A short introduction: This story is written by two people, myself and Jessie. This first chapter it written by me. The next will be written by her and the next by me and so on and so forth. Please leave a review and tell us what you think. If you want more of our story, let us know. This is something of a test run. Thanks so much for reading and commenting and all the things you guys do. Enjoy!

Sometimes, things happen, things we can't explain, could never hope to explain. But they always happen for a reason, one true purpose. Perhaps it happened to save your life, to help you meet someone you needed in your life, or perhaps merely to ensure your destiny. There is one thing we know for sure, though. And that is that we never know when these things will happen.
Today was one of those days.
It was the summer of 2005. I had just turned ten. I had been homeschooled since I started first grade when I was six but, contrary to popular belief about homeschoolers, I had friends—family friends, friends across the street, friends from co-ops, and my sister had recently become my new best friend.

This summer was just as insignificant as any other; no school, pool parties, and the time of my life to be had. I had no idea something like this was going to happen, something that would change my life forever.

I was at a friend's house. They lived only about a mile from us and we went over there often. They had a pool that we later acquired from them, but that's beside the point. My sister and I had forgotten our bathing suits, so we went swimming in T-shirts and the boys' pants. I have to say, it never crossed my mind that wearing my "boyfriend's" pants was weird. I was too caught up in the moment to care.

Jordan, the older of the two brothers who my sister and I claimed as our boyfriends, had splashed me one too many times. My eyes were getting red from the chlorine. I could feel it, and it burned. Chemical induced tears streaming down my face, I hopped out and went around to the front of the house to dry off before stepping inside. A towel sat on the front step, waiting to be used. I bent to pick it up. That's when I saw it, a strange symbol carved into a brick on the basement wall beside the front stairs. It was circular with dots and lines placed in random positions around the curve.

I went to touch it, but a hand took my wrist and held me back. When I turned around to face the owner of the hand, I saw a tall man in a long brown coat looking down at me with a very serious face.

"Don't touch that," he said. "It's a message for someone special. You must leave it alone."

I glanced back at the symbol in the brick. "That's a message? It's just a circle."

He grinned. "Yes, yes it is. But it's a very important circle. Can you keep it safe for me?"

I wasn't at all sure what to think. Who was this strange man anyway? What business did he have with a circle in the brick of my boyfriend's house?

"What's your name?" I asked, squinting at him. He had the funniest looking hair...

"I'm the Doctor," he informed me, letting go of my wrist and standing straight. He pretty much looked straight down to look me in the eye.

After another glance at the symbol, I made a decision regarding his request.

"I guess I can hide it from the other people. What happens if someone finds it?"

He raised an arm to scratch the back of his head. "Well, as long as no one touches it, it should be fine." With a heave, he bent down to my level. "If someone touches it, it will disappear and the special person won't be able to read it. So, can you keep it safe for me?"

Something about this man was comforting, drawing me into him. All I wanted was to hug him and ask if I could come with him, wherever he was going. I only got out a short reply to his question.

"Yes."

"There's a good girl!" He ruffled my sopping wet hair with a smile. "Thanks for being such a champ."

He hopped up and turned to leave. I saw him start walking toward a large blue box that had somehow appeared in the yard. It had the words "Police Box" on the top. Strange thing...

Just before he got the box, the Doctor turned around to face me. "Oh, and if you see any more things like that, try to keep those hidden too, would you? I really need my friend to find these."

I nodded, clutching the towel I had involuntarily picked up. He smiled and turned back to the box. It opened from the inside and I caught a glimpse of a girl inside. She tried to crane her neck around the Doctor to look outside. She had short, dark blonde hair, and she wore a Superman T-shirt with jeans and a jacket. When she caught my eye, she smiled and waved before the Doctor made a small salute to me and pushed her inside, mumbling something about "paradoxes", whatever those were.

And then the most amazing thing happened. The box disappeared with a loud groaning and wheezing. A swirl of wind caught my still damp hair, sending chills across my wet skin and I held the towel tighter to my chest.

Once the box was gone, I did my best to cover the brick with sticks and dirt. That should keep it safe. And with that, I ran into the house, never to speak a word of it to anyone.

I found similar symbols on things every once in a while. I would hide them as best as I could. The Doctor had told me to, and who was I to argue with him? I never forgot him either. I had dreams about his face, his gentle eyes that were on fire and swimming in ice at the same time. Later, I would meet him again, but in the meantime I constantly wondered if he would come back.

Then came the day when I met someone who had had a similar experience, someone who became my friend for a very long time.