"It's bigger on the inside," Imogen said slowly.

"I love that part," the Doctor clapped his hands together. "Always bigger on the inside. Well, except that once..."

"That's...different..." she muttered. "What exactly..."

"It's the TARDIS," he grinned.

"Tardis?" she repeated. The word felt funny on her lips.

"No," the Doctor corrected. "TARDIS. Time and Relative Dimension in Space."

"It's a time machine?" she asked, flabbergasted. "You have a time machine?"

"The TARDIS can go anywhere in time and space," Jack pitched in.

"The entire universe at our fingertips," the Doctor was practically bouncing. This was obviously his domain, and he became almost childlike in his excitement. "Anywhere and anywhen! Whatever we want! Isn't it great?"

"Come with us," Jack said. "Go travelling. See the universe. Take a load off."

"I...I...I..." Imogen stuttered. "I really don't know what to say..."

"Say yes," Jack smiled.

"Jack..." the Doctor said, almost as a warning.

"Hush," Jack replied. "Give her a chance. It's your choice, Jenny."

"Doctor?" Imogen said softly. "I don't want to impose on you."

"Eh," the Doctor brushed it off. "One more chance. That's all you're getting. I'll give you one more chance. Blow it, and you're gone. You're out. Done. Finished. Terminated. Bye-bye. I mean, you might as well. Who knows? You may even have a bit of fun."

"Okay," Imogen smiled. Just off to who knows where with a pair of strange men. What could possibly go wrong? To the men she said, "Umm...do you mind? I should probably go get some stuff."

"Stuff?" the Doctor asked.

"You know," she said. "Stuff. Personal stuff. Clothes and the like?"

"Oh!" the Doctor exclaimed. He was flushed, embarrassed that the thought had not occurred to him. "Right! Stuff! Human stuff!"

"You're not human?" Imogen asked calmly.

"No," the Doctor was whizzing around the control panel. "Time Lord."

"But you look human," she said, a puzzled expression plastered on her face.

"No," he corrected. "You look Time Lord. Where do you live?"

She rattled off the address and said, "I'll be back in a tick." She opened the door and stopped dead in her tracks. "This...this is... How did we get here?" She was standing - no, the TARDIS was parked - in the middle of the Kensingtons' garden.

"Anywhere in time and space," the Doctor explained. "We just hopped across town to about..." He looked down at his watch. "Five minutes after you left. Run along."

"Okay..." she replied cautiously. She made to the house. As she walked through the door, she nearly bumped into Mrs. Kensington.

"Oh, dearie," the elderly woman smiled. "Did you change your mind about tea?"

"No, thank you, mum," Imogen smiled sadly. "Actually, I've been thinking. I ran into an old friend from grade school while I was out the other day. And, well, I've been thinking about what he said. I'm leaving. At least for a while, mum. I've got the money now to pay for the rest of the month's rent. Then I'll be off."

"Don't worry about the money, sweetheart," Mrs. Kensington said sweetly. "You go out there and live your life. Just don't forget to visit this old woman from time to time."

"Yes, mum," Imogen hugged the landlady. "Thank you, so much, for everything."

Mrs. Kensington nodded and walked off, presumably to the parlor to serve tea. Imogen genuinely smiled and briskly sauntered up the stairs to her room. She threw what little she had into her rucksack.

Welcome to the beginning of the end of your life, she told her reflection in the bathroom mirror. She was so pale. She had always been pale, but this was something more, something worse than her usual complexion. This was a sickly sort of pale. Dark circles were beginning to form under her bluish green eyes, no doubt a result of so many sleepless nights. She didn't think that her dark blonde hair was helping her appearance. I look so...so...weak. I need some sleep. And some sun. Maybe some chips. Or make-up. Chips and make-up. She resigned herself to her appearance, grabbed her rucksack and bolted down the stairs, taking two at a time. Finally...

"What do you think, Doctor?" Jack asked as they sat in TARDIS, waiting for Imogen to reappear with her things.

"About the girl?" the Doctor replied as he fiddled away at various controls.

"No," Jack retorted. "About Manchester United."

"What's that?" the Doctor asked sincerely. "Rugby?"

"No, it's football," Jack rolled his eyes. "Seriously, Doctor, what do you think of her?"

"I think she's stubborn, impulsive, rude, and young," he answered bluntly. "And she's a blonde. That's everything you look for in a woman, if I'm not mistaken."

"You're one to talk about blondes," Jack scoffed. "You've managed to marry two of them in the time I've known you."

"Oh, shut-up," the Doctor laughed.

"Tell me Doctor, is River really a screamer, or is that all talk?" Jack wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

"Oh, shut-up!" the Doctor blushed profusely.

"What do you really think about Imogen?" Jack asked, more seriously this time.

The Doctor quickly sobered up and answered equally as serious, "I think she's willful and impulsive. At the same time, I think she wants to do the right thing. She has good intentions. But there's something...I dunno...off about her. Something not quite right. I mean, she's hopping into a box with two strange men, with whom she is not acquainted, to explore all of time and space, with no questions asked. Isn't that a bit off-putting?"

"There it is!" Jack threw his arms in the air.

"There's what?" the Doctor asked defensively.

"The reason!" Jack laughed harder. "I doubt you've been off-put a single day in your life. There's always something, some mystery, whether it's real or in your head. 'I'm the Doctor! I see something that I don't think makes sense! Let's go poke it with a stick!' You think she has something to offer, a puzzle for you. That's why you're letting her stay. Because you don't trust her. Really, Doctor?"

"You know me," the Doctor smiled. "I love a good mystery. But it's something more than that. I can't quite put my finger on it. Yet." He paused for a moment. "Why did you invite her?"

"Well...I..." Jack stammered.

"She's a pretty blonde," the Doctor accused.

Jack whipped his head back as he laughed, "You'll never know."

"You..." the Doctor wagged his finger at Jack. "No funny business in the time vortex. I don't need another River running around here."

"I hardly know her!" Jack scowled playfully.

"Shall I repeat myself?" the Doctor raised his eyebrows.

Each of the two men continued to stare the other down until the tension became too much. Both fell over laughing uncontrollably, hardly able to breathe.

Imogen gazed for what she assumed was the last time at the place she had called home. She sighed. This is it, Imogen. No turning back. Not now.

She entered the TARDIS, ready to run away from her problems, ready to leave everything and everyone behind. But even one as desperate as Imogen Keegan knew it could never be that simple.