Chapter One - The Meeting

It was raining the day I first met him. I'll always remember that. Even though smaller, less significant details have faded from my mind, the fact that it was raining has stayed, permanently etched into my brain. Have I ever mentioned how much I hate rain. The way it keeps falling and falling and falling, never stopping, never pausing, always pulsating downwards, a cascade of cold drops from the clouded sky. I looked up. Big mistake. I was pelted with bullets, covering my head I ran determined to get back home before my hair resembled more of a wet dogs than it already did. Running I gained speed, getting faster and faster until "oomph". I was thrown backwards by the impact of running into something. Or someone. Oops.

"Oh god I'm so sorry," I mumbled getting up off the floor and dusting myself down. I looked to the person I had bumped into and almost fell over again. It was a man. A tall raggedy man in raggedy clothes. He was wearing a brown suit with his signature red bow tie, a childish smile plastered across his face.

"Don't worry about it, I'm not the one that got knocked to the floor," he chuckled lightly, "now who might you be?"

"No." I whispered, still in shock. His reply was a laugh that reached all the way up to his eyes causing them to crinkle.

"Hello No, I'm the-"

"Doctor. I know," I cut him off with my whisper. His smile was ripped from his face, being replaced with a harsh frown.

"Well that's not good, is it No? I'm afraid you're going to have to come with me," he grabbed my wrist harshly and even though I tried to fight back it was evident he was stronger. The raggedy man dragged me with him, and as we walked he quickened his pace taking me down a narrow alleyway I had never wanted to venture through before because it had always given me the creeps.

"Where are you taking me?" I questioned, fear noticeably tinging my voice. Even though I trusted the Doctor I was still slightly worried by his sudden change in emotion.

He didn't answer instead leading me down once again another alleyway where we were met with the sight of his blue box. It was even more beautiful up close. I couldn't help but let out a gasp. I felt his grip tighten and so looked up at his face, he was focusing on opening the TARDIS and therefore didn't notice my gaze. His eyes were dancing with the fright of a million children with monsters hiding beneath their bed, their screams going unanswered. No one could help them and no one could help him either.

"Doctor, what's wrong?" my voice was softer, almost hesitant.

Once again my question was left floating in the atmosphere, a question without an answer. Yet.

He pushed open the TARDIS door with a sense of pure urgency and threw me inside. For the second time today I ended up on the floor. The Doctor however didn't notice and instead started pacing back and forth, his hand on his chin and a pattern of both confusion and unease embroidered onto his face. Every now and again he would stop. Look at me. Then start pacing again. This would happen again and again and again and again until…

"Look can you just tell me what's wrong? Starting with why the hell you've dragged me into here!" I couldn't help it, I was fed up with his stupid silent sulking.

Finally he wandered over to where I was now sitting. cross legged, leaning back against the controls of his beloved TARDIS. I felt something move next to me and looked over to see him in the same position I was in. He looked over, sorrow hiding in his ancient eyes, eyes that had probably seen more than any other being in existence. It took him a while but finally he sighed and then turned his whole body until he was facing me completely.

"You know everything about me, correct?" I nodded sheepishly and looked down to start fiddling with my nails. I felt his hand touch mine as he pulled it away and placed it on the cold floor, his hand covered mine, a blanket protecting my hand from the cold. His touch was warm and I couldn't help but shiver slightly, a smile playing at the edge of my mouth.

"You shouldn't know about me, but you do and that isn't good. I was told a while ago that one day I will meet a person that knows all about me when I know nothing about them. That day the person that holds the answer to both my future and past and who is the saviour of many worlds will be erased from the universe never to be seen again. This person is the key to me not going mad and destroying everything ever created. If what I was told is true, today is the day everything ends." He looked over to me again, that frown I had seen before was once again etched onto his lips but a new emotion had crept into his eyes as well, worry.

"Who is this 'person'?" I asked, both confused and intrigued. The Doctor looked down, I could tell he wasn't sure how to phrase what he needed to say. I tried again. "Doctor, tell me, it's okay."

He closed his eyes and breathed out before whispering the word I knew he was going to say all along; "you."

It was as if a million knives had been stabbed into me as I struggled to find my voice or breath for that matter. "What does that mean? Am I going to die? Today? What about the whole 'saviour of many worlds'? You can't destroy everything, you're the hero not the bad guy? Wait? Why me? I'm not special, I'm a nobody…"

The doctor cut me off by bringing a finger up to my lips. Managing a smile he jumped up and pulled me to my feet.

"Don't worry though because I won't let that happen, will I?"

"Will you?"

"Nope, because today is the day your life is going to begin, not end, and I'm the Doctor so I get to choose that."

"Okay then. Great. Yay."

He chuckled and laced his hand through mine pulling me into a hug. I couldn't help but laugh and as I did I inhaled breathing in his scent of…everything. He smelt of cold crisp never ending nights and warm fires that glow even after you put them out. He smelt of happiness and excitement all mixed into one with an essence of adventure, the scent of forgotten worlds and remembered worlds too. He smelt of everything you'd imagine a hero to smell of and so much more.

"You're going to be okay. I promise." He whispered into my hair, I liked this Doctor, much more than the stupid silent sulky one.

"Thank you," I whispered back before being gently pushed away only for him to bound past like a new born puppy, rushing around the controls pushing different buttons and twisting multi-coloured controls while hitting others. It was a whirl of motion as he started up the engines of the TARDIS.

"Are you ready to save tomorrow?" he asked a massive grin painted on his features.

"One hundred percent yes!" I laughed watching as he spun around in one fluid movement before yelling that one word that set the butterflies flying in my stomach.

"Geronimo!"