Q - Why does the Eighth Doctor have Ace, Benny, and Hex?
A - I'm not sure.
Q - Will he survive them?
A - Not sure about that either.
Xxxxxxxxx
It was a very nice day, very nice indeed. Everywhere, and everyone, was peaceful and still. The Doctor had taken the opportunity to get some repair work done on the TARDIS console, and left his companions to take care of themselves for once.
He finished what he had been working on (complex mathematical engineering far beyond human comprehending) and stood. After a moment of indecision he pulled on his green jacket and strode off in search of his companions.
When he had last spoken to them at breakfast Ace and Benny had challenged each other to a game of monopoly and Hex just wanted to read. Naturally the Doctor went straight to the library. He opened the door and strode in.
"Good afternoon!" The Doctor's cheery greeting was lost in the wall of sound that greeted him.
"I did not cheat!"
"I saw you!"
"You must've been seeing things then!"
"The hell I didn't!"
"Hex!"
"Don't get me in this!"
"Tell Benny!"
"No!"
"You better tell Ace that-"
"Stop!" The Doctor bellowed. They all froze. Ace was standing on the coffee table glaring down at Benny who was holding a fistful of monopoly dollars. Poor Hex was standing to the side trying not to be drug into the madness. "What's going on?" He tried to sound stern but was afraid it probably didn't work (for some reason people, particularly Ace, didn't listen to this face as well as the last one).
"Ace cheated at Monopoly!" Benny snapped.
"I did not!" Ace retorted, jumping and making the table bounce. "Professor tells her I don't cheat!"
That would be lying, the Doctor though sadly. He knew for a fact Ace took money from the bank when she was losing and thought no one was watching. His former regeneration would no doubt have called her out on it, this one however just smiled and said, "I don't know, what you think Mr. Hex?"
Hex looked uncomfortable to be drug back into the conversation, "I was trying to read," he said finally. "I wasn't paying attention." The nurse suddenly became very interested in his shoes, the walls, and anything that wasn't Ace, Benny, or the Doctor.
"Liar!" both girls shouted. Ace hopped off the table and started toward Hex, as if planning to give him a piece of her mind. Benny seemed torn between going after Hex or Ace.
The Doctor ran his fingers through his hair in distress. "How about we pretend this never happened and" - he quickly scanned the room, looking for a quick way out - "play chess." He was, admittedly, rather proud of his solution, even though he had simply said the first thing he saw.
Two things happened at the same time: Hex said, "But there are four of us." And the Doctor landed flat on his back on the ground.
He looked up in time to see Ace's black clad form storming away. He turned to see both other occupants of the room glaring at him.
"I wonder why she did that? And on the subject of wondering, who are you? Then perhaps you could tell me, who am I?"