Reconcile (Doctor Who X Tenth Doctor)

Chapter 1: School Reunion

Katie Smith unpacked her small box of belongings onto her new desk. It was mostly chalk and snacks. It was a new day and a new job to help pay for her new apartment. She had never truly enjoyed teaching because she had to follow the schools curriculum (and the history was never truly accurate), but she enjoyed her students. Getting to know her students and helping them in any way that she could had always reminded her of being a mother. It was why she took the teaching positions. She could easily obtain currency in other ways but teaching always made her feel like she was doing the most amount of good.

Luckily, world histories and sciences had always come easily to her. Although, it helped that the Academy drilled it into her brain at such a young age. While Earth's history was complicated a fascinating, she never seemed to enjoy it as much as her late-husband. It was his love for the planet that made her decide to move here at the end of the war. It was easy to blend in and easy to become accomplished with her caring personality and soaring intelligence.

Katie sat down in the rolling chair behind her desk and frowned. It was rather uncomfortable. She took note to remind herself to find comfier chair with more cushioning. She was dressed in a navy-blue A line dress that fell just below her knees with a heart shaped neck line, long sleeves, and a pearl necklace. Her raven curls were cut just above her shoulders and bobby pins kept her hair from flying into her round, pale face. Hazel eyes were lined with dark-brown eyeliner and her lips were painted ruby red. If it hadn't been for the white, low-top Converse on her feet, she would look like she had walked straight out of the nineteen fifties.

Katie looked over her roster for her first class. There were only fifteen students enrolled in her American History course. She noted that it was a combination of older and younger students which was unsurprising as it was considered an elective course. Katie then glanced towards her curriculum guide before standing up and in front of her chalk board. She grabbed a stick of chalk and began to write out the notes for her students to copy. It didn't hurt to get a head start. Her usual neat handwriting became choppy and blockish when using the chalkboard.

She was halfway through writing out the notes when there was a knock on the door. Her curls bounced as her head whipped around to see a man standing in the doorway wearing a grin. He was much taller than Katie but looked to be the same age – in his early thirties. His skin was slightly tan as if he'd been traveling abroad and he had short brown hair that was combed to the side. He wore a brown, pinstriped suit paired with worn bright red converse and a long tan trench coat. He waved with his free hand, the other clutched a brown briefcase.

"Hi, sorry," He spoke in a posh English accent, but Katie suspected something else was hiding underneath his lilt. "It's my first day and I've gotten a bit lost looking for my classroom." He entered the room as he spoke. He kept glancing between Katie and the chalkboard behind her.

"Well, Mister," Katie trailed off looking for a name.

"Oh!" He extended his hand to shake as his eyebrows skyrocketed towards his scalp. "John. John Smith. I'm the new physics teacher."

"Well, Mr. Smith. It seems you wondered into the worst classroom for directions as today is my first day as well." Katie smiled as she gently shook his hand. "I'm Katie Smith. I can already see the students having a field day with two new teachers sharing the same name. I expect lots of rumors today."

John chuckled as he placed his hands in his pocket. "History then? American it seems. Beginning with Roanoke settlement and then Jamestown. Cruel, selfish people."

Katie's brow furrowed as he looked at the board as if remembering something. While the statement was generalized, Katie couldn't help but feel like he had a personal attachment to his statement. "As were most colonizers. It is not the kindest portion of history, but we must remember the horrors in order to improve the future."