A Study in Time (A WhoLock fanfic)

Chapter 1- The Party that never was

"Come on Dad!" I yelled through 221B Baker Street. "We're going to miss the train and I'm not sure Henry would be happy if you missed his birthday!"
"I don't do parties!" came his reply, "My life is adrenaline and bad guys, not cocktails and good guys!"
I walked over to his room. He was sat on his bed, holding a photo of Molly and the twins. His suitcases were packed and were stacked up by the door. Physically, he looked ready to go, mentally… not so much.
"Look, I know you don't want to go. But Henry asked you and you said yes. Surely the decent thing to do would be to go and get it all over with?" Placing a hand on his arm, I looked into his face. "Plus Molly is safe at Grannie Barbie's this weekend. Come on, who knows, you might enjoy it!"
"You're right!" he said, jumping up. "Let's go"

A few minutes later, we stood on the pavement outside the flat- the smell of bacon and eggs wafting from Speedy's next door. It was cold and damp but as it was the middle of October, it was to be expected. We waited for a while in silence before a strong gust of wind nearly knocked us over. Looking up, I saw a tornado like spiral-gold in colour- spinning in the sky above us.
"What is that?" I asked, holding on to my hat.
"I don't know." He replied.
"That's a first!"
"Abigail, this is no time for cheap remarks. Anything could happen..."
Just then, there was a bang, a flash and a fez fell onto the floor by Dad's feet.
"For instance, a fez…" I finished his sentence as he picked up the fez.
"Who chucked a fez through that?" I asked, looking at it.
"Again, I don't know" he replied.
But before I could reply, the wind grew stronger and stronger around us. The spinning thing grew closer and closer and then we were picked up. Tumbling and falling, we span through a darkened tunnel emitting red and blue light.
As soon as started it was over. We landed in a heap on a snow covered pavement. Snow was still falling-fresh and cold upon my face. I opened my eyes and looked up.
I blinked.
For a minute, I thought I'd hit my head hard, but no. Stood above me was a potato-dressed as a butler.
"Madam! Madam!" it cried.
"Strax, if you've found a human loitering about out there, don't kill it." Came a cold yet soft voice from inside the building we landed in front of.
"Madam! It is 2 humans. And one of them has the doctor's fez!"
"Well then," said the bodiless voice again, "Send them in."
We were pulled roughly to our feet. Sherlock still hadn't uttered a single word, which was odd. Instead, he picked up the fez, dusted the snow off and put it on his head.
"Makes a change from a deerstalker, eh Dad?" I said, trying to lighten the mood.
"Silence boy!" uttered the potato-butler Strax.
I rounded on him, my temper flaring.
"One, I'm a girl, not a boy. Two, who are you to be bossing me around, potato head?"
"I am a sontaran and for the glory of the sontaran empire, I shall crush you and your companion then subject you for questioning!"
"Strax…" sighed the voice from inside the building.
"Other way round…" He murmured, clearly embarrassed.

Chapter 2- Unexpected house guests.

Eventually we were led into a large room, filled with green plants and shrubs. In a tall chair against the window sat a woman wearing a purple dress and black veil. As soon as she saw the fez on Sherlock's head, she threw back her veil revealing her secret. Her face was green and scaly- almost reptilian. Behind Lizard-woman was a young girl, about 23 in age. She wore a servants gown and her hair was done up in a tight bun.

"Where did you get that?" asked the girl. She had the type of accent you'd find in the east end of London.

"Jenny, I will ask the questions." Replied lizard-woman, not harshly but with enough force to let Jenny know she had stepped out of line.

"Yes ma'am." She replied.

"My name is Vastra, I am a Silurian, hence my rather strange appearance, but now my job is to protect London. I am a friend of a man known as The Doctor and that, sir, is his fez. Please explain who you are and how it came into your possession."

Dad paused for a minute, looking at the fez, then me, then Vastra. You could hear the clogs of his brain ticking and whirring away.

"My name is Sherlock Holmes, I am a consulting detective in London in the 21st Century."

"Mr Holmes!" exclaimed Jenny, "But surely you are a fictional character, the creation of Sir Conan Doyle?"

"Jenny, calm yourself."

"Sorry." Jenny looked down at her feet.

"Please continue Mr Holmes." Smiled Vastra.

"My daughter and I were on our way to Dartmoor- well actually we were waiting of a taxi- but then something appeared in the sky and the fez fell out of it. Then it picked us up and we landed here. Wherever here is."

"Well," laughed Vastra. "For all your intelligence, Mr Holmes, I thought you would have recognised your own home!"

"This is 221B Baker Street?" I asked amazed.

"The Doctor needed to find me a home where I could fit in with the local population at the time. I live here with my wife Jenny and Strax, the… um… butler."

"What work do you do? If I may inquire?" asked Dad.

"Well, in a way, I'm rather like you, Mr Holmes. People come to me with problems or issues and I try and solve them with the help of Jenny."

"Really?" I asked.

"Yes," she replied calmly, "Have you heard of Jack The Ripper?"

"The infamous mass murderer who was never caught? Yes, were studying him at college actually."

"The official history says he was never caught. But I'm so close to getting him." She paused. "Jenny, get onto the Doctor, he's needed."

"Yes ma'am." And she left the room.

"I dare say you are hungry?" Vastra asked.

"Oh yes, ma'am!" I replied.

"Strax," she ordered, "Bring some coffee and food for our guests!"

"Madam." Strax bowed as he left the room.

"Ma'am?" It was Jenny. "Ma'am, the Doctor has just left the T.A.R.D.I.S and he will be here within the hour."

"Thank you Jenny." She looked at us again. "Please, have a seat."

Dad and I sat on a large sofa opposite Vastra and Jenny. Strax returned with a large pot of coffee and a selection of cakes and pastries. Dad, naturally, was very interested in the Ripper case, giving Vastra information from our time and forming his conclusions on what Vastra was telling him.

Jenny on the other hand was very interested in Dad and our life. When I mentioned Molly and the expected baby, dad and Vastra re-joined our conversation. Strax just drifted in the background cleaning things

About 20 minutes later, there was a loud knock on the front door. Vastra placed her veil back over her face.

"Take off the fez!" she hissed at Dad. He took the fez off and placed it in his lap.

"Doctor?" we heard Jenny ask at the door.

"Jenny!" replied an excited young voice that had to be the Doctor's. Then there was a pause.

Then a slap.

"Ow!" exclaimed the Doctor.

"Doctor, I'm married." Laughed Jenny.

Vastra chuckled and removed her veil.

"He must have tried to kiss her, he always tries."

Jenny reappeared seconds later. Behind her was a tall young man, with his hair short and his fringe quaffed. He wore a top hat on his head and a suit and bowtie with a long plum coloured coat on top.

"This had better be important Vastra!" He said sullenly.

"Why? You're not doing anything are you? You're just sat, moping in that T.A.R.D.I.S of yours."

"Point Vastra?" he asked irritated.

"My point is," she replied, sighing, "That we have a bit of a crisis. Mr Holmes and his daughter here were transported to this place in what sounds like a fissure- well in the fabric of time and space. Oh and Sherlock has your fez."

"My Fez!" he yelped excitedly, grabbing it from Dad's hands. "Oh I love my fez! But then River shot it… and I lost my spare one when I was re-doing the T.A.R.D.I.S. Thank you!"

"You're welcome!" I replied, smiling. "Who's River?"

"My wife."
"His wife" Dad and The Doctor said at the same time.

"Obviously." Added Dad, smiling slightly. Suddenly he was the smartest person in the room.

"How did you…" began the Doctor.

"Don't ask him that!" I said hurriedly.

"I didn't know. I observed. But you don't need to know that now."

"Doctor, we need your help." Said Vastra, trying to get the conversation back on track.

"With what?" He replied not taking his eyes off Dad. It was like they were both trying to outsmart each other.

"Jack the Ripper." Replied Jenny.

"Vastra and I have worked out where he will be tonight, using my brilliant powers of deduction…"

The Doctor glared at him.

"We just need you and Abi to materialise around him and bring him back to Vastra." Dad finished completely ignoring the Doctor.

"And we need to hurry." I added. "He'll be in Oxford Street around 10pm tonight."

"That's 20 minutes away!" cried the Doctor, "We'll never make it in time!"

"You will if you take Strax." Replied Vastra smiling.

Chapter 3- The Case of Jack the Ripper

And that was that. The Doctor and I left Baker Street in Strax's cab and within 10 minutes had reached the park where the T.A.R.D.I.S was. The Doctor jumped and pulled a ladder from seemingly out of mid-air.

"Go on up." He told me, passing a key. "Open the door and wait there for me. I left something in the cab."

The Doctor went back to the cab. Strax was lying underneath it.

"Strax, have you seen what I've done with my sonic screwdriver? I think I left in your cab."

There was no reply.

"Strax? Strax!"

"Sir? Help! I think I've been run over by a cab!" cried Strax.

"What did I tell you about the gauntlets? The Memory Worm lives under there and you've gone and touched it!"

"Touched what?"

"Oh never mind!" sighed The Doctor, "I haven't got time to do this."

He went to the cab and looked inside.

"A-ha!" he exclaimed "There it is!" and he left Strax and began to climb the invisible ladder and disappeared.

Meanwhile, I was no-where near the top of the spiral staircase that followed the ladder. It just climbed higher and higher into the sky. I was almost about to turn back and look for the Doctor when my head burst through a thin layer of cloud. I was taken aback. I should have fallen straight through but I was stood on a cloud! I laughed. It was just impossible!
I took my eyes off the cloud floor and looked up. That must be it! I thought to myself, walking forwards. In front of me was a 1960s police box, like the one outside Earls Court Tube Station. As I got closer, the floor began to hum, gently, as if the box was alive. I placed my hand on the door.
I jumped back, in shock. For when I placed my hand on the door, a whole life flashed before me.
Past.
Present.
Future.
My life. My life had just flashed before my eyes, like a near death experience. But now it was more than that. I could see things in my head. Whole pasts and futures, not just my own. I turned around, and a few minutes later, The Doctor appeared.

"Abigail! Haven't you opened the door yet? We have 5 minutes to materialise round Jack the Ripper and get him to Vastra and…" but he stopped when he saw my face.
"What?" He asked.

"When I touched the T.A.R.D.I.S door, something weird happened. My whole lie appeared before me, past and future. Now I can see both the past and the future, not just for me but for everyone."

"That's nor poss… how did you do that?" he stammered.

"I don't know!" I explained, "It's like it connected to me."

"What's your full name? Your full birth name?" he asked looking at me weirdly.

"Abigail Charlotte McNiesh, born November 18th 1997 at half four in the morning in St James Hospital, London." I recited.

"Where your parents called Anthony and Karen?" he asked.

"Yes they were, Anthony James and Karen Charlotte."

"And did they die on July 7 2005?"

"Yes! Look, Doctor where is this going? We should be after Jack the Ripper by now!"

"Oh yes! Quite right Abigail!" he ran to the door and opened it. "Come along Holmes!" Then he laughed. "I've always wanted to say that!"

I laughed and, not forgetting a word of what he said, followed him in.

Chapter 4- Abigail's request.

Once through the doors, the most amazing sight greeted me. Of course I kind of knew what was inside but it was still breathtakingly beautiful. The whole main room was round and dimly lit. In the centre were the control panels with a shaft coming out the middle. The Doctor was running round, pressing buttons and flicking levers. Then the column in the centre began to move up and down and the rotor at the top began to move.

In a matter of seconds, we were at Oxford Street. The scanner detected Jack's location and we set course for him.

"Ready?" The Doctor beamed at me, like an excited child at Christmas, a manic glint in his eyes.

"Ready!" I replied.

The Doctor smiled again, with thrill and excitement pumping through my veins. For a minute, it was like watching Dad when Lestrade brought him a case. My thoughts were brought back to reality when Jack appeared in the console room. Intinctly, I grabbed the sledgehammer, hanging from one part of the desk and pointed it at him.

"Don't try anything clever mister, I'm armed!" I said, slyly.

"Oh I like you Abigail Holmes!" The Doctor flirted.

"Thanks!" I replied, playing his game.

"Got any other moves?"

"Plenty." I replied.

Jack groaned and rolled his eyes. "They're flirting! Do I have to watch this?"

"Remember Doctor, you're married!"

"What about you?" he asked.

"It's complicated." I shrugged.

Before he could reply, the T.A.R.D.I.S landed back in Baker Street. The Doctor grabbed Jack by the collar and dragged him to the door.

"Wait Doctor?"

"Yes?" He turned to face me.

"What do I say to Dad about the whole foresight thing?"

"Ah. Yes. Well… um leave that to me." He said winking.

"Rather you than me." I muttered turning back to the console.

The Doctor took Jack out to face Madame Vastra. He glanced over at Sherlock and caught his eye. Dad stood up, straightened his suit and walked over to us.

"You might want to go in." The Doctor muttered, head tilting towards the T.A.R.D.I.S. "There's something I need to tell you, both of you." He looked slightly awkward and hot all of a sudden.

"Ok…" replied Dad, brain working overtime.

"Come on Dad!" I said pulling him into the T.A.R.D.I.S.

He entered and didn't really react. He just paced about like a GCSE student on results day. He walked around the console and looked up as the Doctor re-joined us.

"Well? Anything you want to say?"

Dad stayed silent.

"Anything? Any passing remarks?"

"What have you done to my daughter, Doctor?" He asked finally.

"Ah… that…" He stammered. "That… that wasn't actually me…" he began to explain.

Sherlock looked absolutely furious. "You hurt her!" he yelled and then punched him in the face.

"Ouch!" exclaimed the Doctor, "And not like that!"

"Stop it Dad!" I yelled, grabbing him by the hands and making him look at me. "See look! Same old Abi. I'm fine." I smiled at him.

Sherlock smiled back, but it was a pitiful smile, a smile you give to someone when their ill. "No. No you're not. Look at you. You're brighter than you normally are. You're smiling and crying at the same time…"

I put a hand up to my cheek and wiped away a tear. I looked back at him.

"… you're holding yourself differently too. You seem wiser, you know more. You're not the same Abigail I met." He finished, kissing my forehead.

I sighed. "You're right of course. But mentally and physically, I am the same girl." I looked at him again, determination blaring in my eyes. "You have to believe me Dad!"

"I believe you Abi." He replied and his tone was calmer, softer even. His eyes were softer too as they looked at me, one hand on my cheek, stroking it.

"Now, Doctor." I said, looking over at him. "Care to explain how exactly you knew my parents and why the machine reacted to my touch?"

The Doctor sighed. "Ok, but I warn you, it's a long story."

And so The Doctor began to explain. Basically, The Doctor turned up at the same place where my parents were having their honeymoon. Some trouble began to occur (as it always did when the Doctor showed up) and my mum and dad managed to get caught up in it. The Doctor then offered them the chance to have a trip in the T.A.R.D.I.S as a second attempt at a honeymoon. They even stayed for a while after that as his companions. Anyway, it turns out that I was conceived on the T.A.R.D.I.S which made me a child of the T.A.R.D.I.S explaining why it connected with me. It recognised one of its own.

"But don't worry!" said the Doctor, eyeing up Sherlock cautiously, "She's completely safe. The T.A.R.D.I.S wasn't in flight or anything when... when it happened so she can't regenerate or anything."

"I believe you." Replied Sherlock calmly.

The Doctor smiled. "Apart from that, she's fine."

Suddenly, I had a burning desire to ask something.

"Doctor, if you can travel in time, then you must have known they were going to die?"

The Doctor paused for a moment. "Yes… I knew."

"Why didn't you save them?" I asked bluntly.

"Abi…" Sherlock began.

"You must understand…" The Doctor explained. "That time isn't a straight line, its all wibblily wobbily. Sometimes there are events that can be changed, re-written. Other events are fixed and must always happen. That day, in 2005, that was one of the fixed events. It was always going to happen Abi. I couldn't have prevented it. I'm so sorry."

Tears began to flow silently down my face. Sherlock put his arm around my shoulders and pulled me close.

"Doctor," I said, wiping away the tears. "Before you take us home, can I ask one favour?"

The Doctor granted my request. Running round his ship like a madman, he launched the T.A.R.D.I.S into the time vortex. We were flying back in time. Our destination: June 06 2005. The night before they died.

The T.A.R.D.I.S materialised inside the living room of our old flat. Sherlock looked at me.

"You're sure about this?" He asked, concerned.

"Yes." I replied, taking his hand.

Chapter 5- Old Faces and New goodbyes.

"Doctor? Is that you?" Asked a voice from outside.

"Sherlock, there's a library, down the stairs, through the corridor, past the swimming pool, turn right, past the kitchen, go straight ahead, and it should be the third door on your left." Said the Doctor at about 99mph. "You should go, they can't know about tomorrow." He added in a whisper.

"Understood." Replied Sherlock, nodding. "Good luck Abi!" he winked as he left.

"Karen?" called The Doctor as Sherlock left. "Come on in, the door's open!"

A young woman in her early thirties walked in. She had a soft caring face, with straight dark brown hair and brown eyes. She smiled as she entered the console room. Behind her was a tall and handsome man- mid thirties in age, well built. His face was more defined than his wife's, his hair was beginning to grey and his eyes- oh those brilliantly blue eyes- were twinkling in the light of the room.

"Doctor, it's been ages." Sighed my mum. "Our baby's all grown up now, seven years old, eight in November. Can you believe it?"

"Yes, I can." He replied. "But this is no chance visit. I have someone who would like to say hi."

"To us?" asked my dad, slightly stunned, his lovely welsh accent just the way I remembered it. "Why us? We're not famous."

"To me you are." My voice echoed round the room.

"I know that voice…" muttered my mum.

"It'll come to you…" I said, stepping into the light.

"Oh my…" gasped my mum.

"But that's not possible…" added Dad.

"Hi mum, dad. My name is Abi McNiesh and I am seventeen years old."

"Is that my baby?" asked mum, crying.

"Yes." Replied The Doctor. "She's all grown up."

"Doctor, why are you doing this?" asked my dad, taking my hand. "Does something happen to us."

"You must promise that tomorrow, you do what you would usually do. Regardless of what I am about to tell you." I said.

"Abigail…" Warned the Doctor.

I ignored him. "Tomorrow morning, 4 suicide bombers will target 3 tubes and a bus, killing 52 people. I'm so sorry, I really am, but you're one of those 52 people."

My parents didn't say anything. They just hugged me tight.

"I wanted to say…" I said, fighting the tears, "That I had the best time with you today. I never got the chance to say it when I was seven." I laughed but then looked at them seriously. "You can't tell me about any of this. I can't save you, I'm sorry but I wish I could."

"And we wouldn't want you to. We had the best seven years with you." Said mum into my hair.

"Promise us one thing, are you happy?" asked Dad.

"Yes I am. My mum, Molly, she's expecting a baby, so I'm going to be a big sister. And my father's best friend has just had a baby with his wife and she's my Goddaughter." I smiled. "And I have some wonderful, wonderful friends. So I'm very happy!"

"Then it's time for us to say goodbye." Replied Dad.

"I don't want you to go!" I cried.

"We must and you know we must." Replied my mum, hugging me tight. "I love you my darling." And she kissed me on the cheek and left the T.A.R.D.I.S.

"Make your old man proud eh?" Dad said, wiping my tears away and smiling. "Keep yourself safe and look after any grand-babies we may have in the future." He laughed. "Goodbye my darling daughter, I will always love you." He kissed my forehead and followed his wife out the door.

I watched them leave, only moving when Sherlock's hand brushed mine. I held it tight.

"Home?" he asked.

"Home." I replied.

Sherlock stood by me the whole journey home but was the first to leave. At the door, he turned to the Doctor and said, "You know, it is bigger on the inside." And left.

The Doctor smiled.

"Thanks Doctor." I said at the doors. "Don't mope on your cloud for too long. You're going to find someone soon, and boy, she's a mystery." I opened the door. "Bye!"

Stood next to dad on our pavement, we watched as the T.A.R.D.I.S disappear for the last time. Turning to head in, we saw Mary and John stood in the doorway, looking puzzled.

"You can explain this one." I told him.

And without looking back, I entered the flat.

THE END