"Seriously?" the Doctor asked, incredulous, as he held up a newspaper. The headline read "Leadworth's Crop Circles", and underneath was a picture of the word 'Doctor', written in a field, along with a thin line that crossed through it. He had never seen anyone so desperate to contact him.
"Well, you never answer your phone," Rory retorted, slamming the car door.
"Okay, you've had all summer," Amy said, unable to wait another second. "Have you found her? Have you found Melody?"
He swallowed, unwilling to give up the information he didn't have. "Permission?" the Doctor asked Rory. He was fully aware how annoyed Rory got whenever the Doctor got anywhere close to Amy.
"Granted," Rory said, reluctant, as he grabbed the paper out of the Doctor's hands. The Doctor quickly enveloped Amy in a hug.
"You know who she grows up to be," the Doctor whispered as he hugged Amy tightly. "So, you know, I will find her."
"But you haven't yet," Amy murmured doubtfully.
"Hang on, what's this bit?" Rory interjected, pointing to the line straight through the word'Doctor'.
"That wasn't us," Amy noted.
The Doctor took the paper and examined the picture. "Umm... I don't—"
Then, the sound of a car motor could be heard roaring close by. The Doctor lowered the paper enough for all of them to see a red car racing towards them. They all screamed, jumping out of the way and falling to the ground, and the car swerved, barely missing the TARDIS. The Doctor felt a wave of irritation that the car had almost crashed into his ship. A woman with dark brown skin and braided black hair stepped out of the car and stood over the Doctor. She grinned.
"You said he was funny," she mused, smirking. "You never said he was hot."
"Mel!" yelled Rory, after scrambling to his feet. Amy stared at the girl on disbelief.
"What are you doing here?" Amy asked, dazed.
"Following you, what d'you think?" the girl called Mel retorted, matter-of-fact.
The Doctor opened his mouth, feeling highly lost. He couldn't manage to get any words out.
"Um, where did you get the car?" Rory inquired, worried for her answer.
"It's mine," Mel said proudly. Police sirens could be heard in the distance and they were getting closer. She grinned sheepishly. "Ish."
"Oh, Mels, not again," Amy groaned.
"You can't keep doing this!" Rory scolded. "You're gonna end up in prison."
"Sorry," the Doctor interrupted, finally finding his words. He turned to Mel, giving her a cheeky, "Hello," and then returned back to Amy and Rory. "Doctor not following this. Doctor very lost." He stopped talking, questions bubbling over the surface, until finally he managed to get one out. "You never said I was hot?"
"Is that the Phone Box?" Mel breathed, staring at the TARDIS in awe. "The bigger-on-the-inside Phone Box?"
The Doctor couldn't believe it. Out of nowhere was this strange person he had never met - stranger than him, and who was apparently a criminal - seemed to know everything about him. He couldn't shake the feeling that 'Mel' was eerily familiar, either.
"Time travel," Mel said dreamily, stroking the TARDIS now.
Nobody strokes my TARDIS like that but me!the Doctor thought, stunned by this girl. That's just insulting!
"That's just brilliant," Mel said, looking at the Doctor now. He was taken aback - her words had slightly echoed his thoughts. "Yeah. I've heard a lot about you. I'm their best mate."
"Then why don't I know you?" the Doctor retorted, very confused now. "I danced with everyone at the wedding. The women were all brilliant. The men were a bit shy—"
"I don't do weddings." Mel said, rolling her eyes. The sirens grew closer. "And that's me, out of time."
She pulled a gun on the Doctor and he almost wanted to duck and cover.
"Mels!" Amy gasped, shocked.
"For God's sake!" Rory yelled, considering stepping forward and ripping the gun away. Amy's words stopped him.
"What are you doing?!" Amy shouted.
"I need out of here." Mel said easily, turning to the Doctor. "Now."
"Anywhere in particular?" the Doctor asked, swallowing. He was starting to get panicky and he didn't like that. He didn't like having a gun pointed at his face, either.
"Well let's see." Mel mused. "You've got a time machine, I've got a gun. What the hell? Let's kill Hitler."
The Doctor raised his eyebrows, startled. Why in Rassilon's name would this strange girl want to kill Hitler? And why was she pointing a gun at him? All she had to do was ask to come traveling with them. She didn't have to threaten him with guns. Guns never get people anywhere, except in places they shouldn't be.
"You shot it!" the Doctor screeched. He couldn't believe what was going on. "You shot my TARDIS! You've shot the console!"
"It's your fault!" Mel yelled, defending herself. He seethed with rage, letting out a small shriek of anger.
"How is it my fault?" he screamed at her.
"You said guns didn't work in this place," Mel said. "You said we were in a state of temporal grace!"
"That was a clever lie, you idiot!" the Doctor snapped, extremely frustrated. Never in his entire life had anyone shot his TARDIS. "Anyone could tell that was a clever lie!"
They were crashing. The TARDIS was crashing and he didn't know when or where they would end up. He had put in the coordinates for Mel's request but after she shot the console, he didn't know what would happen. He shot her one last look before bravely thinking, GERONIMO!
