Chapter Text
It was only meant to be a quick stop. Pop out of the Tardis, pick up a late birthday gift for one very angry Jackie Tyler, and swan off for unavoidable domestics before setting off on another adventure. If he had any say in it, they would’ve ignored Jackie Tyler’s birthday entirely. The Doctor had no say in it, however, as the Tardis listened more to his human companion than to him. And Captain Jack certainly wouldn’t ignore a chance to dance with a few locals.
So here they were, in a small market on an otherwise unremarkable planet, shopping for one angry Jackie Tyler, his companion flirting with Captain Pretty Boy the entire way.
Did Time Lords glare? He was certainly glaring, all Oncoming Storm, though these two humans weren’t properly frightened at all. If looks could kill, the Captain would be safer with the Daleks right now.
The Doctor trailed behind the humans with a scowl. He tried to ignore Rose’s giggles as the Captain attempted to romance her. When the Captain got a little too flirty, and Rose pushed him away, the Doctor finally relaxed. This might be unbearably domestic, but Rose was still his Rose and there was nothing to worry about.
“Rose Tyler, I just left you at your mother’s only a few hours ago, what on earth are you doing here?”
That voice. The Doctor didn’t recognize it, but there was a familiarity in it. No. Bloody hell. This day just kept getting better and better.
The trio stopped in their tracks and turned to find a rather handsome man in a brown pinstripe suit walking towards them.
“I’m sorry, who are you?” Rose stuttered.
“Who am I? Well, that’s a rather silly question, isn’t it?”
Did he just…did this other Doctor just flirt with Rose? One pretty boy wasn’t bad enough today, now he had to manage a prettier version of himself?
The Captain casually stepped between the stranger and Rose, all swagger, his hand at his pocket. The Doctor wasn’t a fan of the Captain carrying guns on his ship, but he was momentarily thrilled. Maybe he could just shoot his future self and avoid this conversation. It would be less awkward than explaining the situation to his human companion.
“I don’t know who you are,” Jack scowled as he pushed Rose behind him, “But the lady here doesn’t seem to recognize you. Maybe introductions are in order?”
“He’s me,” the leather-clad Doctor replied, as calmly as he could manage. Which really wasn’t much at all. “Rose, Jack, meet me…future me.”
Everyone paused, momentarily in shock.
“Wait, hold up, how can he be you?” Rose began, only to be interrupted by Jack. “Time Lord nonsense, huh?”
“Oi!” the pinstriped Doctor cut through. “Quite a few people staring, eh? Let’s move the conversation somewhere more private?”
No one could argue with that, which was a shame, as the younger Doctor would be happy to disagree with his older self on anything at all. Rassilon, what a mess. If this is what he regenerated into, maybe regeneration was overrated.