Christmas lights were strewn all over downtown London, emitting vibrant red and green colors over the crowded streets. Of course, Zana Kline didn't take much notice of the decorations as she hurried past a small group of elderly women, trying to get to her favorite shop before it closed for the night. She had forgotten to get a gift for her friend, and it was only when she noticed the small, neatly wrapped present sitting on the desk in her bedroom had she realized what tomorrow was. Could anyone blame her? She was working as hard as she could to keep her grades above passing level. Her parents were very adamant about her getting accepted into the college of their dreams, and this was the final year to grant them their wish.

"No, no, please!" Zana exclaimed, exasperated, as she came to a stop in front of the small shop to see the owner locking up for the night. "It won't take me long, I promise!

"Sorry, love. Promised the family I'd be home early tonight," the balding man gave her a small smile before walking past her. "Happy Christmas!"

"Happy Christmas," she replied with slight annoyance as she ran a hand through her dark brunette hair. She stuffed her hands into the pockets of her black, faux leather jacket as she rejoined the crowd of cheery shoppers. Everyone was laughing and smiling as a small group of brass players dressed as Santa Claus played an old Christmas tune on their instruments. All Zana could think about was what she was going to tell her friend the next day when they were supposed to meet up and exchange gifts. She guessed 'Sorry, I totally forgot it was Christmas' wouldn't work.

As a last resort, Zana wandered towards the small market that was set up. She glanced at the different little knick-knacks, but nothing really caught her eye. Eventually, she wound up at a little stand selling homemade jewelry, and she had to admit, the pieces were put together rather well.

"God, I'm all out of sync. You just forget about Christmas and things in the TARDIS. They don't exist. You get sort of timeless," a blonde woman walking along behind Zana informed her friend, causing Zana to turn around to take a look at her. TARDIS? Timeless? What was this woman talking about?

"Oh, yeah, that's fascinating, because I love hearing stories about the TARDIS," the woman's friend replied. Zana frowned. There was that word again. "Oh, go on Rose, tell us another one because I swear I could listen to it all day. TARDIS this, TARDIS that."

"Shut up."

"Oh, and one time the TARDIS landed in a big yellow garden full of balloons!" the man said with a sarcastic tone.

"I'm not like that!"

"Oh, you so are."

Zana went to follow them but was abruptly stopped by the owner of the stand. She looked down and noticed that she still had a small, blue bracelet in her hand.

"You have to pay for that, love. Nothing's free anymore," the older woman smiled gently.

"Yes. Quite right. Sorry," Zana pulled her wallet and hastily paid the woman. She wished her a happy Christmas before following after the odd couple.

"...Mmm, must drive you mad. I'm surprised you don't give up on me," the woman, Rose, as the man had said, stated they walked past the small band.

"Oh, that's the thing, isn't it? You can rely on me. I don't go changing my face," the man sent a look in Rose's direction.

Changing his face? What in the world were these two going on about?

"Yeah..." Rose sighed. "What if he's dying?"

"Okay," the man's voice was enough to tell Zana that he was obviously annoyed with whoever this 'he' was.

"Sorry!" Rose apologized quickly, grabbing her friend's arm.

"Just let it be Christmas. Can you do that? Just for a bit. You and me and Christmas. No Doctor, no bog monsters, no life or death."

"Okay..." Rose agreed.

"Promise?"

"Yes!"

"Right! What're you going to get for your mum?" he asked her as they wandered through the multiple different stands. Zana was only ever two or three steps behind the two, trying to be as discrete as she could be. Her curiosity had gotten the best of her. "I'm round there all the time now, you know. She does my dinner on a Sunday, talks about you all afternoon, yap yap yap."

Zana tried to act normal when Rose turned around, but she soon noticed that the blonde was looking past her, at the brass-playing Santas. They had stopped playing their song and had started following her. Well, maybe not her, but they were headed in her particular direction. Before Zana could even react, a flame shot out of one of the Santas' trombones, nearly scorching her. Luckily, the very woman she had been following pulled her out of the way, and the three of them quickly sought protection behind a stall.

"It's us! They're after us!" Rose told her friend loudly as they ran ahead of the shocked eighteen-year-old. Zana desperately tried to keep up with the two of them, and she shouldn't help the surprised sound that escaped her mouth as a large ball of fire demolished a large Christmas tree, causing it to fall on one of the Santas.

"What's going on? What've we done? Why are they after us?" the man asked question after question as they dashed off.

"Taxi!" Rose shouted, clearly shaken.

"Hey! Wait!" Zana's voice rang out loudly as she ran to catch up with the two. When she caught up with them, they were climbing into a taxi. On a whim, Zana climbed in as well.

"They're after the Doctor," Rose was saying as Zana closed the door and the taxi drove off, "Who are you?"

"Zana," she introduced, out of breath. "You uh, saved my life."

"Don't mention it," she nodded as grabbed her mobile and dialed a number.

"I can't even go shopping with you. We get attacked by a brass band!" the man exclaimed as Rose pressed her phone to her ear, "Who're you phoning?"

"My mum," she replied flatly as Zana gulped. What has she gotten herself into? "Get off the phone!"

"What were those...firey Santa things?" Zana asked the two of them, wanting to learn at least something. After all, she had no idea what the hell was going on. Evil Santas? TARDIS? Doctor? None of it made sense to her, which she didn't like. Ugh, why did she have to forget Christmas? She could be at home. Sleeping.

"I don't know," Rose shook her head, looking at the man, "But think about it. They were after us. What's important about us? Well, nothing, except the one thing we've got tucked up in bed. The Doctor."

"Doctor who?" Zana frowned as the taxi pulled to a stop. Neither of them answered her as they climbed out.

Zana considered just taking the taxi home. She considered just forgetting all of this. Surely it wasn't that important. And even if it was, what purpose did Zana serve? Rose and her friend seemed to know, or at least have an idea, of what was going on. And even if they didn't, she would bet that this...Doctor, they kept talking about did. Maybe it was just a prank gone bad? Part of an act? Whatever it was, she had no business bothering herself with it..did she? She did almost get fried...

"Wait!" she got out of the taxi, closing the door before following the couple up a few flights of stairs, into their flat. "Blimey...I just followed two strangers into their flat. For all I know, you could be murders. Although, that's quite stereotypical of me to say..."

"Get off the phone!" Rose didn't seem to notice her as she grabbed the phone out of her mum's hands. "It's only Bev. She says hello."

"Bev?" Rose spoke into the phone. "Yeah. Look, it'll have to wait." She hung up the phone and sat it down on the table, all without glancing in Zana's direction, "Right, it's not safe. We've got to get out. Where can we go?"

"My mate Stan, he'll put us up," the man informed quickly.

"That's only two streets away. What about Mo? Where's she living now?"

"I don't know. Peak District," Rose's mum answered, a bit confused.

"Well, we'll go to cousin Mo's then!"

"No, it's Christmas Eve! We're not going anywhere! What're you babbling about? Who the hell is this?" the older woman looked right at Zana. Rose and her friend turned to see her standing in the doorway of the room, looking on in confusion.

"I have no idea," Rose shook her head, but suddenly stopped as something caught her eye. "Mum. Where'd you get that tree?" The four of them looked at the green Christmas tree in the living room. Zana didn't see anything wrong with the tree. It looked nice, she thought. "That's a new tree. Where'd you get it?"

"I thought it was you."

"How can it be me?"

"Well, you went shopping. There was a ring at the door, and there it was!"

"No, that wasn't me."

"Then who was it?"

Zana's eyes widened as the tree lit up and 'Jingle Bells' filled the air. Things were definitely different with these people, and Zana had made it her goal to find out what. That is if she didn't run away first.

"Oh, you're kidding me..." Rose seemed almost annoyed.

"Is...is it suppose to do that?" Zana asked hopefully as the tree started to rotate. It quickly grew in speed, answering her question.

"Get out! Go, go! Get out!" the man yelled, picking up a chair to fend off the approaching tree as the three women rushed out of the room.

"We've got to save the Doctor," Rose declared.

"What're you doing?" her mother asked hurriedly.

"We can't just leave him!" she ran into a separate room, leaving Zana no choice but to follow. Even more, questions filled her head as she spotted a man, dressed in striped pajamas, laying tucked into bed. This must be the Doctor...Was he okay? Had something happened to him?

"Mickey!" the loud cry of Rose's mum filled the air. "Leave it! Get out! Get out!"

"Mickey!" Rose called as well.

"Get out of there!" Mickey rushed away from the tree and joined Rose and Zana in the small bedroom. "No, leave him. Just leave him!"

"Get in here!" Mickey demanded, and she did as told. Zana helped the two of them push a wardrobe in front of the door as Rose moved to the Doctor's side.

"Doctor, wake up!" she yowled as Zana rushed to the other side of the room, trying to get as far from the door as she could. Nothing made sense to her, nothing whatsoever, but there was nothing she could do. She had gotten herself into this impossible situation, so she had no choice but to face whatever headed her way.

Rose moved over to her and grabbed something out of a jacket hanging beside her. From the glance Zana got, it looked like a pen of some sort, with a blue light at the end of it. She watched as Rose pressed it into the palm of the unconscious Doctor.

"I'm going to get killed by a Christmas tree!" Rose's mum squealed. If Zana wasn't terrified for her own life, she might have tried to comfort the distressing woman.

"Help me," Rose whispered into the Doctor's ear, and Zana jumped back, surprised at how quickly the man sat up and aimed the...whatever it was at the tree, causing it to explode. How did he do that?

"Remote control. But who's controlling it?" the mysterious man asked, standing up. He slid on a dressing gown and walked out of the room as if nothing was wrong, leaving the others no choice to follow. He walked right out of the flat and looked down at the ground level. Worry instantly flushed through Zana when she spotted the Santas.

"That's them. What are they?" Mickey asked as Zana stood back, away from the edge.

"Shush!" Rose scolded as the Doctor studied the Santas. Zana watched as he raised the pen-thing and aimed it at them, and was relieved when they backed up and disappeared.

"They've just gone," Mickey said, sounding full of joy. "What kind of rubbish were they? I mean, no offense, but they're not much cop if a sonic screwdriver's going to scare them off."

Sonic screwdriver? So that's what it's called...what the hell is a sonic screwdriver?

"Pilotfish," the Doctor informed, making everyone look at him.

"What?" Rose asked.

"They were just pilot fish."

Zana was just about to explain what a pilot fish was when suddenly the Doctor cried out in pain.

"What's wrong?" Rose asked as he fell back against the wall.

"You woke me up too soon. I'm still regenerating. I'm bursting with energy," Zana felt intrigued when golden mist escaped the man's lips. Everything was becoming exciting to the young woman, but she was guessing that it was the adrenaline pumping through her veins. After all, she just escaped evil Santas and a defective Christmas tree! How much more crazy can it get? "You see? The pilot fish could smell it a million miles away. So they eliminate the defense, that's you lot, and they carry me off. They could run their batteries on me for a couple of of-Ow!"

"Oh! Oh! Oh!" Rose's mum suddenly went into action. She crouched down so she was face-to-face with the man, who was wincing, obviously in pain.

"My head! I'm having a neuron implosion. I need-" he struggled to finish his sentence.

"What do you need?"

"I need-"

"Say it. Tell me, tell me, tell me."

"I need-"

"Painkillers?"

"I need-"

"Do you need aspirin?"

"I need-"

"Codeine? Paracetamol? Oh, I don't know, Pepto-Bismol?"

I need-"

"Liquid paraffin. Vitamin C? Vitamin D? Vitamin E?"

"I need-"

"Is it food? Something simple. Bowl of soup. A nice bowl of soup? Soup and a sandwich? Soup and a little ham sandwich?"

"I need you to shut up," the Doctor finally managed to say, earning a small laugh from Zana. Rose and Mickey shot her a glance. After all, none of them knew each other. Zana had to remind herself that she had followed these two to their home. Did that make her a stalker or something? Surely not. Rose did save her life, and Zana did want to thank her properly for that...But she can't deny that everything that's happened has fascinated her. TARDIS? Sonic screwdriver? The Doctor? It wasn't every day that Zana got to investigate something new, so could you blame her?

"Oh, he hasn't changed that much, has he?" Rose's mum huffed.

"We haven't got much time. If there's pilot fish, then-" the Doctor reached into the pocket of his dressing-gown and pulled out a green apple. "Why's there an apple in my dressing gown?"

"Oh, that's Howard. Sorry."

"He keeps apples in his dressing gown?"

"He gets hungry."

"What, he gets hungry in his sleep?"

"Sometimes."

"Argh! Brain collapsing," the Doctor struggled to speak, "The pilot fish...the pilot fish mean that something...something...something is coming."

And with that, he fell unconscious.

"Who exactly are you?" Rose's mother handed Zana, who was sitting down at the table, a cup of warm tea. Rose was looking after the Doctor, and Mickey had gone to get his laptop, leaving the curious teenager along with the older woman.

"Thank you," Zana took a small drink. "My name's Zana."

"Jackie," the woman gave her a small smile as she sat down beside her. "I don't mean to be rude, but why are you here?"

"Uh...Rose. She saved my life, back at the market."

Jackie smiled proudly, "That's my daughter. Did you follow them back here?"

"I rode with them," she informed. "I...can't tell you exactly why I followed them-"

"Why? Are you some sort of spy?"

Zana frowned, "Why would I be a spy? Are spies something you have to worry about? Do you often have spies come by for tea?"

"What? No!" Jackie shook her head.

Zana studied the woman for a moment, "Jackie...if I may, can I ask you a few things? I'm not a spy, I promise."

Jackie chuckled, hiding her embarrassment. "Go on, then."

"When I was at the market...I overheard Rose and Mickey speaking. What's a...TARDIS? Who's the Doctor?"

An annoyed look covered her face, "So this is about the Doctor, is it?"

"Um...yes. Who is he?"

"No one, really. If anyone, a troublemaker."

"He just stopped those...Santa things by pointing a sonic something at them. I don't know much about the man, but I know that he is most certainly not no one," Zana paused. "So, please...enlighten me."

Jackie sighed, "Look, Zana, I'm warnin' ya, don't concern yourself with him."

"Why not?" Zana gave her a confused look.

"Jackie, I'm using the phone line. Is that all right?" Mickey walked in and sat down next to Zana, who was still terribly confused.

"Yeah. Keep a count of it," Jackie stood up and look at the clock as Rose walked back into the room. "It's midnight. Christmas day. Any change?"

"He's worse. Just one heart beating," Rose sighed, which of course didn't help Zana at all. 'Just one heart beating'?

"Scientists in charge of Britain's mission to Mars have re-established contact with the Guinevere One space probe," a reporter spoke from the TV, drawing Zana's attention to it. She knew a bit about Guinevere One. She had to do a whole essay about it for science. "They're expecting the first transmission from the planet's surface in the next few minutes."

"Yes, we are. We're, we're back on schedule," a man, who Zana recognized as Daniel Llewellyn, the creator of Guinevere One, informed. "We've received the signal from Guinevere One. The Mars landing would seem to be an unqualified success."

"But is it true that you completely lost contact earlier tonight?"

"Yes, we had a bit of a scare. Guinevere seemed to fall off the scope, but it, it was just a blip. Only disappeared for a few seconds. She is fine now, absolutely fine. We're getting the first pictures transmitted live any minute now. I'd better get back to it, thanks."

"Here we go, pilot fish. Scavengers, like the Doctor said. Harmless. They're tiny. But the point is, the little fish swim alongside the big fish," Mickey spoke up.

"I coulda told you that," Zana sipped her tea, but no one paid her any mind.

"Do you mean like sharks?" Rose asked Mickey, joining him at the table. Zana caught a small glimpse of the video Mickey was watching about pilot fish.

"Great big sharks. So, what the Doctor means is, we had them, now we get that," he motioned towards the large shark on his screen

"Something is coming," Rose repeated the Doctor's words. "How close?"

"There's no way of telling, but the pilot fish don't swim far from their daddy."

"So, it's close?"

"Funny sort of rocks," Jackie commented, drawing everyone's attention back towards the telly. Static littered the screen, but they could still make out a strange-looking figure.

"That's not rocks..." Zana commented absently. She had no idea what that could possibly be, but she knew that it couldn't be rocks.

"This image is being transmitted via mission control, coming live from the depths of space on Christmas morning," the reporter informed, and seconds later, a creature with bright red eyes lunged forward with a growl, causing Rose and Zana to jump back with a shout.

By now, Rose, Jackie, and Mickey didn't even question the presence of Zana anymore. Not that they really did in the first place. Now she was sitting on the couch, watching the TV intently, trying to come up with a good explanation as to what she just saw. She never really put much thought into alien existence...after all, it's a vast universe. She just always assumed there were others. But she never thought she'd actually get to see them.

Zana sighed and leaned back, running a hand down her face tiredly. She should be home, with her parents, who were probably worried sick about her. But she couldn't help it. For as long as she could remember, she's craved an adventure like this. The suspense was exhilarating! Sure, she knew that none of this made any sense whatsoever, and she didn't even know the people who's flat she was currently in, but none of that mattered to her now. An escapade was just handed to her on a silver platter, and she'd be damned if she didn't take it.

"So...your name's Zana, yeah?" Rose sat down next to her, and Zana looked over the young woman. She only had to be a year or so older than herself, which somehow relieved her.

"Yes, it is," Zana nodded. "Sorry about following you home, but I was intrigued."

"By what?"

"...You. I overheard you and Mickey talking about a...TARDIS?"

"Oh..." Rose looked down. "Yeah...uh, my friend, the Doctor...he uh, he's the one in the other room. He's got this...box, called the TARDIS."

Zana's excitement plummeted, "A...box? I followed two random strangers, was nearly killed by a demented group of trumpet playing Santas, and then by an out-of-control Christmas tree...for a box?"

"Yeah, pretty much," Rose chuckled softly, amused. "I'm sorry about that, by the way."

"No, no, wasn't your fault," Zana shook her head. "I need to be thanking you. You practically saved me both times."

"No problem. It's sorta what I do."

"You save people?" Zana cocked her head to the side. "With the Doctor and Mickey, I'm guessing?"

"Just the Doctor," she corrected. "And yeah."

"And...who is the Doctor?"

Rose looked conflicted for a moment or so, piquing Zana's interest again. She was finally getting somewhere!

"He's the greatest man I've ever met," Rose ended up saying. "But...he's different. He's changed."

"And when you say change, you literally mean change," Zana nodded. "I heard Mickey say that too."

"Right...and yeah...I mean, I thought I knew him...but he went and changed," Rose quickly wiped her eyes, and a pang of sympathy shot through Zana. This Doctor obviously meant a lot to her. "And now, with those aliens on the TV...I don't know what to do."

"Who is he?" Zana asked softly.

"He's a Time Lord, a whole different species."

"The Doctor's an alien?" she sat up straight instantly. "That man in there...is a face-changing alien?"

"Essentially, yeah..."

"Who owns a box?" Zana joked, trying to get a smile out of Rose. And it worked.

"It's more than just a box, you know," she chuckled. "It's his...spaceship."

"But it's just a box?"

"A police box."

"From that '60s? Isn't it kinda cramped?"

"It's quite roomy, actually," Rose informed.

Zana smiled softly, "You know, you seem like a cool person, Rose."

"You too," she smiled as well.

"Rose. Take a look," Mickey called. Rose and Zana quickly got up and moved over to him. "I've got access to the military. They're tracking a spaceship. It's big, it's fast, and it's coming this way."

"Coming for what, though? The Doctor?" Rose looked at him, confused, as the three of them looked over the computer screen.

"I don't know. Maybe it's coming for all of us," Mickey looked at Rose as a clear picture of the aliens appeared on the screen, "Have you seen them before?"

"No," she shook her head.

Zana leaned in closer when the aliens began to speak. She half expected to understand them, but of course, she didn't.

"I don't understand what they're saying..." Rose commented. "The TARDIS translates alien languages inside my head, all the time, wherever I am."

"So, why isn't it doing it now?" Mickey pondered.

Rose gulped and shook her head, worry coursing through her, "I don't know. Must be the Doctor. Like he's part of the circuit, and he's...he's broken."

A/N: Hello! First chapter! Pretty rubbish first chapter if I'm honest, but hey, I'm trying! I'd love feedback, positive or negative, doesn't matter! Hope you like it! :)