Shivering, the young woman stared at the man who had emerged form a blue box that had appeared out of nowhere. And she smiled.
The Doctor had no idea where or when he was. The TARDIS had suddenly started to whir, and when he had opened the door, it was snowing, and they were in a deserted street. Deserted, that is, except for the ragged woman who was grinning like a Cheshire cat. The Doctor inspected her, trying hard not to stare. She was thin, very thin, as if she had not eaten for a while, and was pale, with blue lips from the cold. Her teeth, clenched together in a smile, were chattering. Her clothes were torn and ragged, and she was barefoot. The Doctor, lonely after leaving Donna behind, was struck by inspiration-to make this girl his new companion. After all, by the looks of her, she'd be better off, and she (hopefully) wouldn't die before the week was out. Which was a dead cert in his opinion, judging by her appearance and their surroundings. He returned the smile, surprised that the girl's mouth could strecth even wider.
Cautiously, slowly, so not to frighten her, he approached. "Are you OK? What's your name?" The girl looked him in the eyes, black meeting brown. The intensity of her gaze jolted a recognition in the Doctor. It was the same steady gaze that met him every time he looked in the mirror.
"My name's Thora. And I'm bloody freezin'." Her face turned into a playful scowl, but turned lighter. "But otherwise, yes, I am OK. Thanks." She paused. "Who're you?" Inside, she laughed to herself. She already knew. True, they had never met, and she had no idea what he looked like, but she recognised the box. The TARDIS. The Doctor, however, was oblivious to the merriment in her eyes.
"I'm the Doctor." He waited for the inevitable denials that it couldn't be his name, not his realname, but there was no objections. Just a nod and a smile. They stood there for a moment, in the middle of the snowdrift, not feeling the cold for a moment. Eventually, Thora's lips twitched.
"Is there anywhere we can go? I mean, as nice as it is to stand barefoot in the freezing cold turning into ice, I'd much rather be warm right now."
The Doctor nodded and laughed. "Of course. Follow me." He turned and walked into the TARDIS, hearing the faint sounds of Thora's footsteps.
They entered the TARDIS, and Thora smiled at the welcoming warmth and the space. She knew that the Doctor would be puzzled by her calm acceptance of the TARDIS's inner proportions, so she turned to him and locked together their eyes.
"I know that you are a Time Lord. I've been waiting so long to see you. To see the TARDIS. I can't begin to tell you." She beamed, and the Doctor was overwhelmed by the sudden warmth he felt.
"Well, we best get you some warm clothes." He pointed out where the rooms were. "Go ahead." He smiled. She scampered in the direction of the bathroom, eager to get out of her filthy attire.
An hour later, and Thora was dressed in jeans and a thick, baggy jumper. She had washed her black hair until it shone again, and she had eaten her first hot meal in weeks. She had informed the Doctor that he had found her in January 2009, when it had been snowing for almost a week. She had been homeless, kicked out of her house by her parents, and she rarely had money to get any food. The Doctor had insisted on giving her a medical examination, to check that she hadn't picked up anything on the streets of London, which were not often desirable places to live. She had been extremely reluctant, but had refused to explain why, much to the Time Lord's annoyance. However, when he had beaten her into submission, it had been made very clear why when the Doctor had taken out his stethoscope.
"Care to explain why you have two heartbeats?"