Daniel left the warehouse district and drove through the city to the upscale section of the city known as Gilshochill. Neat duplexes, posh residential buildings and stand-alone homes with fenced in gardens replaced the older and more run down buildings. Quaint new shops with awnings intermingled with ancient renovated buildings, giving the area a feeling of history. He doubted most of the residents actually knew anything about the lives of the prior inhabitants. Three blocks on, even the cars changed, Clunkers gave way to a variety of late model BMW, Mercedes and Volvo type cars. Regardless of the what the manufacturers called them on this world, he had no doubt they cost just as much as their counterparts back home.
'Turn left,' the computerised voice of the GPS ordered.
Daniel flipped the turn signal and negotiated the turn onto tree-lined Milngavie Street and parked behind Nora's silver sedan. He stared out the window at the semi-detached brick house she called home. He expected something -- fancier. A black ornate metal fence, its gate missing, surrounded the front garden I need to fix that, he thought.
The garden said a lot about the Nora waiting inside the house. Flower boxes underneath the windows displayed flowers in shades of gold and red. A small fountain took up one corner of the garden. She'd placed a small, decorative metal tricycle underneath for display. Robbie's football net took up space in the otherwise neat yard. Two bicycles leaned on the side of the house next to the wheelie bins. The mahogany front door bore a lovely autumn wreath. The lights behind the curtain provided a warm yellow glow to the front of the house making it feel like a great place to raise a kid.
The longer he stared at the place, the more his insides quivered. He should just go back to the flat. He didn't belong in her neat and tidy world. If he did go she'd be disappointed and Jake would tease him. Daniel hesitated, drew a breath and exhaled harshly, then stepped out of the car. He searched his memories for all the times the Doctor had entered a room confident and strong. He would just stride up to the nearest woman, grab her hand and invite her to run. That was how Daniel should act -- just like the Doctor. After all, he had all those traits and more. He also had the extra traits, including nervous insecurity, belonged to Donna. Somehow that didn't seem right.
A figure passed across the window. That would be Nora waiting for him. This was silly, he'd had no trouble with Mrs MacDougall's niece. He wiped his hand against his jeans and swallowed. "Onwards," he muttered as he nervously finger combed his hair, strode up to her door and knocked.
She answered before his hand returned to his side. His heart skipped a bit when he saw her in the doorway. It pounded in his ears the same way that it did whenever he saw Rose. His mind scrambled to find a suitable analogy for comparison of the two women. Other than their shared eye colour, they couldn't be any different. Rose had the body of a runner whilst Nora looked like a gymnast. Rose had dark blonde hair whilst Nora had auburn. Rose -- was like a lithe race horse while Nora looked like a delicate piece of porcelain. Daniel mentally kicked himself for that one. It was a ridiculous analogy.
"Hi," she said as she pushed her short hair behind both ears and smiled. The move showed off her heart shaped face and the way her lovely green eyes crinkled at the corners. She'd dressed simply; in jeans and a pale green tee. Daniel tried not to be obvious as he took in her beauty, so he glanced around the lounge. Taking everything in only took seconds, but it gave his brain time to connect with his tongue.
She had decorated the house with the same attention to detail that she had used at the house. The sofa faced the TV screen on the wall. Daniel smiled inwardly when he spotted a throw tucked away. She obviously used it to protect the expensive furniture from the misadventures of a six-year-old.
An oriental style rug took up space in front of the sofa. Two club chairs flanked the small, simple fireplace. One corner of the lounge held the possessions of a small boy. She'd hung a few expensive pieces of art on the walls, but there was a noticeable absence of breakables. The lamp by the sofa was a piece of art in itself. An alcove held the dining room table and chairs. A mirror hung above the table. Except for the pizza box and bottle of wine sitting on the table, nothing was out of order. He hoped she didn't notice the delay.
YOU ARE READING
Born of Fire (Doctor Who AU)
FanficBook One of the trilogy: The Life and Times of Daniel Ulysses Barrow A man created in the stars during a war is abandoned to a world with nothing but a body that he doesn't understand. Not even his memories, including his love for a woman, are his o...
