A short response to the prompt "Who's a person from literature you would most like to meet and talk with? What would you like to know?"
'So, without further gilding the lily and with no more ado, I give to you,' the story!
I had never before experienced a man sitting down at my table without being prompted by me, or even noticed by me before they sat down. To my surprise, and eventual joy, this man took it upon himself to take the empty seat opposite me in the diner. He looked into my eyes for a brief moment before stealing one of my mozzarella sticks.
"You're suitable." He told me around a mouthful of fried cheese. I quirked an eyebrow at him.
"I'm sorry, but suitable for what, exactly?" I asked, confused. He was dressed in old-fashioned clothing, but it fit him well; I liked it very much. He had a pale pink, pinstriped button-down on under his red suspenders. The suspenders were attacked to grey slacks, and underneath the grey slacks were dark Oxfords. He had slung a golden tweed jacket over the back of his chair when he had sat down, and I feel like it truly completed the outfit, as did his bow-tie that matched his suspenders. He pushed his floppy brown hair away from his face with his free hand and he studied me, much like I was studying him.
"Coming with me, of course." He told me, as though it were so painfully obvious that I should have already known. I was suddenly struck with recognition and leaned forward across the small table, studying his face.
"I know you." My voice was low, and I looked over my shoulder to make sure nobody would notice and think me crazy. "You're the Doctor. Or, you're an actor... The Doctor's not real."
"The Doctor is very real. I am him." The man assured me. He mimicked my movements, leaning towards me, but his hand snuck under our arms to take another piece of food of my plate. "Want proof?"
"I definitely want proof." I agreed. He picked up my plate and stood abruptly, walking away from me. Assuming I was meant to follow, I grabbed his jacket off of his chair and hurried after him. He walked, happily munching on a bite of grilled cheese, down a side alley. I glanced behind me, worried that I had fallen right into a criminal's trap and that I wouldn't be making it out alive.
"Wait a moment, wait a moment." He shuffled around for a moment, looking puzzled before he spotted me. He pointed with a mozzarella stick at his jacket in my arms. "I need the keys out of the pocket."
I fished in one of the pockets for a moment before emerging with one keychain. He hurried over and snatched it from me, pressing a button and listening intently for something. Suddenly, a merry chirp sounded from right beside us, causing me to jump nearly right into this man. Out of the nothingness that had been there came a substantial blue police box.
"It's the TARDIS." My voice had now become a whisper. The man smacked me on the back, grinning.
"Of course it's the TARDIS. I'm the Doctor." He told me, yet again. He reached around me and pushed the door to the box open. I went in ahead of him, surprised and also not at the huge control room that greeted me.
"You really are the Doctor." I told him dumbly. He shut the door behind us and handed me the now-empty plate.
"I really am the Doctor." He repeated, taking his coat from my arm and tossing it off to the side. "Now, you're suitable, so let's go."
"Whoah, whoah, wait!" I exclaimed, setting the plate down on the floor by my feet. He jumped up onto a platform which contained the control center and turned around briefly to look at me.
"Wait for what? We have things and stuff and other things to be doing besides standing here talking, miss." The Doctor frowned for a moment. "What is your name?"
"I'm not telling you my name until you tell me more about what's going on. I want to know why." Despite my standoffish words, I stepped closer to him until I was standing beside him at the panels.
"You want to know why? Everyone wants to know why, of course." The Doctor told me simply. He hesitated for a moment before speaking again. "Do you want to know the answer to "why"?"
I nodded and looked up at him; he was taller than I was by about a foot, perhaps slightly taller due to his shoes. "I do. Do you know it, Doctor?"
The Doctor leaned down to whisper in my ear, almost as though he was afraid that someone was listening to our conversation and was about to hear a great secret. "The answer to "why" is always "why not", miss."
"That's it? Just "why not"?" I repeated. He nodded seriously and turned back to the panels.
"So, I answered you. Answer me." The Doctor's words were a command, but they sounded friendlier, more like a request. It was as though I was a skittish puppy, and the slightest abrasive movement or word might scare me off.
"My name is Nicole. So, where are we going, Doctor? Now that I know what I need to know." I offered him a smile. He pat the top of my head, like I actually was the dog I imagined he believed me to be, and pressed one large button on the panel in front of us. An enormous grinding noise erupted all around them, and, though I didn't have the sensation of moving, I knew we must be.
"A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away." He answered with a ridiculous grin. "Push this one."
I reached up and pushed the triangular button he pointed to, and we clearly came to a halt as the grinding came to us again. He took my hand and dragged me towards the door.
"Let's go, Miss Nicole." The Doctor told me, pushing the door open into the future.