"Sometime soon Doctor?" Anne-Marie says pausing at the Tardis door. Having changed out of her travel clothes and back into her pajamas, the Doctor was dropping her off back at her college dormitory right where she belongs.
"Of course. I'll try." The Doctor mutters out that last part as he flips a switch in the Tardis. Anne-Marie arches an eyebrow in confusion. Try? What does that mean? She knows he never comes in the right order but is it his fault or the Tardis? Anne-Marie looks at it now rubbing the glossy surface of the wood before stepping away from it. Smiling she lifts her hand in a small wave to the Doctor in the Tardis who smirks back before snapping his fingers and watching the doors close. Anne-Marie grins and takes a couple of more steps backwards, watching the Tardis begin to disappear. With a faint smile Anne-Marie turns around and heads back to her dorm room where her roommate waits anxiously.
Inside the Tardis the Doctor sighs and taps away at some of the controls on the console. "What now?" The Doctor asks himself with a heavy sigh. Unfortunately the Tardis already had a plan. Warning sirens begin to sound and a red light flashes above the Doctor's head. "What? What!" The Doctor demands running toward the screen and turning it to face him. All it says is WARNING in flashing red and yellow banner. "Warning for what?" The Doctor demands. A calendar pops up suddenly. There's a date circled. "April sixteenth.. Anne-Marie's Birthday?" the Doctor says quietly. He's thrown back then, landing on his side with a crash. "What is wrong with you!" The Doctor shouts at the Tardis who just whirs in response. Frowning he gets up and stumbles toward the console. "Look at you! You're flying us upside down! We're gonna crash." He shouts over the groaning of metal and thumping from somewhere deep inside the Tardis.
The Doctor doesn't crash but he nearly hits a parked car. Anne-Marie watched this happen from her driveway on the morning of her eighteenth birthday. She already knew where and when she was going to go. She just needed the Doctor to take her, but when she woke up this morning and he wasn't there right away like she had expected she became worried. Never once was he late on her birthday. Never. If there was one day she could count on him being there it was her birthday. So that's why she was sitting outside on her driveway, a bit glumly I might add, because it was nearly twelve in the afternoon and he still hadn't arrived. Anne-Marie sighed and fumbled with the Tardis key around her neck. It was the key that called the Doctor to her. It sensed her distress and disappointment and followed the sound of it.
The Tardis came to an ungrateful stop on Anne-Marie's lawn, kicking up grass and dirt as it went. Anne-Marie smiled and jumped up rushing toward the great blue box. The Doctor emerged a party hat on his head and a hand full of confetti which he proceeded to throw all over Anne-Marie who laughed. "You're late." Anne-Marie tells him as she enters the Tardis.
"Am I?" The Doctor questions checking the date again. Anne-Marie laughs.
"Your always here bright and early. Usually before I wake up. So yeah I would consider this late." She grins at him and the Doctor can't help but smile back.
"So eighteen yes? I know exactly where you want to go." The Doctor tells her. Anne-Marie arches an eyebrow.
"You do?" The Doctor waits for it to click.
"Oh wait. Yeah. This is pretty late for you then huh? You're past the Drifting finally." Anne-Marie sighs. "Good. Now I won't sound so cryptic and all knowing to you." She runs her hand through her dark hair as she circles the Doctor around the console. The Doctor can't help but watch her. She's eighteen. She should be out with men her own age, or friends but she's here with him. An old man in a box. "So let's go then huh Doctor?" Anne-Marie says. The Doctor smiles and nods. He knows what happens today. They visit Lieutenant Ryan Parker a few times while he's unconscious and in the hospital then they see him one final time where Anne-Marie gets, to his knowledge, her first kiss. He remembers 17 year odd Anne-Marie and how intrigued she was with this soldier. How jealous he was. The Doctor will try not to show it though while they're with him. It probably won't work though.
The Doctor has just left Anne-Marie and the Lieutenant only. He's scowling because he knows what's happening but he knows he shouldn't be jealous. Eventually, he thinks, Anne-Marie and him will be together. If he can get to her that is. Anne-Marie finds the Doctor outside leaning up against the Tardis. He's staring at the ground, his hands in his pockets. "Why are you smiling like a little schoolgirl?" The Doctor asks as Anne-Marie walks up.
"Am I?" She questions feeling the smile spread across her face.
"You are." Anne-Marie shrugs.
"It's my birthday Doctor. Let's go check things off my list." Anne-Marie says placing a hand on his shoulder. She pats him a couple of times before entering the Tardis.
"Yes, right! Eighteen! The big on eight!" Anne-Marie laughs at him. "Where should we go first?" Anne-Marie thinks long and hard, tapping her chin.
"Let's go meet Jack the Ripper."
The Doctor is anxious. Really, really anxious. He doesn't like this idea. He paces back and forth in his period clothing his long coat billowing out behind him. "Anne-Marie! What exactly is taking so long?" The Doctor asks. Not that he minds really. Anything to not be out there at the moment.
"Have you ever put on so much clothing before Doctor?" Anne-Marie demands rounding a corner. She looks lovely dressed head to toe in a red and black dress complete with a hat that she's placed over her pinned up hair and elbow length white gloves. "I mean I'm at least wearing six skirts, and the buttons! Why are there so many buttons!" Anne-Marie complains lifting up her skirts so she can walk up the steps toward the Doctor. "I am so glad we got rid of this fashion." Anne-Marie says dropping her dress back down on the floor. "Why are you looking at me like that?" Anne-Marie questions confused.
"You look lovely!" The Doctor replies with a giant smile. Anne-Marie rolls her eyes.
"I'm going to suffocate. Come on let's get out of here." She says marching toward the door. The Doctor chuckles as he follows close behind. "That top hat makes you look dumb by the way." Anne-Marie tells him as they step out into the night air.
"I like top hats. Top hats are cool." The Doctor protests. Anne-Marie gives him this stern looks.
"Top hats don't make you look cool though." The Doctor makes a face to which Anne-Marie laughs. "Oh come on Doctor lets just go find this mystery man okay?" She takes his hand and pulls him down the street. The Doctor snaps his fingers behind him and listens for the closing of the Tardis doors as they round a corner.