THE GRAND TOUR OF OKLAHOMA
Chapter Twenty Four While they rode the trolley, Jenny wondered what the Doctor had to say to her. But there were too many people riding with them and she understood that what he had to say had to do with him being an alien and she didn't want him blowing his cover in front of a bunch of strangers. Not to mention, she liked that he wanted to tell her in private, made the thing he wanted to tell her that much more important to her. They had to go the entire route around Bricktown before coming to the Melting Pot since the restaurant was by the bridge. They got off and the Doctor smiled when he spied a little park area beside the restaurant. The park had some benches and several little water fountains coming up out of the concrete the people could play in to cool themselves off. "Wheee!" the Doctor said, running in between the fountains. Jenny gave him an odd look while Rose bent over laughing. The Doctor cupped his hands down in the streams of water and threw it up in the air while he did a silly dance. "He told me he was 902," Jenny said to Rose. "Yes but just because he's 902 doesn't mean he always acts like it," Rose said while the Doctor jumped over a little fountain. Rose shrieked when the Doctor filled his cupped hands with water and ran towards her with it. Jenny laughed when Rose did the same thing and chased after the Doctor. She glanced around and noticed some of the people passing by were giving them odd looks but she didn't care. She enjoyed people who knew how to have a good time without drugs or booze and she was glad she met them. They stopped playing after a few minutes and the Doctor put his arm around Jenny before they walked to the front door of the restaurant. The interior had dark red wallpaper and carpeting with wood paneling. Two enormous windows were at the front of the restaurant and that's where the hostess led them. They sat down at a round table with four chairs in front of the left window and the hostess gave them their menus and took their drink orders before leaving. The Doctor looked around and noticed that they had a bit of privacy now so he opened his menu and glanced at it while he spoke to Jenny. "There's been something on my mind for the past several hours and I felt like I needed to make a decision and I feel that I have finally made it. You see, I told you that Rose is my traveling companion. When I first met her, she was working at Henricks in London as a shop girl and she ended up saving my life and I asked her to come with me because I could see so much potential in her and saw that she needed to come away from her humdrum life and be something more that she was. And she has grown into everything she was meant to be. I…" He sighed angrily when the waitress came back. He asked her for more time and she nodded and went away. "Anyway, what I'm saying is I don't choose just anyone to travel with me, they have to be unique and you, Jenny, are just that. You have done things that most humans wouldn't have the guts to do," he said while Rose nodded emphatically. "You can sleep in a doorway in the middle of downtown Oklahoma City with no fear whatsoever, you tell drunks to fuck off to their faces, you slept in sub zero temperatures in a bloody parking garage because you refused to let someone else run your life. You are one remarkable woman and I would be honored if you traveled with me and Rose." Jenny sat in a stunned silence, not really sure she'd heard him right. "You want me to come with you and Rose when you leave?" she said. "Yes. I want you to travel the universe with us because you more than have what it takes to survive anything that's thrown at you out there." "Too right," Rose said. "I asked the Doctor to let you know who we were but I was hoping he'd ask you to come with us because you don't belong here on the streets. You should be with us, traveling the universe and making a difference in people's lives." "So how about it?" the Doctor said. "And while you answer that, I better order before the waitress comes back." "Will I have to pay for room and board?" Jenny asked. Rose chuckled while the Doctor looked up from the menu. "Well, how would you define "pay", he said to her. "Money," Jenny said. "No, however you will have to "pay" for room and board by helping us out when we need your help. We don't just travel around and sit there, we do go out and interact with the people, such as you, and occasionally we stop evildoers from…oh…enacting their nefarious plans, there. So you have to pay in that way, but if you mean monthly rent to me or I'm tossing you out the door into the vortex. No…not yet, anyway, I might have start doing that to Doo Hog since she's taking up space that could be used for other things." "Fine, I'm gone then if you feel that way," Rose said. "I never said you could leave, I just said I have to make you pay. You leave when I say you leave!" Jenny chuckled when Rose stuck her tongue out at that. The waitress came by with their drinks and the Doctor decided to order the Grand Tour off the menu which would consist of a cheese fondue followed by a salad followed by entrée and chocolate fondue for desert. The two women let the Doctor choose the cheese and chocolate fondue choices and Rose chose chicken for the entrée while the Doctor and Jenny chose steak with a baked potato and vegetables for each of them. The waitress took their menus and walked away. "So…what'd you think?" the Doctor asked Jenny. "I'd love to, if you'll have me," Jenny said, trying not to cry. "If you'll have me? Didn't I just get done saying you could come if you want?" the Doctor said while Rose giggled. "Sorry, I'm just a bit stunned that you want me to do this," Jenny said. "Well, you more than qualify as someone who can handle their own. After seeing you and hearing your story, I believe you would have no trouble handling monsters and evildoers out there. Besides, Rose is fond of you and I'm sure if I didn't offer, I'd be finding her trainer in my meat and two veg." "Yup," Rose said. "And it's not all fighting bad guys. We have our little days of rest like the past couple of days and you get to see time and space. It's worth it, trust me." "And you can come back at any time, you just have to tell me when that'll be," the Doctor said. "Another reason why I asked is because you said your family and friends have basically cut your out of their lives and they obviously don't care that you're out on the streets risking your life so I don't think they'll care if you come with me, right?" Jenny nodded. "Then let's make this night a celebration of your becoming a part of this team," the Doctor said while Rose squealed with delight. They raised their glasses and clinked them together. "To our newest member, Jenny…what's your last name?" "Chang," she said. "To our newest member, Jenny Chang, the newest traveler through time and space," the Doctor said. "Hear, hear," Rose said as they clinked their glasses again. "So…the question is, should we keep on with this crazy tour of Oklahoma City or strike out for greener pastures. Jenny, do you have any ideas on where to go?" "Well, there are a lot of places I'd like to go and…wait…ooooh, I get now why Rose was laughing when I asked if you knew anything about history." Rose giggled while the Doctor gave her a smug grin and nodded. "Yes, I know quite a lot about history, all sorts of history. I'm a history encyclopedia. So what eras or planets interest you? Rose and I are always looking for ideas for our next adventure which is why she pointed to a map and found Oklahoma. You see how bored we are, we need fresh blood so they can supply us with fresh insight and ideas. So, any thoughts? What have you always wanted to see? I can go anywhere in time and space!" "Oh geez, um…" Jenny murmurmed. "Damn, this is putting me on the spot. I suppose Ancient Egypt." "Any particular thing in Ancient Egyptian history." "Um…oh, who murdered King Tut…if he was murdered." "Intriguing," the Doctor said to Rose. "Very, I never thought of that but yeah, why did King Tut die early?" "Is that doable, you said you can't interfere in some things like the OKC bombing. Are we allowed to see how King Tut died?" "Well, if you mean observe, we can always do that. As for saving Tut's life, that is the tricky part that I'll have to check on. But…you know, Rose and I have started out going somewhere that you would think was average and ending up stopping someone who was cooking up something evil. It's amazing how often that happens. So this whole matter of King Tut, it could have been as simple as an accidental fall or it could be something more sinister or even to do with aliens. That…my newest companion is why we keep on traveling." "Sounds great, I'm up for that." "Then you have a spot on the TARDIS. Actually, I think the TARDIS might have anticipated that when she scanned your mind because she gave you the bookcase filled with books which implies you'd be there awhile but my TARDIS is just as savvy as I am and I know she was probably thinking that I would ask after seeing how much of a fighter you really are and how adept you are at survival. After centuries of being with me, she can anticipate a lot of my needs and thoughts. So, perhaps we can do that then. Ancient Egypt and the time of King Tut. Might be worth a look and perhaps we could figure out what killed King Tut, eh?" Jenny beamed at that and Rose squeezed her hand when she saw how happy she was.
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