Lily shook his hand warmly.
"It's wonderful to meet you Professor." the Doctor said putting his hands behind his back and rocking back on his heels.
"Do I know you?" Lily asked. She looked him up and down.
He was average height, a mop of chestnut brown hair that seemed to have a life of its own, his clothes could only be described as shabby chique, converse trainers and the most amazing brown eyes. Eyes that seemed to be searching her very soul.
"No I don't believe we've met."
"It's just that you recommended me and I was wondering how you knew me?"
"Oh I've been following your progress for some time Professor.''
Something about that last statement made Lily uneasy.
"You're 27. Originally from Lancaster but now living in London. You graduated at Oxford with honours. You've been working at the Natural History museum for 3 years now. You hate cats and brussels sprouts and you once cut off one of your pigtails because you were bored." Lily was dumbfounded.
"How the hell..."
"I think that you should bring the Professor up to speed don't you Doctor?" Major Pritchett interjected.
"Yes, yes of course." the Doctor bounded past them and towards the crator closely followed by the Major.
Lily stood rooted to the spot. How could he possibly know those things? What else did he know? Something about him scared her.
"Lily come on I need your opinion on this!" the Doctor shouted.
Pushing her fears away she joined them.

The Doctor took her hand as she descended into the crator. He lead her towards the object.
"I think I'm going to need my hand back now Doctor." Lily said with a nervous smile.
"Oh yes, sorry." he said letting go.
The crator held a sleek black oval shaped object. The outer shell was highly polished so much so that they could see their reflection.
"There are no obvious signs of damage as it entered the earth's atmosphere. All radiation signs are normal and there doesn't seem anyway to gain access into it." the Major called down from his vantage point at the crators edge.
"Hmmm how about thermal imaging?" the Doctor asked.
"Can't penetrate it."
Lily gazed at it. Where had it come from?
"The symbols are at the tip Professor." the Major said pointing towards the top end.
"Thanks." she moved around the Doctor to take a look.
She looked at the symbols in front of her. They were like nothing she had seen before. She wracked her brains to see any resemblance to any dialects current or past but she found none.
"So Professor what's the verdict?" the Doctor had come to stand behind her and was peering over her shoulder.
Lily flinched a little at his close proximity.
"The way the symbols are displayed it would appear to be some kind of message. I don't recognise any of them. May I take a picture and maybe look through my research material back at the museum Major?"
"I'm sorry that won't be possible this is classified information. I will have one of the Corporals take you to the museum to get your reference material so that you may work here."
"Sorry Major but I am not one of your little team and you asked me for my help remember; so if you want my continued support you will let me get my own things at my leisure. All I ask is for a lift back to my flat. As you may not have noticed I am still in my running clothes and I haven't showered or eaten yet.
"I think she's got you there Major!" the Doctor laughed.
The Major glowered at them.
"Very well. I will organise a pass for you to come and go as you please. You will report to me any and all findings asap." He yielded after some consideration. "That goes double for you Doctor. She is in your charge now."
The Doctor ran his hand through his hair nervously.
"I don't think I've ever been lab partners with a Professor before."

The Doctor had insisted on going with her. She still felt uneasy about him. Something didn't feel right, and why did she have a nagging feeling this wasn't the first time they had met.
On the way back she had tried to phone Mark to tell him she was ok. It had gone to voice mail. She hoped he wasn't too angry at her. He wasn't at he flat when they had got back. The Doctor had made tea and some toast whilst she had been in the shower; so at least she felt a little more refreshed. As they entered the museum the Doctor stopped in the foyer and placed his hands in his pockets and spun in circles his coat tails flying, with the look of someone seeing the world for the first time.
Lily stifled a giggle.
"I don't think I've been here since they finished building." he said coming to a stop.
"Sorry?" she looked at him bemused.
"Oh I mean they have made a lot of alterations to the place since I've been here."
"I'm sure you can join one of the tours if you like whilst I get my stuff together!" Lily said shaking her head.
"No no that's ok. It gives me a chance to see what your working on."
"Oh right now I'm preparing for a new exhibition on Symbology in the 20th century and how it has evolved." She motioned over to the hall to the right where workmen could be seen.
"Ahh I see. Do they still have that delightful chocolate cake here?" he asked pushing past her.
"Doctor my stuff? Big black shiny thing Battersea?"
"Right yes. Lead the way!" he said with a childish grin.
Lily sighed it was going to be a long day.

She swiped her card in the door lock and it opened with a resounding click and reached around the door and switched the lights on. The Doctor pushed past her and walked in. The room looked more like a library than a work room. There was an architects table, many bookshelves, posters adorned each wall and a desk that was littered with papers and assorted stationary.
"After you!" Lily retorted.
The Doctor pulled out his glasses and glanced around at the posters on the wall.
"Holding out for a hero are we?" the Doctor smirked pointing to the rather large poster of Batman.
Lily blushed.
"More like an anti hero. I'm fascinated by the way his signal strike fear into anyones heart. Symbols are everywhere. Plus he is a bachelor with loads of money and he's easy on the eye." she smiled.
The Doctor smiled back and walked to her well stocked bookshelf.
"Now you are talking!" he said taking a volume. "Conan Doyle; what symbols have you derived from this?"
Lily stopped flicking through the papers on her desk.
"You'll find some Enid Blyton, Beatrix Potter and Stephanie Meyers there too. I don't think that my taste in reading material is going to help us find any answers do you?" she grumbled picking up her lap top and putting it into her bag. The Doctor fell silent.
"Can you pass me those please?" she asked politely pointing to some reference books to his left.
As he reached for them he knocked her mug off the desk. Without looking Lily caught it one handed. Their eyes met the Doctor looked puzzled.
"It's my favourite mug." it was then the Doctor closed the gap between them and reached for her locket.
"May I?"
"It was a present from my boyfriend." she said with a warm smile.
"It's beautiful." the Doctor breathed turning it over in his fingers.
It was then they heard a cough from the doorway.
The Doctor dropped his hand and they both turned to see Mark watching them.
"Hey you?" Mark chirped. "Where were you the flat was empty when I woke up?"
"Hi, I went for a run and I bumped into some people who needed my help." Lily shifted away from the Doctor.
"In the park?" Mark said glancing at the Doctor who seemed to be finding something rather interesting with his shoes.
"It's a long story; what a morning! Where are my manners... Mark this is the Doctor."
"Doctor who?"
"Smith. John Smith I'm with UNIT the Professor here is helping us out with a little problem we are having." the Doctor extended his hand.
Mark took it and shook it apprehensively.
"Oh Lily; Professor Carter was looking for you when I came in. Something about the guest list." Lily sighed.
"Ok can you boys amuse yourself for a few minutes without me whilst I go and sort out the latest drama." she said moving toward the door. She placed her arm on Mark's and kissed him gently on the cheek.
"Be nice no detective crap ok?" she breathed; and with that she was out into the corridor.