Just Like Old Times

Chapter 3

"Oh. You've been doing the TARDIS up a bit." There was a look of disapproval on the second Doctor's face as he looked about the room. "Hmm. I don't like it."

No one said a word. Jamie continued to stare at him, slack-jawed in complete shock. Here, right in front of him was 'his' Doctor. The one he hadn't seen since he'd been forced to say goodbye to him by the Time Lords. How was this possible? Could the Time Lords have had something to do with it? The present Doctor had 'called' them just moments ago. Could this have been their answer to his appeal for help?

Jamie felt a crazy jumble of emotions coursing through him. He wasn't sure whether he should run screaming out of the TARDIS (no, that certainly wouldn't be a good idea – not with that organism thing lurking outside), or rush up to 'his' Doctor and crush him in a hug (given the circumstances, perhaps not such a good idea either). More than anything, the sight unnerved him. It was almost as if he were seeing a ghost. There had to be some explanation for this. Jamie hoped one of them could provide that.

He vaguely noticed everyone gazing up at the scanner. From what he could tell, that organism thing was wreaking havoc in the lab.

"Oh, my word," his Doctor remarked. "We are in trouble, aren't we. Just as well I turned up."

Jamie felt his mouth moving, but no words had come forth. He tried hard to shake himself out of this state of shock to no avail. Even after all the bizarre adventures he'd experienced with the Doctor (both of them now), this all seemed too unbelievable. Eyeing his Doctor, he felt almost embarrassed that he was unable to say a word to him. Not that it mattered; the Doctor didn't even seem to notice Jamie's presence. Jamie couldn't help feeling a bit disappointed by this, even despite his shock.

"Doctor, who on Earth --" Jo had started.

"Doctor! Where did you spring from?" Sergeant Benton suddenly interrupted with a smile.

The former Doctor seemed delighted to see him again. "Ah, yes. Corporal Benton, isn't it?"

"Sergeant Benton now."

Still in a bit of a daze, Jamie watched the two of them exchange pleasantries, his Doctor remarking how he hadn't seen Benton since their 'nasty business' with the Cybermen invasion.

"It happened all those years ago," Benton replied.

'Aye, all those years ago,' Jamie thought to himself. 'Didnae seem that long ago tae me.'

"Doctor, who is he and how did he get in here?" Jo asked the current Doctor. Jamie noticed she'd seemed a bit frustrated in her desire for an answer. Jamie himself wouldn't have minded one either.

"Well, it's a bit difficult to explain, Jo," the Doctor replied.

"Oh, allow me," the second Doctor cut in, much to the current Doctor's quite visible annoyance. Jamie didn't mind as long as they got some sort of explanation. "You see, Jo ... I may call you Jo, mayn't I?" He'd turned on the charm, flashing a grin at Jo.

Annoyed by both the Doctor's flirting with Jo and his inability to get to the point, Jamie felt his lips draw into a frown and he cleared his throat. "Doctor," he uttered in a warning tone.

The second Doctor finally turned around and casually regarded him. "Oh, I'm so sorry, Jamie. I'll get back to you in a moment. I would just like to explain to this dear girl all that's been happening ..." He'd turned back to Jo but then suddenly whipped his head back around to Jamie in a double take, dropping his recorder onto the TARDIS console. His shocked expression almost perfectly mirrored Jamie's earlier one.