Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who, or anything associated with it whatsoever. Alas, and woe.

Duck And Cover

Okay, so where was she now…?

Danni used her hands to brush imaginary dirt from the blue fabric of her dress as she took in her surroundings. The feeling of fabric beneath her palms helped ground her as her head finished spinning. She never wanted to have the vortex manipulator active while the TARDIS was in the middle of tail spin ever again.

It was sunny. Really sunny, and the breeze was blowing her hair into her eyes as she squinted against the sun. There was a glass door next to her, the kind of glass door that was the front of a store on planets far and wide. She ducked in just as her nose picked up on the scent in the air. The ocean.

She blinked rapidly and took in the store. A convenience store. A totally normal store with a totally normal guy behind the counter and totally normal people picking up snacks. Clothes and hair were a tad 90's though.

She walked over to the shelves and grabbed a snack at random and turned it over to check the expiration date. Goosebumps prickled on her arms in response to the air-conditioning as she read the date. 1996. Oh, that explained the clothes. When was the Doctor around a convenience store in 1996?

She spotted a series of keychains dangling of a display near the door, all bearing some version of the words San Francisco. She was in San Francisco in the summer near the beach? Yay!

She looked out the glass to see if she saw the Doctor, or maybe Amy or Donna or…

She felt her jaw drop as she saw the Doctor. The dark, curly-haired Doctor. The EIGHTH Doctor! Danni blinked as she processed the blue jeans and jacket and the girl standing next to him, looking at him as he spun on the spot as if she was less than impressed. Lucie!

This Doctor didn't know her at all. She knew when she meet the Doctor and it was after he regenerated into Nine and was with Rose. So, why was she here? Was it even possible? This was before the Time War. She'd never been back this far. She bounced on her heels as she thought about what to do. Was he going to leave and another Doctor would come by? Or maybe even Jack?

A customer walked in through the door, bringing with her the a gust of warm, salty air, and snatch of conversation from Lucie in her clear Northern accent.

"Can't be that hard to find the Dutch Windmill…"

Danni looked down below the keychain display to where the tourist brochures were. And out of the corner of her eye, she saw ball caps, windbreakers, sandals, sunglasses, and everything else to hopelessly scream tourist. She pursed her lips.

The things I do for you, Spaceman.

The Doctor strolled along the sidewalk as Lucie ignored him while taking in the sights. He was certain he had landed closer to Golden Gate Park than that. San Francisco had changed so much since the last time he was there. Perhaps he should ask for directions. He and Lucie needed to find the underground access before they could speak to the aliens hiding out beneath the city.

He paused at an intersection, Lucie at his elbow, as he considered to which of the other people waiting for the light to change to ask.

"Excuse me," a voice said brightly. The Doctor and Lucie turned, and Lucie's pony-tail bobbed as she suppressed laughter.

The young woman who had spoken up from behind him was, he was certain, dressed in an amusing manner even for the time period. Her hair was tucked underneath a neon pink ball cap with equally neon rainbow stitching reading San Francisco and on her face was a simply enormous pair of sunglasses with frames shaped like tropical fishes. She had on a a pastel orange wind breaker with a tag dangling off one sleeve, and sparkle gel shoes in yet another shade of neon pink. She had a backpack slung over one shoulder, and in her hands was an unfolded brochure.

"I'm trying to find the Dutch Windmill but I'm terrible with directions," she explained in English accent, her voice a tad throaty like she was battling a cold.

Lucie shot a look at the Doctor before smiling and taking the map from Danni as she pivoted so they could look at the map together.

"Uh, it's that way." Lucie smiled and pointed in the correct direction. She looked over her shoulder at the Doctor to make sure he saw the map.

"Thanks!" Danni said brightly. She had spotted a vending machine she would pause at to make sure they parted ways. The credit card Eleven had given her wouldn't work on a coin machine, but she could fake it.

She watched the Doctor and Lucie cross the street out of the corner of her eye and sighed. Mission accomplished. She grinned and turned her nows into the air as she tried to find the sea. No telling how long until she jumped again. She should go to the beach while she could.

A heat began spiking up her arm. Oh, no. She slung her backpack in front of her and reached up for her glasses right as she left San Francisco.

She felt the soft impact as she landed and instantly recognized the TARDIS. She looked up hesitantly and saw Eleven and Amy, gaping at her. There was a beat before they burst out laughing.

"Hey now!" Danni began flinging off her 90's wear. "I did this for you, you know!"

Amy had about doubled over and was laughing so hard her face was red as she fought for breath. Eleven was holding her up with one arm while clinging desperately to the railing around the console with the other.

He spoke through his laughter. "Danni-girl! How nice to see you!'

"Shut up, Mr. Bow Tie and Fez!"

"Bow ties are cool!"

AN: Danni is an OC that belongs to DanniFielding. I'm just playing in her sandbox. I don't think she'll mind, she seems cool like that.

Man, has it been forever. Life and stuff. I wanted to post a Doctor Who fic. for the Anniversary and was lacking inspiration for a short, when I decided a bunch of the fun in being a Whovian is the other fans. So a Danni fic it is.

Your Authoress,

Oriethyia