Right, so. This was inspired by a sentence I wrote in a one-shot. And it morphed into this.

This first chapter is called Tea Time. (Speaking of which... I really want tea but dinner's gonna be soon so having tea just now would be weird...)

Darting through the dimly lit streets, Arthur held his cane above the cobbles. It would not do to attract attention with the noise of it striking the hard ground, even if this was the more upmarket part of the town. His boots, however, made constant noises as he hurried along. He had not meant to be so late but the dinner had dragged on and, afterwards, in the smoking room, the conversation had held him back.

Pausing under a lamp, Arthur pulled out his pocket watch and clicked it open. It was nearing midnight. He really hoped the housekeeper had put Peter to bed. The boy may have been upbeat and mischievous most of the time but he was still ill and needed his rest. Arthur bit his lip and hurried off again as he slipped the watch back into his coat pocket. His cloak fluttered behind him and he nervously glanced around. After all, London may have been much more advanced than anywhere else but he remembered the fear of the Ripper and he had no desire to die needlessly.

As he passed by Trafalgar Square, he glanced at the Column, rising up above him. He still didn't exactly understand why they had decided to put Imperial Measures in the Square. Surely everyone knew how long a pole was? With a sigh, he hurried past the large lions.

A horse and cart trundled by, the man tipping his hat to the gentleman in the street. Arthur touched his top hat in reply, wishing that he had taken his own transport instead of firmly deciding on travelling by foot. Walking the distance he had already was tiring, especially since it was so late. Perhaps there was a shortcut?

Seeing a small alleyway, Arthur realised that, if it joined to the parallel street, it would make his journey quicker. With only some amount of trepidation, he stepped into it, hoping he wouldn't be accosted by any prostitutes. A gentleman of his standing could not be seen doing something like that in the middle of the street. If he wanted something like that, he would go to one of the appropriate houses in secret.

Hurrying along, he had just decided that he would have some of Grey's tea, when a strange light caught his eye. A green glow was directly ahead of him, encompassing the width of the passage. He halted and stared it it. What was this? Were there people down here with lanterns? What were they doing?

Cautiously, Arthur stepped forward. "Good evening?" he called, listening for a response or the tell-tale sounds of someone in the darkness. "Is there anyone there?" he tried again. No sound. He tried rubbing his eyes – perhaps it was an optical illusion. It was still there, though, when he opened his eyes again. Maybe he was just too tired. Peter had been keeping him awake, what with his coughing through the night.

Taking a deep breath, Arthur walked forward, regardless of the unknown, straight into the green glow – he was sure it was harmless. Almost immediately, however, he felt as though he had been turned upside down, as if he was falling forwards and backwards at the same time. All he could see was green. His grip tightened on his cane as he held his breath.

Then everything went black.

Noise crashed into Arthur's consciousness and he frowned, screwing his eyes shut tighter. Voices, people walking, the roar of some sort of machine. Arthur tried to remember what had happened. He had been walking home and then...

With a gasp, Arthur sat upright and looked around, eyes wide. Where the hell was he? From what he could see, it was daytime and he was still in the alley, though there seemed to be something off about it. There was no sign of the green glow, fortunately. He could smell urine and he scrunched his nose up in disgust. Glancing around, he found his hat and cane which he grabbed as he scrambled to his feet. Dusting himself off, he wandered back to the street. Perhaps he could get someone to take him home. He did have plenty of money, after all.

However, what he saw when he got out of the alley made him stop dead.

Crowds of people hurried to and fro. Some seemed to be wearing clothes similar to him but he could see no waistcoats and they certainly had no hats. Others were wearing rather odd-looking clothes: they had blue material for trousers and shirts with no buttons and no sleeves. The girls wore trousers as well or skirts so short Arthur had to look away. He could hear various foreign languages mixed with the English conversations.

The street had no cobblestones – instead it was smooth with raised parts at either side. Everyone walked on these higher parts unless they were crossing over. Arthur normally wouldn't have been able to fathom the reason for this but he had seen what the roaring sound was.

Several things were racing by on the part of the street which was lower. Bulky black things or large behemoths, slowly winding their way past each other. He spotted large, red things with numbers and destinations. Others had the word "Taxi" put on a light and attached to the roof. A myriad of colours passed by, dancing around each other to a tune Arthur did not understand. And people dodged through gaps, unafraid.

He had heard about automobiles but this... Nothing could have prepared him for this.

Arthur wondered what had happened and where he was. Staring at the buildings beyond, he was sure that he was on The Mall. However he thought that perhaps he had travelled to a new world, a world which looked frighteningly similar to London. Chewing on his lip, Arthur decided that the best way to discover if he was still in his home town was to go to Trafalgar Square. It was close by and, surely, if Nelson's Column and the lions and the Imperial Measures were still there, he was in London, albeit with a lot of difference. Besides, if something had changed, he doubted he would be welcome at his own home. And he wouldn't be able to see the differences from outside. He was rather fearful of entering his own home, in all honestly. Would Peter still be there? No, better that he went to Trafalgar Square first and figure out what had happened.

Taking a breath, he strode out of the alleyway, cane swinging, cape fluttering. He felt rather out of place – after all, he was in evening wear. This was hardly suitable attire for a daytime stroll. Neither did it seem to be normal for these people. Everyone was gazing at him, either with interest or in a mocking manner. Quite simply, he stood out and he hoped that no-one would become violent.

When he reached the Square, he immediately knew he had made the wrong decision to calm his fears. Although everything was in its place (apart from those Measures which seemed to have been moved), there were a few buildings which seemed to be for commerce. This had, perhaps, attracted more people than on the Mall and he stared as people darted around him or simply jostled past him. Everything was chaotic and loud and Arthur started to feel quite ill, his head swimming.

What was going on? What had happened? Or where was he? And what was he supposed to do?

At that moment, someone bumped into him with such force that he found himself taking several steps back to stay on his feet. His hat slipped and he pushed it back up with a huff of breath. Glaring at the man, he surveyed his sloppy attire, the odd shirt almost hanging from a shoulder, some sort of bag on his shoulder. His blonde hair was neat except for a single strand which stuck up proudly, like a bug's antenna. Blue eyes shone through his spectacles and his eyebrows were scrunched as he grimaced at Arthur, looking apologetic.

"God, sorry," he said, Arthur recognising an American accent. "I wasn't looking where I was going!" Then the American swept his eyes over Arthur, taking in his appearance. Arthur scowled at him. "Nice get-up! Is something going on?"

Detesting the way he spoke, Arthur practically growled out his answer as he kept wary eyes on the crowd streaming around them. "Nothing is 'going on', as you put it. Leave me alone." For who would believe his story – it hardly seemed plausible to Arthur and he was the one it was happening to.

"Hey, you okay?" asked the man, frowning in concern. "You seem kinda out of it."

"Look, just-" began Arthur, only to be interrupted.

"Do you need me to help you to somewhere?"

"No, there is absolutely nothing you can do for me. Good day, sir." With that, Arthur stepped around him and walked to the edge of the raised part of the street. There he paused and wondered how to get across to the Square so he could sit and think. People seemed to know when to stop and go. Was it because of those lights which looked like people? Arthur bit his lip and decided to just chance his luck.

But, as he stepped out, the automobiles began to move. He gasped, staring at a red giant which came trundling straight for him. Suddenly, though, something wrapped around his waist and pulled him backwards. He cried out as he stumbled into someone behind him, his legs losing the will to stand.

"Hey!" cried a familiar voice behind him. "Are you okay?"

"L-Let go!" cried Arthur, weakly, his fight leaving him from the fright.

"Right, I'm taking you home. Where do you live?" The arm around him moved and two hands grasped him to pull him upright. Then he was spun round so that he could stare through the anxious expression on the man's face.

"I... I don't think I live anywhere," said the dazed gentleman, his hands gripping his cane tighter.

Once again, eyes raked over him. Then the American ran a hand through his hair. "Come on," he murmured, taking hold of Arthur's arm and leading him away.

"Alfred," said the man once he had sat Arthur down on a shabby sofa. "Jones," he added.

"What?" asked Arthur, staring at something across from him. It was a rectangular shape and had a black rim. However, the middle seemed to shine and reflected the light. A small, red light seemed to shine from the bottom corner of it.

"My name," Alfred verified. "And yours is?"

Flickering his eyes over to the American, Arthur studied him. It was probably best that he did introduce himself. After all, it was something he should do as a gentleman. And he might need this man's help, as loathe as he was to admit it. So he stood up and offered his hand. Alfred took it and they shook, Arthur speaking as they did so. "Arthur Kirkland, Esquire."

"Isn't 'esquire' something fancy?" asked Alfred, frowning slightly as Arthur sat back down.

"Yes, of course it is. Where on Earth do you-? Ah, yes. America." Arthur sniffed in disdain.

Alfred turned towards him more, frowning deeper. "Hey! We're not that bad. And a lot of your traditions started in America, anyways."

Scowling, Arthur glared at the black rectangle. "I do not want to get into a discussion on that sort of topic." Glancing back at Alfred, he found his blue, confused eyes. "Something more helpful would be better. For instance, where am I?"

"London."

Narrowing his eyes, Arthur shook his head. "This is not the London I know. Where are the cobbles and carts? And... and what was that thing that nearly hit me. I have heard about automobiles but I have never seen so many in one city."

A bark of laughter answered his question. "Are you really gonna keep up that act?"

Fuming, Arthur snapped back at him. "It is not an act! I was merely on my way home to Kensington-"

"Ah, so you do have a ho- Wait, Kensington? The super rich place?"

"Well, yes. Where else do you expect a person of my standing to live?"

"But you said you don't have a place to call home? I'm kinda confused now. Who exactly are you?"

Drawing himself to his full height whilst sitting, Arthur puffed his chest out, a proud expression on his face. "I am Arthur Kirkland, Esquire., born on the 23rd of April, 1867, in London. I was made an Esquire in 1889. Last year, in fact."

Alfred looked like he didn't know whether to believe him or not, those eyes of his staring into Arthur's. Finally, he moved away and disappeared from the room. Had Arthur scared him off by his declaration? Had he not believed him? But then he returned with a slim rectangle, made from something like the rim of the Black Rectangular Thing. The thing, whatever it was, separated and, when Arthur looked over, he could see what appeared to be the flattened keys of a typewriter, though there were extra buttons. He marvelled at whatever it was – how could it fit typewriter keys in that small space?

Then, suddenly, the noise of a machine started and something appeared on the reflective surface of the upper bit. A strangled cry left him and he jerked backwards, staring in horror at the thing. What had just happened? What was happening? Fearfully, he looked up at Alfred who was staring back with wide eyes. Slowly, the American's face morphed into an expression of amusement and he was soon grinning at the gentleman.

"Did I scare ya?" he asked, gleefully.

"Be silent!" snapped Arthur, folding his arms and looking away.

"Don't be scared. It's just a laptop."

"What is a 'laptop'?" Arthur asked angrily, trying not to sound too curious.

Once again, Alfred frowned at him. "Well, it's... It's a computer which can sit on our lap and runs from a battery."

"'Computer'? Someone who calculates things?"

"Er, well, no. I suppose it does make calculations of a sort... I think."

"You think? You use it yet don't understand how it works?"

Alfred chuckled. "You don't need to understand how it works to use it."

"Hm," said Arthur, disapprovingly, frowning at the ignorant American.

Shrugging, Alfred began to type, his fingers flying over the keys. Arthur watched in awe. He still had trouble typing quickly with his typewriter. Perhaps this was because he did not use it often whilst Alfred clearly did. He poked at a square below the keys a few times, pausing to type and hit a rather large button which said 'Enter'. After a few clicks, taps, pokes and typing during which Alfred frowned a little more the longer it took for whatever he was waiting for to happen, he sighed and turned to Arthur.

"I can't find you in these family genealogy sites but how useful are they, eh?"

"'Sites'?" Arthur asked. "I have no idea what you are talking about."

Alfred bit his lip for a moment. "Okay, let's say for the moment that I believe your story about being a Victorian. How-?"

Arthur shook his head. "I didn't say anything about being a 'Victorian', whatever that is."

Sighing, Alfred rolled his eyes. "Lemme try that again: let's say for the moment that I believe you come from, what, 1890? Right, well, assuming that, how the hell did you end up in 2013?"

The silence stretched out between them. Arthur stared at Alfred's confused expression as he tried to process what he had just been told. 2013? That was over a hundred years after his time. No wonder everything was strange and terrifying.

When Arthur found his voice, he managed to gasp out an explanation. "Um... There was a green glow. And, well, I... walked through it. Perhaps that was rather foolish but, at the time, I saw no harm in it. I was delayed as it was."

"For a very important date?"

Raising an eyebrow, Arthur just looked at him incredulously. "No. I was late to return home."

"Really? You couldn't wait a little?"

"No," Arthur repeated, not bothering to explain why exactly he had been in such a hurry.

"Well, weird glowing thing did... what exactly?"

"I don't know. I think I fell over. And then I woke up in the same alley, just... now."

Alfred ran a hand through his hair, apparently thinking quickly, his eyes darting to Arthur occasionally. "Okay then. If you've got nowhere to go, you can stay here, for the moment."

Shocked, Arthur's mouth fell open. Remembering himself, he said, "Thank you."

This was way more complicated than I thought it would be to write. I had to look up what people wore, etc. in Victorian times and what was invented when, etc. Such a pain. But I didn't use Wikipedia, so, accomplishment!

I decided on a place Arthur wasn't come from by using Google Maps. However, I'm not sure if it existed or not but it wasn't brought up so I won't go on about it too much. In fact, I won't ever say anything about it ever again.

I know that Arthur most likely wouldn't find a dingy alley to walk into along the Mall or Pall Mall (where he was walking). But I decided it would happen in an alleyway so I took some creative licence. I am not sure whether the Mall would be as busy as I described it but I reckoned it might be quite busy since it's near the river and Buckingham Palace (I think - I'm sure I saw the Palace marked at one point but, then, when I was looking for something else close by, it disappeared. I got kinda confused and then just made assumptions. Sorry. :/)

By 1890, cars had been invented but they hadn't really become widespread. (At least, that's what I think the site said.) But, whether or not there would have been, they probably looked entirely different from all the fancy cars nowadays. Now I sound old. Splendid.

Trafalgar Square has been refurbished/transformed/whatever they're calling it since the Victorian times. I think there's a central staircase and there was mentions of a café (though, no matter how much I searched, I kinda got back to the same site/page which didn't seem to say much on the subject of the café and I gave up and just didn't mention it). They moved the Imperial Measures from the north wall to alongside the staircase. Apparently.

A pole is the same length as a perch, according to a picture of the Imperial Measures. Not entirely sure how long it was in today's terms, though...

Black Rectangular Thing is most likely a semi-expensive widescreen TV. It's gonna be fun when Arthur finds out what it does. Heck, he could just stay in the flat they're in and play about with everything there that he's never seen before.

The typewriter was invented in, like, the first half of the 1800s. By several different people perfecting it. So, basically, Arthur knows what it is. (Which surprised me, I have to say.)

Batteries can be found since the Stone Age. The modern battery was actually developed during the 1800s as well by several different people using different materials. 'Course, Arthur probably wouldn't recognise the one in the laptop but, hey ho, he's not seen it yet. (I was surprised that they had batteries in the 1800s, too. The more you know.)

Victorians did not call themselves Victorians.

The reason this is set in 2013 is cause I wanted them to be the same age. (For no real reason, just easier for me not to have to work with differences and the evil that is numbers...) I decided on 1890 being the time Arthur was lifted from, which meant he was born in 1867 (if my Maths held out. O.o). I also wanted Alfred to be born in 1990 so that he's born a hundred years after Artie was taken from his own time. However, I also wanted him to be just starting back at his university in London (which I'm sure will be discussed in much more detail later) which would be September. And that would make him already 24 in 2014. So I went with 2013 for when this is taking place.

I thought this would be longer. Maybe I should've described Alfred's flat but, I suppose, Arthur's still a bit dazed about everything. So the other chapters will probably be longer than this. I have certain things I want Arthur to find out about and for Alfred to confusedly have to describe and explain. Yippee for me.

Any other questions, you should probably Google it and correct me, heh. ^^" Or you can ask me and I'll Google it myself, heh heh. ^^"

But if you want to ask me something about the story, let me know. :)