First meeting
It was a cold, wintry day in 1997. The people of Nottingham were hurrying about their business, trying to keep inside out of the frigid air. It seemed an ordinary day for the time of year. But this was no ordinary day. For this was the day that Anna James met the Doctor.
The red-haired girl stepped out of the TARDIS cautiously, unbelievingly, gazing around in wonder. "We…we just…I just…"
The man in the bow-tie stepped out of the TARDIS behind her, grinning ear to ear. "Yes. Well done, Anna James, for you have just travelled in time and space for the first time."
"Wow."
Anna and the Doctor found themselves in a park. It was freezing, and Anna pulled her arms around herself, hugging herself for warmth. "Wait here," said the Doctor and disappeared inside the TARDIS, emerging with a long winter coat. She slid her arms into it gratefully and smiled at him. He pointed to a point over her right shoulder and she turned around to watch the scene unfold.
The lone girl on the swing in the otherwise empty playground looked sad and miserable, a dot against the landscape. A box materialised behind her and she turned around, then walked towards the box as a man emerged. They talked for a while, then the girl ran away, happy for the first time in forever. The man watched after her for a long while, then got back in the box again and dematerialized.
Next, the box appeared in a small garden, behind a fairly average suburban house with no mess, clutter, or dirt anywhere. A short while later, the girl from the park emerged from the back door, peering behind her before running out to greet the man again. They talked for a while, then sat down on a bench. The girl listened to the man tell stories, then fell asleep on his shoulder. It was clear that she completely trusted him. The man sat still for a while, not moving, then lifted the girl up in his strong arms as if there was no effort involved at all. He slipped inside with her, then slipped back out again a minute later without her. He got in the box and dematerialized to the next night.
This earlier Doctor, he did not notice the two people standing in the garden next door watching him. He did not see the tears in the girl's eyes, the same eyes he had looked at just moments earlier. He did not see the man put his arm around the girl's shoulders, and lead her into the TARDIS behind them. And he did not see the TARDIS so like his disappear into the night, this time with the brakes off so as not to wake the sleeping girl in the house.