Author Notes: This is a random Doctor Who and Once Upon a Time crossover mainly because I love both shows. This is my first fanfic so please review :)

The Runaway Child

I sat there in my favourite chair with a chipping cup in hand waiting for her. It was only a matter of time. She would come. And I was prepared this time. I smiled as I heard her knock on the door. And about time too! I carefully left my nearly finish tea on the bench before picking up the package and opening the door. "Happy Birthday Emma!" I hugged but she didn't respond. Something was up.

Last year she had rocked at my door mopping that she had no one to spend her birthday with. So this year I thought I'd surprise her. But it looked as I had been beaten to it. At her side was a child say maybe ten years old. He smiled at me. Oh my goodness! That was her smile. I looked at her and then to him again. "Really?" is all I could mutter.

"It would seem so." She sighed. "I have to take him back home to some town called Storybrooke. So I was wondering..."

"Storybrooke?" I injected.

"You've heard of it?"

"Hon I'm a psychologist not a geography teacher. Still what were they thinking when they named it, about some fairytale or something?" I laughed.

The boy beamed up at me as though I had cracked some secret code. "I have no idea." Emma smiled back. "Still I have to get him home. So I was wondering if you could keep an eye on the place. I'll probably get back tomorrow but if there's any hold ups I'll let you know."

"Sure. See you tomorrow." I smiled.

"Oh, and thanks." She smiled tiredly as she looked down at the rapped gift.

I waved goodbye before closing the door and thinking what the hell had happened. Emma was like me. She had no family. That was until this boy turned up. If that really is her son she won't be coming back. And to think I had finally made a friend who wasn't part of Torchwood, UNIT or some other thing that related back to aliens. Well as if it was going to last.

It wasn't long before people came to move her things out. I wonder who would be my neighbour next. Let's hope it's not Jack, River or do I dare say the Doctor. Now that would be a laugh. Not to mention trouble, lots and lots of trouble. Still maybe it was a time for change.

I was no stranger to change. Just because I was years older than I appeared didn't mean that I was suck in my ways. Not at all. I was used to change. I had to be. When you can't age you kinda have to move around a lot. Looking twenty-six for a decade somehow makes people suspicious. So yeah I've kissed Shakespeare, slapped Hitler and have doctorate in archaeology from the fifty-first century, which unfortunately can't get me a job in that field in the twenty-first. Shame, I loved archaeology. Not to mention River, I should catch up with her. Still maybe I should find an excuse to give this Storybrooke a visit.

I looked at the calendar. "Only a few weeks to Christmas now" I sighed to myself.

Last year I had spent it with Emma. But now she was gone. River was in prison, the doctor was I don't know where. But from experience I've learnt spending Christmas with him just meant trouble and well I was getting too old for that. All my other friends were on the other side of the world. Sure I had the money to go there but I still had a feeling I was need somewhere else. That was when the phone rang. There were no words just crying, only crying. I knew what I had to do "Emma I'm coming."

One long as drive later and I was there. Now where the hell is a coffee shop? I pulled up and walked into Granny's Diner. I chucked, is everything here named after fairytale characters or something. A pretty dark haired girl; that kinda reminded me of Amy Pond with her hair strikes and short shorts; smiled at me as I walked inside. "Hi, you must be visiting."

"Yep," I smiled back "Do you do coffee?"

"Of course." She beamed as she poured me a cup. "Are you planning to stay?"
"Yeah, I'll probably stay for Christmas."

"Well if you give me your details I can organise a room for you." I must have given her a confused looked because she added "Granny and I run the bed and breakfast just around the corner."

"Oh, of course. Well book it under Dr. Gold."

"Gold? You're here to visit your father?" she looked at me in shock.

And well I was just plain confused. "Ah, no, I lost my father a long time ago." A tear rolled down my face. He didn't come home one night. But she didn't need to know that. "I'm Emma Swan's old neighbour." I rubbed the tear away.

"Oh," she looked relieved. "Thank goodness, I mean I'm sorry, ah, umm..."

I couldn't help but laugh "So Mr. Gold is someone to avoid."

"Well you could say that." She smiled back.

"I'll keep that in mind." I picked up the paper cup and took a sip. "So where can I find Emma."