Title: The Doctor and The Artist
Author: Tigergirl
Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who. I do, however, own any original characters that pass through my story.
Summary: The Tenth Doctor has been with a few companions since his separation from Rose Tyler, but none have stuck around. He isn't prepared when the TARDIS makes an unexpected stop and he lands in the home of someone who truly baffles him.
Author's Note: In this story, Marth Jones stays back after the return from the "one trip."
CHAPTER ONE
He was just passing over the Milky Way when the TARDIS suddenly shot off like a cannon. The Doctor stumbled sideways, but quickly righted himself. He jerked to the viewing screening.
"What are you doing? Where are we going?" The Doctor exclaimed.
It whirled across the stars, flinging him off the console and out of sight. He rolled around with its power before it finally came to a screeching halt. The Doctor groaned as he stood up.
Woof.
The Doctor's eyebrows shot up to his hairline. He jumped up onto the main platform and rounded the center of the TARDIS. A big brown and white canine stood a few feet from the main doors. Its long, fluffy tailed wagged back and forth through the air.
"Oi! What are you doing here, you great big, furry, slobbery thing? How did you get in here?" he demanded.
The Saint Bernard moved to sit back on his haunches with his tongue hanging down. He gave one short loud bark in response. The Doctor threw his hands up.
"Oh yes! That's a perfectly good explanation." Sigh. "I guess I must have landed in a dog park somewhere on Earth. Well, out you go, boy or girl or whatever it is you are. I'm sure your owner is quite worried looking for you."
The Doctor walked wide around the dog and grasped the door of the TARDIS. He opened it then immediately shut it again. He whipped his body around with wide eyes. The Saint Bernard almost seemed to be flashing a secret smile at him.
"Oh dear. That's not right. That's not right at all."
He had not landed in a dog park or even an alleyway near one. He had in fact landed in someone's home. The Doctor ran a hand up his face and over his hair.
"Think, think, think, think, think. How do you explain a great big blue box in the middle of a person's den?"
While he pondered that thought, from outside the TARDIS, another door was opening. Casey opened the garage door while adjusting the bag hanging from her shoulder. She lifted her head and opened her mouth to call for her canine companion when she suddenly froze.
She blinked, stepped back into the garage, closed the door, then reopened the door. She slowly shook her head as she came back inside and closed the garage door.
"Nope. It's still here. Only one way to be sure."
Casey lifted two fingers to her mouth and blew a quick, sharp whistle. A faraway echo of a bark responded to her before the TARDIS doors popped open and the Saint Bernard came jogging out. Right behind him came a strange man scrambling after him.
"No, no, no, you big-Oh hello! Fancy meeting you here," the stranger said.
Casey crossed her arms over her chest while her dog sat down beside her. She didn't say anything, so The Doctor just plowed on.
"I'm sure this must look very strange. Very strange indeed. A strange man and a big blue box in the middle of your living area. Well I have a very simple explanation for that. You…"
Casey listened with interest as the man produced a wallet with paper in it. He proceeded to explain he was an engineer with the electrical company. She let him go on for a while through the wildest explanation she had ever heard.
And I thought the students came up with some creative answers for questions, Casey thought.
When he finally stopped to take a breath, Casey interrupted him.
"Are you finished?" Casey asked.
The Doctor nodded.
"Oh quite. So if you'll give me a moment, I will get out of you and your…dog's way," he replied.
Casey snorted. She snatched the wallet out of his hand and whacked him sharply on the forehead with it. His hand shot up to the space she hit.
"What was that for?" The Doctor exclaimed.
Casey flipped the wallet open to face it towards The Doctor.
"This paper is blank. Even if it did read as an electrician, I wouldn't believe for a second you're from FPL. They've been using drones for years now and they wouldn't be able to get inside the house. But I have to give you credit. That story was right up there in the creativity department."
The Doctor eyed her with a guarded look.
"Who are you?" he asked.
Slapping the wallet back into his hands, Casey held her finger up. She reached into her bag and pulled out a thick black bound spiral notebook. She flipped it open and turned a few pages while speaking.
"I think the better question is-," she started as she flipped her sketchbook around to reveal a detailed, colored sketching of the TARDIS exactly where it was. "Who are you?"
The Doctor's eyes grew wide. He took the sketchbook from her. He stared at it in disbelief.
"That's not possible," he murmured.
Casey shook her head.
"I drew that a year ago. It was the first sketch," Casey explained.
The Doctor's head snapped up.
"The first? How many…How many other drawings do you have?" he questioned.
Casey shrugged as she took her sketchbook from him.
"I think about thirty."
The Doctor's mouth opened but then it clicked shut. He ran his hand down over his mouth.
"So are you going to tell me who you are?" Casey asked.
"I'm The Doctor," he answered.
Casey nodded. "Cool."
The Doctor frowned.
"What? That's it? No Doctor of What or what's the rest of my name?" The Doctor asked.
Casey shook her head.
"Nope. If there was more to your name, you'd have told me," Casey shrugged.
The Doctor shook his head.
"Americans and their simplicity. Quite fascinating really. Are all Americans this calm? You said you had more drawings. May I see them?" he asked.
Ignoring his jumping topic to topic, Casey looked at him expectantly while crossing her arms over her shoulders.
"Uhh…please?"
Casey smiled.
"Well, since you asked so nicely."
The Doctor followed Casey as she walked around the TARDIS and through a dining room. She put her bag and sketchbook down on an armchair in the next, larger living room. The woman crossed over to a small bookcase sitting in a corner of the room. She reached up and took a blue book down. She turned around and held it out to him.
The Doctor took it, put his glasses on, and flipped it open. The first few sketches were of him and the TARDIS. Some were worlds he had been to. There were images of some of his companions including Martha Jones, Mickey, and Rose. One sketch was a detailed depiction of his sonic screwdriver.
"Fascinating," The Doctor murmured while turning a page.
Casey watched him with a smile as she sat down on the couch. The Saint Bernard walked over and rested his head in her lap.
"Hi, boy. Did you have a good day?" she asked, scratching behind his ears.
The sketches were wonderfully detailed. Actually, in all honesty, they were eerie. The very details were spot on. Most were just a simple sketch, but some had color added to them like the first drawing of the TARDIS in the other book. He nearly dropped the sketchbook when he flipped a page and was rewarded with the shocking sight of a Cyberman.
"I can't believe this, I can't believe this. Do you realize you have drawn things you couldn't possibly-I mean how is this possible?!" The Doctor asked, his words almost mixing together as his speech picked up speed.
Casey smiled.
"I don't really have a full answer to that. I just…get this image in my head and I draw it. Funny thing is…" Casey shrugged. "I only occasionally drew things in my sketchbook before these images started coming to me."
The Doctor made a hmm sound in the back of his throat. He pulled the sonic screwdriver out of his pocket. He held it up where she could see it.
"Do you mind?" he asked.
Casey shook her head. The end of the sonic screwdriver glowed red as The Doctor scanned her. It popped open as he turned it sideways to look at it.
"Interesting. 100% human, no signs of anything. Anything at all."
Casey nodded.
"That's me. 100% American human being. And I'm guessing you're an alien of some kind," Casey said.
The Doctor shot her a startled look. His eyebrows shot up as he ripped his glasses off his face.
"I'm a Time Lord, of course. Even after drawing all these pieces of places I've been, people I've seen, you're telling me you didn't know that?" he demanded.
Casey shrugged.
"I don't hear names or words. I just see images. It only made sense you weren't human with traveling around in that box," Casey said.
"The TARDIS!" The Doctor exclaimed.
Casey threw her hands up in surrender.
"Ookay! The TARDIS. TARDIS, TARDIS, TARDIS. Is that better?" she asked.
"Yes! It is!" he answered.
The two fell into an awkward silence before Casey finally broke it.
"So you're a Time Lord, huh?" Nod. "Does that mean you control time and stuff like that?"
The Doctor sighed.
"I'm afraid it's not quite like that. But I do travel in the TARDIS to other times and other worlds. If you'd like to try it for yourself," The Doctor suggested while slipping his hands into his pockets.
Casey chuckled. She gently pushed her dog's head away and stood.
"I'd love to. As long as Moose comes too," Casey said firmly.
The Doctor looked at her confused.
"Moose? What moose? I didn't even know Florida had moose…meese…mooselings!" The Doctor replied.
Without saying a word, Casey simply pointed her finger down at the Saint Bernard practically sitting on her foot. The Doctor's eyes darted back and forth between the dog and Casey.
"Ooh no! No, no, no. I'm not having that furry, slobbery, drooling mess in the TARDIS," The Doctor told her.
Casey crossed her arms over her chest.
"Then I'll be staying. Have a fun time traveling across the stars, Doctor. It was nice meeting you. Come on, Moose. Let's go for a walk."
The Doctor stared before darting after Casey as she left out the front door. She was already at the end of the driveway and turning right with Moose jogging ahead of her. He chased after her until he was able to catch her. He stepped into place beside her.
"I do really want you to come with me, you know? I'm curious if you would still see these images while on the TARDIS," The Doctor told her.
Chuckling, Casey shook her head.
"And there's our problem. I'm not leaving without Moose. If I was able to take him to work with me, I would," Casey explained.
The Doctor tried pleading with her that Moose would make a mess all over the TARDIS.
"The fur and the drool and the mess and the…and the…"
"The companionship," Casey finished.
The Doctor's mouth clicked shut. This strange woman made an exceptionally good point. Canines, at least those found on Earth, were designed for companionship. He ran his hands up over his hair before sighing.
"Very well then. Moose can come too," The Doctor said.
He knew he made the right decision when Casey turned her head to flash him a bright smile. She stopped in the middle of the road to face him and hold out her hand.
"Casey McConnell," she said.
The Doctor threw his head back and laughed. He brought his hand up and shook hers vigorously.
"It is very nice to meet you, Casey McConnell," he replied.
He used their connected hands to pull her close. She raised an eyebrow in question.
"I forgot to ask before. What year is it?" he added.
Casey laughed. "2025."
"Ah, so 2020 is long gone. Nasty business that was."
Casey nodded in silent agreement before breaking their connection. The Time Lord watched her walk away to catch up to Moose. His whole face lit up with amusement. He followed after her slowly.
Just what are you Casey McConnell, he wondered.
END OF CHAPTER ONE