the sun pressing warmth against her face. She stirred under her linen sheets, arms shifting to above her head as she stretched towards the headboard. She felt so calm in her core - so at peace.

"Nancy dear, you need to get up!" Her mother's chipper voice called in the open door frame, her red painted lips in the same smile as always.

"Yes mother." She replied like she did every single morning. She slide out from the sheets - bare tired touching the carpeted floor as the bed groaned with her weight rising off of it. Her short frame basked in the morning sun some more as she stretched her arms in her nightgown. She loved the feeling.

Then she felt it again. Like eyes were on her. She walked to the window, glancing around quickly as she felt the hairs on her neck raise. The longer she stood there the more uneasy she felt, so she simply closed her blinds and sealed the curtains. It was quite sad, as Nancy loved the morning sun.

She turned away, shaking her head and sighing. She had felt eyes on her for days now, but mother had told her not to fret and to simply seal everything if she felt them again. Ignore them.

Nancy then approached her dresser, opening drawers to rummage for clothing. She started in her underwear drawer, grabbing a pair and a pair of white-frill lined socks. She set them into as she opened another, and drew out of it a cream cable knit sweater. It was awfully cold this time of year. Then she drew the skirt - it was a long, with a red and green plaid design. She tossed those onto her bed as well.

Now which drawer did she keep her accessories? Nancy always had a hard time remembering. She reached for her bottom left drawer, sliding it open. Inside sat a pair of denim pants, not a kind for a lady, and a blue cardigan dropped over it. Red shoes, that looked as if they came high up. They bore the brand logo Converse All Star on the side, but converse simply didn't make shoes like this. She frowned. She didn't remember owning anything this strange.

Then she felt the push. Her hands moved before her mind could and slammed the drawer shut. They forced over to the next drawer that opened to reveal loose hair ribbons and headbands. She smiled, and rummaged for a moment before drawing out her red ribbon.

Nancy got dressed for the day, smoothing the fabric of the skirt in the mirror. It was more form-fitting and closer to a pencil skirt in fit, but dropped right below her knees. She tied her hair into a ponytail, with the big red now on it. She smiled, red lipstick and mascara on and feeling ready for the day with her family. She looked to her face. Strands of light brown hair framed her face, and jade eyes twinkled.

She walked downstairs of the home into the living room, her father sitting at the table with the pipe hanging from his lips. The calendar sat behind his head. September 1963.

At the counter, her mother stood preparing breakfast. Blueberry pancakes, as they had every Wednesday.

"Nancy dear, can you go get the paper? I heard that boy come by earlier." Her father asked, jade eyes turning to her. He smiled sweetly as he always did. Nancy felt compelled to hug him, which she did tightly.

"Yes, father." She smiled. She walked by Norman, her twelve year old brother, who watched television in the family room. He had been fascinated with the thing. She opened the front door and stepped out. At the end of the townhomes pathway sat the paper on the somewhat damp morning concrete. She sighed, agitated she had to venture somewhat far from the door to retrieve it. She didn't like going out far alone. She liked to travel with mother or father.

Her black Mary Jane shoes shining the light. She bent down, careful to do more of a crouch, to grab the rolled up paper. When she stood, she was startled by someone standing over her. She jumped, eyes wide.

"May I help you?" She asked.

"Oh, yes." The woman smiled. Her blue eyes glanced behind Nancy swiftly.

"Ma'am?" Nancy asked again when her eyes flickered back to her. The wind blew ever slightly, and the woman's red hair shifted against her face with it.

"I know he said this probably won't work. But how does he know if he doesn't try?"

"I'm sorry, I don't-" the woman's hand grabbed Nancy's upper arm forcefully. Then she felt that feeling again - like she did when she felt the eyes on her. The ball of fear and anxiety. The feeling she was going to cry or maybe even vomit. She began to try to pull away. The woman grabbed her other arm and began to pull.

"Let me go!" Nancy wailed. The woman only pulled harder.

"You have to come with me, please!" The woman begged. The door to the house sprung open, and mother and father rushed the porch.

"Keep away!" He boomed. Nancy stared at the woman in fear, mother rushing towards her to part the two.

And for a second, the woman saw her again. Those jade eyes washed away and for a second grey eyes that she had known gazed at her. For a second she was there. Then mother's hands grabbed her and with strength unlike a human she pulled Nancy away as father descended upon the woman. He grabbed the woman up by her shirt collar and held her close.

"Leave this place." He began. Mother took Nancy close to her, head between her hands as she watched her now grey eyes. She watched closely as the more she spoke silently in a tongue to Nancy the more they returned to jade green. For a second, Nancy could overhear father speaking.

"Go...." He mumbled "tell the Doctor he will not interfere with my family."

"You can't keep-"

"Go!" He yelled as he shoved her away. Neighbors now gazed on, and a scene had been caused. The woman looked left to right to the people exiting their homes to view at her before she looked to Nancy with a sad face. She had noticed her eyes changing once again.

"We're coming back for you, Valarie."

——

When Donna entered the TARDIS, she dropped her head. She was clearly disheveled and not in order. She avoided his gaze.

"Donna? What happened?" He asked, eyes peeled away from the TARDIS's monitor for the first time in the week since they lost Valarie. "Donna?" He asked approaching her.

"I may have," she avoided his eyes even more when he stood on top of her. "Tried to go get her."

"Donna, what do you mean?"

"I was watching the house, and saw her go onto the street to get the mail." She bit her lip. "And I grabbed her."

"You grabbed her."

"I grabbed-"

"What did I tell you? Don't interact until I can understand, Donna! We don't know what those people are! For all you know you've doomed her!" He yelled. "I explicitly explained it was not only for your safety but Val's! And now they'll probably have her under a tighter grip! A stronger influence! You've just made me job ten times harder!" He ran both hands over his head and through his hair, walking back to the console. He threw his glasses off onto the console and knelt forward on his elbows, head in his hands.

"I'm sorry." She mumbled and approached him. She rested a hand on his bent back. "I meant well. I just miss her. I'm worried." When he didn't respond she looked at him.

"You miss her too, don't you?"

"More than anything, Donna. So the faster I can figure it out the faster I can get our Valarie back." He sighed. The way they all fell into the situation was tricky, and only what unfolded was known. No who's or why's, only what happened was known. Just what they saw.

____

____

"1960's. Lovely time frame, outta visit more often. I haven't been in, well, a few different faces." He spoke to himself, taking in the breeze of September air. He turned back to the TARDIS interior to hear mumbling among the two passengers inside. He rolled his eyes. They had landed down an hour and a half ago, but they had insisted on dressing to fit the time frame. They had taken quite the time, and only recently emerged from the wardrobe again.

Valarie situated the black headband in her hair, her back to Donna who worked on zipping the back of the dress she wore up.

"And you're sure this will fit in?" She asked again. She had chosen the classic choice of a black sleeveless dress, ending at her mid-thigh, and the white collared shirt underneath it.

"Well, I say so. But maybe you should ask the one of us who's actually been here." She suggested her voice with a twinge of sarcasm. Valarie huffed before noticing the open doors. She rushed towards them, stumbling over herself as she tried to slip her black shoes on. She poped out next to him, tugging at her sheer leggings underneath and turning to him.

"Well?" She asked him. He turned to her, looking her up and down. He clicked his tongue as if disapproving. "What?" She immediately questioned, having already struggled to pick the outfit out in the first place. She tried to follow his eyes, which seemed to settle towards the bottom of the dress. He pointed a finger at her.

"Having all of that leg out? You'll have to fight all the teenage boys off of you." He teased, jabbing at the fashional controversies of the time frame.

"Oh, will I now?" She began to laugh, hand grabbing his and forcing it from the pointed gesture to an open palm with her fingers between his. She pushed his hand back towards himself, but not letting go. "Gonna jump start the sexual revolution, aren't I?"

"You very well may." He laughed back. Donna butted inbetween the two, ponytail bobbing.

"Okay come on now, why are we here again? What big bold alien this time?"

"Can't we just take a trip in the TARDIS? Go sight seeing?" He asked. Valarie looked at him, one eyebrow dragging up and a corner of her lips pulling into a smile.

"Doctor, since the day I met you I can count the peaceful trips we've had on one hand." She teased.

"And this will be one of them." He had no real rebuttal for this. Valarie wasn't wrong. But that was what came with him - the chaos. And Valarie relished in it, no matter how exhausted it made her, no matter how many hours she slept on end in the one TARDIS bedroom she had claimed as her own, or no matter how many hours she would cave to sleep in the seat in the console room under that long trench coat.

"Come on then!" He offered both of his arms to the women who took them. "Let's go see if we can catch one of those new rock'n'roll performances, except they don't call it rock'n'roll yet."

——

"So, how far ahead, or behind, are we?" Valarie asked. They had taken to a diner to eat. She leaned forward on her elbows, head resting in her hands as she smiled at him. The Doctor quite liked looking at her when she was like this - a childlike smile, and a twinkle in her grey eyes. Grey eyes with flecks of blue in them.

"Well, it's September 1963. Which puts us after the Bay of Pigs, the first James Bond film, and that nasty smallpox outbreak in Cardiff. But, it puts us about one month before the Kennedy assasination, six years before man touches the moon for the first time, and about twenty-four years before you're birth." He smile as a waitress came by, and took their small orders.

"Doesn't that mean your mum and dad are probably walking - or toddling -around here somewhere." He teased. She rolled her eyes at the comment. She looked away and took everyone in the restaurant with them in. Notably, at the counter a woman. Her black hair was in a stylish updo, and her green eyes seemed warm and inviting. Almost like they were trying to pull Valarie in from a distance. Valarie only smiled and gave her a polite nod before looking back to Donna and the Doctor, who discussed the logistics and ethics of getting involved in major historical events just for fun.

After a moment the woman rose and approached the table. The conversation halted and she smiled sweetly.

"Hello?" Donna asked aloud when the woman simply said nothing.

"Hello, I, I don't mean to bother." The woman half laughed.

"I just, wow." She sighed, eyes settled on Valarie. "You look just like my daughter." She shook her head gently. "I'm sorry if that comes off as strange."

"Oh, uh." Valarie looked to them for a gauge on how to react. "No, no. It doesn't at all." She smiled, feeling sorry for the woman.

"I just lost her so long ago. May I?" She asked, our stretching her hands. Valarie hesitantly gave her her own hands. The woman began to cry silently. The entire situation felt off and weird, and they all exchanged glances.

"I just needed to come speak to you. I'm sorry, I'll be on my way now." She suddenly recoiled. Before another word could be squeezed in she went to retiree assumably her husband and leave the restaurant.

"People are strange no matter where and when we go, huh?" Donna laughed.

——

The rest of the day went without a hiccup. They enjoyed sights, speaking to people, and just living a life they had never known. They had found themselves at nightfall entering a bustling bar. It seemed lovely and energetic and music blared. It was lively and full of people enjoying themselves.

They had been there only thirty minutes. Valarie and Donna had danced with whatever song played, and enjoyed themselves. At one point Valarie and turned to a seated Doctor and extended her hands. She flexed her fingers, signaling for him to take them. Her cheeks were flushed from a mixture of the moving constantly and the drink in her system. She bit her lip and smiled.

"Come on!" She beckoned. He finally took her hand and stood to join Valarie. For a rare occasion they got to enjoy themselves. No looming threat. When they got to they were usually desperate to because one had nearly lost the other - but for now they got to just simply have fun. No conditions.

Time seemed to move so fast then. But that's how it always worked. When you were with those you loved it felt like lifetimes and simultaneously seconds. After who knew how many songs Valarie sighed.

"I'll be back, need to use the restroom." She left them and worked her way through crowded bodies to the women's restroom. She used it, and then washed her hands before trying to adjust her hair and makeup in the mirror. She had attempted to do a more subdued eye look, resembling that of Twiggy. The restroom door pushed open, and someone pushed it before shutting the door. The woman who entered stood back towards the door.

"Am I in your way?" Valarie asked. Her eyes flickered to the woman to spy the woman from earlier. She clutched her purse tightly with her hand inside. Alarms sounded in Valarie's head and she spun to face her. The woman was on her swiftly and jammed what best could be described as a large, alien device against Valarie's neck. She felt a prick, and could barely comprehend what was entering her body before she felt a zap and small amount of electricity rocked her body. Her eyes blew wide before rolling back and she crumpled against the counter.

The woman reached and hooked an arm around her upper back, easing her against the counter and further down. She eased her to the floor, keeping the needle against her neck and ensuring it emptied it's shimmering contents, that resembled almost a energy of some sort, before removing it. She tucked it away in her purse again. She caressed the side of her face tenderly.

"My sweet, sweet child." The woman cooed.

——

"Did Valarie fall in?" Donna laughed after ten minutes with no sign of her went by.

"It is odd she's taking so long." The Doctor, who had sat down once again commented. He looked around, seeing no sign of his partner anywhere. Then in the crowd he saw her. That woman from the diner. She was speaking to someone whose arm she held. He was shocked when Valarie's face turned to her. He rose and pushed past people with no mind to get to her.

"Val." He called. When she didn't respond he shouted it louder. He was on top of the women before either acknowledged him.

"Val, what's going on?" He asked. She looked at him, puzzled. She looked drowsy and swayed lightly against the woman.

"I'm sorry, you've got the wrong person." The woman explained.

"Val?" He asked, leaning closer. Then he noticed it. Her grey eyes, they were different. They were green, identical to the woman's; the only different was a faint glow behind them. A normal person would miss it, but he was no normal man. These weren't her eyes - he'd know them anywhere. "What have you done to her?" He demanded to know.

"I don't know what you're talking about." The woman replied. A scene was beginning to form and people were watching. The Doctor took her hand and tried to pull her away.

"Val, she's done something to you. You need to-" she jerked her hand away suddenly, looking confused and slightly fearful. His face dropped and he looked more sad than confused. She shook her head.

"I don't..."she trailed off. He tried to take her hand again and this time she pressed hands against his chest and shoved him away. He stumbled backwards into another man, who turned to watch.

"I don't know you." She stated, looking at him with disgust and fear. It made his stomach churn. She rocked side to side and she was sweating. Valarie's lower lip trembled and she looked unwell. She swayed backwards against the woman, and slumped into her side. The woman's eyes were cold, and only from here the Doctor noticed that the woman was most certainly six foot, most likely even taller than that. She couldn't have been any younger than forty. She held onto her, her face blank.

"You need to leave us be now, sir." Valarie's head rolled against the woman's side and she looked up to her.

"C-Can we...."she swallowed harshly, her mouth dry. "Can we go home now?" Her eyes flickered with that green energy again. The woman smiled at the sight. She was adjusting to this new body well. "I don't feel that well." Valarie, or whomever this was, stated again.

"Yes Nancy, my dear. We can go home."

"Nancy? That's not even her name. Val, please-" the Doctor began. He felt at a lost and like he had zero control over what was happening and it terrified him. When she turned to look at him again, he had a glimmer of hope that quickly turned to a rock in his stomach.

"I, I'm not this Val person, sir." She shook her head, hair sticking to her sweaty face. "I don't k-know you. Just," Valarie's nose crinkled up like he had watched it do thousands of times before when she become confused or even disgusted.

"J-just leave me alone. I don't wish to see you ever again."

The Doctor for a moment completely lost the feeling of the eyes of other patrons on him. Donna was the one to push her way to him, having been stuck towards the back and only able to watch from a distance. She touched his arm and watched on, deeply disturbed.

The woman then pressed a flat hand against Valarie's head and pressed down until her head came to a rest on the woman's shoulder and escorted her out of the building.

"What do we do?" Donna asked.

"We find where they're going but honestly, I" he turned his head to Donna, big brown eyes full of panic.

"I don't know."