〖 〗

What makes it go?!" Martha questioned over the horrid shaking of the TARDIS, and the squeak of a round crank the Doctor spun.

"Oh, you gotta take the fun of mystery out of everything! Martha, you don't want to know; it just does!" He sighed, slightly annoyed yet impressed by Martha's constant questions. She seemed to be like a child, just now wondering why things are the way they are. The Doctor continued the crank, before kicking a foot up to a lever, and held it down.

"Hold on tight!" He cried as the TARDIS had a final, violent shake; Martha tumbling to her butt, and Valarie hunched forward, halfway over the railing as she peered to the wires below the console. The quake had no effect on him as he sprung towards his trench coat, laid lazily atop Martha's red leather coat and Valarie's jean jacket.

"Blimey! Do you have to pass a test to fly this thing?!" Martha asked, feeling the Doctor piloting skills were rather lacking. He shrugged the coat on, Valarie taking hers in her hands and tossing Martha hers.

"Yes, and I failed!" He admitted, now urging the two girls forward as Martha put her own coat on. Valarie had already tugged hers on, and was pulling her hair into a ponytail.

"Now I promised you one trip and one trip only. Outside this door is a brave new world." He explained, back pressed against the entrance as if he wanted to be sure they wouldn't open it and spoil the fun.

"Where are we?" Martha questioned, a excited smile on her lips and a nervous glint in her eye. The Doctor pulled the door open, back still pressed against its edge as he nodded outside.

"Why don't you go on and look." He said, more of a command then a suggestion, and nodded towards the door. Valarie bound towards the door, taking Martha's hand in hers as they pulled out into a night. Suddenly the smell of manure (horse or human, Valarie couldn't quite tell) and the ash from torches filled their noses. Martha's mouth flew open.

"Oh, your kidding me." Martha gawked, Valarie's jaw falling slack as the flame of the torches reflected in her eyes. The heat of it seemed to press kisses to her skin, as she stood close to a wall were a torch sat comfortably.

"You are so kidding me! We did it, we traveled in time! Where are we?" Martha questioned over the chatter of the villagers and neigh of horses and cattle.

"Wait - gotta get used to this, it's a whole new language- when, are we?" Martha asked, the Doctor's mouth opening to reveal before he heard a shout from above. He looked up, immediately grabbing both girls and pulling them back as something liquid, brown, and horribly smelling, hit the ground from a bucket. The Doctor replied in disgust.

"Sometime before the invention of the toilet." He stared at the puddle seeping into the hay with disgust, "Sorry 'bout that." He apologized, Martha immediately defending it.

"It's alright; seen worse on the night shift." She chuckled, as they all stared at the puddle.

"Yeah, got brother younger then me by nearly twelve years. And a brother and sister who have babies and love to just leave them with me. I've been covered in all sorts." Valarie snorted. The Doctor began to walk forward, making effort to walk around the wet spot.

"But are we safe? Can we move around?" Martha quickly asked, as Valarie took a brave step forward.

"Of course we can." The Doctor replied, his head tilting curiously," Why couldn't we?"

"Because in the films, you step on a butterfly and you change everything." Martha warned, eyes wide as Valarie let the idea wash over her. What if she somehow prevented her great-great-great-great-grandparents from meeting? Then she wouldn't exist! But then if she didn't exist, she couldn't stop and- oh, she had to stop the thought that already began to develop a migraine between left eye.

"Well, then, don't step on any butterflies." The Doctor slowly responded, clearly unaware of the human(more Hollywoods) idea of how time works, "What've butterflies ever done to you?" He questioned, before turning away. He stuffed his hands in his coat pockets. Martha and Valarie stepped around the puddle, as they began to ask questions.

"What if, I dunno, I meet my great grandparents or something? Stop them from getting together? Then I won't exist and then I'll be in a loop of!-" the Doctor turned around, cutting Valarie off.

"Do you intend of stopping them from getting together?" He asked, a eyebrow raised. Valarie shook her head.

"Then you'll be fine." He responded, before turning away as Martha asked on.

"So this is London? When?" Martha asked, the date now occupying her thoughts more the inedible idea she would stop her own existence.

"Oh, I dunno, fifteen.....ninety-nine?"

"But wait! Am I safe?" Martha asked quickly, pointing to herself.

"Am I gonna get carted off as a slave or something?"

"Why would they do that?" The Doctor asked, voice low and honestly curious of why any human would do that.

"Not exactly white, haven't noticed?" Martha asked, with a awkward smile on her face. The Doctor shrugged.

" 'M not even human. Just walk around; works for me." He shrugged, turning away. The Doctor nodded forward.

"Besides, there are a few things from your time." He nodded towards a bucket on the ground where a man shoveled horse feces.

"They got recycling. Water cooling." He nodded towards two men, drinking from tin cups. Their water came from a large barrel, which was obviously unsanitary to the two girls from a future time. As they walked, a man holding a book bellowed "....and the Earth will be consumed by flames!"

"They got global warming!" The Doctor teased, before stopping after passing under a cobblestone archway.

"Even entertainment for the masses. We are right down Sullac street, right next too...." he trailed off, jogging down and round a corner. Martha and Valarie followed, as the sight of a round, white and wooden building stood tall and erect. Fire light shined from within, giving a lovely glow.

"The globe theater! Just opened! Though, it's not a globe. Tetradecagon. Fourteen sides."

"Yes Doctor, but I'm sure the name 'Tetradecagon theater' didn't quite stick." Valarie snorted as she looked to the Doctor. He rolled his eyes before turning to the two.

"It contains, the man himself." He happily revealed, watching both girls eyes light up in wonder.

"Woah. You don't mean- is Shakespeare in there?" Martha asked, eyes finding a new form of wonder as they craved to see the man she had forcibly memorized in school in the flesh. The Doctor stuck both bent arms out towards the girls.

"Miss Jones, Miss Scott, will you accompany me to the theater?" He asked, smiling brightly when they took his arm and nodded excitedly.

"Oh, of course Mr.Smith." Valarie's lips formed a wide smile as the three began their march to watch Shakespeare.

________

The crowd roared with applause and cheers as the cast took their bows. Valarie stood up onto her toes, peering over the people best to her extent of the bright candle light shined on her face.

"That was amazing! So worth the smell." Martha laughed, taking notice in the particularly foul smell emitting from mostly everyone but the three.

"And those are men dressed as women?" Valarie asked, taking obvious notice in the young men and boys playing the role of the women. No actresses were on the stage.

"London never changes, yeah." The Doctor sighed, smiling brightly, as Martha tried to glimpse at the stage.

"Where's Shakespeare? I want to see him." She then raised a fist high, and pumped it chanting, "Author! Author!" Her head spun to the Doctor.

"Do people say that yet?" She asked, as a man behind Valarie repeated Martha. Soon, the entire crowd was shouting 'Author'.

"Well, they do now."

A man emerged from behind the actors on stage; donning a simple black coat and white shirt. His black boots heavily slumped, as he waved a hand in greeting. By the crowds screams, it was obvious who the man was.

"That's him? He looks different then the portraits." Martha commented, taking notice in the extreme difference appearance wise between the pictures she had only seen of Shakespeare.

"Yeah, you can say that again." Valarie sighed lightly, taking slight notice that was more attractive then she remembered from the paintings she saw. The Doctor turned to look at her, with a confused look. Valarie shrugged with a playful smile, and looked back to the stage.

"He's a genius! The genius! The most human humans ever been. And we are going to hear him speak!" The Doctor sounded like an excited child, his eyes wide and ears ready to listen to whatever would come out of the man's mouth. Valarie leaned over towards him, trying to view over a large man in front of hers head.

"He chooses the best words; new, beautiful, brilliant words." This was true; Valarie thought back to several of his plays she had to read back during secondary school. They were quite difficult to comprehend, but oddly beautiful. Shakespeare opened his mouth, jabbing at the crowd.

"Ah, shut your bit fat mouths!" The crowd roared with laughter. Valarie cocked a eyebrow with a smirk.

"Big fat mouths. Very poetic." Martha snorted in response to the comment, as the Doctor looked slightly disappointed that that was what had came out, not some sonnet more beautiful then jewels.

"You've got excellent tastes, I'll give you that! Oh!" He pointed to a man, whose hair was long and scruffy; obviously unkept at all, "That's a wig!" He jabbed, the crowd turning to this man and roaring with laughter.

"I know what your all saying; Loves Labour's Lost, that's a funny ending isn't it? It just stops," he snapped his fingers, "Will the boys get the girls? Well dot get you underpants in a tangle you'll find out soon." He teased, Valarie frowning.

"I don't remember anything after Loves Labour's lost?" She asked silently, as he continued to tease the crowd. Suddenly, his body jerked backwards, as if someone had grabbed his hair and pulled or pushed his head back.

"When?" He asked, as silence fell over the crowd. They awaited the answer.

"Tomorrow night. A sequel, no less. I call it; Loves Labour's Won!"

__________

"I don't remember my teacher ever rambling on about a 'Loves Labour's Won'. And he was a fanboy." Valarie stated as they pushed out of the theater, chatter buzzing among excited citizens around the three.

"Not much is known about it. It is on every list for his plays; but no real script or anything from it has ever been found. A lost play." The Doctor explained, Martha frowning at the idea. The idea that one of Shakespeare's plays - Shakespeare's! - had somehow been lost entirely seemed odd. Then again, it's somewhere between the turn of the sixteenth and seventeenth century. Maybe it's more impressive that not all of them were lost.

"You got a mini disk? A tape? We can record, sell it back at home. Make millions." Martha lowly whispered, the Doctor immediately responding with a stiff "No." . Martha sighed, seeing the flaw with the plan.

"That would be a bad idea." She sighed, laughing lightly.

"How do they lose a entire play in the first place? Every sprint copy and all." Valarie asked, that certain question having played on repeat in her mind for ages.

"Well, I was just gonna give a little trip in the TARDIS to see the play. But, I suppose we can say long." The Doctor shrugged, a playful frown on his face.

_________

William Shakespeare's home. Valarie thought it would be a bit more extravagant. But she stood before it. It was a small, quaint home. Candle light brought the windows to life like eyes. Valarie wasn't given much time to watch, before the Doctor reached around and grabbed onto her upper arm, tugging her inside.

"C'mon. I know you like sight seeing but we need to move." He mumbled, as he resumed position leading the girls up a set of stairs. Surprisingly enough, the front door was blatantly unlocked. They passed by a woman in a dress, and a apron. She carried a tray, and stopped to peer at the three before resuming their walk. They entered a room, were at the desk sat Shakespeare himself. Two men spoke with him.

"Hello! Excuse me, am I interrupting?" The Doctor knocked at the open door, all heads in the room spinning towards him. Martha and Valarie stood behind him.

"You're Shakespeare, isn't it?" He asked, eyes scanning him with a confident smile. Shakespeare groaned.

"Oh, no, no, no. Who let you in? No autographs, make yourself scarce from me and please don't ask where I get my ideas from. Not to be.-" he paused, eyes resting on Martha. He immediately took a fancy to her, as he motioned for the men to move.

"Oh, well come here and sit next to me. Go on, work on customers. Go." He said quickly, desperate to know more about her obviously. The woman from the hall entered the room, motioning for the men to follow.

"C'mon. I think he's found his new muse." She teased, the men huffing before pushing past the three and leaving. Martha took a open seat once it was open, and the Doctor nudged Valarie towards the other. He went and pulled a chair from next to the fire pit. He shrugged his coat off, before taking a seat.

"Such, unusual clothes. Very fitting." He noted, not being able to peel eyes away from Martha.

"Eh, e-gads and-"

"No, no." The Doctor mumbled silently, before pulling something bound in leather from his pocket. He flipped it open, presenting it to William.

"I'm Sir Doctor of TARDIS, these are my companions; Miss Martha Jones and Miss Valarie Scott."

"That's interesting, that piece of paper. It's blank." William pointed out, the Doctor immediately dropping his hand and smiling widely.

"Oh wow. That proved it. Genius." He gawked. He seemed to be acting like a real fanboy.

"No, it can't be. It says Sir Doctor, Martha and Valarie right there." Martha said, pointing to the paper. Valarie leaned, seeing the same thing on the paper. She frowned.

"Psychic paper, um, hate starting from scratch." He groaned, tucking the flap away.

"Psychic. That's an interesting word. Who are you exactly, and whose you interestingly delicious blackened lady?" William asked quickly, leaning on his hand like a love struck puppy as he peered at Martha. Valarie's mouth fell open, and Martha laughed awkwardly.

"What did you just say?" Martha asked, her tone low.

"Oops, isn't that the word we use now? Ethiop girl, a suave, Queen of Afric?" The Doctor blew a long, annoyed breath out. The air in the room suddenly became thick and tense from William's words.

"Can't believe I'm hearing this." Martha snorted. The Doctor despretely tried to change the subject.

"It's political correctness gone made; uh, Martha's from a far off land. Freedonia." The Doctor explained, trying to relieve some of the tenseness that now sat on everyone's shoulders. Valarie looked at the floor, eyes wide. She had never imagined something of the such coming from Shakespeare's mouth; then again, it was the turn of the century. It was fifteen ninety-nine.

"Excuse me! Hold-heart for a moment!" A man entered the room, dressed to the nines (or, the nines for that time period at least). He resembled the portraits of William more than the real William Shakespeare did.

"This is abnormal behavior. A new play with no warning? I demand to see a script, Mr.Shakespeare. As master of the reveals, every script must go through my office and read by me before it can be preformed." He harshly spat, obviously irritated with William.

"I'll send it in the morning; first thing round." William sighed, rubbing his eyes.

"I don't work to your schedule; you work to mine! Script, now!"

"I can't!" William responded, as who appeared to be his boss became satisfied almost with the failure.

"Then tomorrow's performance is cancelled. I'm returning to my office for a banning order, if it's the last thing I do, Loves Labour's Won will never be preformed!" He blamed before rushing out, and down the stairs. He seemed obviously satisfied with the action. Martha sighed, grabbing the cup from the table and taking a sip as the room fell into silence.

"Well then. Mystery solved, Loves Labour's Won is over with." Martha sighed, Valarie shrugging as she crossed her arms.

"Thought that would be more mysterious." She smiled, shrugging her shoulders. Suddenly, outside, a man groaned. Screams suddenly emitted, and cries of "Help!".

The three spring to action, rushing out of the house and towards the source. William followed closely behind.

"It's that Lenny bloke." Martha observed, as he gagged and spat up tones of water. He appeared to be vomiting water, but sounded as if he was drowning.

"What's wrong with him?" The Doctor asked, before rushing to his side as the streaks of water became more and more frequent.

"Leave it to me; I'm a Doctor."

"So am I, or close enough." Martha rushed to his other side; Valarie deciding to stay back; having none to little medical knowledge besides when it's just a scrap or when to call the Emergency room. She stood next to William, horrified. Suddenly the man made a strangled noise, froze, then dropped to the ground. Martha bent to his chest and listened.

"His hearts stopped. Mr.Lenny, can you hear me?" Valarie approached them slowly, bending over Lenny as Martha opened his mouth to begin CPR. Suddenly, more water rushed from his mouth.

"What the 'ell?" Valarie gawked at him.

"I've never seen anything like that. His lungs are full of water, he drowned. But he had a blow to the heart, a visible blow." The Doctor mumbled, before standing and leaning towards a woman.

"Good mistress, this man has died from a sudden imbalance of the humours. Call the undertaker to take him away." He told her.

"I'll do it." A small maid said, before turning and scuffling away. No one noticed the sinister smile spread her lips.

"Why'd you do that?" Valarie asked as he leaned back down.

"To stop the dark ages. If o tell them the truth they'll panic, scream witchcraft." He explained quietly, as they closely hovered over the body.

"What was it then?" Valarie asked, under the Doctor's hard gaze. The fire from a torch close by flickered in his eyes, making the gaze more intense on her.

"Witchcraft."

___________