Let it be known that I'm a fairly sane 25 year old woman. But, I'm still not sure if I'm completely sane after that day. The day that I, Elizabeth Charlotte Barthow found out that the Doctor is, in fact, real.
The day ended like any other normal day. I waved to my co-workers as I left for the day, making sure they were all set and untangled my earbuds from my purse so I could plug them into my phone to listen to my music. I breathed in the crisp, fall air as I walked the block from the coffee shop that my parents owned to my apartment. It had been a long day of serving customers with complicated orders. Luckily for me, I'd decided to take the weekend off and let the co-manager take over. So since it was Friday, I had such a crazy Friday night planned. I was going to crash on my sofa with a glass of wine, order some takeout, and watch some well-deserved Doctor Who on Amazon prime, which was perfect for a girl in her mid-twenties. I wasn't one for going out all the time. As an introvert, I preferred doing my own thing with myself. Little did I know however, that life had other plans for me. Plans of the, shall we say, alien variety.
Later that night, I was curled up on the sofa, drinking a glass of moscato and watching season 9 of Doctor who on my TV, when an odd breeze came in, rustling some papers. Confused, I got up from my sofa to check my windows to make sure they weren't open. They weren't. I knew that that my AC wasn't on since it was chilly outside anyways. But that breeze was coming from a unexpected source that I never even figured out it would come from.
"Where the heck is that breeze coming from?" I muttered to myself.
I turned around and froze. "Hooly crap!" I whispered to myself as I saw the TARDIS materializing right in front of my eyes.
"How much wine did I drink?!" I whispered to myself in shock as I stared wide eyed at the TARDIS. "No. No way am I seeing the TARDIS in my apartment. There is no logical explanation as to why it would be here.
Nope, I'm seeing things."
Sure, like every Whovian I'd imagine myself traveling in the TARDIS with the Doctor and fighting aliens along the way. But that's all they were. Just fantasies. I was sane enough to realize that he wasn't real. Or, so I had thought. That was proven to me tonight. I was still convinced that I had possibly drank a little too much wine or had fallen asleep and was dreaming. Either way was a plausibility as I cautiously stepped towards the TARDIS. I hesitantly reached out my hand and touched the wood.
"Well, it certainly feels real." I said to myself as I walked around it.
What I hadn't realized was that the Doctor himself had walked out and was leaning against one of my walls, watching in amusement as I walked around the TARDIS mumbling to myself. I didn't realize that the Doctor was in my apartment (granted, I also didn't know what incarnation I'd get or even if I'd get one from the show) and was considering just knocking on the door when I heard him clear his throat. I jumped a little bit and turned, only to see a man with spiky brown hair and warm brown eyes grinning at me. He was wearing a brown pinstriped suit and beige chucks. Despite the fact that I was completely stunned beyond belief and still doubting that he was actually in my apartment, I couldn't help but feel a little thrill. 10 was my favorite Doctor. Not that I didn't love the other Doctors (or at least the ones I'd seen. I hadn't had chance to venture that much into classic who) but I just took a huge liking to 10.
"Hello!" He said cheerfully.
"Wha- how?" I said, barely getting out those words. Needless to say, this wasn't turning out to be a normal night.
"Ah, you're probably wondering how I'm here, aren't you?" He asked.
"Uh huh." I managed to get out. "How is it possible that you're here? Unless I'm dreaming or I have had a little too much wine and I'm hallucinating."
The Doctor was clearly amused at my little rant. "Trust me. You're not dreaming or hallucinating." He said, chuckling. "I am 100% real. As you probably know by now, there are parallel worlds and you live in a world where I just happen to be a character in a TV show."
"But I mean, how can you be here. I thought you couldn't travel to other parallel worlds." I said, using my knowledge of the show.
"Some parallel worlds you can travel to and this just happens to be one of them." The Doctor said.
"Ok then." I said, slowly, trying to take it all in. "But why me? It's not like I'm anyone special."
"Oi! Who said you weren't special?!" The Doctor asked, a little bit offended. "Of course you're special. You have the potential to do great things."
At that, I looked down sheepishly at the floor. I probably should have expected that answer. One of the reasons I loved that show was because it showed so much of the human spirit and the Doctor was always trying to show ordinary people that they were so much more than what they gave themselves credit for. But again, it's not like I was ever expecting him to tell me that since I'd always thought it was just a tv show. But clearly it wasn't.
"So wait...are you actually asking me if I want to travel with you?" I asked, trying to contain my excitement. How many times had I dreamed of traveling with the Doctor? How many times had a part of me hoped that I'd hear the sound of the TARDIS, not just on my phone but in real life? And now it was actually happening. Not just in my dreams or my fantasies.
"Welll, that is, if you want to." The Doctor said.
"I would love to!" I said, then realized how crazy this all was. The fact that this has become a reality started to set in. "I mean, I think I need some time to get over the fact that you're real. But, can I at least go into the TARDIS right now and see it?" I asked, hopefully.
"'Course you can." The Doctor said, cheerfully. He opened the door and I cautiously stepped in.
"It really is bigger on the inside!" I whispered as I walked around the console room.
The Doctor grinned. "Of course it is!" He said. "Were you really that surprised?"
"Well, considering that up to now, I didn't even know the TARDIS or you were actually real. So yeah. Kind of a little surprised." I said and looked up again.
I honestly never realized how huge the inside actually was until I actually walked in. Suddenly the enormity of the TARDIS hit me and also another thing hit me. If he was real, that meant that all the aliens from Doctor Who were most likely real as well. It was starting to get a little bit too overwhelming. The doctor looked up at me at I leaned against one of the walls.
"Are you ok?" He asked in a concerned voice.
"I think so." I said. The Doctor gave me a look and I amended my statement. "Ok, maybe not. It's just that I never thought that a TV show could actually be real. And I'm assuming that all the aliens are real, right?"
The Doctor nodded his head. "Unfortunately, yes." He said solemnly.
"That's what I thought." I said. "To be honest, this is all going to take some time to think about." I said.
"Welll, I can always come back for you, if you want." The Doctor said.
"I think that would be for the best. Not that I haven't always dreamed of traveling with you, but I just found out about you tonight." I said as I walked over to the door. "Just give me some time and I should be fine."
"Take all the time you need." He said, smiling.
I waved and stepped out the door. A few seconds later, I watched in amazement as the TARDIS dematerialized out of my apartment. I shook my head in wonder as I sat back down and tried to get back into watching Doctor who, but I couldn't. I guess no one could after finding out that the Doctor wasn't, in fact fiction, but real. I sighed and turned off the tv, finally deciding to go to bed. Tomorrow was another day. Maybe by that time I'd get over it, but I was doubtful.
I realize that I have many fanfics going right now, but this idea wouldn't get out of my head. I wanted to try writing a fanfic where the main character is a woman from our world who finds out that the Doctor is real. Also, I like to think I'd have the same reaction at seeing the TARDIS that Elizabeth has.