Author's Note: This story will not be a rewrite of any episode or season of Doctor Who, it will take place in-between different episodes. The first few chapters take place before "Rose".
A light, cold breeze blew through the alleyway. Kylie shivered under her many layers of rags and newspaper. She had lain awake for hours, waiting for sleep to outweigh the cold. She was just drifting off, when she heard an odd sound. Something of a mechanical whirring caught her attention and she turned over to see what it was. The sight nearly made her scream. She stood up suddenly, staring in amazement at a small metal robot. It looked like a life size salt and pepper shaker, with a whisk like extension and a long eyestalk that wiggled around. It fixed on her and powered up the whisk thing. It must be a gun, she realized.
"EX-TER-MIN-ATE!" it screamed suddenly. Kylie nearly had a heart attack. it began firing wildly around her, the bullets hitting the brick sides of buildings. She dodged around them, and finally managed to climb a iron ladder on the side of a house. From there she jumped over the metal thing, and onto the sidewalk, taking off as soon as she hit the ground. Turning corners and dodging through side streets, the screams of "EXTERMINATE!" following her wherever she went. They gradually got fainter and fainter and she finally turned into an alleyway. Resting her back against the side of the alley, she panted for breath.
"Hello there." a refined voice said behind her, scaring her for the second time that night. She turned warily and there stood a man in a Victorian coat with long dark brown curly hair. He was smiling kindly at her. This might have been strange by itself, but he was standing in front of a bright blue "Police Public Call Box". This was what it said, anyway.
The man came towards her, a kind look in his eyes.
"Can I help you?" He asked calmly. What if he was with that thing? She backed away, but froze before she came out of the alley. Now she felt trapped, a metal thing who wanted to kill her behind her, and a strange man who might want to too! She kept glancing back and forth between him and the street, trying to be aware of both threats. The man looked concerned, and looked beyond her onto the street.
"What's wrong?" He asked. Then he looked at her face, as if now completely comprehending the terror on her face. He grew all the more serious.
"Get in." He pointed to the blue box, whose door was partly open, with golden light spilling from the inside. Kylie didn't move. "Get in. You'll be safe." He repeated. She slowly moved in that direction, and he silently entered the alley. Kylie stopped moving. She couldn't explain why, but she trusted this man. She couldn't bear leaving him to that thing. She moved towards the street. Then that horrible scream of "EXTERMINATE" sounded again. She ran in that direction. A ways off, the man was running towards her, being chased by that metal thing. He didn't look scared, or anywhere near Kylie felt, in fact he looked dead serious. The metal thing shot its gun again and the man fell on his face. This brought Kylie nearer still, and before she knew what she was doing, she had the man's arms draped over her shoulders and was half supporting, half dragging him towards the alley. He was still conscious and when they reached the entry to the alley, he dragged himself to a standing position and turned to face the enemy. He pulled out a metal rod sort of thing and pointed it at the thing. Sparks flew around its gun, and although it continued to move around, it no longer fired.
"You are alone, now." He said, and it was half a minute before Kylie realized he was talking to the metal thing. All alone? What did that mean?
"The war is over, they're all gone." The man continued. "You are useless without orders, you have no purpose." With that he turned toward his box, and stumbled towards the door. Kylie again supported him, and they entered the strange blue building. Once inside, the man stumbled towards the round center console. Kylie was surrounded in a blaze of gold light, and as her eyes slowly adjusted, she stared in wonder at the size of the place. Then she remembered the man who'd been shot. She rushed towards him.
"Are you alright? she asked, speaking for the first time. He looked at her as he fiddled with the buttons on the console, and gave a sort of cross between a grimace and a smile.
"Nice to know you can speak," he managed. After a few more buttons and switches, he sank down to the floor. She sat down with him.
"Are you alright? Can I help?" She pleaded. This man had just saved her and now it looked like he was dying. He looked thoughtfully at her.
"I'm sorry, no. There's nothing you can do. " He gasped. "Please try to keep calm." He weakly protested as she began to cry.
"But-But you're...dying?" She blubbered.
"Well...no, not exactly." He replied, glancing at his hands. "I - I am going to change. Please don't be scared. And don't be sad." He said kindly. Kylie tried to stop, I mean, the least she could do is obey his dying wishes. Funny way of saying he was dying, though, 'going to change'. But what hadn't been strange about this whole adventure?
He was laying on the ground now, and his breath was growing shorter and shorter. He wheezed out some words she couldn't hear.
"What?" She asked, and leaned forward.
"Stand back." He whispered. She backed up quickly, as gold light surrounded him and he glowed like the sun. She looked away until it died down. When she looked, back she was not prepared for what she saw. There lay a man who looked nothing like the one who had just been there. He had short cropped hair and, well, rather large ears. He sat up and was taking deep breaths. Kylie started back towards the door, this was just too much. Her footsteps made him look over. He gave her a huge smile.
"Hello there!" He exclaimed, "Told'ya it'd be fine!" She continued to back up. He looked sad.
"Where are you going? Don't leave yet!" He stood up. She moved even, and soon had her back to the door. He froze.
"I mean, you're welcome to. Leave, I mean. But I -I can explain!" Something about his voice seemed strange. Then Kylie realized, not only that it sounded completely different, but that he was talking with a northern accent.
"Who are you?" She said quietly. He gave a little smile.
"I'm the Doctor." He replied. It sounded like he was giving the punch line to a joke, the way he said it, like he was waiting for a response.
"The doctor...what?" She replied, and he gave her a wide grin.
"Exactly!" He exclaimed. "I mean, just the Doctor."
"What did you do with the man who was dying?" She asked just as quietly as before. He grew serious again.
"That was me. I... changed. Sort of cheated death." Kylie gave him a look like he was crazy or something. "My body was dying, but instead of dying, all of the cells changed, gave me a new face, new life." He explained. "Is that alright?" She nodded hesitantly.
"Why can't other people do that?"
"I'm not like other people. I'm... well, let's just say I'm from another planet." He said.
"You're... you're an alien? And this is your spaceship?"
"Yes and yes." He said, smiling.
"It's bigger...on the inside?" She questioned, her voice squeaking a little, making him chuckle.
"Yes."
"What was chasing us, before?" At this his face darkened into what looked like bad memories.
"It was a Dalek. Another alien, and my enemy."
"Okay. Why don't you want me to leave? There's nothing else to do."
"Oh but there is, you see, this ship is called the TARDIS, that's Time And Relative Dimension In Space. It can travel anywhere in time and space."
"Anywhere?"
"Anywhere."
"And you want me to come?"
"I do."
"But... why? I mean, you don't even know my name, why'd you want me to travel with you?" At this he walked up to her and held out his hand.
"How rude of me. Who do I have the pleasure of asking to come with me today?"
"Kylie." She shook his hand. He grinned. "Very nice to meet you, Kylie, and to answer your question, anyone who cares enough to try and save someone else deserves all to see all of time and space." She blushed. "Well, I guess, if you're truly offering, I'll..."
"Fantastic!" He exclaimed, and rushed to the center console, then turned to look at her, beaming.
"Where do you want to start?"
