Tardis Boarding School wasn't any posh place, despite its name. Its criteria of future pupils' selection were simple: anybody could become a student, but during studying he or she was to prove his or her being worthy in any way. No one was to be a genius, though being smart was also appreciated, but "human qualities", as they were called here, were to appear in each student. That could be friendliness, sincerity, kindness, bravery - all kinds of human qualities.
But the students of Tardis Boarding School were united not only by that. Especially the youngest group, aged from six to nine (yes, children could get accepted to this school since six).
"Aaaarrrrgh! I got you!"
"No, you did not!"
"You have the special kind of weapon?"
"It's a screwdriver! Whirrrrrrrr!"
"Rose, screwdrivers don't go whirrrrrrr..."
"Oh no, Jack, you spoiled it all again!" The little blond girl in a Union Jack T-shirt pouted at the boy in a blue shirt and dark pants with suspenders.
"Don't you know that drills and blasters go whirrr, not screwdrivers?" Jack wondered with mock teasing, flopping onto the floor next to Rose and her playmate - the dark-haired boy in a red checkered shirt. "Dear me. Jo filched these pepperpots and salt-cellars from the canteen... just for you to play".
"Just because you're older, you don't have to be so mean". This was put in by the red-headed girl in a short polka-dotted dress, who was holding a wooden model of a police box. "Here, guys. Will this do?"
"Just fine, Amy!" The boy in the checkered shirt clapped his hands gleefully, and in a moment heavy steps were heard from behind the door. All the kids in the room quickly stood up, ready for anything - if this man came to their common room, something serious was to happen.
The door opened, letting the Tardis Boarding School vice-headmaster Lethbridge-Stuart in, followed by a girl with long dark hair in a red dress.
"Hello everybody", Mr. Lethbridge-Stuart (among the older students he was secretly nicknamed "Brigadier" - Johnny Benton and Mike Yates, the thirteen-year-olds who nevertheless paid visits to their groups, especially enjoyed calling him this way) greeted them, and the kids replied with simultaneous "Hello, Mr. Lethbridge-Stuart". "This is your new group mate, Clara Oswald".
Clara made up a little smile, which was returned by most of the kids. Mr. Lethbridge-Stuart left, and everybody returned to their previous activities. Luckily for Clara, she was immediately invited by Rose to their gang:
"Don't worry. We had to be reserved, because Mr. Stuart likes dis-cip-line. He's an ex-soldier... My name's Rose. These are Jack", the addressed one grinned smugly, "Amy", the redhead gave her a nod, "and Jamie". The boy in checkered shirt beamed.
Clara chuckled, not knowing with what she should begin, but then her attention was attracted by a ragdoll in Jamie's hands - no, a raggedy doll, because it was all untidy and messy and mended many times (fresh black threads were clearly seen on the rubbed grey background in the place where the doll's arm was attached to its shoulder), but nevertheless an obviously favourite property of its owner.
"This is Doctor Two", Jamie explained. "Wanna play with us?"
"What is this game?" Clara wondered, sitting down onto the soft carpet.
"We all play Doctor Who". This was said by a girl in pink striped overalls who joined their team. "I'm Sarah. Sarah Jane".
"I'm Clara. What's this game?"
"You need a figurine to play", Sarah Jane continued. "Do you have a doll or something? Maybe an action figure?"
Clara dug in her bag and produced her most important (for her at least) thing - a long and skinny puppet made out of wires and cloth describing a man with huge grey brows and thick hair of the same color sticking up.
"Will he do?"
"Yes! I think he'll be... Doctor Twelve!" Rose replied. "We play Doctor Who because you can use anything in this game. Adventures in time, space and everything!"
"But why my will be Twelve?"
"Because we have eleven Doctors already". A girl in black rock-style clothing joined them. "Call me Ace... Mine's Doctor Seven". She showed a wooden puppet in a panama hat and a waistcoat decorated with question marks. "Susan says that this is for everyone to take part".
"She thought of this game", Jamie added. "And if you don't have a doll, you can use anything else. Like these". He pointed at the pepperpots and salt-cellars scattered throughout the floor. "Jack didn't have a doll, so today he plays as an enemy".
Hardly had an hour passed when Clara was playing with all team as if she had known them for ages.
It was already two a.m. when the last kid was asleep (that was Vislor Turlough, nicknamed "Weasley" for his ginger hair by Johnny Magister - he often couldn't fall asleep properly because of his fear of nightmares). Only then there was safety for those who had a secret life.
One of the dolls, now all bunched up in a corner, turned its head and jumped up - it was a patchwork doll whose clothing was made up of all kinds of patches.
"Coast clear", it called. "Wake up, wake up!"
"How d'you like the newbie, hmm?" asked the crocheted doll describing an old man with a crooked cane, standing up. "I mean, both of them".
"This Clara seems to be quite nice", the youngest-looking doll replied - actually it was an action figure of a man in bowtie and braces and with the hugest fringe combed to the side. "At least she didn't rip you, Two, like that Johnny Magister".
All the dolls groaned, having recalled the arrival of Johnny - this boy found joy in breaking everything and creating a mischief. Most of the dolls felt twinges of pain - well, that could be pain if they were of flesh and blood - in their limbs which had suffered from that kid's hands. Especially Two, because that very fresh stitch on his shoulder was the necessary consequence of Johnny's rough play.
"Well, that's fine that she knows how to treat us", Two assumed, looking up at Clara who was smiling in her sleep. "Oh no, Four! What are you doing?"
"Don't tell me that they don't want jelly babies!" the plastic doll wrapped in the longest stripy scarf ever replied, climbing up onto Clara's bed table. "That worked when I did it for the first time, and I wanna see it again!"
The paper doll with a cloud of white hair and with a huge bow on its neck rolled its eyes and muttered:
"Four's a kind soul... Well?" This was addressed to the newbie in their company, who was curiously watching them all. "Do you like it here?"
"Of course I do. I've never been playing with kids except for Clara, because others called me ugly", Twelve replied. "But the kids here... they liked me. Pleasant".
"I know what's it like". The multi-colored doll grinned. "I was also called a parrot before having got here. Peri's a wonderful owner, but I want attention".
"Who doesn't?" the china doll all in beige and red asked, shrugging, and backed away upon the shout from above:
"Beware from above!"
Four landed onto the floor right on time not to squash Three, the paper doll.
"Fifty-three seconds. New record", the skinny and scruffy action figure in a brown suit with blue pinstripes assumed. "Hey Twelve, wanna watch their dreams?"
Twelve blinked at him with his beady eyes.
"We realized that we can do it not a long time ago", the bead doll with chin-length curls and dressed as a Victorian gentleman explained. "We gather around the kids and watch their dreams. Oh goodness! But we can do it only all together. And now, when there's a magic number of us, we can do it even better, I think".
"Nine catches all the nightmares", Six, the multi-colored doll, chuckled and was elbowed in his side by Nine, the leather doll all in black. "Okay, coming. Hope Johnny isn't dreaming about conquering the world again..."
A/N: Who's who?
Brigadier - vice-headmaster (guess who's the headmaster...)
John Benton and Mike Yates - older students
Younger group:
Susan - owns the crocheted doll of One
Jamie - owns the ragdoll (or more like "raggedy doll") of Two
Jo - owns the paper doll of Three
Sarah Jane - owns the plastic doll of Four
Tegan - owns the china doll of Five
Peri - owns the patchwork doll of Six
Ace - owns the wooden puppet of Seven
Grace - owns the bead doll of Eight
Rose - owns the leather doll of Nine
Martha - owns the action figure of Ten
Amy - owns the action figure of Eleven
Clara - owns the wire-and-cloth doll of Twelve
The rest of the kids: Jack, Johnny Magister (guess who...), Vislor Turlough and... well, you know them all.