A/N: Oh my Gallifrey, thank you so much for all the hits and the five reviews! I didn't think this story was going to be that popular, but I'm going to continue! I hope you love Ava as much as I do.

If you want to praise/critic my fiction, don't hesitate to leave a review. They make me such a better writer, to know what's going well and what isn't. Also, any idea's are welcome!

Disclaimer: Obviously don't own, otherwise I would not be writing fanfiction. I would be writing the actual show. Ava is mine though.

**CHAPTER REWRITTEN 24/5/12**


The steaming hot cup of tea Jackie pressed into my hands instantly warmed me up; the strong, relaxing scent lulling me into a sense of security. Mickey gave up his place on the sofa, but I declined the offer and settled on the floor next to Rose's friend. The mysteriously named 'Doctor'.

"There really is nothing quite like a cup of tea," the Doctor nodded, gesturing towards the mug in mug grip. "All the lovely tannin particles really wake me up."

"Literally," Rose quipped, making Mickey snigger. I didn't really get the joke. Noticing my confused expression; Rose dismissed what she'd just said. "Long story."

I smiled. "I'm a good listener."

Rose opened her mouth to speak, but the Doctor interrupted. "Great big spaceship thing, some very very angry aliens, some not so scary voodoo and a sword duel… Well. To put it simply."

"Which you were asleep for most of," Rose retorted, "It was me who saved the day really."

"That wasn't my fault! Sometimes, that happens when a Time Lord regenerates; they fall into a coma and only the mix of tannin particles and the regeneration energy can properly wake them up. Has never happened to myself before, personally. Well, you try something new every day, don't you?" the Doctor babbled at a hundred miles an hour without even pausing for a breath. I had never met a person who could talk so much nonsense so fast. How could Rose ever possibly keep up with him?

"You could've at least told me that before the alien invasion." Rose muttered, accepting the cup of tea her mum had passed her.

"If it's any consolation Rose, I thought you were amazing." the Doctor grinned. "Rose Tyler, defender of Earth."

Rose smiled for a second, before her scowl returned. "How would you know I was amazing? You were asleep!"

"The human race hadn't been obliterated when I woke up. And trust me, when I'm not around, that can happen."

"And that doesn't make you sound arrogant at all," Rose jibed, grinning that grin again.

"Don't worry dear," said Jackie, nodding at me as she sat down on the sofa with her own brew. "I have no idea what they're talking about either."

I grinned. I was glad someone was along the same wavelength as me.

"Sorry," the Doctor instantly apologised, snapping his head back round so he was looking straight at me. "Was I being rude? Sometimes I can be rude, can't I Rose?"

"Yep," said Rose, without hesitation.

"It's fine." I insisted, finally taking a sip of my tea. I tried to hide my distaste as I realised that Jackie hadn't added any sugar; but I didn't mention it, especially after she'd been so kind. "Just don't expect me to believe any of what you've just said."

"Don't tell me you didn't see that spaceship today, Ava!" said Rose, her eyes wide. "It was like, right above the Estate! And there was people across the buildings ready to jump off!"

I shrugged. "I heard about it on the news, but I was so busy in the kitchen I didn't see anything. I just assumed it was a hoax."

"If I told you that Rose, Mickey, the Prime Minister and I were all right on that spaceship, would you believe me?" the Doctor queried, stuffing his hands in his pockets casually.

I snorted. "You met the Prime Minister? Yeah, like I'm going to believe that."

The Doctor laughed, making his amazing hazel eyes sparkle. The first thing I noticed about the Doctor was his beautiful eyes; he obviously wasn't old, but his eyes suggested otherwise. They were so full of wisdom, like he'd seen so much more than any other average human being. "I've just said that I was on a spaceship with your best friend, and the thing that shocks you the most is the fact that Harriet Jones was there?"

Gorgeous, and with a sense of humour. Rose really had scored this time. "For me, the more comprehendible things are less believable."

"Not the worst motto to live by, Ava." contemplated the Doctor, "Especially if you do the things I do."

"What-" I started, but Rose intercepted as soon as the conversation got interesting. This Doctor sure had a lot to say; and I wanted to hear the answers.

"Why are you here, Ave?" asked Rose, earning a warning look from her mother. "No, I don't mean it like that. I mean, I'm glad you're here. Of course I am. I just thought you had plans for Christmas. Wasn't your brother supposed to be coming?"

I sighed and rolled her eyes, taking another sip of my now rapidly cooling tea. "Yeah, but he was a complete no show. After I slaved all day in the kitchen for him, he didn't even bother to show up. My mother probably had something to do with it. Bitch."

Ugh. My family. A route I'd prefer not to go down, but I always seem to be directed down there anyway.

"Ah," the Doctor flinched, "Not on the best terms with your family, I'm guessing."

"No. Not at all." I said, making that perfectly clear. "Not for a long time now. They bloody hate me, for some reason. To them, my brother is some sort of god and I'm just the girl who didn't quite comply with their rules; followed by promptly being disowned by them. So… Yeah."

Usually I would've found it weird confiding a stranger with her complete back-story, but with the Doctor it was different. There was something about him you could automatically trust. I had never quite met someone like that before. Whether that was a good thing or a bad thing, I wasn't quite sure yet.

The Doctor pressed his hand on top of mine and squeezed it briefly, instantly comforting me and getting rid of the lump which was rising in my throat. Across the room, I noticed Rose flinching and looking away. "Who needs families, eh?"

I smiled back at him and quickly retracted back my hand from underneath his. It clearly wasn't making Rose feel happy; and I always did what my best friend wanted, within reason of course.

"Don't go putting ideas in Rose's head," Jackie warned sternly. She was very protective over her only daughter; mainly it was the strain of being a single mother to Rose for such a long time. I knew that without Rose, Jackie would just collapse. I'd seen her close to a complete melt-down when Rose went missing.

The Doctor laughed. "Don't worry about that, Jackie."

Rose pressed a kiss on her mother's cheek for reassurance. "So, Ava, did you just want company or something?"

I couldn't help but notice the cold tone to Rose's voice; maybe I was just imagining it, but it was like Rose wanted rid of her. I tried to diminish those thoughts- it was probably because she was tired from travelling.

"Well," I tried not to cringe, "I was kind of hoping for a favour."

The coldness from before, to my relief, evaporated and on Rose's face was an expression of concern. "Anything."

"The problem is… Well, there's a massive hole in my roof. And my whole place is soaked. And…"

Jackie gasped, like I had just told her that her puppy had died or something. "Oh, God, Ava! You'll have to stay here!"

Jackie and Rose's flat was tiny, there was barely enough room to swing a shrew; but Jackie did not want to see me suffer. Jackie was like that. She may look unbreakable and a loud-mouth on the outside, but on the inside she's as warm as warm can be.

My forehead creased with relief that I had somewhere to stay. "It's just the landlord is away and I literally have nowhere else, I hope you don't…"

"You can stay for as long as you like sweetheart!" assured Jackie, putting her mug down on the table. "That really is terrible! Will you be able to get any of your stuff or is it too dangerous?"

"I might be able to salvage some toiletries and some clothes, but apart from that no. It's like a paddling pool in there. A very big paddling pool. Really, if you just lend me your sofa until the landlord gets it fixed up, I'll be really grateful." I prattled.

"You can have my room, Ave." averred Rose, "We'll be going off tomorrow morning probably."

"What? Already?" I exclaimed, pressing my mug onto a coaster on the coffee table, shocked by this sudden revelation. "But its boxing day Rose, and I haven't seen you for ages!"

Rose bit her lip and glanced at the Doctor. "There's so much to see, Ava. The world can't wait."

"Oh. Right." I half-smiled, but my heart dropped. I felt like my best friend was abandoning me all over again. "Plane to catch, right? But I don't know when you became all 'I want to see everything.'"

"Since I met the Doctor, Ave. Everything's just, well, changed." Rose said.

You've changed. You've changed, Rose Tyler. Is London no longer good enough for you? Is it not enough anymore?

"Ava could always come with us," the Doctor chipped in, shrugging at Rose. He looked straight at me.

What?

Rose just stared at him. "…Yeah. Yeah, she could."

What? Just, what?

I actually thought about it for a second. For a second, I thought it was a great idea. Anything to get away from my dead-end life. But the next second, I realised the Doctor was a complete stranger. I might've trusted him, but travelling with a complete stranger? I wasn't sure what to think. "No, I couldn't."

This was all very odd.

"Why not?" asked the Doctor, completely ignoring any complications. He was obviously acclimatised to travelling. "There's so much out there, Ava. Tons you could see. Once in a life time opportunities."

I shook my head tightly. "No. I have a job, house problems, ugh… Just, everything. Yeah, of course, I'd love to escape it. But I can't just run away from things when they're getting tough. That's not how I work, Doctor."

"Can't really argue with that," sighed the Doctor, glancing at Rose. "But if I showed you how we travelled, would you change your mind?"

I rolled my eyes. I hadn't seen anything remotely weird or strange outside the Estate, but they might've had something strange round the corner or something. "Do not tell me you go round in a camper van. Please."

Rose laughed, like she was finally warming to the idea. The idea that I might go travelling with her and her new pal. "As far as things go, it's the equivalent to a camper van."

"Hey!" snapped the Doctor, looking genuinely hurt by the very idea. "The TARDIS is not a camper van. She's more sophisticated than that, Rose. Very sophisticated. I thought you'd know that."

"The TARDIS?" I questioned, raising an eyebrow at the Doctor; who I was now beginning to consider a bit more than a stranger. This was really weird, considering I'd only known him for an hour at most. Well, usually, whoever Rose is friends with I'm friends with. That's how it's always worked- why would the Doctor be different? "That is a stupid name. Does it stand for something?"

The Doctor grinned, putting out his hand so I could grab it and get up, "Why don't you just wait and see eh, Ava?"

I sighed, slipping my hand in his. "Fine. I'm still not going, but what have I got to lose? I want to see your 'more sophisticated' camper van. Even if it's just so I can poke fun of it."

Maybe this Christmas wasn't going to be so bad after all.