Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who...alas...

I chewed on my pencil nervously as I sat at the bus stop waiting for the last bus home. It had been another late night at school, but that's to be expected in my last year before getting my degree. To make matters worse, I was now at war with myself. Study for another few hours, or have some tea and relax before getting a nice full sleep.

Before I could debate with myself for two long, the bus arrived, all big and red and looming. I knew that no one would be on the top deck, so I went up there. It was a long ride, about 45 minutes. Without a second thought, I sat down on the top floor and started doing some homework. I had made good progress by the time I reached my flat.

Sometimes it's really lonely, living on my own. Back when I was younger, living in all the different orphanages and having all sorts of different foster families there were constantly other people around. Silence was almost unheard of. It still makes me uncomfortable sometimes.

I let myself in, tossed my bag on the table, and kicked off my trainers. Forget studying more. I need some time to myself. I first went into the living room, turned on my TV, then my Wii, then loaded up Netflix and pressed play on an episode of Doctor Who. It was only the billionth time I had re-watched the series, but I still hadn't gotten tired of it, not at all.

I let the episode play as I skipped into the kitchen and started making some tea and ramen. Hah. I often found it funny, how much of a typical student I was. While the water heated up, I walked down the hall and into my room to change into some comfy pajamas. As I shut the door behind me, that's when I heard it. That unmistakable whooshing noise. It was so loud!

I threw the door back open and looked at the TV. It was at a cut-scene, nowhere near a TARDIS materialization. I could still hear it. Without a second glance, I ran out of the flat and down the street. I nervously tapped my pockets as I was running, glad to have my keys still in them. The door would have automatically locked behind me and the last thing I wanted to do was explain to the authorities how much of an idiotic nerd I was.

For once, I was glad I was in shape. I mean, I say for once even though I suppose it always comes in handy, but I don't actually do a sport or anything to have a use for being fit. I just run a lot. The few blocks I had to run felt like nothing compared to my daily two to four miles.

When I finally found the source of the whooshing, I gasped. It was totally a Police Public Call Box. Maybe someone had fit in some powerful amplifiers to it so that they could freak out other Whovians. I giggled a little. It was night time, I was barefoot, there was a 'TARDIS', and I was near the shopping district. This was so stupid and dangerous.

I chuckled to myself and jogged back to my flat at a much slower pace than the breakneck speed in which I had came. Soon I was back, up the stairs, and down the hall in front of my door. I pulled my keys out of my pocket and tried to put them in through the lock. They wouldn't fit. What the hell?! I flipped them around, wondering if I was retarded or what. Nope, they don't fit that way either. I pounded on the door in frustration.

"Coming!" I heard someone inside yell.

My eyes widened and I looked at the number. No. This was definitely my flat. But what was stranger was... that was DEFINITELY MY VOICE. I'm sure all of the colour had drained out of my face. I turned around and ran like I had never ran in my life, back down the block. The 'TARDIS' replica was still where I had left it. I stared at it intently, chewing on my fingernails and clenching my fist. Slowly... very slowly... I reached out a hand and touched it.

It hummed.

"HOLY FUCKING SHIT!" I yelped, jumping back. Before I could get myself to listen to any sort of reason, I tried to open the doors, pushing of course. Locked. Of course it was locked. He didn't give his companions keys just for fashion.

I whimpered, tears beginning to well up in my eyes, and sat myself down, leaning against the TARDIS. There was nothing else for me to do. Explaining myself to myself didn't seem like a very promising endeavor. I wouldn't believe me. If anyone knew me, well... you get the point.

"I'm going to wake up now, this is all a dream. A really realistic dream where it's getting cold and I don't have shoes on. Where all I have are worthless keys and a wallet. This is all just a really really very terribly bad nightmare. I'm going to wake up, I'm going to wake up and-"

"And who are you?"

My eyes shot up and I saw him. The Doctor. The Ninth Doctor. Who was certainly not Christopher Eccelstein, despite the fact that he totally had to be Christopher Eccelstein. I let my mouth just hang open like a fool. There was no will left in my to care. If this was a dream, it sure wasn't ending anytime soon.

"Nothing to see here, c'mon, now get," he said, making shooing motions with his hand for me to book it somewhere else.

"I have nowhere else to go, but..." I said this all very numbly, but stood up anyway. The Doctor was gonna meet Rose Tyler soon, I bet, if he hasn't already. I can't be his companion.

Before I got more than a foot or two away, I turned. There was just something I had to say, because with all of the horror I felt at what had happened and the confusion as to why, my heart was still pounding like the excited fan girl that I was. He was unlocking the TARDIS.

"Before I go, if you don't mind me saying, it was great meeting you, Doctor." That was all I needed to say. I turned properly and headed off.

"Hold up there, do I know you?" he asked. I turned and he scrutinized me. Probably thought I was one of the LINDA gang. Or has that happened yet? Not in proper time, but I think he must have known about it anyway, wibbly wobbly timey wimey, because of Time Crash. Am I right? I dunno. Can't get online and chat about it, can I?

With a start, I grabbed my phone. It wasn't going to work anymore, was it?! The Doctor watched my frantic actions and interpreted it as he saw fit.

"Ahh humans, obsessed with their little technologies, just you wait. You all-"

"Blah blah blah form of downloads blah, my phone doesn't work! I don't even think it's been invented yet!" Oh yes. This got his attention.

"Let me see that. Go on, hand it over." I did as I was told. Might as well let him deduce things, since he obviously wasn't going to be asking me my name and where I was from or why I was there. At least, not yet.

"This is an iPhone 4S. Not invented for another 6 years or so. But not just that... designs a bit off... 's a bit sleeker than the one they come out with... who are you?" he asked, now analyzing me instead of my phone, which was now just a very expensive paper weight.

"Holly. My name's Holly Ashby. I don't know how I got here. I was just running and then before I knew it I was trying to get into my flat only to hear me trying to answer the door... but the keys wouldn't work. I've always had these keys there. So if I'd have went back in time I would have still been able to get in. This isn't where I'm supposed to be. I shouldn't even be talking to you," I ended, regret seeping into my words. There was an intense sorrow in his eyes as he gazed back at me.

Ah the ninth doctor. All sorrow and anger and the Oncoming Storm. All of that grief, and that military air about him. Goodness.

"That's my fault," he replied, his voice very restrained, "when I... when... there was a war-"

"Yes yes, the Time War, you, Daleks, Gallifrey burning, everyone gone, sad big weight on your shoulder, I remember. What are you trying to say?" I asked, trying to speed things up a bit so that he could possibly get me home... if he even could. It was starting to sound like the big parallel world mess. But my eyes widened when I realized how he must have heard all of that. Oh... goodness, right. I shouldn't know that stuff. Probably shouldn't have said that.

"How could you-" I'll have to just spill the beans, that's the only way to fix it.

"It's TV. It's a television programme. In my universe you are a television programme. I ran out here because I could hear the TARDIS really really loud and I was watching your show on the telly, on Netflix, and it wasn't materializing on the show. I'm a big fan of your show and I was super curious, so I just ran, no shoes, had to see what it was, me. Had to go be curious. Now I have this useless phone and these useless keys and some useless identification in this bloody useless place," I was almost shouting at the end, and definitely crying.

"Oh... my life? My life is a show and you lot all watch it for fun?!" he exclaimed.

"Perspective please! I must be from a parallel world and you haven't said it yet, but I've heard you say it, how travel between parallel worlds rips these holes in time and space and how it's very very bad," I complained, waving my hands all about for emphasis.

"Oh well, like I was trying to explain before, that was me. When I... when my people... after everything, the gateways of the universe would have pulsed and then closed for good. We're right by one of those big pulsing gateways. They're closed for good now, though, I'm afraid. I'm so, so sorry Holly, but you'll never see your friends and family again."

"Not really my concern. Never had a family, and all my friends were just online. My concern is, where am I going to live? How am I going to finish my degree? How do I get a job? I can't just go running around willy nilly with psychic paper now, can I?"

"This... this television programme... my life... how far are you ahead of this, right now? How far ahead was your universe."

"Oh. Well, I don't think I should-"

"How much do you know?!" he asked, very serious.

"I'm... well, the programmes been going for 50 years. I've been waiting for the 50th anniversary special. Then, you know, season 7 is coming out, of the new run. You're... I'm sorry, but you're into your 11th regeneration."

"Well. So, you've seen every episode?"

"Of the new series, yeah."

"So you know what's supposed to happen next."

"Yes."

"That's... well, that's good."

"I'm never going to tell you," I vowed, suddenly.

"I'm not asking you to."

"Then what are you saying?"

"You're going to be the most boring unexcitable companion. You're also going to be very, very prepared."

"Well, it didn't go day by day. You and your companions always made references to stuff that the viewers didn't get to see."

"Oh pfft, well of course, there's no way that much multi-verse-al information could flow through those writers heads without causing complete cerebral shut-down. They'd be brain dead!" he said, as if it was just oh-so-obvious. Very Doctor-y. I liked it.

"Obviously," I smirked.

"So, you've met the TARDIS," he said, gesturing to the deep blue police box we had been standing in front of this whole time.

"Yes, we had a bit of a sit and a cry when you were off galavanting around. What were you up to?" I asked.

"The usual, running around, saving the world. Well, working on saving the world."

"Meet a girl, blow up her job?" I asked, smirking.

"Well I... I suppose so, yes," he said, eyeing me a bit warily.

"First episode of the first series of the new run."

"Of course it is."

"I'm not sure you want me on the TARDIS with you. You know, 'Spoilers' and all that. I'll just get in the way."

"No, no, there's something very special about you, Holly Ashby. They make vessels to go through the Void between the different universes. That's how you travel to a parallel world. You did it all on your own, without shoes on. Didn't even notice it happening."

"Well," I said, taken aback, "I guess that's true..."

"So, after you," he said, gesturing to the TARDIS.

I was feeling cheeky, and snapped my fingers. The doors opened. Oh yes. I looked back and the look on the Doctor's face was priceless. This could be good.