombre expression. "So that we can find your dad, of course." he told me, looking straight into my eyes and I relaxed. The Doctor was just looking out for me; he knew this was what I wanted and he was trying not to upset me by worrying and babbling about paradoxical factors and the causal nexus. That clearly took some restraint for him, and I was thankful to have a friend such as him.

"Okay," I said softly, looking down, feeling like a shy child, while inside my heart was bouncing off the walls. I was going to see my father! My daddy! For the first time ever! Despite being almost fifty years old, I was entirely ecstatic at the prospect, and absolutely anxious as I waited, hands plugged firmly into the telepathic circuits.

No matter how happy I was to see my dad, the TARDIS was not happy to go back in my timeline. As the Doctor flicked a final switch, the wonderful ship began to rock and shake. The console threw sparks and the Doctor and I both stumbled madly.

"She doesn't like this at all!" The Doctor yelled, holding onto the console for dear life as the TARDIS continued to shudder madly. I glanced over at the concerned look on his face. "Maybe this was a bad idea."

I didn't say anything, though I felt like giving in and letting us not go find my dad. No matter how guilty I felt about it, I wasn't going to let that happen.

The TARDIS rotor pumped up and down, and she made her trademark materializing noise, as we traveled through the time vortex, shaking as if possessed. Then with a final resounding gong, we landed and the ship grew still.

I pulled myself upright, panting desperately. My arms killed, as I'd been plugged into the console the entire time, unable to move. Now I detached myself and ran over to the doors like a child on Christmas. I heard the Doctor press the operating switch behind me and the doors swung open. Gleefully, I exited, and found myself in a battle zone.

It was the height of World War II, the worst war in history, in which my father was a soldier. We were on the Western Front, in a desolate town wrecked by warfare, and gunfire could be heard in the distance. It was getting late but if could just make out the tanks rolling many leagues away. I guessed my father must be there somewhere.

The Doctor stepped out after me and surveyed our surroundings grimly.

"I believe we are a fair amount off track." he told me. "Maybe we should leave."

"Oh no." I rebutted, too anxious to see him that I would not be delayed. "He's here, I can feel it. We just have to find him."

The Doctor sighed, hands in his jacket pockets as he looked at the ground. "Susan.."

"No." I cut him off. "if you thought this was a bad idea you should have said so in the first place. Now come on."

I started off down the rubble strewn path, heading towards the more sheltered part of the town.

It wasn't long before we found my father.

"Hey, look over there." the Doctor pointed to where a group of four soldiers was streaming from behind one wall to another, clearly trying to be inconspicuous. "That could be him."

"Let's go." I asserted, before clambering over to where the army group was sheltering.

"Hello." the Doctor and I appeared in front of the worn-out soldiers, shocking them and causing them to all pull their guns on us.