stay calm. it will be okay. you have my word. Episode Twelve: Back to the Future
This is episode twelve! To start reading from the beginning, check out Pilot : The Season Two Ending We Deserved
Story Summary
Turn off “The Reality War” at 40:15 and start here instead. This is the story of what happened after—the story where the Doctor, Bel, and their extraordinary daughter Poppy get to live the life they deserve.
It’s about finding family across time and space. It’s the Doctor and Bel co-parenting like the besties they are, Poppy growing up splitting her time between 21st-century London and the far-future of the Preservation Alliance, and a Sanctuary Moon fanclub that spans across the universe. It’s Rogue getting the ending he deserves, Jenny finding her fathers, Murderbot reluctantly acquiring more humans, and a universe where love, in all its forms, is the most powerful weapon we have.
This is a fusion-fix-it full of gratuitous wish fulfillment, because sometimes the best way to heal is to rewrite the story. 💕💕
Episode Summary:
After a time-travel mishap lands them in 2042 instead of 2024, Rogue and Jenny get a taste of their delightfully nonlinear future when they are unexpectedly greeted by a much older—and wiser—Ruby Sunday.
Notes:
Once again, thanks so much to everyone who has left comments and kudos, and special thanks to Fire_Phoenix2305 and tinysugacube for tolerating me blowing up the group chat on a daily basis as I come up with ideas for this fic, and to Marvin for his seal of approval!
Episode Twelve: Back to the Future
“Okay so,” Jenny began, pacing back and forth in the console room of the Yossarin, “when we were in the time loop, there were a few times when Ruby and I talked about where we were from, and she said 2024.”
“Right, so you’re thinking we should go to 2024?” Rogue nodded. “I can do that. The time module has been a little wonky lately, but I can make it work. But how do we find her once we get there?”
“Well, she mentioned something about having been on a TV special back in 2023. We can use that to track her down, maybe? There’s gotta be records somewhere we can check.”
As it turned out, checking wasn’t particularly needed, in large part because Rogue, in his hurry, pressed the wrong set of buttons, and rather than ending up in 2024, they found themselves in 2042. They also found themselves hungry.
“I’m not so sure,” Rogue said doubtfully. “You really think it’s a good idea for us to go mess around in the wrong year? In my experience, it doesn’t often end well, going to unfamiliar time periods unprepared.”
“I’m young, dad. I’m not stupid. And exploring new time periods is fun! Besides, it’s not like we’re going to be looking for Ruby of this time, and the world is a big place. We don’t even have to go to the UK. Why not back home?”
“Jen, it’s been a linear thirty-five years since the last time we were here. Don’t you think people we knew back then are going to be curious why we still look as young as we do?”
“Oh,” Jenny said in a small voice. “I didn’t think of that.”
“It’s okay, Jen,” Rogue said, now feeling bad that he had seemingly hurt her feelings. It was hard to remember sometimes that despite looking like someone in her late teens and having corresponding muscle memory and brain development, in terms of life experience Jenny really only was about three years old at this point. “How about Spain?” he suggested. “We’ve never been, and you’ve always said you wanted to go. They probably still use euros, and we’ve got a decent stash.”
“Alright,” she agreed hesitantly. “That doesn’t sound like too bad an idea.”
—
One of the unfortunate things about being a time traveler and meeting people in an unconventional order, is that sometimes the people you know will collaborate with your future self to pull something over you. Case in point, when Rogue and Jenny began to make their way through downtown Madrid, it was only a matter of minutes before they ran into Ruby Sunday, looking much older than the last time they had seen here. Which made sense, when they stopped to think about it, given that, had the Doctor brought her back to Earth and had she stayed linear with when she was born, she would be in her late 30s now.
“Rogue! Jenny!” She waved at them cheerfully. “It’s good to see you!”
“Ruby!” Jenny smiled, pulling the older woman into a hug. “You look—”
“Old, I know,” Ruby shook her head. “And you look just the same as when we first met.”
“You’re not old!” Jenny protested. “Just—”
“Oh hush, let me have this, Jen. I like being older, to tell the truth. When I was younger… sure I had more energy and less back problems,” she sighed, “but I was also a paranoid mess and my mental health was in shambles. Too many adventures, not enough therapy.” She shook her head. “Oh, come here, give me a hug.”
“And when did we first meet?” Rogue asked. “From your perspective, I mean? Because we first met you under circumstances that I did not think you would remember.”
“Ah, as a mutual friend likes to say—”
Rogue groaned. “Oh, for the love of—”
“Spoilers.”
“I’m really starting to hate that word.” Jenny scowled.
“That’s alright, love. I promise, older you is amused by this whole situation.”
“I doubt that,” Jenny grumbled.
“Okay, maybe it’s more of a grim satisfaction to be on the other end of things,” Ruby laughed.
“So I suppose it was our future selves who told you to meet us here?” Rogue rubbed at his temples. He had been a time traveler for years, but it was not until he had gotten involved with the Doctor that things had become so complicated and nonlinear. “Or did you just happen to move to Spain in the past few years?”
“Bit of both, honestly.” Ruby shrugged. “Did a lot of traveling when I was younger, ended up settling in Madrid. I didn’t even know you would be here until last week.”
“Right. Well, is there anything you can do to help us then? Any clues, hopefully ones not as ridiculously cryptic?”
“Well…” Ruby pursed her lips. “From what Martha told me—”
“Martha? Martha Jones?” Jenny said excitedly. “I know her! She was there when I was born. Or created, whatever.”
“Yes, she did mention that.” Ruby nodded. “She’s the one who introduced me to you both. She said that the first time she met you, Rogue, and the first time she saw you again, Jenny, was a few years after the Doctor dropped her back off on Earth. Sometime in the early 2010s, I think?”
“Brilliant,” Jenny jumped up. “Should we go—”
“Hey now love,” Ruby grabbed Jenny by the wrist. “You’re really going to ambush your auntie Ruby only two streets away from my apartment and not come back to mine for tea?”
“We wouldn’t dare, right, Jen?” Rogue nudged Jenny in the side.
“Fine, but you’ve gotta explain the Auntie thing, it’s weird, the last time we met you were the same age as me.” Jenny grumbled, even as she followed Ruby’s lead.
“Jenny, I hate to bring it up—”
“Oh don’t you start too,” Jenny threw her hands up in the air. “I get enough of this from dad.”
“Both of your dads, actually,” Ruby grinned. “At least you will soon.”
“Really?” Jenny asked, eyes wide. “You mean—”
“It’s not long now, my dear.” Ruby clasped Jenny’s shoulder. “I only met you a few months ago, at the wedding. But you’ve known the Doctor for much longer than that, if I am correct.”
“What wedding?” Rogue asked suspiciously.
“Ah, now that is a spoiler I’m really not allowed to tell you.”
—
They ended up spending the rest of the day with Ruby before taking her up on the offer to rest up by spending the night. She made up her guest room for Jenny, and Rogue took the couch. Ruby was fun as an adult, and Jenny had come around to the idea of referring to the older woman as her aunt. She was kind and supportive and had good suggestions for books she thought Jenny would like, offering to let her borrow several of her favorites, given that she knew Jenny would be going to time periods that were a mix of before they were published and long beyond when they had gone out of print.
“I’ll take very good care of them,” Jenny promised. “And thank you for the bag!”
“You’re welcome, and I know you will,” Ruby smiled. “You returned them all last week without a scratch.” Ruby laughed. “And you can thank the Doctor for the bag—I know next to nothing about dimensional engineering, that was all him.”
“Okay, that’s fair.” Jenny gave Ruby a hug. “But you’re the one who actually gave it to me, even if he’s the one who made it bigger on the inside while staying lightweight. It’s like magic.”
“The things he can do really do feel more like magic than science, don’t they?” Ruby laughed again. “Well, I know you’ve got to be off. Tell Martha hi for me.” She gave Rogue another hug as well. “Or actually, probably don’t,” she frowned. “I’ll still be in like, single digits. She’ll not have a clue who I am.”
“Alright. Thank you again, for the hospitality and the food.” Rogue kissed her on the cheek.
“You flatter me,” she laughed. “I do my best. And I wasn’t about to expose you to the ridiculous amounts of inflation. Your euros will be worth a lot more 30-something years ago.”
“I hate how accurate that probably is,” Rogue sighed.
“Well, we’ll see you around, I suppose.” Jenny smiled again as they left.
“Don’t be a stranger!” Ruby called at them from her door.